[smartguy]

I'm thinking of moving to Montgomery from California. Will I find a charming southern city or a rat hole?

[doughnut]

You would not be a very smartguy if you do.Rat Hole is correct sir.

[smartguy]

Can anyone offer an articulate reponse to my question about Montgomery?

[nalabama]

smartguy, have you read my post in the thread "Considering move to Montgomery - need info"? I am hesitant to share my thoughts on Montgomery, having never lived there. Others may share the same reluctance, and still others who have already responded to the recent posts about Montgomery may not wish to repost information they have already provided. Try a seach and see if that provides you with the information you desire. If it does not, get back on here and let us know: I will chime in then, as may others.

[mrkool]

Check out the stats on demographics and crime for this city. I don't think you'll find Montgomery to be either "charming" or "heaven."

[BryanF]

Smartguy,

I grew up in Atlanta. I attended college at Auburn which is a 45 minute drive from Montgomery. While in school there 15 years ago, the only occasion that would cause me to go to Montgomery was if a craving for Krispy Kreme donuts hit. Otherwise, there was nothing to do, nothing to see, and no reason to want to visit. It was then a dirty, dull, unimpressive town.

A few years after college, I was transferred to Mobile, AL and spent a couple of years there before being transferred to Minneapolis 8 years ago. I do make it back to Auburn every 3-4 years for a football game, but don't spend any more time in Alabama than I have to.

Here is my summary: I grew up in the south (GA), attended college in the south (AL), worked in the south (GA & AL), and have immediate family and close friends in the south (GA, AL, FL). Now that I am a midwestern resident, I could never, never, never go back to the south. This is not a slam on the southern lifestyle at all. I loved it when I was there. But now that I've experience a different side of things, my perspective has change.

If you do make a move to the southern U.S., then I would agree with a post in another thread that Nashville, Atlanta, and Birmingham are several notches above Montgomery.

[crmac]

I just posted this response for another thread, but thought it might be appropriate here too, since you are looking for information about Montgomery. Overall I found Montgomery to be small and limited in entertainment, backwards (in regards to race relations they are not living in this century), and the zoning needs help (everything is growing on the east side of town).

If you have children, I would NOT recommend a move to Montgomery. My family moved to Montgomery when I was starting high school. The public school system in Montgomery is TERRIBLE. I mean really horrible. We came from the suburbs of St. Louis and had a wonderful public school system there. Most of the teachers in the public high school I attended in Montgomery sent their own children to private schools (Trinity, St. James, and Montgomery Academy).

After I graduated college, I actually moved to Auburn, AL and commuted to Montgomery for several years. Auburn is an excellent city to raise a family. Wonderful small town charm (though it continues to grow as a college town), excellent neighborhoods, and the best public school system I know of in central Alabama.

I do not currently live in Alabama, and would not consider moving back to Montgomery to raise a family. Particularly if you are relocating from a non-southern background. Even in the 90s, I was teased by peers as being a "yankee" until I changed my accent to blend in! Montgomery is more "old south" in mentality than say Birmingham.

If a move to Alabama is very important to you, I'd consider the coast...my in-laws live in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area and love it, or Auburn (for reasons previously mentioned), or Birmingham. I went to college in Birmingham and worked part time for the Shelby County school system...which was excellent.

Best wishes to you as you plan for a move!

[Deelo]

Most people I know who grew up in Montgomery, including myself, moved away from it!
They had to close an entire Mall because of crime! Don't go there!

[LestatsMom]

Hey, I see you want some input on Montgomery. Firstly, to qualify some of my comments let me say that I am a 30 year old female of Irish/Scottish decent. That normally would not make too much of a difference (and it didn't where I grew up in North Alabama) but it does in "The Gump".

I am in middle management for the company Rent-A-Center. We live in Prattville (and you could be at almost any point in Montgomery within 20 min. from... if traffic is good). I have worked at 3 of the stores in Montgomery and would not suggest anyone to move there regardless of race or creed. Having to go to people's houses to repossess furniture and things, I have dealt with more racism here than I can make you understand. I have seen shootings and stabbings. There are enough cockroaches that if they were to start paying taxes we could blot out the National Debt!

I recently got a transfer and am glad to be out of Montgomery. It is really a shame. The city itself seems to be rotting from the middle like an apple. There are a few great parks, but as far as stuff to do... well, it seems to me that a city this big shouldn't shut down at 8pm but it is only safe to do so. The violence there is scary. If you are serious about moving there, remember this: Pistol permits are only about 20 bucks.

Alternately, consider Prattville. Seriously. Esp if you have kids that you care about.

[aca1]

I went to Auburn in Montgomery for a while so I lived there. To be fair the Montgomery was not closed down as of a few months ago, it just only had 5 or so stores open, and yes it was loaded with gangs. The downtown is empty, but they are trying to remodel, there was a school superindent scandal, and all the rich white people are moving to prattville or that millerville (or something) So its not hell, but more of a purgotory of nothingness and blandness.