Hot-air balloons provide different view from above Railroad Park
Hot-air balloons over Railroad Park reveal growth, promise of downtown Birmingham amenity. (Nik Layman/Alabama NewsCenter)
Above: Hot-air balloons over Railroad Park reveal growth, promise of downtown Birmingham amenity. (Nik Layman/Alabama NewsCenter)
Hot-air balloons over Railroad Park from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
The view of Birmingham from Railroad Park has already become nearly as popular as the vantage point from Red Mountain. But what about the view from above Railroad Park?
Media and donors to Railroad Park’s capital campaign got to experience that via hot-air balloons, thanks to sponsor Protective Life Corporation. The park has raised $4.4 million on its way to a goal of $5 million that will provide new programs. Among them:
- Family Camp-out Night would allow parents and their children to pitch a tent and make memories on Birmingham’s front lawn, bringing overnight visitors to the park for the first time.
- A ticketed concert series would realize one of the early visions of Railroad Park as a preferred spot for big-name artists.
- An ice-skating rink is slated for the winter of 2016-2017 in the middle of Railroad Park. Rental skates and a fully-staffed attraction will enhance comparisons between Railroad Park and New York’s Central Park.
- Ticketed group dancing events would allow instructors to give lessons on proper posture and moves in salsa, waltz, line dancing and others for all experience levels.
From a hot-air balloon, the downtown growth Railroad Park has helped ignite in just five years is evident. From the existing Regions Field and Negro Southern League Baseball Museum to the construction cranes that are building millions of dollars in apartment projects, there is little doubt that the blocks around Railroad Park have been transformed from vacant warehouses to prime real estate in the Parkside District.
Alabama Power Company is undertaking a major renovation and urban renewal project, complete with its own park project, next to Railroad Park at the Powell Avenue Steam Plant.
Alabama NewsCenter photographer and videographer Nik Layman captured the views from the ground and from the air.
