I was eager to escape Birmingham, now I’m thrilled I came home

Todays guest columnist is Joseph Mungenast.

When I left Birmingham at 18, I didn’t imagine I’d come back after college.

Like many young people, I was eager to escape the place I’d always called home.

The idea of a bigger city with more opportunities, excitement, and a faster pace was appealing.

Birmingham, in my mind, was too slow, too small, too divided. I left for college at Auburn University with dreams of moving to a different city one day.

My time at Auburn proved to be incredibly formative. College is a unique 4 year window where everyone around you is in the same stage of life. Everyone has more free time than they will ever experience again.

This combination leads to the quick formation of friendships and community, and I was fortunate to form great relationships in college. My four years at Auburn led me to believe that community and deep friendships were easy to come by.

As my time at Auburn progressed, I still felt the draw to a larger city that most college students in our state experience. I watched as older friends graduated and moved away, some to larger cities and some back home to Birmingham. I listened to their experiences in their respective cities and began to notice a trend.

The folks that I knew who moved back to Birmingham talked about how much they loved the pace of life in the city. The folks that I knew who moved away to bigger and “better” cities mentioned how lonely life could be, and how challenging it was to establish community.

I am not saying that big cities make it impossible to find friends or establish community. I do believe it is far more challenging than it is in Birmingham. And I am not saying that Birmingham is a sleepy little town with nothing going on.

What I am saying is that Birmingham offers a superior pace of life relative to the average big city in the US, along with a great business ecosystem. This is what surprised me most about moving back.

In Birmingham, young professionals have the opportunity to climb the corporate ladder, launch their own businesses, or pursue a fulfilling career. Whichever path they choose, Birmingham has the resources of a big city, with the community feel of a small town.

In Birmingham, there’s time to breathe, to reflect, and to grow. The idea of building a life here doesn’t feel like a race against the clock. Instead, it feels like a journey where community plays a central role.

Birmingham’s residents, especially younger people like me, are incredibly passionate about making this city better. Whether it’s through supporting local businesses or continuing to revitalize our downtown area, there’s an energy here that feels like it’s only just beginning.

I have also come to appreciate Birmingham’s complex history. Growing up, I didn’t always understand the weight of the city’s past—the struggles, the triumphs, the moments of deep division and even deeper resilience. But as I’ve matured, I’ve learned to recognize the significance of this history and how it shapes the city’s present.

From its role in the Civil Rights Movement to its industrial past as the “Pittsburgh of the South,” Birmingham’s history isn’t one of simple success or failure. It’s layered and rich with lessons that still resonate today.

Birmingham’s history is part of what makes it such a special place. The old, iron-clad buildings in the downtown area, the historic neighborhoods, the landmarks like the 16th Street Baptist Church—they all tell stories of hardship, perseverance, and change.

But it’s not only about the past. I have watched the city grow for over 20 years. The city continues to be revitalized as new life gets breathed into old spaces.

This intersection of old and new is one of the things I love most about Birmingham. It’s a city that embraces its history but isn’t afraid to reinvent itself.

The people here are proud of their roots, but they also acknowledge the scars of the past and the lessons that have accompanied them.

I hope more young people will choose to move to Birmingham, experience the superior pace of life, and accelerate the progress we have already made as a city.

Joseph Mungenast is a commercial insurance and bond broker with Marsh McLennan Agency. He and his wife Caroline met at Auburn and reside in Homewood.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown.  He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com.

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