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Recreation Birmingham's temperate climate and natural beauty make it a great place to live and work. Sports fans will enjoy plenty to be excited about in the region. The UAB Blazers football team, which moved to Division 1A in 1996, plays its home games at Legion Field. Additionally, the University of Alabama plays three of its home games at Legion Field, which is also home to the annual Magic City Classic between Alabama State and Alabama A&M. The Steeldogs play arena football in the spring and summer. The Birmingham Barons, the AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, play at the Hoover Met, a 12,000 seat baseball stadium in the Trace Crossings development of Hoover. One of the nicest minor league parks in America, the Met also hosts special events. East of I-20 lies the Talladega Super Speedway which draws more than 200,000 people to the metro area twice each year for Winston Cup races that continue to grow in popularity. Tickets to these races are sold in each state and many foreign countries. Year-round gold is the area's most popular sport. The Robert Trent Jones 54-hole public golf course is one of many excellent public and private courses in the area. The Bruno's Memorial Classic annually brings the PGA Seniors Tour to Birmingham to play before 150,000 spectators at Greystone. Outstanding collegiate sports include the Birmingham-Southern College basketball team, Samford University's football and basketball programs, and UAB's Blazers, fielding teams in all major collegiate sports. The city also boasts a full range of cultural amenities. City Stages, with 150,000 people attending three days of music on downtown streets, leads an outstanding selection of festivals, including the Heritage Festival, and the International Festival. The new Jazz Hall of Fame in the old Carver Theater keeps Birmingham's jazz heritage alive, while the grand old Alabama Theater, a restored movie palace, hosts classic movies and plays. For those whose taste run to the more classical arts, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra performs at the BJCC and the Alys Stephens Center, a 1,400 seat, state-of-the-art concert hall located on the campus of UAB. The BJCC is home to the Alabama Ballet, a nationally recognized Children's Theater, and touring productions. A 1997 study revealed that the arts contribute $48.8 million to Birmingham's economy and provide 1,274 jobs. The outstanding natural beauty of the Birmingham region makes outdoor activities particularly inviting. The area features numerous lakes for boating and fishing and large, mountainous wilderness areas for hiking and camping. The largest Alabama state park, Oak Mountain, just fifteen minutes from downtown, contains a public golf course, beach and elevated nature trail. Adding to the region's livability is its close proximity to sugar-white Gulf Coast beaches and Smoky Mountain snow skiing, which can be reached in a morning's drive. With a temperate climate,
a growing population, economic stability, low cost of living, and
a high quality of life, Birmingham will continue to be one of the
best metropolitan areas in the South in which to live and do business. |