I'm just an undergrad, so I can't speak for the graduate experience. But here are my two cents, just in case anyone comes by this thread looking for some info...
Tuscaloosa is very much a small, southern town. Though the town is much larger than the campus itself, it is your stereotypical "college town." The campus explodes on game days. If you're a football fan, there's PLENTY of that to go around, and if you're not, it's entirely possible to avoid it altogether (I have!) There is not much to do in town if you're not a sports fan/drinker, but on occasion, the university's different departments host plays, concerts, art exhibits, etc. Birmingham is around an hour away, and a likely destination for more 'culture' (concerts, etc).
The campus is constantly undergoing construction, which is both good and bad--recently, they have constructed BEAUTIFUL new facilities for Chemistry, Biology and some Computer Engineering. They are in the process of building two new Engineering buildings that will complete a "science quad" within 1-2 minutes' walk of the student center. I have been in both the Chemistry and Biology/Computer buildings, and the facilities there are fantastic--clean, new, plenty of space. The campus is gorgeous and often well-kept; if you're looking for green grass and blue skies, this is your place.
As for the people, this is a rather diverse town--for the area. The grad programs attract a lot of international students as well as students from the region. It is overwhelmingly Christian and conservative here, and southern accents abound. If you aren't Christian, you probably won't encounter any problems from anyone. If you aren't conservative, there are some liberal-minded people around here for you to interact with, just not enough to make much of a difference politically. And you'll just have to get used to the accents.
If you want a fast-paced environment full of people and excitement... this is not the place for you. At all. But if you want a friendly and slow-paced, somewhat secluded grad experience, with fairly cheap housing and some beautiful new facilities, you should check it out! Let me know if you have any questions.