Go west, young man
In two days a new chapter starts: your author begins work with the New York design firm Sawyer/Berson. The commute to work will switch from a 15-second walk down Second Avenue North in Birmingham, to a roughly 35-minute walk and subway-ride on the BMT Broadway Line (the N, Q, R) from our apartment in Hell’s Kitchen on Manhattan’s West Side over to the East Side office near Gramercy Park. The morning view from the apartment is shown above, with the Hudson River and New Jersey visible to the right.
We will continue to be involved in downtown Birmingham through planned projects like the Jefferson Loft Building, as well as management of the existing Phoenix Building and 2nd Row; this work will be based out of our new development office at the Frank Nelson Building on 20th Street North. As for this blog, I’m not quite sure what it will become. I may be able to keep writing about Birmingham with the aid of a few trustworthy volunteers who could help from the ground. Regardless, for many years, Birmingham and New York have easily been my two favorite cities in the US, and I look forward to new opportunities to help the former–and enjoy the latter!
Many thanks to all my readers for your support and comments. I sincerely hope that 2013 will bring great things to Birmingham and all of you. Cheers.
Bhamarchitect's Blog 
hope to continue hearing from you… whether on NYC matters or Bham matters… I hope you’ll keep blogging. Robert
Thank you–I want to keep blogging, and your readership is so appreciated. Cheers.
Jeremy, everybody here who knows you and your work has said how much they will miss you, and that certainly includes me. So glad you’re not going away entirely and will continue to visit and write about Birmingham– at least we hope you keep writing, after looking around. Best wishes to you both– just don’t fall out of your apartment window!
LInda
Linda, thank you so much–for this comment, for reading and commenting, and for all you do in historic preservation in Birmingham. The window only opens a code-required 6″ so unless I lose enough weight to slip through, we’ll be safe! We’ll be talking more about Jefferson soon.
Congratulations on your new job. I hope you will be able to continue sharing your architectural insights with us from your new vantage point.
Thank you–and I hope I can as well. I appreciate your support of the blog.
I have never commented before, but I have really enjoyed reading this blog. I have never met you or even seen, but I feel like I am losing a friend. Good Luck and God Bless.
Oh, thank you so much. That means a lot to me! I’m not completely leaving, as we’re still actively working on developing properties in Birmingham. I really appreciate your reading–and this comment.
WoW, what a view. I am excited to hear about the Jefferson Loft project. Do you know of any lofts in the works for downtown Haleyville, AL ?
Haha, not unless you create one–which you probably could! Thanks.
Hi Jeremy,
Good luck to your future! Can you give us am update on the planned development of the Jefferson Home Lofts?
Chuck
Thanks Chuck! No update yet, sorry; we are in the middle of putting it together and hope 2013 will bring some interesting resolution for it and the New Ideal as well. We appreciate your commitment to downtown!
You will certainly be missed. Best of luck with your new chapter! And thank you for all you have done for this community.
Thank you, and please keep up the good work yourself!
Bummer to see that the blog may not stay around in its current form. While not an active commenter, I definitely had it as a bookmark and checked it regularly. Good luck in New York. I hope someone else takes up the cause and starts blogging about important architectual and construction developments in Birmingham.
Thanks for all the good work!
…besides your remarkable contributions to the physical landscape of Birmingham, you have also provided us with a blog which enlightens and instructs and has given us seeds for the imagination of a future. Thanks so much and the best to you in all of your endeavors.
We will miss you not being here ALL the time. Just send some Manhattan karma (the good kind) our way…
I will miss all of you too–but will send some (good) NYC karma down there for sure. Thanks.
Please keep the blog going somehow!
Thanks Greg–I will try my best! I enjoy it, and just have to see how to fit it into my new arrangements.
I wish you good luck and great adventures in your new chapter!! Glad to know you are not severing your ties with Birmingham completely – we need you : ).
Thank you so much! Birmingham is in the blood, so no worries about severing ties!
I don’t know whether to miss you or murder you (over that view). Bonne chance and please keep up the blog…wherever it leads.
We got lucky with the view…Thank you for your kind words.
Jeremy, there is always a flight from NY to B’ham! Actually I think I saw more of you in NY but I hope you’ll stay in touch and continue your great works in both cities and keep us all posted! Best to you.
Thank you! I really appreciate that.
Wish you well in your new position. I do hope you can keep commentary going.
Thank you. It may take me a little while to figure it out, but I’d like to keep it going too. I appreciate all your ideas and comments on this blog.
How wonderful – I’m jealous, spring in New York. Say hello to Zabars and ABC furnishings.
I certainly will! Thanks for reading.
Excellent Jeremy! Let me know if you guys come to New Orleans. Congrats…
Thanks Chris. We will–same if you come to New York!
Proud of you, good sir. Congrats on the new adventure. I still check the blog daily, hoping for an update. It will be a tough habit to break. Looking forward to running into you again in Birmingham. In the meanwhile, enjoy NYC.
Appreciate that, Deon. I hope to continue the blog in some fashion, so don’t toss the URL just yet! Cheers.
Haha. Never that. It will surely remain a shortcut on my browser. Best!
I have loved the blog and thank you for your service to the city. Good luck in NYC!
Thanks so much! We’ll see if we can continue the blog in some fashion, with a New York twist to it…
Jeremy, I’ve kept up with your blog from Dallas & have really enjoyed your urban insights & perspectives…man I’m going to miss ya. I hope someone else “try” filling in for. Be safe up there & enjoy the Queen city!!
Thanks for following from the Big D! U appreciate your kind words, and once things settle, I’d like to see how to continue the blog. Thanks again.
Jeremy – we have never met, but I have observed and admired your work the past 5 years as a proud resident and professional of downtown Birmingham. I am one of many who consider you a valuable thought leader contributing to the progress of our city. I wish you all the best in your new career chapter, but am saddened to lose your leadership. Hopefully, we will win you back one day soon.
Well thank you. I really appreciate that. Believe me, I will be continuing to “think” about Birmingham through our ongoing downtown development projects, and otherwise. And, I will always be alert to new opportunities back in the ‘Ham! Best.
What a bummer. I had been following for about a year now. Best of luck to you.
Phil
Thanks for following. Still trying to figure out how to keep up the blog from NYC–it may still happen. I appreciate your good wishes!
Jeremy – have you contacted Andre Natta, Publisher of The Terminal (www.bhamterminal.com)? He is a graduate of SCAD, former #2 of Main Street Birmingham, and is highly interested in pursuing the highest and best use of Birmingham in general! Email me for more info….if The Terminal doesn’t pick up for you, Fusion would certainly be interested in working with you. (Especially now that HB140 has passed!) Hope you are enjoying NYC!
I’ve known Andre for a good while–he instructed me in the finer points of starting a blog for which I’m grateful! Currently I’m unsure how to keep blogging given my situation, but thanks for thinking of me. And yes, New York is amazing! All the best.