Best Places to Live in Birmingham

Are you moving to Birmingham, AL, and searching for the best neighborhoods? Check out these seven great places to live in Birmingham!

Birmingham is a large city in the north-central region of Alabama. This city is located in Jefferson County and is considered one of the most populated counties in Alabama. This magic city is claimed to be one of the top 100 places to live in the United States and one of the best places to live in Alabama. 

When planning to move to a new city, you need to find a place you can love to call your home and fit right in; this large city has many different types of areas, whether you are looking for a busy city life or even a quiet little neighborhood. Living somewhere where you can have the best of both worlds is rare, but you can experience that here in Birmingham!

This beautiful city offers its residents a meager cost of living, a booming job market, authentic dining options, and much more! Finding a place you can be happy to call your home is significant when you are moving, so you always need to consider all your options to find the perfect place. If you want to move to Birmingham, you should check out these fantastic neighborhoods you can call home one day!

Here are the seven best places to live in Birmingham!

Five Points South

Five Points South is a neighborhood home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus. This place is a very energetic area with a mix of fine dining to various barbecue restaurants. Being located near the college campus, you will be near a lot of nightlife, sporting events, and a younger population.

This neighborhood has a busy nightlife and pubs that offer live music and sports along 20th Street South. On the other hand, if you are a sports lover, you can take advantage of the city's minor league baseball team, which plays at Regions Field, located right in this neighborhood.

Five Points South is a walkable neighborhood with excellent restaurants, parks, and beautiful historically structured homes. This is a very populated living area with a lot to offer, so if you are looking for a busier space, this may be the place for you!

Local Favorites:

• Highlands Bar and Grill: this restaurant offers an ever-changing seasonal menu of french-inspired regional southern fare served in an elegant setting.
• Bottega Dining Room: this restaurant is an intimate place that offers refined Italian fare and cocktails amid dark woods and outdoor tables.
• Railroad Park: this park is 19 acres long that offers its residents a clean green area with many trails and a beautiful view. This park is perfect if you want to find a place to enjoy peace.

Central City

Central City is a revitalized area in Birmingham known for Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. This neighborhood has a total population of 2,263 residents and offers an urban feel. In Central City, there are a lot of different restaurants, cafes, parks, and attractions to view.

This place is ranked one of the best neighborhoods in Birmingham and has a lot to offer its residents. If you want a place where you can be very involved within the community, this may be the area for you! You must take advantage of all the opportunities this area offers you!

This neighborhood is home to the younger professional population due to its location in its city. However, this area also has a lot of historic structures that make it a beautiful place for older people to enjoy. This place may be perfect if you are looking for a home with diversity, a mixture of nightlife, and an urban feel!

Local Favorites:

• Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark: This museum is one of the first industrial sites in the United States to be preserved and restored for public use.
• Birmingham Museum of Art: this museum has one of the most extensive collections of artwork in the Southeastern part of the United States, with more than 24,000 paintings and sculptures.
• The Collins Bar: this cocktail bar offers custom cocktails that pair perfectly with their innovative pub eats in an inviting atmosphere with quirky vintage decor.

Crestline

Crestline is a neighborhood in Jefferson County, Alabama, with a population of 3,064. This neighborhood offers its residents an urban-suburban mix feel where many facilities, young professionals, and retirees live.

This neighborhood is family-friendly and has a lot to offer its residents. Ranging from tons of local dining places to peaceful parks, Crestline has a lot of things to do. Crestline is known to be one of Birmingham's safest places while offering a fun and friendly walkable downtown.

Local Favorites:

• Crestline Park: friendly draw for folks in the neighborhood to enjoy quiet time in a secluded place to stroll.
• SAW's Juke Joint: this barbecue restaurant is a self-proclaimed upscale dive serving southern BBQs like pulled pork, chicken, and waffles.
• The Purple Onion: this place is a deli and grill that serves authentic and delicious Mediterranean American cuisine.

Glen Iris

Glen Iris is a Birmingham neighborhood with a population of 9,236 residents. This place is known to be one of the best places to live in Alabama. Glen Iris offers its residents many different bars, restaurants, and parks.

This area is primarily families and the younger population, leading to a more urban feel. Glen Iris is mainly diverse, close to downtown, and has affordable housing. On the other hand, due to its location, there are many younger people because of the great schools around. This is a perfect place if you are starting to raise a family or want to earn an excellent education! Glen Iris Elementary School and Homewood High School are top-rated schools that serve this neighborhood. 

Local Favorites:

• Giuseppe's Cafe: this Italian cafe serves lasagna, meatball subs, pizza, and other standards in an informal sit-down space.
• Full Moon BBQ: barbeque restaurant that offers excellent southern style made in a time-honored, traditional way with quality meats that are cooked low and slow over a wood-fired hickory spit and spiced with the best mouthwatering barbeque sauce!
• Vulcan Park and Museum: this park offers the world's most giant cast iron statue that commemorates memorable works of civic art in the United States. This place is to preserve and promote Vulcan and educate people about the history and culture here in Birmingham.

Crestwood South

Crestwood South is a neighborhood in Birmingham which is home to 3,423 residents. Living in this area, you will experience a sparse suburban feel and a diverse population. This neighborhood is ranked the second-best community to raise a family in Birmingham.

Crestwood South is a close-knit neighborhood near Downtown Birmingham that offers many shopping areas and leisure amenities, making it a great place to live! Due to its location near downtown, the population is mostly younger individuals and families, so if you are looking for a place to start your life, this place may be for you!

Local Favorites:

• Crestwood Park: A 12.11-acre park with a playing field, track, pickle ball, tennis courts, pool, playground, and many other amenities.
• Clairmont Walking Trail: This walking trail, also known as "Triangle Park," is a 0.8-mile trail on the top of Red Mountain that offers a view of the Downtown Birmingham area.
• Sushi Village: This Japanese restaurant offers a sushi bar and many other delicious cuisines. You can not miss out on one of the best sushi places in town!

Redmont Park

Redmont Park is a neighborhood that is one of the best places to live in Alabama and has a total population of 3,961 residents. This neighborhood is home to many young professional retirees that love the urban, suburban mix feel here.

Redmont Park offers its residents various restaurants, cafes, parks, and bars while also being located outside the city and near many recreational amenities. The homes in this neighborhood have a historic vibe while also being surrounded by many forested areas. If you are looking for a beautiful place to live, then Redmont Park may be perfect!

Local Favorites:

• Birmingham Zoo: This is a zoological park that offers about 550 different animals of 195 species, including sea lions, zebras, and many more. Since this zoo is vast, it will take about 3 hours to visit everything on average!
• Habitat Feed and Social: This is a new American restaurant with a stylish dining room, bars, and a rooftop terrace at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook.
• Birmingham Botanical Gardens: This is about 67.5 acres of beautiful botanical gardens located at the southern foot of Red Mountian in Birmingham.

Crestwood North

Crestwood North is a Jefferson County neighborhood home to 2,376 residents. This spare suburban feel neighborhood is ranked the number 1 best place to live in Birmingham. This place is just outside downtown and has tree-lined streets with mid-century homes.

This neighborhood is truly a close-knit community where all residents share the same love for each other. They take pride in their diverse population and society as a whole. Crestwood North is a fantastic place where everyone enjoys peace, creativity, and a fun-loving community. This lovely neighborhood has a lot to offer its residents, so if this is the type of place you want to live in, Crestwood North could be perfect for you!

Local Favorites:

• Crestwood Tavern: This popular neighborhood gathering spot offers the best local craft beer, fresh food, and eclectic live music!
• True Story Brewing Company: this brewing company is a hidden gem in Crestwood Village where you can enjoy delicious beer and fantastic food!
• The Filling Station Bham: this is a local eatery with a casual vibe and dog-friendly patio that serves pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and craft brews!

Moving to Birmingham - The Bottom Line

Birmingham, AL, is a fantastic place to live, whether raising a family, starting a career, or earning an education. This place offers its residents a low cost of living, various food options, excellent educational opportunities, diversity, and many more things. You can enjoy city life while having a peaceful place to live.

This large city ranks very high in many factors, and each one of these fantastic neighborhoods has something for everyone and can be a perfect place to call home. Housing costs are affordable while living in the heart of everything. This area has a large mixture of younger professionals, families, and retirees, so it is home to an extensive range of individuals.

Moving somewhere new may be challenging since you have to weigh out all of your options, so good thing here in Birmingham; you can get the best of both worlds with these various neighborhood options. If you want to be somewhere with nightlife but also a family-friendly area, this is the city to look in. If you are looking for a place with southern charm and an authentic feel, Birmingham, AL, may be the perfect place to call your home!

If you or anyone you know is interested in searching for homes for sale in Birmingham, AL, please get in touch with us here so we can connect you with our Realty Specialist to help make this transition go smoothly. No matter what kind of neighborhood, location, price, or preference, we are here to help you through every step of the home-buying process, so we can find you the perfect home that meets all your needs and lifestyle! Contact us today! We are here to help and answer any questions. 

For more information about moving and the best neighborhoods, check out some of our other local area guides, including moving to Alabama, cost of living in Birmingham, the best neighborhoods in Montgomery, moving to Auburn, and the cost of living in Alabama.