Smithfield Estates - Birmingham, AL

The Smithfield Estates neighborhood was one of the areas affected by the major tornado disaster of April 2011 and has been restored by several local major events and supportive networks since then.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute sits close to Smithfield Estates, a museum presenting all the wonderful historic events that took place in and around Birmingham. The overall museum content includes an unbiased presentation of art elements that shows the various issues of race and freedom across history of Birmingham and the South. With a great deal of historical quality to both read and view within, there proves to be much to learn and experience inside this very popular museum.

Popular annual events include the Magic City Brewfest for a weekend at the beginning of June, sponsored by Free the Hops and presenting several locally brewed beers and ales for tasting among all Birmingham residents.

The few number of restaurants and bars directly within Smithfield Estates remains at about one-quarter of the average number within downtown Birmingham or other major cities, however plenty of nearby locations provide a variety of menus and nightlife activity.

Niki's West Steak & Seafood Restaurant, open from early breakfast through dinner, serves a wide variety of entrees, including the popular Greek chicken and fried okra, the wonderful southern side dish. Another favorite of local comfortable locations includes Urban Standard, a cafe and deli close to Smithfield Estates that serves several specialty sandwiches, including the chicken panino and various grilled cheese options. This local favorite opens during all three meals, providing all-day specialty coffee drinks as well.

A very popular local bar, Good People Brewing Company, features several specialties, including Snake Handler and Coffee Oatmeal Stout among the various beers and ales brewed and served at this very location. Tours of the brewery remain available, and guests have the ability to reserve the taproom for special events.

Another well-known pub downtown, Carrigan's Public House, has happy hour specials that include both drinks and food. The menu consists of corn dogs, falafel burgers and pork cheek sliders, so visitors can enjoy anything from light lunch to a spicy dinner. Carrigan's provides a list of specialty cocktails, such as Sweet Lies, made of gin, lemon, Strega, Campari and cucumber, and the Black Sails cocktail, made of brown ale, gin, jalapeño, grapefruit, celery and ginger ale.

A short commute via individual automobile proves to be the preference among the majority of the Smithfield Estates workforce. While specific bicycle lanes and trails do not exist, the residential neighborhood includes some sidewalks for easy walking. Outside of downtown, plenty of taxi and shuttle services remain available to call on for scheduled transportation, although simply hailing a taxi in this neighborhood does not prove to be an option. Uber does not service the neighborhood, but public transportation exists around the complete area, managed by the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority, with commute around the entire county.

Kelly Ingram Park, across the street from the Civil Rights Institute, was named for Osmond Kelly Ingram, a local fireman and the first U.S. sailor killed in WWI. This park has a long trail for walking and hiking and remains recognized for its involvement in historical activity, including the 1963 conference attended by Reverends Martin Luther King, Jr., James Bevel and Fred Shuttlesworth and the subsequent boycotts and protests held within this park. The massive battle that followed between local demonstrators and the police and firemen led to mass arrests and national news, eventually ending public segregation and national development of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Railroad Park, a 19-acre local green open space, provides a great open-air location for fitness and instruction as well as space to be reserved for both public and personal events. This park was created as a joint effort between Railroad Park Foundation and City of Birmingham, providing a locally rich location for family activities and several free summer city concerts and other cultural events. This park provides a long trail for jogging and walking, remains open to leashed pets, and consists of a beautifully enhanced landscape of trees and flowers among the lakes and wetlands. Specialties include Wi-Fi, two different play areas for children of different age groups, outdoor gym equipment and a skate park.

Average rent of $520 for one-bedroom apartments in the Smithfield Estates area provides an affordable location near downtown Birmingham. For those who don’t drive on their own, individual adult bus fare costs $1.25, with 80 cents additional for a child. Monthly passes available for $44 provide unlimited public transportation throughout the city of Birmingham. The average gas price per gallon in Smithfield Estates sits about 10 percent below the national average.

Major local grocery stores close to Smithfield Estates include Publix and Aldi, also providing pharmacy services. Target sits nearby, as well as Brookwood Village.

The Market at Pepper Place downtown provides popular, locally-supplied produce on weekends along with meat and art. Alabama Farmers Market lies closer to Smithfield Estates and opens every evening of the week, featuring about 20 different local vendors’ produce for sale.

Just outside Smithfield Estates, plenty of local independent stores dot the downtown area, including What’s On 2nd? This shop offers antiques and consignment. Charm sells locally created jewelry, and Sojourns, an art gallery, also provides home and garden supplies.