Hey CCers, sorry if this is already a thread, but I’m wondering what Tuscaloosa is like?
I come from a smallish town in the Midwest, and have never been to Alabama. I have heard that the campus is beautiful, but I want to know more.
What is the vibe of the school and the town in general? Is there a lot to do (besides the awesome sports games I plan to attend if I end up there)?
What are the people like? Is it a big town or small town?
All comments appreciated! One thing I have noticed from other threads is how nice people on the UA forum seem to be
When you say you come from a small town, what size do you mean? Let us know, so we can give you some accurate comparisons.
Tuscaloosa is not small but it would seem small to someone from NYC or LA.
Okay that’s doable haha…What’s the vibe like? @mom2collegekids
Is it artsy, sporty, stereotypical “southern town”, ect?
In general, are people there friendly? Is there a lot to do there?
Thanks guys!
Coming from NY, I would say Tuscaloosa is disturbingly friendly. You go looking for a fight and get a smile instead.
It is not a stereotypical southern town. It’s more like a college town surrounded by suburbia. The campus (stunning, as you have heard) is surrounded by small shops and restaurants, in turn surrounded by shopping malls and housing.
Some of the things to do are somewhat connected to the university. Of course there are the competitive NCAA sports, but also MANY intramural and club offering for regular students who like to participate.
the two university fitness centers are well-attended.
The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater features name entertainment. The places along The Strip feature local talents.
The RiverWalk is a popular place to job, walk, bike, etc.
There are a variety of outside activities. What do you like to do?
@Chardo thanks for your response! Are you a student there?
I know that Greek life is big at UA, does anyone know, do you feel left out of you’re not part of Greek life? I haven’t decided if I want to rush or not, but I don’t want to feel left out if I don’t.
Greek life seems huge because the houses are so visible, but in reality, only about 1/3 of the students are Greek. That means 2/3 are NOT Greek. This becomes less and less of a “thing” once you’re an upperclassman. Greeks and non-Greeks are fairly friendly. The Greek parties are usually by invitation only - not because they don’t want non-Greeks, but because their insurance companies require the parties to be done like that. You have to be “on the list” to be admitted. If you have Greek friends who’ve invited you, you’ll be admitted.
But there are plenty of parties among non-Greeks, too. Sometimes, parties just happen.
Well, as M2CK mentioned, Tuscaloosa is upwards of 100,000 in population, so it will certainly be larger than the town where you live, however on campus, the population will rival your hometown.
I find Tuscaloosa to be a really nice city with a mix of southern style eateries, local restaurants, and newer commercial restaurants. The stores in the area range from the larger department style stores to local “mom & pop” style stores.There are coffee shops, bakeries, pizza joints, Chinese, Thai and sushi restaurants within the local area. Quite a few are within walking distance of the university. There is a busy “Strip” where many students like to eat, which is right off campus. Also,there is the downtown area which is a bit further but within walking distance. Many students frequent the restaurants there. I am purposely neglecting the bars because of your age and because I am unfamiliar with them anyway.
As a freshman living on campus, I would say that the majority of your activities will be centered right around campus. If you need to go off campus, there is a Crimson bus route that runs on the weekend to take you to the shopping centers which include Walmart and Target.
“Tuscaloosa” is essentially two cities- Tuscaloosa and Northport. Northport is much more of a residential/suburban area and not really as focused on UA. Tuscaloosa itself is a mixed bag. The campus is beautiful, and the area around it has a lot to offer shopping/activity wise. The downtown in not far away is undergoing rapid development, lots of new restaurants/shops/housing etc just arriving.
The single most defining feature of actual Tuscaloosa is McFarland Blvd. There’s a saying: “Going to the University of Alabama is 4 years of learning how to avoid McFarland Blvd”. If you’re unfamiliar with the city, chances are you’ll end up on it. Due to the idiotic arrangement of stoplights and volume of traffic- it gets congested easily.
Tuscaloosa is a college town with a college town vibe. Personally I wouldn’t call it a mid to large sized city. There’s one shopping mall and it’s on the smallish size (there’s additional shopping at some additional shopping areas nearby). There’s one movie theater and it’s not convenient to campus.
The town is not too large to walk from downtown to the strip to campus and pass many small shops and restaurants along the way.
What part of the midwest are you from? We’re from Indiana and Tuscaloosa reminds me A LOT of Bloomington. Bloomington is a little smaller population-wise, but they have very similar ‘vibes’.
As for activities like any college town there is always something going on. If you go to UA’s website you can view a calendar of events to see the variety of events going on. What types of activities you choose to participate in is really just dictated by your interests.
For honor’s students there is a course offered to freshman, I believe it’s called ‘The Arts of Tuscaloosa’ where students are required to attend several different events, which could give you a sampling of what the area has to offer.
There definitely is more than one shopping mall. However, If you mean an indoor mall such as in the Northeast with several levels, an indoor parking garage and hundreds of stores, you’re right, you won’t find that in Tuscaloosa. But if you are meaning stores grouped together within a common open area, then there are several of these “strip malls”, which is what we call them in the Northeast. Some of these may only feature a groupng of several stores and restaurants, but rest assured, there is plenty of shopping. Some malls, like the Midtown Mall, are fairly large outdoor malls. The Midtown Mall is very nice and even features a Barnes & Noble bookstore.
There will be plenty of entertainment type activities right on campus; art exhibits, museum exhibits, musical performances, theatre performances, sporting events including football and tailgating, not to mention other events like lectures, open mic nights, and over 500 clubs to join. I don’t think you will be bored or find the time to do it all.
Closed shopping malls have become passe, so companies are favoring the new outdoor multi-use theme.
Tusaloosa has one closed shopping mall with anchor stores: Belk (similar to Macy’s), JC Penney, & Sears, but has two outdoor multi-use open-air shopping areas ~
The more popular places to shop are:
Midtown Village, which has many stores you’d typically find in a closed mall, plus Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and many restaurants.
…and the brand new Legacy Park. Legacy Park opened before Christmas, and is not fully yet occupied, but it has Bed, Bath and Beyond, Dicks Sporting Goods, PetSmart, Cost Plus World Market, DSW Shoes, Fresh Foods, several restaurants, and many small shops (some are still opening)
Yes, coming from Philadelphia, I think “college town” is a better description than mid-sized city. Birmingham is a mid-sized city in my mind. Tuscaloosa is a lot like State College, PA, sans the rolling hills and, obviously, with a much milder climate (which is quite hot and humid in the summer). Very pretty campus, and more of a New South vibe than and Old South one.
@LucieTheLakie you must be use to very metro areas, because B’ham is the largest city in AL with over 1M in the metro area. For AL, Tuscaloosa area is mid-sized - and with all the college students, does have a lot of stuff come in to Tuscaloosa area. Convenient that B’ham is just an hour away via interstate where students sometimes go for a day of retail therapy for the gals, and sometimes go to a club. I know my DD went with a group to a club to hear a group, and had a grand time (mostly due to the group of friends and an evening of fun). I would call UA a college town plus enough there have stuff off from the campus which supports what students like to do (eat, shop).
