Birmingham was founded in 1871, just after the U.S. Civil War, as an industrial enterprise, and is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alabama. It was named after Birmingham, one of the UK's major industrial cities. Through the middle of the 20th century, Birmingham was the primary industrial center of the Southern United States. The astonishing pace of Birmingham's growth through the turn of the century earned it the nicknames "The Magic City" and "The Pittsburgh of the South". Much like Pittsburgh in the north, Birmingham's major industries centered around iron and steel production. (1)

Nestled at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at the cross-section of two major railroads, the city was once the primary industrial center of the southern United States. At the height of the nation's manufacturing age, the city grew so fast in population, it was called the "Magic City." Today, Birmingham has transformed itself into a medical research, banking and service-based economy, making it one of the nation's most livable cities with a vibrant downtown, a burgeoning loft community, a world-class culinary scene and more green space per capita than any other city in the nation! (2)

Birmingham also boasts 99 historic neighborhoods and is often referred to as the cradle of the American Civil Rights Movement. The average (high) temperature in the city is 65; the average low is 51. The city is centrally located in the southeast and easily accessible to major hubs in the region (2)

References:
(1) Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_alabama
(2) The Official Website of Birmingham Alabama @ http://www.informationbirmingham.com/about-birmingham.aspx

Article contributed by Ray Johnson.