How many days until Christmas? JK! It’s 362. On a real note, here’s what you actually want to know:

December 28th.

Bham Now’s Top 10
We’ve put together, just for you, our most read stories since the beginning of time (well, the beginning of time for us, August, 2016!). Personally, I think the coolest thing about the list is that the subjects range across the board; from sports to nature to food and business, there’s a little something for everyone. Maybe one of these stories is what brought you to Bham Now in the first place… Regardless, we’re so happy you’re here with us!

Got Sportz?Whatcha doin’ to close out the year? Football, as always. Alabama takes on Washington in the Peach Bowl THIS Saturday at 2pm in Atlanta. Catch it on ESPN. With it being an afternoon game, you’ll still have the rest of the night to peace out 2016.

Jefferson County Ranks tops in GDP
I learned so much about GDP in undergrad, that I was actually EXCITED to learn that JeffCo ranked as the #1 county in AL for overall GDP growth. The county had strong rankings across the board in categories such as business growth, new building permits, and municipal bonds per capita. And, Jefferson County had the highest amount of Gross Domestic Product, $1,123M, which is $535M more than second place. I think The Jeffersons were onto something… 🎵“Well, we’re movin’ on up”🎵

With Great Potential Comes Great Debate #WWVD?
Where there is high value, there is Southtown – a.k.a the housing projects on the west side of 31 from St. Vincent’s with the cute hand painted murals facing University Boulevard. There are talks of demolishing the housing community and building up commercial properties. But what about the residents? That’s what has sparked debate among locals and the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District. Are we going to see another Starbucks and high-rise? Or a mixed-income community? Or maybe a cosmetic upgrade? What would Vulcan do? (#WWVD) To put it simply, we just don’t know what is in store for Southtown and its residents but Bham Now will be following this closely. In the meantime, a healthy discussion is encouraged.

Featured Job
Hey you fancy and intelligent IT peeps: EBSCO wants you! EBSCO is currently hiring a Cloud/Virtualization Systems Engineer, and chances are you’re the one they want. Check out all the deets here, and feel free to pass it along to your pals. More jobs on Bham Now here.

As You Wish (Princess Bride, anyone?)
In Homewood, wishes, hopes and prayers for the new year come in the form of notes on The Wishing Tree. It’s like the Toomer’s trees, but more sentimental. Until January 14th, you can share your positive thoughts and hang them on the tree in this annual celebration of life and the Homewood community. Learn more about the origins here, and pay a visit!

Holiday Post Round-Up!
We know, we know. You barely had time to breathe over the holiday weekend due to family fun, delicious food, and events galore. No worries! Check out the master list of our holiday posts you might have missed:

“Loving kindness” – Preparing for Christmas in Birmingham (a photo essay)
A simple mailbox. Sharing Christmas joy at St. John A.M.E. Church in Birmingham
Spotted in Homewood’s Edgewood Neighborhood…. a Festivus pole
Joy Vey! Hanukkah and Christmas come together December 24
Christmas lights in Birmingham – Bringing out the “Clark Griswold” in all of us
“Where can I recycle my Christmas tree?” Here is the answer
My personal favorite: Christmas Kitty Miracle – Babycat’s Story – Part 1 | Part 2

Bored in the Ham? Impossible
If you find yourself sans plans this week (or any other week), be sure to check out Bham Now’s calendar. We’re updating the calendar constantly to make it easy for you to find what you’re looking for whether its business, technology, art or nature.

Want to feel smarter, classier or just enjoy some unique sounds? May we suggest the Turtle Island String Quartet with Cyrus Chestnut on Jan. 12th 7-9pm, part of ASC Salon Series. Cyrus Chestnut has been called the “the best jazz pianist of his generation” by Time magazine. I’m feeling better about myself already.

Have a great last week of the year, my friends. I’ll be working/catching a show at Iron City, filling my belly with queso while the Tide wins, and then grooving into 2017 with Anderson East at the Lyric Theatre. Whatever your own plans may be, I hope you enjoy them! I’ll talk at ya next year. As always, thanks for reading Bham Now.

Hunter Holland, Producer

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