Month: January 2018
Location: Birmingham
When I told my friends that I was going to Alabama, the
first question was “Why?” When I mentioned that this was the next state
on my list, they asked if I could just cross the border and turn back, or
even better option would be to spend an hour at the airport and return. This is because Alabama does not have a good
reputation amongst many living in the North.
The events during the “Civil
Rights Movement” didn’t help and in some people’s mind, even the recent
past has not been great. I was going to
go there no matter what, though my friends did tell me keep them updated of all
of my movements when there. Even with
all of this apprehension, I was looking forward to my visit and set off on a
Friday afternoon for Birmingham.
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| The most famous man in Birmingham |
It was a quick flight that landed at 3:40 pm and a
short ‘Uber’ ride to my hotel. As I chatted with my driver I
noticed a billboard that kept reappearing at regular frequency. It was red colored and an advertisement for
an “Accident & Injury Lawyer”
named Alexander Shunnarah; with his smiling visage on the poster. As I would come to learn over the next couple
of days, he was an omnipresent entity in Birmingham. I arrived at my hotel and after a quick
check-in left for a place called ‘Avondale
Common House & Distillery’ which was a short ride away. I was dropped off at an intersection and once
again I saw a billboard with Birmingham’s favorite attorney, with another one a block away.
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| The "Tardis" entrance |
I went inside and a few folks were already in there, getting
an early start on their Friday evening.
Plus, with amount of Bourbon that I saw on display, it was quite clear
what they were known for. I got a “Vanilla Old Fashioned” and tried to
figure out how to get to my next destination.
I was going to one true “speakeasy”
in Birmingham called ‘The Marble Ring’,
and it was located less than a half a mile away. It was located next to a
park and as I approached it, I saw the sign on the side of the building, with a
“fire escape” style stairway going up
to it. But that wasn’t the
entrance. Then I saw a group of people
waiting and considering that it was still a couple of minutes to opening, they
were early as well. But that wasn’t the
right place either. I went around the
corner and saw another small door with a sign saying ‘Hot Digitty Dogs’. Now,
online research had told me that this was the right place and so I went
inside and took a narrow staircase to the 1st floor, where I entered a
restaurant focusing on “hot dogs”. Then I saw it, a “Tardis” style blue “Police
Phone Booth”. Clearly, with this and
the hot dog place, these guys had been inspired by ‘PDT’ in NYC.
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| The charming 'The Marble Ring' |
I went inside and the instructions said that I should pick up the
phone to be let in. There were still a
couple of minutes before it opened and so I looked at the TV screen above it,
which presented this place like something from the “20s”. Soon I was let in and
it was a fantastic interior. There was a
bar area in the center, and around it, the décor was indeed from that era. Even the bartenders looked the part and on
the menu they had a further explanation of their name. Apparently this was inspired by a quote, “I hope you die in the Marble Ring”, by
Zelda Fitzgerald, and thus the “20s
Gatsby like theme”, though I have no idea what inspired that quote. The menu was organized by cocktail types and
the one that caught my eye was classified under “Boozy AF”. It was called “3 Hours Between Planes” and while I
wasn’t sure if I should be ordering from that category so early in the evening,
the bartender convinced me otherwise. It
proved to be a good suggestion and by the time I was done, this place had
filled up. The exit was using a
different door and this was the side that I first seen when I walked here.
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| Outside 'Carrigan's Public House' |
I called a ride and chatted with my driver about Birmingham
and being an ‘Uber’ driver over
here. I made a mistake of asking if she
drove every day and she replied in exasperation, “Not on Sunday! Sunday I go to
church”. Properly reprimanded, I was
dropped off in front of ‘Carrigan’s
Public House’, and this place was lively.
There was an outdoor patio and where people had gathered, and the bar
area was full, despite having a long “L-shaped” bar tops. Fortunately,
there was a single spot available and I grabbed it. This was clearly the spot for younger folks
of Birmingham to hang out and based on the menu, the food looked good as well. I ordered a cocktail called “Fightin’ Words” and tried to tune out
the noise by plugging in my earphones.
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| The beautiful street outside 'The J. Clyde' |
A short distance away on what looked like the main street - though
it was quite empty - was a place called ‘Tavern
On 1st’. This place was
opposite of the earlier one, with hardly anyone in there. It wasn’t a
bad place though, with some creatively named cocktails such as “Frontier Justice”. I stayed
here for a bit and then called a ride to go to a place called ‘Blue Monkey Lounge’. My driver didn’t know about this place, but
apparently it was near another popular bar.
It was located on a narrow brick street with yellow lighting, which gave
the area a beautiful look. The bar was
located behind wrought iron gates, though there was a sign that said that it was closed for a week. Well then, I
guess I would have to try the other place, which was called ‘The J. Clyde’. It looked like your typical local “watering hole” and wasn’t a bad
alternative.
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| Walking towards 'Highlands Bar & Grill' |
I was going to a restaurant called ‘Highlands Bar & Grill’, which was reputed to be one of the
best in the city. I saw on my phone that
I could walk there, and so navigated my way across a few streets to find the
restaurant and it was full to the brim.
My table wasn’t ready yet, so I waited at the bar area and that was
overflowing as well. Once I did get a
seat, the food was excellent and coming here had been a good idea. With Mr. Shunnarah looking over me, I took an
‘Uber’ back to my hotel and called it
a night. My first evening in Birmingham
had been a success and I was looking forward to everything I had planned for
tomorrow. The only problem looked to be
the weather forecast.
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| A very wet morning |
For once the weather folks were right. It was a lousy day, with an annoying drizzle
that would take a break, but not go away completely.
I was headed to ‘Birmingham Museum
of Art’ and with the rain staying away for now, I decided to walk
there. Well, that wasn’t best idea since
it started enroute. I was also looking
to find a place for coffee but the one which had shown up on my map was not
where it should have been. The streets
were empty, barring a few homeless folks that I saw in a park by the
museum. The building looked quite small
compared to some of the other art museums, and there was a big sign outside
that advertised free entry. I did not
have high hopes for this place and it was just a way to pass the time. Well, I was pleasantly mistaken.
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| It was a fantastic musuem |
There was some activity going on in the lobby and I have
seen such family events in museums across the country on Saturdays. I visited a couple of the galleries nearest
to the entrance and they were small and quite plain in their décor. I thought
that this would be a quick visit, and then I went to the other side. There was a long corridor leading to a large
painting at the end and several rooms on either side, each having its own theme
and a distinct color scheme. And it got
even better on the 2nd floor, with its European and Asian
collections. There was even a “Modern Art” gallery and an outdoor “Sculpture Garden”, which I would have
visited if the weather had cooperated. This
was one of the better art museums that I had visited and I saw some fairly
remarkable items, such as a collection of “snuff
bottles” and an amazing “Ivory Puzzle
Ball” which was essentially 10 layers of “balls”
carved within a single piece of ivory. It
was easily one of the most intricate pieces of craftsmanship that I have ever
seen.
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| At 'Roots and Revelry' |
There was a still a slight drizzle as I walked towards a
restaurant named ‘Roots and Revelry’
for lunch. The restaurant was located on
the 1st floor of a building which looked like it was being
renovated. The dining room was
contemporary and although it was open for dinner, it looked ideally suited for a
Sunday brunch with mimosas. I was given
a table next to a group of ladies who looked like they had dressed up to go
shopping and were now enjoying, well, mimosas.
The service was good as was the food, though the presence of the ladies
who spent over 20 minutes saying goodbyes to each other was a bit tiresome. As I left, I saw that lot of people were
exploring the nearby banquet hall, which also looked to be under
renovation. This building and the restaurant
seemed like a popular destination for the folks in Birmingham.
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| It would be a tour through the rain |
My main activity for this afternoon was a city tour titled “Red Clay Tours: Meet The Magic City Tour
with Clay Cornelius’, which was a long title. While not all of it, a large chunk of the
tour was by walking and the weather was a bit dodgy for that. While I was willing to do so despite the
rain, I wasn’t sure how the other folks would handle it. The meeting point was identified as ‘Railroad Park’ and we had been sent the
intersection of the 2 roads, which I always appreciate. However, what I had not realized was that the
numbers reset from “North” to “South” depending on which side of the
railway line you were located. So I
arrived at what I thought was the right place and not finding any park there,
had to rush to the correct location. As
I arrived, I saw a solitary gentleman waiting and he was Clay, the owner of the
tour and also the guide. I need not have
worried about how the others would handle the weather since there wasn’t anyone
else. For the next 3 hours, it would be
just the 2 of us.
Clay offered me an umbrella, but I said that I was fine with
my jacket, though this was probably the strongest that the rain had been today. I apologized that he had to come out for just
one person, but he said that since this was his business, he did whatever was
needed. Plus, he said this would give us
an opportunity for conversation and by the time we were done, that proved to be
a fact. Clay took me for a walk in the
park and over a bridge, to point out the skyline of Birmingham. Well, that was near impossible in this
weather. He wanted to show me the statue
of “Vulcan”, which was located on a
hill just outside of downtown and looked over the city from ‘Vulcan Park’. There is apparently a great view of the city
from there, though we wouldn’t be going there today owing to the weather. So Clay told me a bit about the history of
the statue, which is the world’s largest “Cast
Iron” statue and was built in Birmingham for the 1904 “World’s Fair” in St. Louis.
Since the end of the fair, he has been overlooking the city.
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| Birmingham aka "The Magic City" |
I asked Clay why Birmingham had been settled where it was,
especially since there wasn’t a river nearby.
He said that while there wasn’t that, there were 2 major railway lines
that allowed Birmingham to be an industrial city, especially in the production
of iron and steel, and a major competitor to Pittsburgh. It had even earned the nickname of “The Magic City”. Clay asked if I liked Baseball, and I said
that while I followed the sport, it wasn’t my favorite. It was soon apparent that Clay was a huge fan
and our first stop was the nearby ‘Negro
Southern League Museum’. The museum
showcased the memorabilia and told the history of African-American baseball
during the segregation era. For the next
30 minutes I got a personal tour from Clay, who knew enough about this place to
be a historian. He told me about the
team from Birmingham, who had made it to the “World Series”, without winning one and showed me some of the
memorabilia. He mentioned that someday
he wanted to own some of these pieces, which were sold at a premium on “Ebay”.
We talked about African-American baseball in that era, and how
segregation played a big role in everything from how the players, as well as the spectators were treated. There
were even some examples of the seats from various stadiums. It was refreshing to see how much Clay loved
this place.
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| The 'Sloss Furnaces' |
Clay asked me if I was more interested in the “Civil Rights Movement” or if I wanted
to visit another historic baseball stadium just outside the city. I said that I would defer to him and while he
really wanted to go to there, he perhaps sensed that I wasn’t as big of a fan
as him – who would be – and so we decided to skip that for another
location. We walked over to Clay’s van,
which was parked next to some apartments overlooking yet another “Minor League” stadium. Clay said that some of the apartments
overlooked the field and I am sure he would love to be in one of those. We were going to a place called ‘Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark’. This was once a site that was the largest
manufacturer of “Pig Iron” from 1882
to 1970 and now a popular tourist landmark.
But before that, we drove past the offices of Mr. Shunnarah. I had mentioned his billboards to Clay and he
had confirmed that Mr. Shunnarah is somewhat of a celebrity in these
parts. Since it was on the way, Clay
said that he would show me the place and while it did not have a billboard, his
name was on the building in giant lettering.
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| The dark interiors of the plant |
We parked at ‘Sloss
Furnaces’ and Clay then took me through the abandoned plant, which was so
densely packed that even though you were technically outside, it was dark
between the equipment. In fact, they have "Halloween Tours" of this place and I could see it getting creepy. Clay was
knowledgeable in the manufacturing process and pointed out the various pieces
of equipment, their purpose and what it was like to have been a worker over
here. I have been to an operational
Steel Plant in the North and it was inhumanely hot to be walking around,
breathing being a chore. I couldn’t even
imagine being here during an Alabama summer and during the days before air
conditioned booths from wherein you controlled the processes. As we walked through the place, Clay told me
about the history of this place, how it employed many and how political
pressure from the Northern companies – who couldn’t compete with the cheap
prices – forced this place to shut down.
Part of the reason why the iron from this place was cheap, was due to
its reduced labor costs. Clay and I
discussed how this place was during segregation and he told me about some of
the ugly truths about living in Alabama.
We were just getting started.
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| "Kelley Ingram Park' |
As we drove to our next destination, Clay pointed to the
expressway running next to the plant and how they had to raise it since there
was a risk of “slag” running on to
the streets. Also, it seems that there
were some reported accidents attributed to the intense heat and light from the
furnace as cars drove by at night. That
sounded a bit intense to me. Our next
stop was at ‘Kelley Ingram Park’,
which played a significant part in the “Civil
Rights Movement”. As we got out of
the van, Clay mentioned that the park is located at what was generally
considered the demarcation between the Black and White communities. This was also across the ‘16th Street Baptist Church’, the site of a hate-crime
bombing in September 1963. Clay went
into great details of that story and what impact that has had on Birmingham and
Alabama. We talked about the “Civil Rights Movement” and the
monuments in the park, along with how Alabama has evolved as a State. I mentioned to him the perception that exists
and how I had been pleasantly surprised at the warmth and friendliness that I
had encountered since my arrival. He
then told me a few stories about the recent past, especially as it relates to
the political spectrum and said that no matter how people appear, the truth can
easily be gauged by their actions. He said that until the generation with a certain mindset
is dead, things won’t truly change.
Extremely strong words, but he said them with conviction.
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| Beer at 'Cahaba Breweing' |
Clay said that we were going to conclude our tour with a
stop at a brewery and asked if I had a preference for a beer type. Apparently there were several breweries to
choose from and when I said that I liked “German
Lagers”, he picked ‘Cahaba Brewing’,
and we headed there. It wasn’t just us,
since the entire population of Birmingham, including their dogs, had come here
this afternoon, now that the rain had stopped.
The parking lot was full as was the giant hall, which had tables
scattered all over, all of which were occupied by people. This place encouraged people to bring in
their kids and dogs, and there were several of each around. There was also a “food truck” outside, which is becoming common nowadays with bars
and breweries. Clay recommended a beer
and since he was still working, he stuck to one of the local snack packs that
he carried in his car and which he had offered me earlier. A brewery is a regular stop on his tour and
the only question is which one to visit.
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| It was evening when we ended |
We found standing room at the back of the room, overlooking
the actual brewery behind glass windows, and continued our earlier
discussion. I said that back in the
segregation era the kids weren’t exposed to anything beyond what they saw at
home and perhaps learned in school.
There was no “social media”
and television wasn’t as prevalent. So
if your parents and their parents believed in segregation and were racists,
that’s what you probably thought was right.
I am not making an excuse, just trying to figure out why people think
the way they do. Generational way of
thinking and way of life is what started the “Civil War” in the first place.
I said that I was optimistic that with the amount of information that is
available to the current generation, one can’t help but imagine that things are
different. Clay agreed to some extent
and repeated his earlier statement.
Standing here, drinking beer and discussing local social topics made me
feel like I was in an "Anthony Bourdain show"!
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| The backdrop at 'The Collin's Bar' |
Clay asked me where I wanted to be dropped off and I told
him that I was headed to a place called ‘The
Collin’s Bar’. As we arrived there,
Clay pointed out another place called ‘The
Atomic Lounge’ and said that I should give it a shot as well. I bid goodbye to Clay and said that I
couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Being the only person had allowed me to have extensive discussions with
him and his knowledge about all things Birmingham made it an excellent tour. ‘The Collin’s Bar’ was known for its
cocktails, with expert mixologists. I
took a seat at the bar, against a backdrop of a giant “Periodic Table of Elements”.
The main difference was that all the symbols, while in the right place,
referred to something related to Birmingham.
The folks behind the bar were as good as advertised and after a drink
there, I proceeded to the next place which was called ‘Bistro Two Eighteen’. The
menu looked classic French and the gentleman behind the bar had an accent. Staying consistent with the theme, I opted for a ‘French
Martini’.
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| The surreal 'Atomic Lounge' |
A block away was a boutique hotel named ‘Elyton Hotel’, on whose rooftop was a bar called ‘Moon Shine’. The menu had several cocktails made from ‘Moonshine” and some creative ones
too. Plus, they were served in a “Mason Jar”! I had set my plans for the evening and my
next stop was a bar nearby called ‘The
Louis’, but I was intrigued by what Clay had told me about ‘The Atomic Lounge’. And boy I’m glad I went there. As soon as I entered, I knew that this place
was special. I was greeted by a sight of folks wearing full length “furry
costumes”. I learned that there were
several such costumes in the bar and people could wear them as long as they
were here. Brilliant! While I did not wear one of those, I did
order the drink that they were known for, “The
Legendary Sex Panther”, inspired by the terrific movie, “Anchorman”. The description said, “Our signature cocktail is illegal in 9 countries. It’s made with bits
of real panther. 60% of the time it
works every time.” Plus, it came
with its own temporary panther tattoo, which the bartender told me to apply as
I enjoyed the drink. Having done so, I
enjoyed my stay here and that cocktail was fantastic. This was definitely one of the best and one
of the most surreal bar experiences that I have had during my travels.
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| A liquor store and a bar |
I took a ride to another popular spot called ‘Lou’s Pub and Package Store’, which was
a bar located inside a liquor store.
Talk about cutting out your middle man!
The place was full, though there were a couple of tables next to the
cabinets and I grabbed one. Being a
store, there was a “Open” neon sign
that was casting a glow on my table, making it even more exotic. I had read that some of the top bartenders
usually stopped by to work the place and I don’t know who it was today, but the
drink was great. I took a ride to my
dinner location which was called ‘Hot and
Hot Fish Club’. The entrance was
quite charming, like entering a house.
The place was popular and crowded.
I waited at the bar area till they had my table ready and while not as
great as last night, the food was quite good.
I ended with something called “Elton’s
Chocolate Soufflé”, which are some good words put together. It had been a long…and wet day, so I headed
back to my room hoping that tomorrow would be dry.
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| 'Birmingham Botanical Gardens' in the rain |
Well, it wasn’t. It
was drizzling as I checked out of my hotel and called a ride to go to ‘Birmingham Botanical Gardens’. We went up a hill, through a residential
neighborhood and based on the houses there, it looked like an expensive
area. By now the rain had picked up and
it really seemed silly to be going into a garden. Even my driver asked if I wanted to do this
and looked suspicious when I said that I did.
I walked through the gates and I wasn’t surprised to see that I was the
only person in there. Even the staff had
decided to take the day off. I walked
through the gardens in the rain, at one stage taking refuge in the indoors “Cactus Garden”. Even though the weather wasn’t cooperating,
the garden itself was quite good. I
called it quits after some time and then the challenge was to find an exit
since I had wandered in too deep and was now at the entrance of the zoo. I was sure that even the animals would be
staying in their cages today. I was
consulting my phone for directions, but there was a risk of it getting
wet. So I followed a path and after what
felt like a tour of the perimeter, I emerged outside.
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| 'Birmingham Civil Rights Institute' |
I was going to a nearby place for brunch and since I was
already wet, decided to walk there. It
took me past the houses and into a “strip
mall”, where ‘The Broken Egg Café’
was located. Rain or not, this was most
certainly a popular destination and I was told that I would have to wait 45
minutes for a table. I wasn’t in a rush
and so I agreed, but was lucky to grab a seat at the bar soon. I could soon tell why they were so popular
and after having been well fed, I called for a ride back into town. I was going to the ‘Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’, which was located right across
the ‘Kelley Ingram Park’ that I had
visited yesterday. I was dropped off outside
the building which looked fantastic, with a dome in the center and two wings
running perpendicular to it on either side.
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| A tribute to Rosa Parks |
I got my ticket and once inside I was told that this was a
self-guided tour, starting with a short film.
The film set-up the situation in Alabama pre "Civil Rights Movement" and
then we were let inside the museum. They
had models showing examples of segregation such separate water fountains
labeled “white” and “colored”, separate schools for kids, and
almost every other aspect of life. There
was the famous story of Rosa Parks as well as a full size model of the bus. There were stories of the “Klan” and all sorts of atrocities
committed in that era. Perhaps by
design, one of the windows overlooks the church where the bombing took
place. But there were also stories of
perseverance and redemption, bringing us to where we are today. It is a fantastic museum and along with the ‘911 Museum’ in NYC, should be a must visit for
everyone.
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| 'McWane Science Center' , my last stop |
The drizzle was still on as I left, though it wasn’t as bad
as this morning. More often than not, my
final stop on all visits ends up being the science museum. This was going to be the case here as well as
I headed to ‘McWane Science Center’. The lower level had an activity center where
kids and their parents could do “hands-on
science”, something which most museums have. That section was busy, with many kids pushing
buttons aimlessly. Upper level was designed
like a “Nature Museum”…I guess, since
there were models of plans and animals.
There was also a gallery on astronomy and that was it. I walked through once and even though I still
had time, decided to go back to the hotel to collect my bag. The rain had subsided as I took a ride back
to the airport, with Mr. Shunnarah saying goodbye every 100 meters.
I had enjoyed my visit to Birmingham. It is a very different city than what people
expect, not dissimilar to others that I have visited. The food and bar culture is just as same as
other city; and this place even has ‘The
Atomic Lounge’! My conversation with
Clay and my visits to some of the monuments and museums had helped me
understand a little bit about what happened here. But more importantly, I do feel that people are
headed in the right direction. And with
Mr. Shunnarah looking upon them, at least we know that their accident coverage
will be handled!
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