This is an opinion column

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Today’s guest columnist is Jimmy Krell.

Some folks may have thought we were nuts, but my wife and I moved to downtown Birmingham and we couldn’t be happier.

Not only that, but my partners and I moved our dermatology practice to downtown.

This has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

We feel safe and walk everywhere—day and night.

Previously located on Birmingham’s Southside near Vulcan since its opening at that location in 1977, our practice, Total Dermatology, recently became the first medical practice (there are several dental) to move into downtown Birmingham in over 50 years. In the 1970′s, several doctors and dentists practiced in the Woodward Building.

About five years ago, my partners and I recognized we needed to move buildings. We set out on a search, knowing that we wanted to stay within the Birmingham city limits. We found several possible buildings that satisfied our list of requirements. For one reason or another, however, none of the options worked.

In early 2020, our commercial realtor, Southpace properties, found several available vacancies in the Woodward Building on 1st Ave North and 20th Street (known as the “heaviest corner on earth”). After much discussion and questioning of whether patients would be willing to come downtown, we decided to sign the lease and open our first venture into the spa business: Total on 1st.

During the time we were looking to move offices, my wife Sheri and I decided to move out of our longtime Forest Park home, where we had lovingly raised our three sons upon returning to Birmingham in 1993.

We found a space downtown in the historic New Ideal Building, a once vibrant women’s department store that had sat vacant since 1990 after nearly nine decades of operation. Interestingly, a workman who was involved in renovating our loft shared with Sheri that his wife bought her wedding dress in this very building.

After nearly two years of negotiations and renovations, Total Dermatology concluded its transition from Ash Place to the Woodward Building on January 22, 2024. This move marked a significant milestone, occurring 123 years after construction first began on the Woodward Building.

This location once claimed the title of Birmingham’s tallest skyscraper, a distinction soon surpassed by the Empire building (now the Elyton Hotel) in height and the Brown Marx building (will be a Marriott hotel) in size. Notably, the Woodward Building holds the distinction of being Birmingham’s first steel-framed structure.

We hope that our practice move to downtown might motivate other doctors to move their practices to downtown. Birmingham has so much potential growth and having more professionals downtown will only contribute positively to that growth.

So here I am now – in downtown Birmingham – both living and working. It’s awesome. There is truly a renaissance going on here. Just about everything we need is within walking distance. I walk to Pilates twice weekly (shout out to Emily Dixon at Studio E Fitness), walk to get my weekend coffee and sweets (Bandit, June, Last Call Bakery, and East Pole to name a few favorites), and walk to pick up groceries and the NY Times at Publix.

When in the mood for a quick 2-mile stroll, Railroad Park is our top choice. When feeling adventurous, we take longer walks down the Rotary Trail all the way to Avondale.

We also love exploring the amazingly urban City Walk under I-59 which includes something for everyone, including a world-class skateboard park, a roller rink, pickleball courts, a dog park, and of course, a refreshment stand where you can grab some adult beverages!

There is no limit on entertainment venues. We head to the Lyric, the recently updated Carver, and the Alabama Theater for music and movies, and we can practically roll out of bed to Sidewalk Cinema next door for independent and feature films. We are members of the McWane Science Center and are always excited to watch documentaries in their iMax Dome.

For live performances, we frequently see shows at Red Mountain’s beautiful new location, the BJCC, and ASFA’s Dorothy Day Jemison theater. We are also looking forward to the re-opening of the Terrific New Theatre in their new home on 5th Avenue North.

Love sports? Downtown Birmingham is the center for both professional and collegiate events. In the summer, we support the Barons at Regions Field, and in the winter/spring, we shift our attention to the Stallions and UAB Football at Protective Stadium. For our basketball needs, we walk over to Legacy Arena to cheer on the Squadron and to Bartow Arena for the Blazers.

We have some of the best restaurants within a few blocks including three recently nominated for James Beard culinary awards (Pizza Grace, Helen, and Last Call Bakery). We don’t eat out nearly as much as I thought we would when moving downtown, but we do occasionally run over to the Pizitz Food Hall for Ono Poke or Pho Pho.

Fortunately, I have never felt unsafe in downtown Birmingham and am appreciative of the CAPS force that patrols the streets by car and on foot.

And one more thing that very few people can say in Alabama: I walk to work every day!

And the question I have been asking my patients: When was the last time you came downtown?

Jimmy Krell is a dermatologist with Total Dermatology. He grew up in Pittsburgh and has always lived in cities after leaving Pittsburgh: Philadelphia, Boston, and Atlanta. He now lives and works in downtown Birmingham.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. [email protected].