Beautiful

Growth and decay in Birmingham

cover story by Sam George

If you spend much time walking or driving around the city of Birmingham, you have
probably seen some of the recent additions to Birmingham’s graffiti collection. I am talk-
ing, of course, about the “You are beautiful” tags, which have appeared in various sizes
ranging from giant building spanners to small stencils. The graffiti campaign recently
gained a lot of exposure when an instance of it was covered with additional graffiti which
changed the message to “You are fugly.” That tag has since been removed.
It got me thinking about beauty in Birmingham, though. To me, and this is my own
personal aesthetic here, Birmingham has a very compelling beauty, and I’m not talking
about the traditional rolling hills and idyllic farmland type. I’m talking about the beauty
of growth from decay. The beauty of renewal, of reinvention. Birmingham proper is an
area few would be willing to label truly beautiful, and yet, as I have walked the streets in
search of images for this paper, I have discovered more little pockets of growth and beauty
than I ever expected. Here then, are some images taken over the last year, that represent
Birmingham’s worn and weary charm, and its ability to spring new life from the detri-
tus society has cast aside. Here’s looking forward to 2011, and the new joys waiting just
around the corner.

Fun at the Firehouse: We’ve got a lot

of old buildings here, and while some
would tear them down to make way from
progress, others would rather repurpose
our aging relics and give them new life.
That’s exactly what the fellas at Spring
Street Firehouse have done. They have
converted this historic location into a
DIY music venue, filling it with vibrant
and youthful energy, as seen here in this
photo of the band Dead City. Photo by
Brian Arnold.

Red Mountain Park: File this one

under “Things to look forward to.”
Though Red Mountain Park won’t be
opening until 2012, this 1,108 acre area
situated along Red Mountain parallel to
Lakeshore Blvd. will eventually be a vast
and stunning reminder of Birmingham’s
ability to repurpose it’s past. Pictured
here is the Redding Vertical Shaft Mine
Hoist House, one of many historic sites
that may be preserved as a part of the
park-making process. Photo by
Backroads Driver.

White Christmas: This one is a little

off theme, but I thought it was a great
reminder that surprising things do hap-
pen here. Who would have thought a
White Christmas was even possible in
Birmingham? Photo by Rian Castillo.

 j a n u a r y 6 , 2 0 1 1 - j a n u a r y 13 , 2 0 1 1 B I R M I N G H A M W E E K LY
Rickwood Field: The fact that Birmingham is
home to the oldest standing baseball stadium in
the country is one I think more folks should be
aware of. Rickwood stands as a clear testament
to the value of preserving our landmarks, and
continuing to make them viable.
Photo by Sam George.

Railroad Park: What better place to start than here, where a huge swath of unused rubble has been
converted into the best park downtown has to offer. Offering an uninterrupted view of the downtown
skyline, Railroad Park will only become more beautiful as the original plantings begin to flourish.
Photo by Terry McCombs.

The Alabama from The Lyric: Think of this as a before and after picture. This is the view of the
iconic Alabama Theatre sign, gloriously renevoted, from within the Lyric Theatre, which stands aban-
doned across the street. I have been privileged to be a part of the effort to restore the Lyric Theatre,
and if that dream ever becomes a reality, than this corner of the world will become one that everyone
in Birmingham will want to see. Photo by Sam George.
Nature Reclaims Sloss: Sloss Furnaces is one of my favorite places to visit here, and not just for
its excellent historical value. I love it because it is possible to see the forces of nature hard at work
reclaiming areas we no longer use. Of course, the preservation of Sloss demands that those forces be
denied, but such conflict only provides a fertile ground for the merging of growth and decay. Photo
by Sam George.

j a n u a r y 6 , 2 0 1 1 - j a n u a r y 13 , 2 0 1 1 B I R M I N G H A M W E E K LY