I'm back from doing research in Birmingham, Alabama. While I've had many enjoyable trips to Birmingham in the past--usually staying at the Broerman Hilton in Hoover or in lodging in Vestavia Hills, Homewood, or Five Points--this is the first time I've actually been "in" Birmingham proper. But this is where my research contacts were, so I parked myself in downtown B'ham near the library archives and the B'ham Civil Rights Institute. What strikes one first and foremost about downtown B'ham is how clean it is. Unlike many residents in Tucson or San Diego or in other urban areas with which I'm familiar, people in B'ham seem to take pride in their city and dispose of trash and cigarette butts in the many receptacles that dot the landscape. Another thing one notices is the massive parking garages frequenting practically every block in the city center. Obviously, it is a commuter city. The result is a limited number of choices in restaurants--especially after 2:30 in the afternoon. Breakfast and lunch options are pretty much limited to corporate dining; i.e., the food court in the Alabama Power building or the food court in the Regions Bank building. Stand-alone restaurants are few, and those that do exist also usually close by 2:30 because once the worker/commuter population leaves for the day, the streets are deserted. B'ham has a lot of potential, but still much of the city reminded me of East Berlin before the fall of the Wall--desolate and gray and run down. (Having said that, I'll also add that it looks ripe for loft space development.)

I'll return to B'ham the first week of February to finish up (he says with hope) my research.