STEEL ISN’T THE PROBLEM
STEEL ISN’T THE PROBLEM: The NYT has an interesting piece on Birmingham, Alabama’s evolution entitled, “Shedding the Reputation of a Steel City.” Of course, the main image problem Birmingham faces is the recollection of the civil rights era. This is somewhat amusing, as the city has had an African American mayor since the late 1970s. Birmingham, like most major cities in the US, has its fair share of urban blight but they’ve made a lot of improvements over the past decade or so. And the suburbs are quite nice and, in some cases, actually rather posh.
FYI: The Tutwiler Hotel, which is cited in the story as a “standout,” is horrid. Avoid it like the plague. Yes, Stevie Wonder stayed there. But Stevie is blind. And I suspect he only stayed there once. It’s your typical old building which has been turned into an overpriced niche hotel. The service is dreadful and the restaurant is lousy. Stay in one of the business-traveler-in-a-box hotels instead. They’re cheaper and the amenities are much better.
