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7 things to love about Birmingham’s Titusville community, including DC BLOX
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Birmingham’s Titusville community is just minutes from downtown and just west of UAB. It’s been getting some love lately on both the corporate and the housing side. Plus, it’s where you go if you’re in the mood for a Golden Flake factory tour. Fun.
Read on for all the details of what we found in Titusville.
1—Where is the Titusville community?
This community just west of UAB, Southside and downtown includes these three neighborhoods:
- North Titusville
- South Titusville
- Woodland Park
2—A little history
According to the Titusville Community Framework Plan, Titusville was originally founded by freed slaves just after the Civil War. Until the 1970s, it was called South Elyton. Some other interesting facts:
- It’s pronounced /ˈtɪtəsvəl/ . . . not “tie-tus-ville.”
- The Alice Furnace was one of the first blast furnaces in the Birmingham area.
- Birmingham’s first airport was located at the current site of the Loveman Village housing development—who knew?
- The Black Barons used to train at Memorial Park.
- Some of Titusville’s notable former residents include former U.S. Secretary of State Condolezza Rice and Wallace Rayfield, the “second formally educated African American architect,” who designed Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church.
3—What’s special about the area?
The main thing that’s special about the area is the sense of community. Titusville has a long and rich history, including involvement in the struggle for Civil Rights. There are decades-long family reunions, fun ways to get fit at the Memorial Park Rec Center and many places to worship in the area.
Plus, it’s minutes from both downtown and UAB, and companies are starting to notice. Atlanta, Georgia based DC BLOX recently opened a data center in the area that has the potential to bring with it hundreds of millions of dollars of neighborhood investment.
As my colleague Pat Byington would say, “this is a big deal for Birmingham.”
4—Where do locals go to eat or hang out in the Titusville community?
- Taco Morro Loco #3
- Memorial Park (including a new pool and a Zyp BikeShare station)
- Memorial Park Recreation Center
- Titusville Library
- Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School
5—What local events are coming up?
Get fit on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30PM with Hot KickBox Sculpt. Memorial Park Recreation Center. Free community class, $3-5 love donations welcome.
Past (and annual) community events have included a Jazz in the Park series, Trans Day of Visibility Fun Day , family and class reunions, and Titusville Day.
6—Best Instagram spot / the one thing that everyone who visits the Titusville community needs to see?
While they don’t let you bring phones into the Golden Flake Factory tour, you can take a fun picture in front of this half-truck that’s on the side of the factory. Plus, they give you free chips.
7—Where can I read about the other neighborhoods?
This is the 12th installment in a 23-part series Bham Now is doing to feature Birmingham’s 23 communities, comprising 99 neighborhoods. So far, we’ve featured the following communities:
- Crestwood
- Northside
- Red Mountain
- Roebuck / South East Lake
- North Birmingham
- Cahaba
- Woodlawn
- Crestline
- Southside
- Ensley
- East Lake
Look for our next installments to learn things you never knew about all 99 of Birmingham’s neighborhoods.
There’s plenty to see in Titusville, whether you’re in the mood for a visit to Memorial Park, the Golden Flake Factory Tour, or DC BLOX’s new data center.
Now we want to hear from you, Birmingham. What are your favorite spots in Titusville?
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