Summer in the city

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As the days get longer, there’s more time to pack in all the fun Mountain Brook has to offer. Check out something new this summer while staying close to home.

Learn Japanese, play video games or learn about stage combat

All this and more is on the calendar for summer at O’Neal Library, located at 50 Oak St. For teens, there are Dungeons & Dragons sessions and creating DIY pet toys. For kids, there are storytimes and a foam party. For adults, there are language lessons, off-the-beaten-path movies and open mic nights. To check out the details, visit emmetoneal.libnet.info/events.

Try an art class or book club at the gardens

It’s not just flowers and plants — though if you haven’t been to see those, they’re very much worth the trip. Birmingham Botanical Gardens offers a calendar of events all summer that range from superhero camp to art classes and from storytime to nature activities. They even have a monthly book club for adults called Thyme to Read. To find out more about what’s going on at the gardens, visit bbgardens.org/calendar. BBG, which is located at 2612 Lane Park Road, is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Visit your favorite animals, or go for the royal pancakes

Every day, about 550 animals of 180 species are ready to host you and your kids at the Birmingham Zoo for a day of fun. You can buy a ticket for the day or get an annual membership, and for an extra fee you can ride the train and try out the adventure tower. Check out birminghamzoo.com for more information.

If you’ve got a prince or princess living in your house, you can also bring them to the zoo’s Pancakes and Princesses event, open to all royalty on June 15 in three seatings. Costumes are encouraged, and special animal friends will be present for the fun. For more information or for tickets, visit birminghamzoo.com/event/pancakes-and-princesses-2024-2.

Find a pool to cool down

Across Mountain Brook, there are neighborhood pools and other places to get in the water. The Mountain Brook YMCA and the Mountain Brook Club both require a membership but also provide other amenities. For more information, visit http://ymcabham.org/locations/mountain-brook or mountainbrookclub.org.

Try a new gym

If you’re tired of your same old workout or inspired to get started again, consider trying a new gym — Mountain Brook is full of different kinds of individual and group workouts. Consider interval training at X4 Fitness, spin classes at Ignite Cycle, a variety of movement workouts at Thrive Pilates + Yoga, barre classes at Barre3 or personal training at The Fitness Center, just to name a few.

Do some serious shopping

Mountain Brook Village and Lane Parke are always great places to shop, but especially on Market Day. Visit the village on July 20 for a day of sales, shopping and fun hosted by the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce. Make it a girls day, a family day, a day to get your Christmas shopping done early or simply treat yourself. You’ll be in good company — this tradition has been going strong for 23 years.

Get out on the trails

Thanks to Mountain Brook’s sidewalk and trail system, you can head right out of Davenport’s Pizza Palace, Brick & Tin or any other restaurant in Mountain Brook Village and go for a walk through Jemison Park, a 54-acre linear greenway that offers a slice of nature in the city. It’s a great spot for jogging, hammocking and bird watching, and the city recently completed upgrades such as a newly designed and paved trail that is wider, longer and ADA accessible. When you’re done, top it off with a waffle cone at Mountain Brook Creamery (2715 Cahaba Road).

Another trail to try this summer is Alabama Veterans Memorial Park, the city’s newest park. In addition to a moving memorial, it offers 22 hilly acres to explore on a paved walking trail, along with a dog park. Mayor Stewart Welch calls it a “hidden gem.”

Get a rooftop view and view some art

The Grand Bohemian Hotel (2655 Lane Park Road) is known for its rooftop bar, with a one-of-a-kind view of the city. While you’re there, check out the Grand Bohemian Gallery. It’s not an afterthought added to a hotel — gallery director Michael Berna said the freestanding building is a “fabulous” space with lots of windows and light.

In the past year, he has implemented a more modernist, abstract appeal to the art and design on display. Alabama artists Ted Metz, Scott Vaughn Owen and Timothy Poe are among those whose work has been displayed there.

For more information and to check out the current exhibitions, visit grandbohemiangallery.com.

Swing a club

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or a beginner, you can get out on the course for some sun this summer. Mountain Brook has two golf clubs — The Country Club of Birmingham (3325 Country Club Road) and Mountain Brook Club (19 Beechwood Road). You’ll need a membership for both. For more information, visit ccbham.org and mountainbrookclub.org.

Check out the blueway

Cahaba River Walk (3503 Overton Road) is a great spot to enjoy both land and water. There’s a short paved trail and much longer unpaved trails for hiking or biking. There’s also a pavilion, exercise equipment and a dog park. If you’re into fishing, swimming or rafting, you just need to bring your own equipment. Visit mtnbrook.org/parksrec/page/cahaba-river-walk for more information.

Try your hand at pickleball

If you haven’t picked up a pickleball paddle yet but have been wanting to, now is a great time — Mountain Brook’s supply of courts is constantly growing.

Four pickleball courts and a public restroom are open by Crestline Elementary (3785 W. Jackson Boulevard). Lights at those courts can be turned on with a button near one of the pickleball gates.

The two tennis courts at Overton Park (812 Oak St.) also have pickleball lines painted on them. Because the courts aren’t lit, they’re open from 7 a.m. to sunset.

Before you go for the first time, check out this rules tutorial to get you started: usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/official-rules/rules-summary. The rules may seem complicated, but once you get going, it doesn’t take long to catch on.