The Birmingham Times
Birmingham’s Uptown Entertainment District, with its Protective Stadium, renovated Legacy Arena and dining and shopping options, is a Neighborhood to Watch, according to forbes.com, a national business media and publishing company.
“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,” writes forbes.com
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, Forbes writes.
“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, an economic development nonprofit that is working to make the city of Birmingham a more vibrant place.
In 2015, the Birmingham City Council voted to allow the Uptown district, including the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, 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 including the return of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2023 and hosting the NCAA Women’s Basketball Regionals in 2025.
The 2022 World Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies were also held at Protective Stadium.
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.
The Uptown district has experienced over $1 billion in recent investments all of which “makes Uptown an important part of Birmingham‘s economic vitality and attractiveness,” said Fleming. “However, the investment that has transformed Uptown in the public’s view is the addition of City Walk.”
Several restaurants including Eugene’s Hot Chicken, Mugshots Bar & Grill, The Southern Kitchen Bar, Santos Coffee, Uptown Cantina, K& J Elegant Pastries, Uptown Jazz and most recently Dillard’s Chophouse are all part of the area.
And more are coming to the nearby area. The city has approved the construction of a $50 million amphitheater and the old Carraway Hospital is going to be replaced by the Star Uptown development.
