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bUAB | Radiology | Birmingham

	Welcome
	to Birmingham, home of UAB. Founded in 1871, Birmingham quickly achieved national prominence through the production of coal, iron and steel. With its vast manufacturing capacity, the city was said to be the number two bombing target in the nation during world war two. The sixties saw struggle for equality on the streets of Birmingham, memorialized now at the Civil Rights Museum. The 1970's and 80's brought modernization and economic revitalization. Now, Birmingham is a dynamic, progressive urban center that is home to the world class health care of UAB.
	Location Located in the heart of the Southeast, Birmingham is a short drive from Atlanta, Nashville, Chattanooga, New Orleans, and Memphis. Less than five hours in a car can take you either to the forrested peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains or the pure white sands of the Gulf of Mexico. For farther destinations, the Birmingham International Airport flies over 3 million passengers around the world each year.	Events With over a million people living in the greater metropolitan area, Birmingham is a cultural and entertainment hub. Music lovers flock to Birmingham to attend city-funded City Stages, an annual three day music revel in the streets of downtown. Films, musicals, and plays are featured at the elegant Alabama Theatre, which is a restored 1920's movie palace. Sloss Furnaces, the old smokestacks that put the city on the map, have been converted into both an industrial museum and a cultural center for festivals and concerts. Numerous galleries, theatre and dance performances, the Sidewalk Film Festival, the Festival of Arts, and concerts and clubs provide lively and continual entertainment for the eager ears and dancing feet of Birmingham residents. The Birmingham-Jefferson County Civic Center (BJCC) consists of a concert hall, a theater, a 17,000-seat sports arena, and an exhibition hall. Many events are booked here.
	Attractions Other local attractions include the renowned Birmingham Zoo and the beautiful 67-acre Botanical Gardens with their extensive calendar of events for singles, children and families. Art lovers can visit the Birmingham Art Museum, which is the largest municipally supported art museum in the Southeast. Birmingham’s rich jazz history lights up the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame at the historic Carver Theatre. For an experience both entertaining and educational, you can visit the state of the art McWane Center, which offers “adventures in science” ranging from the IMAX dome theater to an interactive World of Water Exhibit. But for pure thrills you can’t beat the recently built Visionland Theme Park’s rollercoasters and water slides.
		The natural beauty of Alabama is as big an attraction as any man-made structure built upon its soil. The mountain trails, lakes, and picnic areas of Ruffner Mountain and Oak Mountain State Park are a perfect complement to the nearby thriving urban center of the city. And if you’re up for a road trip, Mount Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama, is only a one to two hour drive away.
	Athletics Spectator sports abound in Birmingham, with collegiate sports, Class AA Birmingham Barons baseball, minor league Hockey, annual Senior PGA tournament, and the nearby Talladega Super Speedway. Greyhound Race Course, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and Rickwood Field (the nation's oldest ballpark) also provide the sports fan with much to see and do.
		Life In Birmingham Some of the most beautiful suburbs in the United States surround the city, making Birmingham a wonderful place to live and raise a family. With its picturesque surroundings, Birmingham has been recognized as an "All American City", one of the top ten American cities to live and work, and one of the top ten entrepreneurial and job growth hot spots in America. Recently, the U.S. Conference of Mayors awarded Birmingham its Most Livable City designation. The cost of living in Birmingham compares very favorably to cities in other regions of the country. Because of its rapid growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Birmingham possesses an international flavor and ethnic diversity that are unusual to the South. This diversity has been enhanced in the last two decades by the phenomenal growth of UAB. Health care and education have replaced other types of industry as Birmingham's economic base, and UAB is now the state's leading employer. With this economic explosion come the trappings of refinement and opportunity in the form of the shopping, dining, and night life that Birmingham has to offer. The combination of pleasant weather, geography, culture, activities, and lifestyle all make this city a wonderful place to live and practice medicine.
	6/16/08

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