Northport, AL

Northport is a Tuscaloosa County city on the Black Warrior River, directly across from downtown Tuscaloosa. It incorporated in 1871 and still has a separate civic feel, even though many residents work or spend time across the river. Northport's best-known cultural event is the Kentuck Festival of the Arts, which gives the city a stronger arts reputation than many similarly sized Alabama suburbs. The setting is straightforward and useful: riverfront geography, older neighborhoods, Tuscaloosa access, local schools, and a downtown that has not disappeared.