The Largest Cities in The South (southeast)

[Port_of_Bama]

Originally Posted by alon504

It's just a list, but, if he is going to include Birmingham Alabama area of over 1.5 million, he could include New Orleans Southeast Louisiana area metro area which would be over 2.6 million....over 3+ million live within 80 miles of Downtown New Orleans. Why do you think New Orleans has two professional sports teams and Birmingham has zero? It's because of population in the surrounding area.

I think population has nothing to do with Birmingham not having a team my friend. Birmingham is in a position to get a team and the 1.5 million that you speak of is slightly higher than Birminghams CSA population which is larger than New Orleans.Im sure if you included other areas in Birmingham`s population as you did for New Orleans it would be much higher being that Alabama has a larger population han Lousiana pre and post Katrina. Well over 1.5 million live within 80 miles of downtown Mobile so I think population has no play in it my friend.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

I mean, he did say "Central Alabama Birmingham", which would encompass the areas of Tuscaloosa, Anniston, and Talladega. All of those would actually add up to more than 1.5 Million. And then, if you simply draw an 80 miles circle around Birmingham, you would also add the Decatur area, the fringes of Montgomery, most of West Alabama, Gadsden, South Huntsville, and central eastern Alabama, which would all add up to over 2 million, probably more.

I agree, population has much less to do with it than other factors do. I think most pro sports are wary of coming to Birmingham because of its lack of success with them. Of course, Birmingham always only got the second hand spin offs of pro sports, and never an NFL, NBA, etc... so, you have wonder what could have happened if one of those had ever attempted a team. You have to have actual street cred to be successful, and the current second tier teams simply don't.

I'd LOVE to see Buffalo's NFL team move to Birmingham, but of course, we all know that there are more people that live around Buffalo and their metro area tells.

If the NFL expanded, I'd expect Birmingham to be on the short list. Most Alabamians really don't feel an allegiance to either Atlanta or Nashville as far as the teams go.

[Muskavon]

badrock, don't forget the Saints. That team relies pretty heavily on the rest of us Gulf Coast idiots to survive. N.O. couldn't do it for them alone even before Katrina. That is probably why the owner wanted to up his move date after the hurricane. It was already a bad market before. I can't blame the man. But that is probably South Bama's pro team. And supposedly mine in NW Florida. That should give you a hint as to why we are so college-centered. The Saints? I could never do it. I developed a true and total hate for the Saints because, as a small kid, I wanted to see good football like the Raiders, Steelers and Cowboys were playing (the Golden Age of the NFL...the 1970's). Everyone else got to see those games. What I got to watch each week on WALA (Mobile) or WKRG (Mobile) was the Saints. The Saints playing the 0-10 Patriots, or Colts, or Oilers. Only to lose 6-3. It didn't matter. The 2-12 Saints. Every Year. Week after week. Just watching the Saints play in that dingy Dome could suck the energy out of even a 12 year old kid. I'd rather run outside and bang my head into a concrete wall. There is nothing special about the Saints. The "aura" sucks, the teams sucks, the ownership sucks, the superdome sucks, the "being forced to watch them" sucks. I'd rather watch leaves turn in the mountains starting in May waiting for November. Without winking.

And thus I hate the NFL. I can't imagine caring about anything in the NFL. Certainly can't imagine spending that type of money to go to their boring game.

[bystander1]

^ Now, tell us how you really feel...

[| BRAVO |]

[SpawnOfVulcan]

You're right Muskavon, I don't know how I forgot about the Saints. But, honestly, I don't get the feeling that many Alabamians really feel an allegiance to to any NFL teams. That's not to say that there aren't any, I just don't get the FEELING, that there is.

[ttownfeen]

Nope, as far I can tell, Alabama remains an untapped market for the NFL.

[Huntsvillenative]

As far as cities I've visited in the south, these would be the top 10 not in size, but things to see and do.

1.Memphis, TN- They got Graceland and Elvis, Sun Studios, Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street, the nicest sports arena in the south called the FedEx Forum, the Rock & Soul Museum, Mud Island, the #1 ranked zoo in America, the Pink Palace Museum, the NBA, and a world class minor league baseball stadium in the heart of downtown with a major league feel to it. Not to mention the best BBQ in Ameirca!

2.Orlando, FL- They got Disney World, Epcot and Universal Studios theme parks, not to mention a really cool entertainment complex called CityWalk, Holyland Experience, and NASA.

3.Atlanta, GA- They got the Braves, Falcons and Hawks, the largest Aquarium in America, the Coco-Cola Museum, Olympic Park, Six Flags and The Underground mall as well as nearby Stone Mountain.

4.Nashville, TN-They got the Opryland Gaylord Resort, the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum, and the Titans.

5.New Orleans, LA- They got Burban Street, the Saints, cajun food, a lot of cultural history as well as ghosts.

6.Miami, FL- They got the best party scene and breathtaking scenery along with great beaches.

7.Gatlinburg, TN- Maybe not a huge populated city, but a fun one. They got everything you can think of there, including a space needle, Ripley's Museums, aquarium, chair lift rides up the mountain, and bears.

8.Birmingham, AL- They got a nice theme park called Alabama Adventure, a nice zoo but nothing like Memphis', a really nice shopping mall called The Galleria. Outside of that it's just another southern city.

9.Chattanooga, TN- They got the Tennessee Aquarium, Rock City, and a really nice river walk.

10.Huntsville, AL- My hometown. We've got the US Space & Rocket Center and one of the top open air malls in America called Bridge Street Town Centre. Outside of that not a damn thing to do as far as attractions.

[Huntsvillenative]

The state of AL doesn't have the money or support to get an NFL franchise. It would cost us as state tax payers around $600 million just to build a first class NFL stadium and I don't see that happening. Birmingham isn't big enough to have an NFL franchise anyway.

[Muskavon]

Originally Posted by Alabadrock

You're right Muskavon, I don't know how I forgot about the Saints. But, honestly, I don't get the feeling that many Alabamians really feel an allegiance to to any NFL teams. That's not to say that there aren't any, I just don't get the FEELING, that there is.

Yep. That's been a great bonus for a lot of college teams in the South...and is a part of several factors (population shift being another), for why the SEC, for example, is as powerful as it is. There isn't a big tradition of pro sports distraction. And that may never be overcome even in the "newer" pro markets like Nashville, Charlotte and Jacksonville ("markets" being the wider areas required for pro success).

I'll admit here that I have been a UF Gator since '79 at the risk of being booed even more than usual around here. The reason I point that out is that Tampa bringing in the Bucs in '76 was first a threat to UF's ability to dominate central Florida's attention, then came the Jaguars in the '90's. So far the fear hasn't been bourn out. The fear is becoming Miami. Despite the success....the fan support, alumni support, city support....any way you slice it...it never existed outside frontrunning fans when it is obvious they are great. Good year = 60,000 fans in stadium. Average year = 28,000 fans in stadium. Bad year = 12,000...oh hell, USA will beat them in attendance that year.

My total point? Ultimately you have to question wether pro sports really "enhances" the lifestyle of your city, area, or state. I'd suggest that we should get beyond the desire for pro sports as a term for "arrival" as a city...and just look to see if it really enhances quality of life. My thought in the South is that it really doesn't. We already have top-of-the-line sports of all types to follow. It is just collegiate level. I'm not sure it ultimately helps B'ham (or wherever) to be pros. It may take a while for transplants coming to Bama, Florida, etc, to get the passion for college teams in places like Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Athens, Oxford, Baton Rouge, Starkville, etc....but it does start to grow. Their kids will be crazed fans. A pro team robs them of a chance to grasp this culture.

One thing I love about Pensacola is, being a Navy town, it has thousands of new blood every year coming in and out each year + tens of thousands from all over who eventually settled here. If you go to a place like Seville Quarter on a Saturday in the fall, you will meet people with college allegiences across the country. If we had a pro team (obviously impossible), I imagine it wouldn't be as fun as everyone from afar would bring their reasons for dislike and the talk would be centered on that. This is a very unique place for college football fans. Gators probably outnumber the rest by a bit in good or bad times. But their are obviously piles of Seminoles, AU Tigers, Bammers, LSU Tigers, Canes, etc, etc in the local area. USA, UAB, FAMU, Tulane, Troy, UGA, MSU and Ole Miss grads. Then there are the Nebraska groups, Ohio State groups, ND groups, PSU groups....it is awesome.

I don't see why I'd want a pro team to help my area. To be seen as "sophisticated" by other jerks in big cities? If so, Maybe you need a pro sports team. But if you can get past that need for acceptance from jerk offs...they can have their Detroit Lions or NBA Oklahoma City Whatevers...I don't need them. I'd like my city to grow without ever wasting a dime on that desire. It's like wanting the highest end Mercedes when you are perfectly happy in your ok Nissan (or whatever). Sure, you can eff up your budget for the rest of your life and walk the streets when you turn 65 and go ahead and get that Mercedes. But really? What ultimately is it going to do for you besides covering your desperate need for self-respect?

B'ham, Mobile, BRouge, Pensa, etc....I don't care how big they get....hard to justify pro teams imo.

[| BRAVO |]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

As far as cities I've visited in the south, these would be the top 10 not in size, but things to see and do.

1.Memphis, TN- They got Graceland and Elvis, Sun Studios, Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street, the nicest sports arena in the south called the FedEx Forum, the Rock & Soul Museum, Mud Island, the #1 ranked zoo in America, the Pink Palace Museum, the NBA, and a world class minor league baseball stadium in the heart of downtown with a major league feel to it. Not to mention the best BBQ in Ameirca!

2.Orlando, FL- They got Disney World, Epcot and Universal Studios theme parks, not to mention a really cool entertainment complex called CityWalk, Holyland Experience, and NASA.

3.Atlanta, GA- They got the Braves, Falcons and Hawks, the largest Aquarium in America, the Coco-Cola Museum, Olympic Park, Six Flags and The Underground mall as well as nearby Stone Mountain.

4.Nashville, TN-They got the Opryland Gaylord Resort, the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum, and the Titans.

5.New Orleans, LA- They got Burban Street, the Saints, cajun food, a lot of cultural history as well as ghosts.

6.Miami, FL- They got the best party scene and breathtaking scenery along with great beaches.

7.Gatlinburg, TN- Maybe not a huge populated city, but a fun one. They got everything you can think of there, including a space needle, Ripley's Museums, aquarium, chair lift rides up the mountain, and bears.

8.Birmingham, AL- They got a nice theme park called Alabama Adventure, a nice zoo but nothing like Memphis', a really nice shopping mall called The Galleria. Outside of that it's just another southern city.

9.Chattanooga, TN- They got the Tennessee Aquarium, Rock City, and a really nice river walk.

10.Huntsville, AL- My hometown. We've got the US Space & Rocket Center and one of the top open air malls in America called Bridge Street Town Centre. Outside of that not a damn thing to do as far as attractions.

That's a funny list.

This whole thread makes me laugh.

[Sulley]

"2.Orlando, FL- They got Disney World, Epcot and Universal Studios theme parks, not to mention a really cool entertainment complex called CityWalk, Holyland Experience, and NASA."

Ugh, stay in Kissimmee. There is soooo much more here for locals...

[Shawn35816]

Ugh, stay in Kissimmee. There is soooo much more here for locals...[/QUOTE]

Yeah, when you actually stay in Orlando, you find out that locals really don't ever go to that side of town, unless they work there. There's a lot more to do in Orlando than go to the parks. That's probably been my favorite city so far to live in, but I was in college at the time so my view may be skewed.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by Shawn35816

Ugh, stay in Kissimmee. There is soooo much more here for locals...

Yeah, when you actually stay in Orlando, you find out that locals really don't ever go to that side of town, unless they work there. There's a lot more to do in Orlando than go to the parks. That's probably been my favorite city so far to live in, but I was in college at the time so my view may be skewed.[/QUOTE]

Exactly! This is one of the main reasons that Orlando's metro is so "top heavy" on the Northside - similar to ATL.

The locals stay away from the SW side at all costs, if they can. They also don't really want the tourists to know too much about the cool hidden spots around town (Thornton Park, College Park, etc.)

[rolltider]

Memphis ahead of Miami, Orlando, New Orleans and Atlanta? Are you kidding?

[rolltider]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

The state of AL doesn't have the money or support to get an NFL franchise. It would cost us as state tax payers around $600 million just to build a first class NFL stadium and I don't see that happening. Birmingham isn't big enough to have an NFL franchise anyway.

You are so wrong. Birmingham is more than big enough has one of the highest per capita incomes in the southeast.

Don't forget in addition to Birmingham's 1.2 million metro there are 4 other metros less than 100 miles from Birmingham's central city totaling over 1 million. And that does not include Huntsville which is barely over 100 miles away.

The main reasons for Birmingham not having an NFL franschise is the strong support for the Unviersity of Alabama football and its close proximity to Atlanta. Up until the 90s the Falcons relied on support from east Alabama and the Birmingham market.

[kingchef]

memphis, 938,943 urban shelby metro, memphis proper, 717,904, memphis metro city contiguous, 1,117, 088, greater memphis, 1,316,111, new csa, 2.24 mil. (tn,ms,ar)

either charlotte by 10-15 thousand or austin by the same.

nashville was taken out of the top 25 largest cities in june of this year because of davidson county's continued heavy outmigration---largest in state---about 15.3%. davidison county ended up w about 567,000, of which nashville received approximately 545,000. i believe rutherford county gaineda good deal of davidson's old population. rutherford, about 210,000+. williamson county, though not as much received some of the inmigration from davidson county, tn. williamson, 146-52 thousand. murfreesboro is where the regional growth is heaviest. ith town is about 35 or so miles from nashville, but some think it could be the new largest city in middle tn. that entire area has slowed down because of economy. car plant (saturn) closed down. tn is usually about 6 to 9 months behind most hard economy stats compared to the rest of the country---northeast, west, and soutwest. east tn is slowing down considerably, however, the trend was never a "boom" description by the fed gov, anyway. west tn has consistently showed steady lower growth throughout, about 3.9% until you get into the metro counties of tn---14+%, 11.2%, and as much as 19.8%, etc. in some of the ms counties. tn hasn't had it too bad, however. growth has never been like texas, idaho, nevada, atlanta, and the triangle area of nc. at best east tn growth has been based on moderate growth of michigan, florida, and california retirees.














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[futuresooner]

Um, where are you getting that Nashville has lost population? They have continued to gain and will reflect so in next year's census. Latest estimates show Davidson County over 615,000.

Nashville just hasn't grown as fast as other cities, which may have edged it out of the top 25.

Also, ever heard of spacing paragraphs?

[B'ham Bound]

Looks like I missed out on some mouth watering ignorance about Birmingham in this thread.

[urbanactivist]

Hmm, I haven't traveled too extensively around the Southeast yet. The only major cities I've been to are New Orleans, Memphis, Little Rock (if we're counting it), Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Jackson, and Greensboro/Winston Salem. But here's my top 10 based on cities that I do like to read about and want to visit, as well as cities that I have visited...

1) New Orleans
2) Miami
3) Memphis
4) Atlanta
5) Charlotte
6) Nashville
7) Piedmont Triad
8) Charleston
9) Savannah
10) Mobile