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Neighborhood To Watch: Uptown Birmingham, Alabama

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2 years ago

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Neighborhood To Watch: Uptown Birmingham, Alabama


Offering an eclectic mix of urban sophistication and leisurely activities, the Uptown Birmingham District is a bustling area known for its entertainment, dining and shopping options, featuring diverse restaurants and boutiques. Uptown is a district that anchors the northern end of downtown. Adjacent to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) in downtown Birmingham, Uptown boasts modern architecture, green spaces and attractions like The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Topgolf, Protective Stadium and City Walk.

“These assets are critical to Birmingham’s tourism industry and its ability to attract major concerts and events for our city,” says David Fleming, CEO at REV Birmingham. REV is a place-based revitalization and economic development nonprofit that is working to make the city of Birmingham a more vibrant place.

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Uptown is where the fun happens, and Birmingham pride can be seen in full effect. From supporting your favorite team at the new Protective Stadium to watching world-famous musicians at the renovated Legacy Arena, Uptown is known for prime entertainment. In 2015, the Birmingham City Council voted to allow the Uptown district, including the BJCC, to become the city’s first “entertainment district” with visitors allowed to carry drinks outside. These venue investments have helped stimulate new interest in the Birmingham market and aided in bringing high value events to the region. Key successes include the return of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2023 and hosting the NCAA Women’s Basketball Regionals in 2025.

According to the Birmingham Business Alliance, Uptown has been experiencing significant growth. The Alliance was created to enhance job creation, community development, talent recruitment and tourism in the seven central Alabama counties of the Birmingham metro, also known as the Greater Birmingham Region.

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As Birmingham focuses on creating Vibrancy Gaps to create congruent vibrancy throughout its nine distinct districts, the city’s Uptown district has experienced over $1 billion in recent investments. “All of this makes Uptown an important part of Birmingham‘s economic vitality and attractiveness,” notes Fleming. “However, the investment that has transformed Uptown in the public’s view is the addition of CityWalk.”

City Walk BHAM transformed the space under the city’s interstate into a vibrant “third space” for residents and visitors. A 31-acre public space developed underneath the reconstructed I-59/20 bridges, City Walk features a dog park, amphitheater, and other performance spaces, pickleball courts, playground area as well as space for fitness and food trucks. It’s also home to a skate park, the largest in the southeast and fifth largest in the U.S.

The Uptown District features eight dining options ranging from fine dining to a unique and modern coffee shop with cocktails in the evening hours. Currently under construction for the Uptown District is a 9,384-seat amphitheater just north of the current campus footprint. Set to open in 2025, the amphitheater will host a full concert line-up in the spring, summer and early fall enhancing the year-round excitement that is Uptown. The amphitheater will anchor The Star at Uptown, a mix-used development valued at around $300 million, featuring residential, retail, office, hotel and entertainment components.

The Uptown district was identified as one of the top six initiative areas to focus on in Birmingham’s most recent City Center Master Plan. This work, alongside development plans from the BJCC, is advancing the economic growth of Uptown. New restaurants in the area, upgrades to beautification and landscaping as well as to meeting facilities are keeping Uptown competitive and an attractive place for arts, entertainment and recreation. The district is intentionally well-planned and managed so the experience is user-friendly and can support many major events and attractions going on at the same time. With 3.3 million visitors to Uptown in 2023, Uptown visitors made up 9.5% of all visits to Downtown Birmingham.

Fleming adds, “The future for Uptown is bright as the landscaping and facilities refresh at the core of the district will make it a more attractive and appealing place. New restaurants coming will also encourage people to linger longer in Uptown and increase the vibrancy of place.”



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Alabama Adds JUCO Defensive Back, Tuscaloosa Native to 2026 Signing Class

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7 hours ago

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December 15, 2025

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Alabama Adds JUCO Defensive Back, Tuscaloosa Native to 2026 Signing Class


Alabama football added another member to its 2026 signing class in cornerback Nick Sherman on Sunday evening.

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Sherman is the Crimson Tide’s 24th signee, as this news comes 11 days after early national signing day.

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The JUCO product was formerly at Itawamba Community College. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is also a Tuscaloosa native, as he went to Northridge High School.

This season at Itawamba CC, Sherman logged 24 tackles and two interceptions in eight games as a sophomore.

Sherman is the fifth defensive back in the Crimson Tide’s 2026 signing class, as he joins cornerbacks Zyan Gibson and Jorden Edmonds, along with safeties Jireh Edwards and Rihyael Kelley.

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Alabama’s 2026 Signing Class

  1. CB Zyan Gibson, 5-foot-11, 177 lbs. – Gadsden, Alabama (Committed 12/24/2024)
  2. CB Jorden Edmonds, 6-foot-2, 175 lbs. – Marietta, Georgia (Committed 03/26/2025)
  3. EDGE Jamarion Matthews, 6-foot-2, 240 lbs. – Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 02/21/2025)
  4. EDGE Kamhariyan Johnson, 6-foot-4, 260 lbs. – Muscle Shoals, Alabama (Committed 04/12/2025)
  5. OL Chris Booker, 6-foot-4, 285 lbs. – Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 02/20/2025)
  6. QB Jett Thomalla, 6-foot-3, 205 lbs. – Omaha, Nebraska (Committed 06/17/2025)
  7. S Rihyael Kelley, 6-foot-3, 180 lbs. – Cincinnati, Ohio (Committed 06/23/2025)
  8. SN Eli Deutsch, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. – Franklin, Wisconsin (Committed 06/24/2025)
  9. RB Ezavier Crowell, 5-foot-10, 210 lbs. – Jackson, Alabama (Committed 06/26/2025)
  10. TE Mack Sutter, 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. – Dunlap, Illinois (Committed 06/26/2025)
  11. LB Zay Hall, 6-foot-2, 222 lbs. – Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Committed 06/27/2025)
  12. LB Xavier Griffin, 6-foot-3, 200 lbs. – Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 06/29/2025)
  13. WR Cederian Morgan, 6-foot-4, 220 lbs – Alexander City, Alabama (Committed 07/02/2025)
  14. DL Nolan Wilson, 6-foot-4, 250 lbs. – Picayune, Mississippi (Committed 07/04/2025)
  15. S Jireh Edwards, 6-foot-2, 210 lbs. – Baltimore, Maryland (Committed 07/05/2025)
  16. QB Tayden Kaawa, 6-foot-5, 235 lbs. – Orem, Utah (Committed 07/22/2025)
  17. OT Bear Fretwell, 6-foot-6, 295 lbs. – Brooklet, Georgia (Committed 07/25/25)
  18. OT Jared Doughty, 6-foot-5, 300 lbs. – Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 10/05/2025)
  19. EDGE Corey Howard, 6-foot-6, 245 lbs. – Valdosta, Georgia (Committed 10/19/2025)
  20. OL Tyrell Miller, 6-foot-5, 305 lbs. – College of San Mateo (Committed 11/29/2025)
  21. EDGE Malique Franklin, 6-foot-5, 250 lbs. – Daphne, Alabama (Committed 12/02/2025)
  22. TE Jude Cascone, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. – Marietta, Georgia (Committed 11/30/2025)
  23. RB Traeshawn Brown, 5-foot-10, 190 lb. – Huntsville, Texas (Committed 12/04/2025)
  24. CB Nick Sherman, 6-foot-3, 190 lb, – Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Committed 12/14/25)

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Alabama community rallies to save Ringo, an injured dog looking for a home: ‘Full of hope’

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19 hours ago

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December 14, 2025

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Alabama community rallies to save Ringo, an injured dog looking for a home: ‘Full of hope’


Ringo, an abandoned puppy that was dropped off at the Madison Police Department earlier this week, will get the surgery he needs thanks to an outpouring of donations from the city’s residents.

On Dec. 9, the Madison Police Department said in a Facebook post it was trying to raise $2,000 so Ringo could get an injured leg amputated.

“Citizens of Madison, we need your help. Recently, an abandoned and abused puppy was brought to us—sweet, loving, and still full of hope despite what he’s been through,” the post said.

“To give him the chance at a healthy, happy life, he needs a surgery to amputate an injured leg. Once he recovers, he’ll be ready for adoption and would make an incredible addition to a loving Madison family—just in time for Christmas.”

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Just three days later, the department said in an update that they’d raised the money they needed, and Ringo would get his surgery in the middle of January.

During a vet visit, the pup was given a clean bill of health and all his required shots.

“We completely met the goal and could not have done it without the help of all our citizens here so we greatly appreciate everything you guys donated for him,” an update video said.

Now the police department is asking for the community to step up again and help get Ringo adopted before his surgery.

“Our next thing we can do is have him adopted. He is ready to go into somebody’s home so he can get acclimated and ready to go before his surgery,” the post said.

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Anyone interested in adopting Ringo is asked to call Madison’s Animal Control at 256-772-5694.



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BamaCentral Courtside From Arizona’s 96-75 Win Over Alabama

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1 day ago

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December 14, 2025

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BamaCentral Courtside From Arizona’s 96-75 Win Over Alabama


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — No. 12 Alabama fell to No. 1 Arizona in Legacy Arena in the fifth annual C.M. Newton Classic. The Crimson Tide held a 2-point halftime lead, but got decimated in the second half, opening the first six minutes of the second frame with just two field goals made.

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The top-ranked Wildcats went on to claim a 96-75 victory and dropped the Crimson Tide’s record in the event to 2-3.

“They’re obviously a really good team,” Nate Oats said. “There’s a reason they’re number one in the country. I thought the first half we played pretty well. We were down five on the glass and needed to clean it up a little bit, and then the second half we had this issue where we just haven’t had very good starts to the second half. We came out and didn’t have a very good start, and it got progressively worse. I think they scored, shoot 39 the entire first half. They had 39 in less than 12 minutes to start the second half.

“Start of the second half was bad. Obviously, they came out of halftime ready to play; we didn’t. The toughness factor was a problem. It’s impossible – I shouldn’t say impossible. It’s nearly impossible to win a game when your opponent gets 28 more field goal attempts than you. If you look, we outshot them from the field and from the free throw line, both percentage-wise. Free throws, they made one more free throw than we did and they got 28 more field goal attempts. You can’t win games giving your opponent 28 more field goal attempts. Offensive glass we had three the whole game, they had 22. We lost the rebounds by 20 again. This has been a recurring issue for us.”

Alabama History in C.M. Newton Classic

  • 2021 – Davidson 79, Alabama 78
  • 2022 – Gonzaga 100, Alabama 90
  • 2023 – Alabama 101, Liberty 56
  • 2024 – Alabama 100, Illinois 87
  • 2025 – Arizona 96, Alabama 75

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Watch the above video as BamaCentral writers Katie Windham, Hunter De Siver, and Will Miller, provide thoughts and takeaways from the Alabama men’s basketball team’s 96-75 loss against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday. The trio discusses the performance of the No. 12 Crimson Tide and the rebounding issues that continue to plague the program.



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