Moving to Birmingham from Atlanta: What Nobody Tells You

I thought I was giving something up. I absolutely was NOT.

Birmingham always seemed so small to me. I was twenty-three, moving from Atlanta, and I had real questions. Is there anywhere really good to eat? Anything to do on weekends? Real culture, real music, real history?

Then I got here, and it kind of blew my mind. In the best way.

Twenty-nine years later, I'm still here. I've raised three boys here, built a fitness coaching business here, and grown a booming real estate business here. I've watched this city figure out exactly what it wants to be, and I've never once looked back or wondered what it would look like if I had stayed in Atlanta.

The cost-of-living number is the thing everyone leads with when they talk about Birmingham. But it's not the first thing you'll notice when you arrive. Here's what you'll find...

The Birmingham Food Scene Will Surprise You

The food scene alone.

James Beard nominations. Iron Chef winners. Chefs who left bigger cities and chose Birmingham on purpose. These aren't people who settled. They got it.

If you're moving from Atlanta, the quality AND quantity of amazing local eateries here will be the first thing that catches you off guard. The prices are lower. The waits are shorter. And the food at places like Automatic Seafood, Bottega, and a rotating group of newer, quirkier spots scattered around local neighborhoods (one of our very favorites is Local 39 - a true gem for a burger and an Orange Thang - AND it doubles as Birmingham's local Soccer/Arsenal pub if you happen to enjoy watching games with other fans) are the kind of thing people drive hours for… because they do.

Live Music in Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is a hub for music, filled with local venues that regulars try to keep under wraps. There are SO MANY artists who attribute our city to getting their careers off the ground (think Emmylou Harris for starters) and they STILL come back to play local spots.

Years ago, we saw Brandi Carlile when she was just starting her career at a cool little spot downtown. The next thing we knew, she was filling up Red Rocks. That's the kind of city this is. You get the artists early, in rooms where you can actually hear them think. And when the big touring acts come through, the BJCC and the Coca-Cola Amphitheater are right down the street.

You're not driving to Atlanta for a show, rather the shows are coming to you.

Arts, History, and Culture in Birmingham

I came from one of the largest cities in the South, and I still can't get over what Birmingham offers in arts and culture.

Red Mountain Theatre. The Alabama Symphony, which runs an outdoor summer concert series at Railroad Park that's worth clearing your calendar for. The Birmingham Museum of Art. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and 16th Street Baptist Church. The history here will stop you in your tracks. It should.

These aren't approximations of what you'd find in a bigger city. They're the real thing.

Outdoor Life and Sports in Birmingham, Alabama

There's an outdoor activity for everyone here, and that's not an overstatement.

Semi-pro soccer and baseball give you live sports without the parking situation. UAB football is building something worth watching. And on any given fall Saturday, you're a short drive from an Alabama or Auburn game. The trails and parks are extensive: Jemison, Red Mountain Park, and Oak Mountain State Park, which is the largest state park in Alabama. If you haven't looked it up yet, look it up. It doesn't get better and it's literally right here.

Cost of Living: Birmingham vs. Atlanta

All of this for more than 30 percent less than what you're paying in Atlanta or Nashville.

A two-bedroom that runs close to $1,900 a month in Atlanta averages around $1,400 here. People who sell in Atlanta and buy in Birmingham don't just break even. They buy something they couldn't have touched back home.

When I moved at twenty-three, I wasn't thinking about any of this. I just wanted to know if there were cool local venues and restaurants and shops to enjoy and that I wouldn't feel like I had moved to a tiny town without much to offer. The financial piece of the puzzle became important and clear later. Honestly, it still surprises me.

What Moving to Birmingham Actually Does to Your Life

Turns out, moving to Birmingham got me busier and more involved than I had ever been in a much bigger city.

The community here is real. The relationships are real. The feeling of being in a city that's building toward something (without the over-build or the over-crowded spaces), while you're standing right in the middle of it, is something I didn't expect at twenty-three. I still don't take it for granted.

And I fell in love.

If you're thinking about Birmingham and want to talk through what a move actually looks like, what our amazing city has to offer or what day to day life looks like here, this is one of my favorite conversations to have. Reach out, and let's talk through it.