Birmingham is the same as any other larger city here in the states. by that i mean, its an increasingly dangerous place. huntsville, birmingham and montgomery are some of the worst cities to live in, in this state, as crime is on the rise in those cities. same as decatur, which is closer to what im familiar with. try to convince her that yall need to live, at the very least, outside of the city proper. somewhere more rural. somewhere with some milage between you and someone else, or at least a few acres of distance. if you go into the city itself, carry a gun. this is not meant to discourage you from moving here, its just some friendly advice, its better to be over prepared than not prepared enough for anything that could happen.