h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So fast was Birmingham's growth that it earned the nickname "Magic City", jumping up seemingly overnight. At one point in time, the corner of 1st Ave. N and 20th Street was the heaviest corner on earth, with some of the tallest buildings in the nation errected on that corner.

Of course, Birmingham did have the distinction of being new and rich. New York, for instance, was rich, but not new. Before, the rich folks up there could build to the sky, taking advantage of elevators, and a 20-story walk up a staircase is not fun, they had to demolish a few of the older buildings. And, why demolish a building if it was usable and profitable.

But, Birmingham had nothing but grass to hinder the growth of new buildings. The technology was right. And, with the great amount of coal and iron, the money was flowing. So, for a while, the money went into tall buildings and Birmingham had the biggest buildings in the nation.