Maybe you have heard of my city because you were once insatiably curious about space and its exploration and found yourself enrolled in our space camp at the U.S Space and Rocket Center. Maybe you have heard of my city because you subscribe to the numerous publications that have named us amongst the smartest cities in the world and the best places to raise your kids. Maybe you are like me, and you are lucky enough to call Huntsville, Alabama your home. More likely than not, though, you fit into the unfortunate majority that has never heard of us.
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Now Huntsville is not Paris, New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville, or even Birmingham. The people here have too much pride to try and convince you otherwise, and that is because Huntsville is really in a class of its own. We are southern and love our fried food, football, and tradition; but we embrace the extraordinary diversity that our thriving technological industries have brought us. We are a city of geeks that is home to an absolute plethora of successful contracting, defense, research, and technology companies centered around the Redstone Arsenal and its conglomerates, but we also have a thriving arts scene nurtured by our devoted community. It is a special community that holds a great deal of surprises for its small size.
So why should you come to Huntsville, Alabama? Well, you have to be a part of it all, of course. Take a day and visit the Space and Rocket Center. Better yet, take a week and sign up for Space Camp or Aviation Challenge. Walk around downtown Huntsville and tour the historic Twickenham district- it includes the most antebellum homes in all of Alabama. Hike on our mountains, and float down our rivers because there are plenty to choose from. Huntsville has plenty of unique independent shops and restaurants to keep you busy. Make sure you go to my personal favorite place in the city, Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center. It is the largest arts center of its kind in the entire region. It features over one-hundred art studios, restaurants, and independent businesses, in addition to serving as a venue for the city’s most unique art performances.
It has been seventeen years and there are still more nooks and crannies of this city to be explored, but I challenge those that have never considered Huntsville, Alabama as a destination to come and experience it for yourself.
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