I had a buddy at college who came from Birmingham, Alabama who would churn out the sweet sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd almost every afternoon, paying homage to his home town. I didn’t know it then, but just 15 years later I would be moving to the home state of my buddy Richard Radcliff Trice and calling it my new home. Much is said about Alabama and I had heard many ideas and stereotypes about the place before arriving here, most of which are completely wrong, here is what it is really like to live here.
Weather
The weather isn’t for everyone and there are really just 3 seasons here which are incredibly hot, hot with humidity, and freezing cold, there really isn’t much in-between. Personally I am more than happy with the weather conditions here and coming from Texas there are a lot of similarities.
The People
People down in the south of the US have a reputation for being kind and welcoming but this has not always been my experience per se. My opinion of the people here in Alabama is that there are some who will make you feel like million bucks and there are others looking to trample on whoever they have to to get where they’re going, just like all over the world.
Food
If you love BBQ then this is the perfect state for you and you won’t have to travel far before getting a whiff of some BBQ smoker out the back of a restaurant or in someone’s garden. In Birmingham there is some great Mexican and Japanese cuisine but the state doesn’t offer too much by way of Italian, Greek, French or Indian food.
Sports
Everyone in the state adores sports and they get right behind their local teams here across the state. Football is very much the biggest sport in the state, with baseball trailing closely behind, soccer is generally considered as being for kids and basketball occasionally gets a look in, although it really is football and baseball which take the crown as most popular sports.
Living
The cost of living in this state is very low in comparison to others across the nation and that includes metropolitan areas. Even in Birmingham it can be very easy to find a property in the $175,000 range.
What to Do
Alabama has perfect proximity to the mountains and the beach which means that there is plenty of nature to go and discover. Throughout the state you’ll find hiking and biking trails, jogging routes, ski resorts and lots of fishing sites. Alabama gets a huge amount of great live music too, often spilling over from nearby Nashville and the zoo here is one of the best which the southern states have to offer.
Alabama definitely lived up to the hype which I had heard before moving here and I would certainly recommend it is a place to live or simply to visit for a week or two.
