Birmingham was founded in 1871 at the crossing of two railroads and was just a small settlement of farming families. Named for the industrial city of the same name in England, Birmingham grew as an industrial center and became a magnet for iron and steel production. The Magic City nickname came about because of the quick growth in the beginning. Some said it happened like magic and the nickname stuck. Though the city experienced hard times during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, it rapidly came back during and after World War II. To avoid the dependence on one industry after the depression, Birmingham began to diversify. Shifts have been made to the manufacturing and service industries, aerospace industry and more recently to the financial, medical and automotive industries.

Because of the history of the “magic” of Birmingham, when deciding on a name for our company, we easily decided on Magic Express Airlines, Inc.  The magic obviously coming from this historic city of Birmingham and the express to signify how we get the job done fast to airlines, which showed our confidence in the success of our company.  To learn more about Birmingham, read on.

The quality of life in the greater Birmingham area is unprecedented and often comes as a surprise to those that choose to “transplant” to the area.  It has been named one of the most affordable places to live in the country.  The southern hospitality and charm has been maintained by the people who live here and adopted by those who have moved here.  Birmingham is rich in culture and fun activities to keep people from all backgrounds entertained.

• The Alabama Symphony offers patrons a variety of music styles and performers.
• The Birmingham Broadway Series, in its 16 season, offers the latest in Broadway traveling shows to the city.
• McWane Science Center is the South’s premier science center, aquarium and IMAX Dome Theater.
• Two golf courses designed by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones are on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
• The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is where hometown heroes memories are kept alive.
• The historic Birmingham Barons Baseball team traces back to 1885.
• The Barber Motor Sports Park and Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum includes the world's largest collection of vintage and modern day motorcycles (1000+).
• The Birmingham Museum of Art is the southeast’s largest museum of art.
• The Birmingham Zoo is the state’s most popular non-profit attraction.
• The Alabama Adventure Water and Theme Park Birmingham offers something for everyone.

Other historic areas of Birmingham have been transformation over the last two decades with historic buildings being remodeled for dual business and residential purposes.  From downtown the Lakeview district, home of Pepper Place Complex housed in the old  Dr. Pepper Syrup Plant and the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company building is considered to be the design, furniture and arts related merchandise center of Birmingham.  Vulcan Park is home to the world’s largest cast iron statue and features a 360 degree view of the greater Birmingham area. From Vulcan you can overlook the sprawling campus of the University of Alabama, home to the UAB School of Medicine and nationally ranked research institute, covering 80 city blocks.

Photo courtesy of Larry O. Gay