List of neighborhoods in Birmingham, Alabama facts for kids

The City of Birmingham, Alabama, is organized in a special way to help its citizens get involved and make their voices heard. Imagine the city as a big puzzle. It's split into nine main areas called Council districts. These districts are then divided into 23 larger sections known as communities. Each community is further broken down into smaller areas called neighborhoods, and there are 99 of these in total! Each neighborhood even has its own group, like a club, called a neighborhood association.

This whole system started back in 1974. It was created to make sure people living in Birmingham could easily talk to their city leaders. It's like having a direct line to the people who make decisions about your city.

How Neighborhoods Help the City

Neighborhood associations are really important. They are often asked for their ideas on many things. For example, if the city wants to change how land can be used (this is called zoning), or if a new store wants to sell drinks, the neighborhood groups are asked what they think. They also give their opinions on how the city grows and what services the city provides, like trash collection or park maintenance.

Money for Neighborhood Projects

Guess what? Neighborhoods also get money from the city's budget! This money is called "discretionary funds." They can use it for big projects, like fixing up a park or adding new sidewalks. These are called capital improvements. They can also use the money for smaller things, like community events or clean-up days. These are called non-capital projects. It's a way for neighborhoods to decide what's best for their own area.

Connecting with City Leaders

The leaders of each neighborhood association don't just work alone. They meet with leaders from other neighborhoods in their community. Together, they form groups called Community Advisory Committees. These committees have even more power to talk with different city departments, like the police or public works.

And it doesn't stop there! The presidents of these Community Advisory Committees then form an even bigger group called the Citizen's Advisory Board. This board meets regularly with the city's mayor, the city council, and the heads of various city departments. This means that ideas and concerns from every neighborhood can reach the highest levels of city government. It's a great way for everyone to have a say in how their city is run!

Birmingham's Communities and Neighborhoods

Here are the communities in Birmingham and the neighborhoods that belong to them:

• Airport Hills (Airport Highlands, Brownsville Heights, Brummitt Heights, Maple Grove, Penfield Park)
• Brownville (East Brownville, Roosevelt, West Brownville)
• Cahaba (Highway 280, Lake Purdy, Overton)
• Crestline (Crestline, Eastwood)
• Crestwood (Crestwood North, Crestwood South)
• East Birmingham (East Birmingham, Inglenook, Kingston, North Avondale)
• East Lake (Brown Springs, East Lake, Gate City, North East Lake, Wahouma, Zion City)
• East Pinson Valley (Apple Valley, Bridlewood, Echo Highlands, Pine Knoll Vista, Sun Valley)
• Ensley (Dolomite, West Ensley, Oak Ridge, Sherman Heights, Tuxedo, Wylam)
• Five Points West (Belview Heights, Bush Hills, Central Park, Ensley Highlands, Fairview, Green Acres)
• Grasselli (Grasselli Heights, Hillman, Hillman Park, Industrial Center, Tarpley City, West Goldwire)
• Huffman (Huffman, Killough Springs, Liberty Highlands, Spring Lake)
• North Birmingham (Acipco-Finley, Collegeville, Fairmont, Harriman Park, Hooper City, North Birmingham)
• Northside (Central City, Druid Hills, Evergreen, Fountain Heights, Norwood)
• Pratt City (Central Pratt, North Pratt, Sandusky, Smithfield Estates, South Pratt, Thomas)
• Red Mountain (Forest Park-South Avondale, Highland Park, Redmont Park)
• Roebuck/South East Lake (Roebuck, Roebuck Springs-South Roebuck, South East Lake)
• Smithfield (College Hills, East Thomas, Enon Ridge, Graymont, Smithfield)
• Southside (Five Points South, Glen Iris, Southside)
• Southwest (Garden Highlands, Jones Valley, Mason City, Powderly, Riley-Travellick, Sand Ridge)
• Titusville (North Titusville, South Titusville, Woodland Park)
• West End (Arlington-West End, Germania Park, Oakwood Place, Rising-West Princeton, West End Manor)
• Woodlawn (East Avondale, Oak Ridge Park, South Woodlawn, Woodlawn)