Heart of the City

Vulcanizing

REINVENTION, That word pretty much sums up Birmingham, Alabama—“The Magic City,” nicknamed for how quickly a metropolis popped up around a series of intersecting railroad lines in the early 1870s. A thriving iron industry soon followed. Though now a thing of the past, it’s still celebrated with an imposing, 56-foot cast-iron sculpture of Vulcan, Roman god of fire and forge, which presides over Vulcan Park. Recently renovated, the iconic statue represents how this coolest of Deep Southern cities has managed to hold on to its roots as it constantly reinvents itself—most recently in the mid-1970s, around medical research—to meet modern-day demands.

Another example is Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. Once the core of Birmingham’s industrial might, its blast furnaces and boilers have long been shut down, but the city opted to preserve the 40-acre property as a monument to Southern industry. Stop by on the weekend and enjoy a guided tour, or explore the haunting rooms on your own. Unique in its size and scope, the landmark has new purpose as a concert venue and metal arts center. The past and present are very much alive here.

For learning more about Birmingham’s past, a must-see is the beautifully executed Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Here, you walk through a physical time line of America’s civil rights events, passing exhibits such as a Freedom Riders bus and the door from the cell where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” A somewhat glitzier site is the restored Alabama Theatre for the Performing Arts. Once called “the showplace of the South,” it’s now the place to catch classic black-and-white films while kicking back in one of its plush red seats. But first, grab a brown paper sack of boiled peanuts—a signature Alabamian snack—from The Peanut Depot, a few blocks away on a worn cobblestone street in the newly renovated loft district. Just follow your nose to this institution of sorts, where you’ll find large burlap bags full of peanuts, and the blackened iron roasters that have been cranking out this perennial favorite for 100 years.

If you’re in the market for a gift or souvenir, Birmingham is awash in local art. Browse through the Naked Art gallery in Forest Park, where a sign reading “Art stripped of its pretenses” lets you know what you’re walking into. Find soda bottles turned into kaleidoscopes, sweaters recycled as brightly woven scarves, and jar tops revamped into magnets. A short drive away is the Bare Hands Gallery, a nonprofit art organization, boasting bold contemporary works by Alabama artists. Normally a more serious venue, the Birmingham Museum of Art is transformed on select Friday nights into Art on the Rocks. This community cocktail party presents activities—scavenger hunts and artists’ demonstrations—drinks and h’ors d’oeuvres inspired by current exhibitions, as well as live music in its sculpture garden.

Like humidity in the air, live music saturates the city. Check out hot spots like the trendy Metro Bistro & Market downtown and WorkPlay, a larger venue that brings in big names and local artists alike. Jazz it up at Ona’s Music Room, a hole-in-the-wall joint where blues and soul are sometimes offered. Another local favorite for happy hour is The Garage Cafe, where you can enjoy music and build your own sandwiches. The cafe’s courtyard, featuring gargoyles and eclectic antiques, and surrounded by French iron gates, is the place to be. (Looking for a one-of-a-kind souvenir? The antiques are for sale.)

There’s no shortage of good old-fashioned Southern cooking in Birmingham. Taste the juiciest fried chicken in town at the homey Open Door Cafe, and the best fried green tomatoes at the movie-famous Irondale Cafe (the original Whistlestop Café), a “meat-and-three” (you get your choice of one meat and three side dishes). Sit on a swivel barstool reminiscent of the 1950s at the unpretentious Gilchrist Drug diner, and order up an egg salad sandwich and some fresh-squeezed limeade. For finer fare, splurge at Highlands Bar and Grill, where renowned chef Frank Stitt crafts cuisine that’s a tasty blend of Southern France and the U.S. South. Or try the intimate Hot and Hot Fish Club, which reinvents its menu daily so that all the organic ingredients are fresh and in season. Don’t miss the one regularly appearing item: shrimp and grits with country ham.

Don’t believe in magic? Come to Birmingham and experience the history, food, music and Southern culture, and you just might change your mind.

—Karina Timmel

Heart Beat

GENERAL INFO/ACCOMMODATIONS
BIRMINGHAM CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU 800-458-8085 or 205-458-8000, www.birminghamal.org. This “key” to The Magic City offers comprehensive history, as well as suggestions for your itinerary.

RESTAURANTS
GILCHRIST DRUG 2805 Cahaba Road, 205-871-2181. The drugstore’s gone, but the fresh-squeezed limeade will cure what ails you.
HIGHLANDS BAR AND GRILL 2011 11th Avenue South, 205-939-1400, www.highlandsbarandgrill.com. Just say “oui,” y’all, to this blend of Southern French and Southern U.S. fare.
HOT AND HOT FISH CLUB 2180 11th Court South, 205-933-5474, www.hotandhotfishclub.com. It’s hot because everything’s fresh. Check out the wine list and artisanal cheeses, too.
IRONDALE CAFE 1906 First Avenue North, 205-956-5258, www.irondalecafe.com. How ’bout some country fried steak and fried okra to go with those fried green tomatoes?
OPEN DOOR CAFE 1115 Dunston Avenue, 205-879-6659, www.opendoorcafebirmingham.com. Cozy, intimate—and swingin’ during its Sunday jazz brunches.

ATTRACTIONS
ALABAMA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 1817 Third Avenue North, 205-25- 0418, www.alabamatheatre.com. This venue lives up to its moniker, “showplace of the South.”
BARE HANDS GALLERY 109 Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard South, 205-324-2124, www.barehandsgallery.org. Take a gander at innovative, edgy works by Alabama artists.
BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE 520 16th Street North, 866-328-9696 or 205-328-9696, www.bcri.org. A moving tribute to the South’s struggle for racial equality.
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART 2000 Eighth Avenue North, 205 254-2566, www.artsbma.org. Be sure to visit the decorative arts section, including one of the best collections of Wedgwood outside England.
NAKED ART 3815 Clairmont Avenue, 205-595-3553,www.nakedartusa.com. Who says art has to be hoity-toity? Funky meets quirky here.
THE PEANUT DEPOT 2016 Morris Avenue, 205-251-3314. Home to the noble goober pea—salted, boiled or Cajun.
SLOSS FURNACES NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK 20 32nd Street North, 205-324-1911, www.slossfurnaces.com. Birmingham’s industrial heritage is evident in this first-of-its-kind preservation project.
VULCAN PARK 1701 Valley View Drive, 205-933-1409, www.visitvulcan.com. You can’t miss the quintessential symbol of Birmingham—the world’s largest cast-iron statue of Vulcan, Roman god of fire and forge.

NIGHT LIFE
THE GARAGE CAFE 2304 10th Terrace South, 205-322-3220, www.garagecafe.us. Shop for antiques by day, chill with a frosty at night.
METRO BISTRO & MARKET 2125 Second Avenue North, 205-323-7995. Live music + great sandwiches + warehouse setting = cool.
ONA’S MUSIC ROOM 423 20th Street South, 205-322-4622, www.onasmusicroom.com. Think “nightclub” and “good music.”
WORKPLAY 500 23rd Street South, 205-879-4773, www.workplay.com. Listen to live music—or record your own in WorkPlay’s studio.

—K.T.