By Sam Prickett It’s been a dark year for independent cinema, but don’t expect this month’s Sidewalk Film Festival to be a dour affair. “I think that we’ve done a good job – certainly the best that we could do – trying to balance the lineup in a year that’s very dark for film,” said Sidewalk Creative Director and Lead Programmer Rachel Morgan. “I think that independent … [Read more...]

By Sam Prickett The Hill luxury apartments in Homewood were always meant to exist as condominiums, but developers say a downturn in the market got in the way. “It was always planned to be a for-sale product, or at least when it was designed and developed,” John Chapman, a portfolio manager for Farris Properties said. “And then the market condition at the time just didn’t … [Read more...]

By Emily Williams The Mountain Brook Shopping Center on Culver Road is home to a new concept in local wine offerings.  An equal parts partnership and friendship between Brandon Loper and Trent Stewart has resulted in an equal parts wine store and wine bar, Golden Age Wines.  The space opened officially July 19, offering low-intervention wines grown sustainably. … [Read more...]

By Emily Williams July is a critical month for Vestavia Hills as the city begins seeing major progress on its $58 million Community Spaces Plan.  “The Community Spaces Plan is moving from the planning stage to the reality stage,” said city manager Jeff Downes. Downes gave an updated presentation of the plan’s progress at a City Council meeting June 24. A major … [Read more...]

By Sam Prickett Many retailers claim to offer a “unique shopping experience,” but Mountain Brook’s new GreenWise Market comes closer than most. The Publix-owned store, which focuses on all-natural and organic products, opened late last month – and it’s one of only a handful of its kind nationwide. The store took over the Lane Parke location formerly occupied by … [Read more...]