Huntsville ALABAMA

[Sizzle]

We''re looking to possibly relocate to Huntsville Alabama. Can anyone tell me about the area? I am hoping to transfer my Federal Government Job.

 

[pennquaker09]

The Huntsville area has been steadily growing for a number of years now. That is especially true of the Madison area. Probably the biggest issue that people have in Huntsville is traffic, but there really aren''t any negatives to living there. There is decent shopping, not anything spectacular. Housing is extremely affordable. Like 4 bedrooms and 3 baths might cost you 250K. If you''re spending more you''ll practically get the world.

Do you have any specific questions?

 

[NewShiny]

Sizzle,
I''m coming out of lurkdom just to respond to your reply. I moved to Huntsville (Madison, actually) about 2 years ago from the SF Bay area. The Bay Area was just too expensive and the cost of living here combined with the great job market made us want to try it. I''m assuming you are thinking of making a BRAC-related transfer from the DC Area. I can tell you it is quite an adjustment moving into the "bible belt", and it has taken me 2 years to finally start feeling at home here. But, the area is growing and changing every day, and I am starting to like it here. If you look hard enough, there are just enough great local restaurants, and the shopping has improved greatly with the opening of the new Bridge Street Town Center. Also, there are a lot of great people here. Not everyone fits the "fill in your Alabama joke stereotype", and you will find a lot of people from not only across the country, but from all over the world due to the diverse job market. Another bonus of living in this area as that DH and I have also started exploring other areas around the South that I never would have considered visiting before (Nashville, Savannah, Lexington, Atlanta etc.). If you have specific questions, please let me know. If you haven''t yet, come for a visit and I''ll take you on a tour! Oh year - Penn is right about the housing and prices. My friends back in CA can''t believe that we have a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house on 1 acre while they''re still renting tiny apartments.

 

[meresal]

Date: 6/18/2008 10:29:59 AM
Author: NewShiny
Sizzle,
I''m coming out of lurkdom just to respond to your reply. I moved to Huntsville (Madison, actually) about 2 years ago from the SF Bay area. The Bay Area was just too expensive and the cost of living here combined with the great job market made us want to try it. I''m assuming you are thinking of making a BRAC-related transfer from the DC Area. I can tell you it is quite an adjustment moving into the ''bible belt'', and it has taken me 2 years to finally start feeling at home here. But, the area is growing and changing every day, and I am starting to like it here. If you look hard enough, there are just enough great local restaurants, and the shopping has improved greatly with the opening of the new Bridge Street Town Center. Also, there are a lot of great people here. Not everyone fits the ''fill in your Alabama joke stereotype'', and you will find a lot of people from not only across the country, but from all over the world due to the diverse job market. Another bonus of living in this area as that DH and I have also started exploring other areas around the South that I never would have considered visiting before (Nashville, Savannah, Lexington, Atlanta etc.). If you have specific questions, please let me know. If you haven''t yet, come for a visit and I''ll take you on a tour! Oh year - Penn is right about the housing and prices. My friends back in CA can''t believe that we have a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house on 1 acre while they''re still renting tiny apartments.

I used to work for a city department, and you my friend REALLY need to look into working for the Economic Development Dept!!! I moved to Houston a year ago, but you just made Huntsville, AL sound like heaven on earth.

 

[NewShiny]

Mersal,
Thanks for the compliment! I wouldn''t go THAT far - believe me, its taken TWO years for me to get comfortable enough to tell others that this is a good place and actually mean it. Now that I''ve gotten to that point, I want others to know too

!

 

[Sizzle]

Thanks everyone for the replies. My husbands job was actually transferred, so I am trying to find something available for me. We did go visit two weeks ago (it''s a 12 hour drive from IL where I live). Everything seeme beautiful. I have just NEVER lived outside of Illinois (But I do vist other locations). Can anyone tell me about the High Schools? My daughter is a very popular cheerleader I''m worried about a transition. She actually loved the area when we visited and is very adaptable. I promised we wouldn''t leave before football season is over, so I''m not looking to move until Maybe January. Unfortunately, my husband will be leaving sooner...

 

[Stephanie]

Well, I can''t tell you about the high schools now, but my mom''s side of the family is from Huntsville and my grandparents still live there. It''s a beautiful city that is growing rapidly. Everytime we visit, there''s something new. But traffic is odd. There always seems to be road construction going on and it has been for the past ten years. I can''t really say what it would be like to an outsider though since I live all of two hours from Huntsville. But I wouldn''t think that there would be an abnormal transitional problems for you or your children with moving there.

 

[purrfectpear]

Huntsville has a lot of transferees, but it''s still the South. Expect your daughter to be thought of as a Yankee as far as the homegrown folks are concerned. They''ll be sweet and gracious as all heck, but she''ll still be viewed as an outsider more or less

I travel to Huntsville and Macon fairly often. I could never live in that heat and humidity, even if they gave houses away.

 

[NewShiny]

Sizzle,
As I''m sure you probrably know, about 4,000 federal gov''t jobs are coming here to Huntsville, so you shouldn''t have a problem finding a new one (depending on your job series). I don''t have kids yet, but I do know that the "best" high schools are Grissom in Huntsville and Bob Jones in Madison. I think both were ranked among the top 10 in Alabama recently but I can''t remember what publication did the study. Anway, I''m partial to Bob Jones because I live in Madison and because to me, I think Madison is the more popular choice for newcomers. It is overcrowded from what I hear, but it still has a good reputation. Grissom is located in "old school" Huntsville. It is a great neighborhood, but it is filled with people that are "from" Huntsville, and I just don''t see myself as being as welcome there since I''m not from the South. That''s not to say they aren''t nice and welcoming. Its just my perception as a newcomer. Housing prices are similar in both areas, though they are on the opposite parts of town. There is a lot more new construction in the Madison area, though in the Grissom area you can find a lot of nice older houses that have been remodeled.

 

[pennquaker09]

Test score wise, Grissom is the best school in the Huntsville area. They always seem to have a lot of National Merit Finalists and what not. But I don't think picking a school based on test scores is advisable. Huntsville High is also pretty good. And then Columbia is pretty good considering it's a fairly new school. I actually think it's an IB school, and that's a pretty big deal. But those are the three high schools of choice in the Huntsville City system. Other than those three, Sparkman and Bob Jones, in that order. The only thing is that the Madison schools are overcrowded.

It's basically going to come down to where you live. I have a friend that lives in Hampton Cove, but I don't know if you'd like it. She says everyone is kind of snobby.

Ohh, I forgot about Hazel Green, I think it's part of the Madison County system.

 

[Sizzle]

I am also concerend about moving to the South from Illinois because we are of color. I have never been down South for an extended period of time and am very aprehensive. We''d be looking for a middle class neighborhood. Definately not the UPSCALE we''re Government employees

 

[onedrop]

Sizzle:

Imagine my surprise when I saw Hunstville, AL pop up in a thread! Hub and I are going there next weekend for a family reunion, so I can perhaps give my opinion when I return? I have several family members there both young and older and they seem content. One in particular relocated there after Hurricane Katrina and she loves it. By the way she is a former NYer as well. I haven''t been there in my adult life but I have heard the place has really grown and progressed over time. I do think there will be lifestyle and cultural differences from say the North and Midwest, but I think with the influx of people from other parts of the States and other parts of the world things might be different today.

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 6/21/2008 3:12:57 PM
Author: Sizzle
I am also concerned about moving to the South from Illinois because we are of color. I have never been down South for an extended period of time and am very apprehensive. We''d be looking for a middle class neighborhood. Definitely not the UPSCALE we''re Government employees

You really don''t have to be apprehensive. What''s your housing budget like? There are middle class families of color in the area. A lot of them in fact. Huntsville is like the most educated city in the state of AL.

 

[Sizzle]

Date: 6/21/2008 10:27:12 PM
Author: pennquaker09

Date: 6/21/2008 3:12:57 PM
Author: Sizzle
I am also concerned about moving to the South from Illinois because we are of color. I have never been down South for an extended period of time and am very apprehensive. We''d be looking for a middle class neighborhood. Definitely not the UPSCALE we''re Government employees

You really don''t have to be apprehensive. What''s your housing budget like? There are middle class families of color in the area. A lot of them in fact. Huntsville is like the most educated city in the state of AL.

I did read that in my online search. I have a diverse employment/education background. There seem to be alot of opportunities in the Federal Government down there, so I am hoping they can find someone at my current grade or higher.

After seeing what we can be in different budgets, I think we''d like to stay in the 250K range. We''d be able to do alot of traveling and still have a decent house!

 

[onedrop]

Sizzle: I forgot to mention that my family members in Huntsville are of color as well. My uncle and aunt were both professors at one of the universities there, one of my cousins is a successful business owner and the others are also doing well in their own right. So all that said, I''d say you shouldn''t have to worry with any major issues.

 

[Sizzle]

So I''m here in Huntsville through the 5th. Any restaurant suggestions?

 

[NewShiny]

Sizzle,
Just saw your note - I''m about to leave work for yoga, so here''s a quick reply -

Our favorite restaurant is Phuket (Thai) in the Village or Providence. In fact, DH and I will be there for dinner tonight . . . the food and service are great, and its our "own" neighborhood restaurant. There are 2 other restaurants in the Village of Providence (Grill29 and Tony''s Little Italy) that I would also recommend. Other good places are Pauli''s Downtown for Steak (nice but pricey), 801 Franklin downtown (also nice but pricey), and Dolce and Ketchup at the new Bridge Street Town Center. The later two are also in Los Angeles, but if you haven''t been there I would give them a try. Skip PF Chang''s (chain, you can go there anywhere , Connor''s (overrated), and Cantina Laredo (there''s just no decent Mexican that I''ve found in the South). If you''re into wine try Stem & Stein on County Line Road in Madison, and if you''re in South Huntsville try Luciano''s on Airport Rd.

I would not worry about diversity issues, especially in subdivisions that have houses in the $250K and up range. However, I would recommend that you stay in the cities in Huntsville or Madison as far as housing goes. The previous poster was right - you & your kids will be considered "yankees", but I have decided to embrace being different (no Auburn or Alabama flags at our house. . . .), and over time you will develop a network of friends who enjoy knowing people from different places. Almost all of the friends I''ve made are not from Alabama. I''ve found the Alabama people have their networks and extended family in place already, and they just don''t have time for new people. That''s okay though - I''ve found my own people!

Enjoy your stay and let me know what you think! I''m off to California to see my family for the holiday weekend . . . I hope you''ll post your impressions when you get back to IL.

Oops, that wasn''t so quick . . . gotta get to the gym . . . .

Cheers,
NS

 

[Sizzle]

Date: 7/2/2008 5:45:58 PM
Author: NewShiny
Sizzle,
Just saw your note - I''m about to leave work for yoga, so here''s a quick reply -

Our favorite restaurant is Phuket (Thai) in the Village or Providence. In fact, DH and I will be there for dinner tonight . . . the food and service are great, and its our ''own'' neighborhood restaurant. There are 2 other restaurants in the Village of Providence (Grill29 and Tony''s Little Italy) that I would also recommend. Other good places are Pauli''s Downtown for Steak (nice but pricey), 801 Franklin downtown (also nice but pricey), and Dolce and Ketchup at the new Bridge Street Town Center. The later two are also in Los Angeles, but if you haven''t been there I would give them a try. Skip PF Chang''s (chain, you can go there anywhere , Connor''s (overrated), and Cantina Laredo (there''s just no decent Mexican that I''ve found in the South). If you''re into wine try Stem & Stein on County Line Road in Madison, and if you''re in South Huntsville try Luciano''s on Airport Rd.

I would not worry about diversity issues, especially in subdivisions that have houses in the $250K and up range. However, I would recommend that you stay in the cities in Huntsville or Madison as far as housing goes. The previous poster was right - you & your kids will be considered ''yankees'', but I have decided to embrace being different (no Auburn or Alabama flags at our house. . . .), and over time you will develop a network of friends who enjoy knowing people from different places. Almost all of the friends I''ve made are not from Alabama. I''ve found the Alabama people have their networks and extended family in place already, and they just don''t have time for new people. That''s okay though - I''ve found my own people!

Enjoy your stay and let me know what you think! I''m off to California to see my family for the holiday weekend . . . I hope you''ll post your impressions when you get back to IL.

Oops, that wasn''t so quick . . . gotta get to the gym . . . .

Cheers,
NS

So funny, we saw Phuket and laughed about possible pronunciations! Definately going to check out Kethup, since we know where that''s at. i was able to sniff out a mall w/out the help of GPS.. sad right!!! I am a little worried about my daughter fitting in. She''s very popular where we live now, but at over 6ft tall draws lots of attention.