Alabama’s largest city is known as ‘The Magic City’ for its prodigious growth during the mid-20th century iron and steel manufacturing boom. The city was also at the center of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. Today, Birmingham is a leader in the medical research and banking industries, and is one of the most affordable cities in which to live. Located at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham also boasts “more green space per capita” than any other U.S. city, and outdoor recreation is a popular pastime.
Birmingham is Alabama’s cultural center, home to a plethora of art galleries, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Alabama Ballet and Opera Birmingham. The city also has a popular music scene and hosts several music festivals each year; the three-day City Stages festival over Father’s Day weekend.