Featured Market: Alabama

This featured market includes Auburn, Birmingham, Mobile and Tuscaloosa.

Auburn has some of the best public schools in the state. It's just minutes away from Lake Martin, and is also home to a museum, a theatre and several state and local parks. Sports enthusiasts are drawn to athletics at Auburn University.

Birmingham is the cultural and entertainment capital of Alabama with its ballet, opera, symphony orchestra and numerous art galleries. It's also home to a minor league baseball team, a Senior PGA golf tournament and is less than an hour from the Talladega Superspeedway for NASCAR fans.

Mobile is one of the top five most "polite" cities in the nation. Some of the world's most beautiful beaches are just a short drive away, and you'll find a wide variety of museums and golf courses city-wide.

Tuscaloosa is home to the University of Alabama, which is best known for winning 12 national football championships. Tuscaloosa has symphonies, orchestras, museums and other fine arts entertainment. It is also home to three major manufacturing plants for JVC, Michelin and Mercedes

Fast Facts:

• Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras, dating back to 1703
• Alabama workers were the first to build a rocket that put people on the moon
• In 1902, Dr. Luther Leonidas Hill performed the first open heart surgery in the Western Hemisphere in Montgomery