Tag Archives: image

Birmingham still has Perpetual Promise

CPP cover. Dystopos/FlickrThere are many nicknames that have been given to Birmingham, AL by its citizens. There are some that are actually associated with the city, including being the original Magic City – or are we?

It’s also been called Tragic City (a nickname that isn’t associated with the city that much, unless you’re talking about our roller derby squad

Another popular nickname is Steel City, though it doesn’t seem to be used by that many people outside of the city as it is inside metro Birmingham.

A tag applied to the city since 1937 by some historical buffs is “The City of Perpetual Promise.” It’s taken from the title of a piece written by George Leighton for the August 1937 edition of Harper’s Magazine. The piece has influenced several pieces in recent years, from former Birmingham mayor Larry Langford’s 2009 Birmingham News editorial to a February 2008 piece published in Harper’s looking at what had changed since 1937.

John Morse (the man behind BhamWiki) recently scanned the article and posted the pages to Flickr . The article is also available for reading via Harper’s Magazine‘s own archives in PDF format – if you have a subscription. You’ll also find the text included in a book published by Leighton in 1939.

Photo: CPP cover. Dystopos/Flickr

Random Shots: Progress at CiTYViLLE

cityville_0030

Construction workers drag metal reinforcements to be used in the foundation of the CiTYViLLE BLOCK 121 mixed-use development on Birmingham’s Southside Tuesday morning. As we’ve previously reported, the development is slated to include 255 apartments and more than 21,000 square feet of retail space.

Photo: Bob Farley/f8Photo

Huh? What did he say?

smitherman-billboardNormally 10 ten lists are seen as funny (a la David Letterman). I’ve got a feeling that the one that was just published over on a relatively new Birmingham, AL blog, Brown Paper Bag, may lead to a major disagreement between two long time public figures.

An email from the blog’s author, Christopher Mosley, says that the list originated from an email sent by former City Councilor John Katopodis in response to an electronic billboard ad placed by Birmingham City Council president Carole Smitherman asking people a simple question, “What can I do for you?” with her Council office number listed.

Photo: Special to bhamterminal.com

What do you think of Birmingham’s image?

The Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce wants to know. They’ve contracted with Samford University‘s Brock School of Business Marketing to do a survey of all of us so they know what we think of Birmingham’s image, in particular the city’s strengths and areas that it needs to work on. It takes three minutes to complete it (tops), (and you’ll be joining at least 400 people who’ve already completed it) so what’s keeping you from clicking here and doing it. Oh yeah, the password is bham (and you’ve only got until Friday (11.21) to complete it).

Ads to ride off into the sunset

MAX bus in downtown Birmingham, AL with syphilis epidemic ad

André Natta/bhamterminal.com

This could be the last time you see this image — if you missed Saturday’s Birmingham News, you missed this story on the removal of these ads by the BJCTA, at the mayor’s request, because it was presenting a bad image.

So what do I think? Find out over on my Birmingham… then let us know what you think.

XO laptops delivered; what about the boxes?

The first major delivery of XO laptop computers were made to students at Glen Iris Elementary School earlier this week. Approximately 700 computers were distributed. We all know how environmentally friendly the laptops are but what about the packaging?

XO laptop boxes recycled

AEC Program Coordinator Jenny Dorgan gets assistance from a student at Glen Iris Elementary School while preparing the boxes that delivered approximately 700 laptops for recycling. Photo courtesy of the Alabama Environmental Council.

Well, the Alabama Environmental Council let us know that they recycled 100% of the packaging from the first disbursement of the laptops (including all of these boxes that you’re seeing).

Mountain Brook Inn comes down

 Mountain Brook Inn razing begins

Mountain Brook Inn being demolished today. leadingzero/twitpic

The wrecking ball (or crane as the case may be) appears to be providing evening rush hour drivers along U.S. Highway 280 with a show – in the form of the demolition of the Mountain Brook Inn. According to this story published on April 10 in The Birmingham News, the demolition is scheduled to take approximately eight weeks.

Thanks to @leadingzero for the use of the image; you can also check out this post on BirminghamDome to learn more about the known plans for the property (as well as that author’s thoughts about it’s place in Birmingham’s current development scheme).