Travel + Leisure has named Birmingham, Alabama one of The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021. The Magic City comes in at number 5 on the annual ranking, behind Alaska’s Coast, Astoria, Oregon, The Berkshires, and Big Sky, Montana. Typically a compilation of international destinations, the travel authority took a cue this year from the impact of the pandemic on mobility to highlight 50 destinations that are all located within the contiguous United States. Rounding out the top ten are The Black Hills of South Dakota, Buffalo, New York, Burlington, Vermont, Cape May, New Jersey, and The Catskills.
The Birmingham section of the the feature highlights the impact of native sons and daughters leaving town to learn from the masters in other cities and returning to add to the unique patchwork of revitalization that have taken hold in the Magic City. Spotlights include Chef Adam Evans, head of Automatic Seafood & Oysters, Red Cat Coffee House, Paper Doll bar, the Rendezvous Kitchen Co. food truck, The Pizitz Food Hall and Edgar's Bakery. Homewood's new Valley Hotel is featured as helping the city meet the demand for luxury lodging. Railroad Park is credited with transforming downtown with green space and outdoor events and the future looks to Protective Stadium and its accompanying entertainment district set to open this year.
