Congrats on gradschool.

I had a friend who was going to school there a few years ago. I really liked the area surrounding the campus. Kinda like Gainesville, Athens, or any of those southern types of towns where students are the reason the city is the size that it is. I'd imagine you'd find a handful of kids on track bikes there. Being from NYC, you'll love the winters. And if you're into camping or hiking it's not too far from the mountains in Alabama.

Your best bet is definitely to buy a plane ticket and see all of the downsides that I forgot to mention (big trucks, military base, summer heat, and the redneck accents). If I had to live in Alabama, I'd probably pick tuscaloosa.