tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27082167557614355592011-04-21T21:33:38.162-07:00I want you to move to Intown Birmingham. It's possible to live well and live environmentally and economically green in the Birmingham neighborhoods built in the decades when the name "Magic City" was first inspired. Here's the proof.UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-45145375621268486242008-12-05T09:58:00.000-08:002008-12-06T12:44:53.874-08:00

Shops like TriBeCa in 5PS are the type that make living Intown so unique. I'm no retail expert and I'm not one the get excited about cloth stores usually but I get a smile every time I walk into this store. In my experience there is no store that duplicates what they are able to do. Maybe it's the clothes: Some fashions are like what you see in the mall stores, but seem more authentic somehow;

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-47041900516185639282008-11-23T14:23:00.000-08:002008-11-23T15:06:49.524-08:00

Maybe. If we take advantage of what we have available to us. According to the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and reported in Birmingham News last week, the amount of open spaces in a neighborhood has a correlation to the amount of body fat, hyperactivity and cognitive ability. So move to Norwood, Bush Hills or around Highland Avenue or near one of the many parks

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-76886997968639850962008-11-21T11:36:00.000-08:002008-11-23T14:59:47.130-08:00

We have a regional Chamber of Commerce in Birmingham. Ideally that's supposed to help the Metro area to work better together, but you wouldn't guess that based on the many fiefdoms that make up our area's political geography. UrbanUpscale focuses on the historic and older areas of Birmingham and the surrounding area, but I'm interested in a poll that the Regional Chamber is looking for

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-33706625847248513702008-11-20T19:44:00.000-08:002008-11-21T05:04:56.903-08:00

I think I would have liked Sam Ullman if I'd had the opportunity to know him in 19th century Birmingham. His progressive work and independent spirit live on in the spirit of the Southside today. His home, preserved and historically designated through UAB, serves as a reminder of the inspiration the living man gave to Birmingham and the world. One of my customers is a retired teacher who over

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-89908303104817976662008-11-04T09:56:00.000-08:002008-11-04T12:30:08.654-08:00

You'd think it was a friday. For my neighbors in Norwood, it looks like many will be heading to Norwood Circle for a pot luck and intimate company looking out over downtown from a large back porch. Email me for an address. For those who want to get out into the streets there's ton's of choices. Cosmos Bar and Grill will be open and watching its many LCD screens and there is no cover except on

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-13907874590549773672008-11-03T20:23:00.000-08:002008-11-03T21:19:48.912-08:00

Tomorrow is the biggest election day in anybody's recent memory. UrbanUpscale-Intown Green's staff (me) was so inspired by CNN correspondent and Tom Joyner Morning Show regular guest Roland Martin's idea of helping the election by helping people who are expected to be standing in tomorrow's long lines. What to do? What to do?Oh, I know. Food and drink.I contacted two neighborhood stores who I

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-31421441520730609342008-11-02T14:00:00.000-08:002008-11-02T14:08:37.068-08:00

Some of you have put some serious money into your home and have great taste to back it up. Now's the time to floss a little in full, glossy color. Birmingham Home and Garden wants to do an article on Norwood for the magazine in an upcoming issue. My contact, a church member, tells me that they are looking for folk who have done upgrades recently to their homes. Email me or send a response at

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-86023185302713336602008-11-02T13:01:00.000-08:002008-11-03T00:44:05.213-08:00

Lesson learned yesterday: beautiful trees aren't always your friends. At 34th Street and Norwood Blvd. there is a female gingko biloba tree, very rare, that produces a small, round, smelly fruit that is on the ground now. Me: "So will eating or making a tea of this fruit improve my memory?"Mike Helms: "No. But it may kill you!"Me: "Oh."My ensuing laughter shows you my dark sense of humor.

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-4070608551237214542008-10-31T13:38:00.000-07:002008-10-31T13:53:17.913-07:00

Andre will be exchanging the view in the above picture for a more natural one in "the placid place", Historic Norwood. No more looking out over the stark, though beautiful, concrete, masonry and glass of downtown. Now when Andre and Betsey look out of the large windows of their four square home it'll be birch trees, green grass and the occasional squirrel they see.He's asking for help with the

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-17073654678599085982008-10-30T21:31:00.000-07:002008-10-31T17:49:29.592-07:00

It's Thursday night, 11:45 pm. You live in the northern part of Intown and you want some good, hot food and maybe a spirited drink and some company and don't want to drive too far to get it. What to do? What to do? Until recently there were few if any options. No longer, however. Entering the Intown restaurant and nightclub scene as of October is Cosmos Bar and Grill on 12th Avenue in Norwood

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-24191324898604401542008-09-26T17:40:00.000-07:002008-09-27T06:30:38.278-07:00

...then add up the total of the numbers in the address of the home in the picture-"3511". Have you done it yet? Good. Spooky isn't it? No? Well how about this: the picture was taken recently on Norwood Blvd for a home that was recently closed on by a new owner and this was the culmination of the first get together of probably many (if I know the owner like I think I do). Consider that the

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-33399946133389245412008-09-18T18:29:00.000-07:002008-09-18T18:52:36.355-07:00

Myron Pierre is a unique type of Birminghamian. You can tell this immediately by the red handkerchief he wears rolled and tied around his neck, artist style. It's a touch of class fashion move that quickly says to people like me "deep waters ahead". That's just me though. But even before seeing the handkerchief you would have probably noticed the stand up easel with the umbrella over it that

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-51664116190118857532008-09-07T06:13:00.000-07:002008-09-08T17:30:26.938-07:00

Andre and Betsey may be moving to Norwood. Yes, I refer to them by only their first names. What would our Southern cities look like if people like Andre Natta, founder, editor and publisher of The Terminal website, among other web projects, was commonly referred to by folk who don't know them as simply "ANDRE"? I can hear the chant now: "AN-DRE! YES. WE. CAN....get people to realize that

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-6606166600604478472008-07-31T09:40:00.000-07:002008-08-01T10:08:17.360-07:00

Most of the homes in Birmingham's Intown neighborhoods were built before there was regular access to air conditioning. Many of the architectural features that I love had a dual use of helping to regulate the temperature in the house. That said, some significant retrofitting is often necessary to lower energy usage, save money and be more green. My house, built around 1933, has about 35 large

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-38556910006917313852008-07-22T07:05:00.000-07:002008-07-22T13:29:51.038-07:00

When Torme's closed over a year ago the Birmingham News article made it sound like there were some talks in place for a new store to replace it. If so then they are either moving VERY slow or they have since fallen apart. I only made it to Torme's once while they were there, but Aldi's would see me every week. It would take some work and vision to get ALDI here: more parking probably, maybe a

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-35346748978996059602008-07-20T13:34:00.000-07:002008-07-20T14:06:45.661-07:00

One of the pleasures of living in a 100 year old neighborhood is that there is plenty of greenery that is well established. It is also one of the great banes of living in a 100 year old community; some of my chlorophyll powered neighbors don't know when their welcome is well worn out and need to just die. In fact I'm sure that they ask themselves 'why is this newcomer cutting on me?' in their

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-2741018793190891832008-07-20T12:41:00.000-07:002008-07-20T13:34:02.305-07:00

The Titusville neighborhood is one of the under recognized gems of Birmingham. Historically it is an important area in producing many of the city's professionals, business people and leaders. Earlier this week the ever-active Helen Rivas sent me an email listing the YECB meetings this week; two were in the Eastlake area and one was at 6th Avenue Baptist Church in Titusville. Even though I live

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-87828952733413544552008-07-18T05:51:00.000-07:002008-07-18T17:00:17.843-07:00

The ALDI stores popping up around town are impressive. No wonder the Euro is kicking our greenback's butt if this is an indication of how much better they can run a "low end" grocery store compared to American companies. We Intowners need to quickly implant into the right people's heads that downtown Birmingham would be an ideal spot for one of their stores.Why such a glowing words, you ask? If

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-26103748580319260042008-07-17T03:52:00.000-07:002008-07-17T14:28:49.105-07:00

Up until this Tuesday I have not been able to make to any of the Yes We Can! townhall style meetings going on around the city. Luckily the programs organizers are persistant in keeping these meetings going and I made it to one at the library on Oporto Madrid (beautiful building). I'm glad I did.There was only a small group there, no suprise. Unfortunately only the most intersted in Birmingham's

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-10090572531398849582007-11-25T08:28:00.000-08:002007-11-25T14:28:20.970-08:00

Mr. Langford's "Something" has begun. The inaugurations have been done, tax proposals made, job cuts been suggested. Intowners and the press have "something" to say: Mostly it's "We don't like it."Randomly overheard (and paraphrased) comments heard over the past few weeks: 'I like the free computers for school children program. Too many kids graduate with no skills."

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-17737015994715786252007-11-09T12:28:00.000-08:002007-11-09T12:32:32.558-08:00

Somebody's trying to give people travelling Intown a message. Given how much of disease is caused or made worse by stress, I'm thinking that whoever is responsible for the new signage going up on the 6th Avenue side of Children's Hospital may purposely be leaving this work partially finished. To see this look toward the hospital when you are in front of Magic Johnson's Burger King on 6th Avenue.

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-58028245253416894412007-11-01T16:05:00.000-07:002007-11-01T21:35:43.644-07:00

To get the correct effect of the title you must hear Annie Lennox circa The Eurhythmics in the 80s singing "Here Comes the Rain Again" in your head. Wiki says she's been called the greatest white soul singer in the world. Perhaps that's why her song so channels my feeling of the blues when I think about The Fall. Her song is what I heard yesterday when I had the urge and the energy to fire the

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-36762204576272444952007-10-27T11:29:00.000-07:002007-10-27T11:49:02.463-07:00

Recently a Fort Wayne, IN. resident seriously considering a move to Birmingham had this to ask: (paraphrasing)Hey, UrbUps, help me out, man. What can I do in Birmingham if I want to live in an In Town neighborhood, spend less thant $200,000 and I have a daughter who in is a pre-IB program that I want to send to a good school?Below is what I had to say. What do you think, dear reader?Some

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-39746880791105430582007-10-13T15:44:00.000-07:002007-10-13T16:56:32.474-07:00

Who can email me with the neighborhood location of this home? I will be taking pictures from around the metro area (not just Intown) and post them here. Want to build a game up around being able to tell where homes are located based on design, history, topography, etc. Who can tell me about this one?

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-68438484508034860302007-10-13T15:25:00.000-07:002007-10-13T15:43:16.053-07:00

Dateline October 12th, 2007Driving home from Java and Jams last night which is at 20th and 4th Avenues North, I saw two Intowners (I don't imagine they make a long drive home after a game like this) playing chess about 100 feet from the front of the Carver Theater/ Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame on 4th Avenue North. I had to get a picture. These brothers were intensely into this game. One of the guys

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-53701558511926872272007-10-12T20:53:00.000-07:002007-10-13T16:55:41.923-07:00

My highspeed isn't acting right today so I'm forced to leave my three-arched Norwood cave and get out into other parts of Intown. The downtown part. 20th Avenue is turning into something of a nice place to visit at night and I stepped into Java and Jams for the first time. They've got coffee. They've got hot food ( I got a roast beef on whole wheat with provolone). They, of course, have coffee

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708216755761435559.post-75648937577548032712007-10-12T19:24:00.000-07:002007-10-13T18:20:57.593-07:00

Well it happened.My guy/gal (who shall remain nameless at this point) didn't get chosen by my city-mates to lead the Birmingham. Significant disappointment and a feeling of gloom was my initial reaction: drinking from the poisoned punch going around, passed by some intown residents; only 'my guy/gal' could provide the solution to growth intown. The thoughts go something like this: without "my

UrbanUpscale-Intown Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01205149614149628296noreply@blogger.com1