Reviewed by: Callie Morrison
Why residents love living in Woodlawn, including the Woodlawn Sunday Dinner
Reading time: 3 minutes
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On the first Sunday in October, the Woodlawn community gathered on Fifty-Fifth Place South for Woodlawn Sunday Dinner—an evening of soul food, live music and neighborly camaraderie held annually since 2017.
Read to learn more about the success of this year’s Woodlawn Sunday Dinner + why Woodlawn is a great place to live.
Woodlawn is one of Birmingham’s thriving communities
Woodlawn is one of Birmingham’s 23 communities, consisting of the East Avondale, Oak Ridge, South Woodlawn and Woodlawn neighborhoods.
A couple of decades ago, Woodlawn’s central business district was a ghost town.
However, the community has experienced a renaissance over the past few years, with new murals popping up throughout the community, as well as new home construction and schools like i3 Academy, a tuition-free charter school educating 765 bright students.
In fact, thanks to partnerships with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), The Birmingham Land Bank Authority and the City of Birmingham, 40 new homes have been constructed in Woodlawn since 2016.
The reinvestment in Woodlawn’s future has led to a flurry of activity in the community’s business district, with new and familiar businesses such as:
This focus on community has led to a number of net positives for Woodlawn, including a 36% decrease in crime from 2021 to 2023.
Change is driven by Woodlawn’s community
According to Mashonda Taylor, the CEO of local nonprofit Woodlawn United, the Woodlawn community’s greatest asset is its people. Woodlawn has grown organically through community-driven events and get-togethers—and there is no better example than the Woodlawn Sunday Dinner.
This year, the Woodlawn Sunday Dinner featured live music from local artists Sherri Brown and DJ Rahdu as well as food and drink from:
- Bayles, a full-service caterer out of Woodlawn with over 20 years of experience
- Dirty Red Food Truck, a beloved local food truck with a full menu of American favorites, like a classic cheeseburger, Philly steak sub and steak, chicken or shrimp quesadillas
- Naughty but Nice Kettle Corn, a local snack shop offering small-batch kettle corn in a variety of flavors.
- Redmont Vodka, a local distiller specializing in premium small-batch spirits.
The best part? More than 350 people attended this year’s Woodlawn Sunday Dinner, raising money for some of Woodlawn United’s most successful programs, including:
- The Homeowner Rehabilitation Program
- (WE) Lead Fellowship Program
Did you attend this year’s Woodlawn Sunday Dinner? Didn’t make it but still want to support the mission of Woodlawn United? Click here to donate and tag @woodlawnunited on Instagram to let them know!
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