Situated in Oakland County, the City of Birmingham, Michigan is roughly halfway between Detroit and Pontiac.
Birmingham is a northern suburb of Detroit, bordered by Beverly Hills, Bloomfield Charter Township, Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield Township, and Troy. Detroit is twenty miles to the south-southeast.
The chief route through the city if M-1, commonly known as Woodward Avenue, which passes through the center of the city. Other routes include Adams Road, Coolidge Highway, Covington Road, Maple Road, Quarton Road, Southfield Road, West Big Beaver Road, and 14-Mile Road, which forms the city's southern border.
With a peak population of 26,170 in 1970, today the city is home to just over 20,000 people. However, situated in a large metropolitan area, among several suburbs, Birmingham serves as a center for business, social, and cultural activities. Its downtown district is made up of about three hundred retailers, and the city includes a healthy array of clothing stores, gift stores, antique shops, restaurants, and art galleries, while the city center includes movie theaters and a large park. In all, the city hosts more than twenty parks offering a variety of recreational opportunities that include golf courses, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, soccer fields, playgrounds, and a wooded trail system.
Like most of the continent, the area that was to become Birmingham was originally inhabited by Native Americans. Although the land was ceded to the United States government through the 1807 Treaty of Detroit, settlement by European-Americans was delayed by the War of 1812, and by the fact that the region was swampy.
John W. Hunter is believed to have been the first permanent settler of the region when he came in 1818 with his father, Elisha, and brother, Daniel. Soon after, John Hamilton and Elijah Willets settled nearby. The settlement was known, by different people, as Hunter's, or Hamilton's, or Willets'. Colonel Benjamin Pierce, the brother of future President Franklin Pierce, acquired land in the area in 1819, visiting his land several times, but never settled there. As several people were coming through the area, and the new settlement hosted a stagecoach stop, Hunter, Hamilton, and Willets all operated hotels and taverns from their homes, which were near one another.
After a traveling Methodist preacher prayed that the land might become "a hill of piety," the settlement was sometimes referred to as Piety Hill.
On March 24, 1821, a post office was established there, and named Bloomfield, for the township, with Sidney Dole as postmaster.
In August of 1836, a townsite was platted and recorded by Rosewell T, Merrill, who had built a foundry and thrashing machine factory. Believing that the town had a promising industrial future, he named it for Birmingham, England, and the post office was renamed Birmingham on April 5, 1838. Willets, Hunter, and Hamilton platted their properties as well, anticipating the extension of the Detroit and Pontiac Railroad to the region.
In 1864, the plats were combined and Birmingham was incorporated as a village, becoming a city in 1933.
Today, the names of the city's founders can be found in street names, civic institutions, schools, and businesses.
The focus of this category is on the City of Birmingham, Michigan. Appropriate resources include websites representing the city itself, or any local businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, and events.
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Headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan, the non-profit organization offers a variety of services to people over the age of fifty in Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Beverly Hills, Franklin, and the surrounding region, offering educational programming for seniors, art classes, fitness programs, and travel plans, as well as services intended to help older adults to live independently and age in place. Its services are highlighted, and a calendar of events is posted to the site.
https://birminghamnext.org/
Situated between Detroit and Pontiac, Birmingham is a suburb of Detroit. The official municipal website posts office hours and contacts, social media connections, and a citizen request form. Other resources include the city code and ordinances, bid opportunities, mapping and GIS, public notices, council agendas and minutes, and permit and license applications, as well as a guide to municipal services, programs, or policies for residents and businesses.
https://www.bhamgov.org/
GRN works to develop partnerships with clients and candidates, boasting an almost eighty percent repeat business with clients. Its services and procedures for those who are looking for employment, as well as those for businesses looking to hire someone, are spelled out, and an overview of the industries in which it routinely places candidates is included. A form is included for candidates to submit resumes and contact information, and its office location and phone number are included.
https://grnbirminghammi.com/
Maintained by the Birmingham Shopping District, charged with providing leadership in the marketing, advertising, and promotion of the shopping district of Birmingham, Michigan, the site presents an introduction to the BSD, including meeting schedules and agendas, boards and committees, and an assessment map, as well as a directory of Birmingham businesses, a guide to opening a business in the city, business news, and an overview of its employee discount program.
https://www.allinbirmingham.com/
Located in downtown Birmingham, Michigan, about twenty miles from downtown Detroit, the hotel features Rugby Grille, an upscale contemporary restaurant, as well as the Townsend Bakery, banquet catering, and wedding services. Opened in 1988, the hotel features a hundred and fifty guest accommodations that include nine penthouses and specialty suites. The accommodations are highlighted and shown in pictures, special offers are posted, and rooms may be booked online.
https://www.townsendhotel.com/
