Downtown

The very heart of Alabama’s largest city, Downtown Birmingham is a highly sought-after neighborhood that’s home to a thriving job market as well as chock-full with exceptional amenities and top-notch attractions.

Recent development has blessed Downtown Birmingham with tremendous growth. Over 10,600 residents live comfortably here.

An incredibly vibrant neighborhood, Downtown Birmingham—affectionately called B’ham by locals—offers a good blend of historic attractions and modern amenities. These include important cultural landmarks like the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute;  amazing restaurants such as John’s City Diner and Trattoria ZaZa; and a line-up of local shops and boutiques in the Downtown Shopping District.

In addition to its cornucopia of attractions, Downtown Birmingham teems with diverse housing options, which include condos, townhouses, and single-family homes. Real estate properties in Downtown Birmingham start at around $200,000 and typically max out at around $400,000, although prices for some luxury properties can reach up to $1.2 million. 

The best of Downtown Birmingham

• Jim Reed Books – Dubbed by B’ham locals as The Museum of Fond Memories, this independent bookshop is owned and operated by columnist and humorist Jim Reed. Considered one of the neighborhood’s hidden gems, Jim Reed Books houses an extensive collection of over 50,000 books, not to mention countless other collectible items such as figures, vintage magazines, and movie posters. 


• Sidewalk Film Festival – Established in 1999, this annual film festival is a project of the Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema. Independent filmmakers gather in the last week of August to showcase their work and mingle with their audience.


• Birmingham Restaurant Week – A celebration of Birmingham’s vibrant culinary scene, this event is marked by special menus from participating restaurants and food establishments, as well as gourmet food and wine tastings. Proceeds from Birmingham Restaurant Week are donated to local charities dedicated to ending hunger and eliminating food waste.