By Cissy JacksonPhotos by Jordan WaldMountain Book Flower Shop has been around for 77 years. Shop owner Monte Haynes gives us the history of this venerable institution.OTMJ: Tell me about the shop’s origins.Monty Haynes: An architect named D.O. Whilldin came to Birmingham from up north in the early 1900s. He designed hundreds of projects in Alabama, … [Read more...]
Cahaba Heights Gateway Project Nears Completion of First Phase
By Loyd McIntoshWith the initial phase of the Cahaba Heights Gateway project nearly complete, Katherine McRee’s nearly decade-long vision for her beloved Vestavia Hills community is coming into focus.Cahaba Heights’ entry point from U.S. 280 along Pump House Road is the first part of the project and includes landscaping enhancements, walkability and safety … [Read more...]
Birmingham-Southern Holiday Service Lives On
When a college closes—and at least 84 public and private colleges across the United States have either closed or merged since March 2020, with more expected to come—the focus tends to land on lasts. At Birmingham-Southern College, which closed in May 2024 after 168 years, that meant focusing on the last graduation; the last chime of the campus bell signaling the … [Read more...]
Big Changes ‘In Store’ for Bromberg’s: OTM icon begins major redo this summer.
By June Mathews Photo by Jordan WaldChristmas came early to Mountain Brook Village in November 1959 when Bromberg’s celebrated the opening of its second Birmingham location.Situated on a high-visibility corner lot near the village’s busy five-way intersection, the store’s sparkling white tile and glass façade embodied the understated elegance for which … [Read more...]
Super Boo: The face of Picasso Pets is a different breed of superhero.
By Nausicaa ChuSuper Boo might not look like your typical superhero. He prefers getting pets to defeating enemies. He is more fluffy than frightening. And he likes to finish off chicken tenders rather than criminals.But the 185-pound Newfoundland dog has more in common with superheroes than one might assume. After all, who else could receive a hero’s welcome at … [Read more...]