Top 10 Guide to Living and Dating in Birmingham, Alabama

You can almost hear taps playing in the distance as your friends tell you about your chances of finding a decent date in Birmingham, Alabama. Yes, it does have its flaws as any city does, but it’s got its perks too. Lend us your eyes for a moment as we go through the 10 most important things you’ll need to know to have a successful dating experience in Birmingham.

Old Fashioned Views– Multiracial dating is still not completely accepted in Birmingham even though the city is certainly a microcosm of colors and creeds. While it has let its hair down a bit, the interracial scene is not widely accepted, so be prepared for some very old-fashioned thinking.
Where to Hang Your Hat– They say that home is wherever you hang your hat, but if you are single and would prefer to one-day share a hat rack with someone special, then you will want to concentrate your housing search on the Southern metropolitan areas. There are four colleges in town, which are also good areas to live. This is where you’ll find your greatest concentration of other singles.
Stay out of Huntsville and Madison– Realtors admit that Huntsville and Madison attract married families. Only 20% of its inhabitants are single, and most of those are divorced. This area is also a conglomerated suburbia with very little to do.
Settle into the Small-Town Life– The folks of Birmingham may be sophisticated and cultured, but they also have a very small-town attitude. They are not impressed by money, power, dress, jewelry, clothes, or cocky attitudes. This is one place where you can really be yourself and actually get rewarded.
‘American Idol’ Loves Birmingham– How can a million American Idol fans be wrong? Birmingham has quite the music following with such Idol stars as Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, and Reuben Studdard. The place you need to get to know for all your music hankerings will be the Alys Robinson Center. They have everything from pop stars to chamber concerts here.
Generation X’ers Welcome- One of the hardest parts of going to a club as a “slightly older” single, is it is hard to find people your own age. Bell Bottoms is a hip club down town that offers 70s and 80s tunes with a fun atmosphere. You’ll feel right at home no matter what your age, and the cover price is reasonable ($10- $15).
Home of the Juniper– Birmingham is home of one of the top hot spots according to Southern Living Magazine. If those disco tunes are a little before your time, you’ll prefer the high tech atmosphere and club style music and dancing at the Juniper.
Get in Shape While Meeting People– Birmingham is very well known for its outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, caving, skiing, and snow shoeing. What goes with all these great activities are a series of clubs to join that feature other singles that love to do these activities. This is a great way to meet a variety of people without the pressures of the dating scene, and thanks to Birmingham’s variety of seasonal activities; you won’t get lonely the whole year round.
Church Atmosphere– Birmingham is known for its ample supply of churches and strong single’s departments. No matter what denomination you are, you will find a comfortable place to get involved in your community.
Low Cost of Living Combined with a Spry Job Market– You won’t be having much fun if you can’t afford to… but thanks to Birmingham’s low cost of living and promising job market, you shouldn’t have to worry. The hottest fields in Birmingham (in order of hot to warm) are health (medical assistant, occupational therapist, medical records), IT (Information Technology) professionals, and education (preschool through kindergarten and university level).