Once a bustling steel and mining hub, “The Marvel City” of Bessemer sits at the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains, roughly 15 miles southwest of Birmingham. With new employers like Amazon and plenty of outdoor recreation, Bessemer is a draw for young professionals and families with kids. Many of the city’s 27,000 residents here live south and east of U.S. Route 11 and gather downtown in the city's northern end for festivals and museum events, or to enjoy some shopping and dining. Plans to build a cultural arts center downtown and extend local walking and biking trails are slated for completion by the end of 2040, while efforts to clean city streets are ongoing.
Lipscomb is minutes away from downtown Birmingham where you can have a night out.
A former railroad depot is now the Hall of History for Bessemer Alabama.
Red Mountain has hiking trails for all skill levels, located near Lipscomb Al.
There is an Amazon distribution center right next to the Thomas community.
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Rail-Trail, parks and a rec center
Six parks with playing fields, picnic areas and playgrounds sit near the central and northwestern ends of the city; many are within walking distance of residential neighborhoods. Bessemer’s roughly 1 mile Rail-Trail, which runs parallel to downtown along the former corridor of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, serves as the city’s main walking and biking path; officials plan to build a pedestrian bridge over Highway 150 that will connect this trail to the downtown Youth and Senior Recreation Center, eventually expanding to the Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System.
Kids enjoy playing basketball at a local gym near Bessemer..
Enjoy Railroad Park located in Birmingham.
Autobahn Speedway offers go Karting, Axe Throwing and much more near Bessemer.
Bessemer became a center of steelmaking from about 1890 through the 20th century.
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Blues festival and classic car shows
Downtown’s 3-acre DeBardeleben Park hosts Bessemer’s annual Bob Sykes Blues and BBQ Festival every spring, the Central Alabama Caribbean Festival each summer and in winter, the annual Christmas tree lighting. Set along Alabama Avenue, the city’s former southern railway terminal has been transformed into the Bessemer Hall of History Museum; permanent exhibits include Martin Luther King Jr.’s jail cell door, and classic car shows are held here throughout the year.
A mural celebrating the Jazz Age in Bessemer, Alabama.
Jam to the band at Bob Syke's BBQ and Blues Festival.
Bessemer's Hall of History displays many old artifacts from the community.
Play all day at the Bob Syke's BBQ and Blues Festival.
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Pork barbecue and department stores
Three shopping centers in the central and southern end of the city offer department and big-box stores, while clothing boutiques and antique stores are found between Ninth Avenue and 18th Street. Locally owned and chain restaurants line U.S. Route 11 including the Travel Channel-featured Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, renowned for its barbecue pork sandwich. Plans are underway to open new shops and restaurants downtown by the end of 2040.
The Bright Star has been serving customers since 1907 in Bessemer,Alabama.
Bob Sykes has been serving up Bar-B-Q since 1957 in Bessemer, Alabama.
Shop for groceries at the Piggly Wiggly in McCalla.
Take in the retail options in McCalla.
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Bungalows and new construction
According to Neighborhood Scout, Bessemer’s home values have risen 21 percent in the last two years but are still trending lower than most communities in America. Four-bedroom bungalows and ranch-style homes built between the 1940s and ‘70s line city streets; prices average $180,000 and usually sell within 86 days. In the city’s central and northwestern ends, prices start as low as $95,000, while in the southern and eastern ends prices can reach as high as $775,000. Investors look to the northern end of the city for new subdivisions with vacant lots of up to 1 acre, starting at $5,000. Up to five-bedroom newly constructed split-level Craftsman- and ranch-style homes south of downtown start at $250,000.
A brick Colonial-inspired home in Bessemer, Alabama.
Stick style homes are found in Bessemer, Alabama.
A turreted estate home in Bessemer, Alabama.
Craftsman style homes are a common sight in Bessemer Alabama.
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Advancing city schools
Serving over 3,000 students, the Bessemer City School District earns an overall grade of C-minus from Niche. According to the Birmingham Times, Superintendent Autumm Jeter, EdD, is committed to moving Bessemer forward by creating a functional and progressive educational system. Jeter plans to mirror other districts by striving for high academic achievement, creating connections between students and the community and exposing students to resources that will help them succeed.
Children can attend Jonesboro Elementary school near Bessemer.
Wenonah High School is a four-year public high school in Birmingham, Alabama.
Oxmoor Valley Elementary serves grade PK-K5.
Bessemer City High School, offers many educational and athletic programs.
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Downtown revitalization
Mayor Kenneth E. Gulley actively recruits new businesses to the area so that “everybody here who wants a job can get a job.” Gulley and other city officials have proposed a plan called Vision 2040: Forging Bessemer’s Future Together, which aims to revitalize downtown by developing a cultural arts center, creating spaces for local performances and re-establishing the Bessemer Historic Preservation Commission by the end of 2040. Local efforts to beautify empty lots and transportation routes with murals and landscaping, address poverty and expand activities for seniors are continuing.
Crime, flooding and bus routes
According to Crime Grade, Bessemer’s property crime rate is 24.81 incidents per 1,000 residents compared to the national average of 19.55, while the violent crime rate is 5.86 incidents per 1,000 residents, compared to the national average of 3.8. The Bessemer Police Department has partnered with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement officers to create a local crime reduction program, and with the Bessemer Housing Authority to react more quickly to crime in the city’s public housing communities. By the end of 2024, the city will hire 30 new police officers and upgrade body cameras.
Flooding of the Valley Creek at the western end of the city happens periodically, so Bessemer plans to keep dredging the creek while partnering with the county and state for long-term solutions. According to WSFA12 news, tornadoes occur more frequently in the central part of Alabama; therefore, the city’s promoting emergency text alerts instead of relying only on the area’s Outdoor Warning Siren System. Bessemer’s Public Improvements Department is applying for funding to help clean up litter on city streets.
U.S. Route 11 provides access to much of Bessemer, while Interstate 20 takes commuters to downtown Birmingham and its southwestern suburbs. At the southern end of the city, residents can take Interstate 459 northeast towards Trussville. The Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority’s MAX offers bus routes with paratransit options, and both the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and Brookwood Baptist Medical Center are roughly 20 miles northeast.
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GreatSchools:
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On average, homes in Bessemer, AL sell after 62 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Bessemer, AL over the last 12 months is $228,628, up 2% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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