Weespxx

Hi - my friend's husband is trying to get them to take a weekend trip (they live in Philly) to Birmingham to visit friends. My friends have a 18 mo old, a 4 yr old and a 7 yr old. Are there are residents who can recommend things for kids or would you pass it by until the kids are older? I know it's FAB for adults, but I wonder about the kiddie life. Thanks

bamakelly

Assuming you mean Birmingham, AL, there is PLENTY to do there for the kids! The McWane Center is the first thing that comes to mind, (http://www.mcwane.org/), but there is also a decent zoo (http://www.birminghamzoo.com/) and lots and lots of kid-friendly restaurants, etc. Email me [email protected] if you want specifics. I can definitely give you more specifics if you can tell me when you'll be there and where in the city you'll be staying.

bamakelly

Sorry--where your friend will be staying.

Weespxx

Thanks! I'll mail you

mommybryant

Also, there is a good children's theater. Princess and the Pea is coming next month. Even the little ones are sure to enjoy that. Lots of new parks in the area. You might try Wald Park in Vestavia Hills and Homewood Park for starters. Both are relatively close in and near the zoo. They might also enjoy the new Vulcan exhibit.

bamakelly

Yes all of these are great suggestions too--Homewood park even has the free Friday Night Flicks at certain times of the year. (Not sure when they are coming). Anyway, email if you want more info.

bennie

This thread is interesting to me at my family and I wil be traveling there in May to see my niece make her First Communion. The McWane Science Center is great and the zoo is small but nice enough. Love to hear what else there is to do so that we can be a little independent. My s-i-l will be ready to give birth when we are down the so I don't want her and my brother to feel like they need to entertain us. Of course if the new baby is born we'll all be busy enough!!!

bamakelly

What a nice surprise! Birmingham is rarely represented on Fodor's.

May is a nice time to come; it's usually nice weather.

The Summit is a great place to spend the afternoon. PLENTY of shopping, good stores for both kids and adults. Sounds like you have been to B'ham before but the Summit is likely to be different from the last time you were there; it's growing all the time.

Brookwood mall has been renovated in the last couple of years also.

The Brookwood Village area (in Mountainbrook) is a fun place to hang out for the day. The Zoo is in this area, and you can stop in Smith's Variety store, which is close by. It has curiosities and toys and paper goods and gifts and everything under the sun for any person of any age. Gilchrist's is an old-fashioned soda shop in the area with great egg-salad sandwiches for lunch, or if you're in the neighborhood at dinnertime, you must stop in to Davenport's Pizza for whole-family fun. The pizza is square and there are fun old-school arcade games to play while you wait. You can watch them make pizzas too.

The parks Mommybryant mentioned are nice. I am partial to Homewood Park myself. Homewood also has its own collection of fun little shops and boutiques. They are located "on the curve" (which is not really a curve at all) down the hill from Vulcan. Cool comic book store in that area too. Good place for lunch in that are is O'Carr's. YUM! (Though not for younger children.) Lots of good childrens boutiques in this area too.

Vulcan is newly redone and probably deserves a visit. The Five Points area is usually good for people watching (but maybe a little scary for young children, esp at night). Older children and adults might like the 16th Street Baptist Church and the Civil Rights Museum, located across from each other downtown. In May the Pepper Place Farmers Market might be open on Saturdays.

Visionland is B'hams amusement park, but to be honest, it's a little bit rinky-dink for my tastes. But maybe more adventurous types would like it.

Of course, you could check out who's playing at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre whie you are in town. Nice venue, good hiking in this area also. And if you're the outdoorsy type, canoing on the Cahaba is also an option.






The Birmingham Barons might be playing a game--not sure about their schedule in May but it's worth a look. Their OLD field, Rickwood Park, is open to visitors, and is the oldest baseball field in America. (in case you have a baseball fan in the family)

The Alabama Theatre is incredibly cool too--they might have a good show for the family, but even the theatre itself is historic.

Sorry for all the details, but withohut knowing interests and ages of everyone involved, it's hard to narrow down the list. Happy to provide more details or further options if you want specifics!

Byrd

bamakelly,

Good for you for making such a great recommendation for Birmingham!

It's such a great city and seems to get so little good press. But did you see this month's issue of Traditional Home? Almost half the magazine is about Birmingham.

Both our children and families live in Birmingham, so we are there lots. What did we do before we had the Summit?

Byrd

bamakelly

Hi there Byrd! Good to see you here!

I miss B'ham so much! I don't drive down there nearly often enough.

Haven't seen Traditional Home--will buy it today. I always love to see Birmingham in publications. I think it is usually represented well. (Of course it usually makes an appearance in Southern Living for obvious reasons.)

Have a good weekend!

bennie

bamakelly - thanks so much for the info. My brother lives in Moutain Brook so your suggestions for the restaurants are great. There's no way my s-i-l will be doing any cooking. The Summit was just being built the last time I was there - for my niece's Christianing! I hear its quite the place.

bamakelly

Bennie--the restaurant suggestions above are whole-family-favorites. La Paz is another good option. I am sure your SIL has favorites, but if you want more upscale recs, let me know!

bamakelly

Oh--and have fun at the Communion! How special.

bamakelly

TTT for OSB. OSB--you might check out Brookwood and the Summit, both for good shopping and good eating! Brookwood mall has good hotel accomodations nearby as well.

OldSouthernBelle

There used to be a great 'chain' restaurant in ?Brookwood mall called 'Magic Pan'...had the best crepes and split pea soup!

I have often wished that there was one nearby...know of anything like that?...I think it is not to be had.

bama: you're great!! Belle.

bamakelly

OSB--I am not familiar with Magic Pan, but it sounds great! Brookwood mall has recently been renovated and all the food places are relatively new...and pretty good, from what I've heard.

As for quaint soup/crepe/salad places, I'd head to Homewood. Little Professor has a lunch side, and O'Carr's is a fabulous tea-room style place. No soups but YUMMY on the other delicate foods. I am sure there are other places like the one you described...I am just not coming up witht them right now. (I am, however, developing a major craving for split-pea soup...)

If I think of anything I'll post.

Have fun at the yoga workshop! That might be hard to do, though, if you wear that antebellum dress! (re: dreaming about Fodorites thread...)