[Hyun-Soo]

If you don't know already, I will be moving to Prattville in Alabama in 1 year, after a 'stop' in San Antonio...

Can you guys tell me the largest malls in Alabama??

I bet they are in Birmingham.

Name all of them please..
And especially malls in Montgomery and Mobile.

Also, is there any Asian communities in Alabama?

Is the Montgomery area booming or on the decline?

Haven't really lived in a declining area, I hope its booming..

Thanks all!
-Hyunsoo

[Southlander]

Riverchase Galleria is probably the biggest. But the whole mall concept of retail is changing. The Summit, located off I-465(not sure if that's right) and U.S. 280 is basically an upscale strip mall. I believe a similar mall is being built somewhere else in Birmingham. Belk's purchase of the Parisian chain has really thrown a clinker into Alabama retail (we HATE Belk's, which is way below Parisian's quality). Don't know much about Montgomery, but a couple of years ago it looked like a shopping area was being built east of Montgomery on I-85. Sorry, I know zilch about Mobile.

[mrdude]

there is eastdale mall in montgomery. i've never been there, but i've heard it's nice. there is also a ton of shopping on the east side of montgomery.

riverchase galleria, which is in hoover just south of birmingham, is a huge mall with plenty of shopping in and around it.

[DeltaBelle1978]

In Mobile you have two shopping malls right across the street from each other. Colonial Mall Bel Air and Springdale Mall. Between the two places you have places to shop and also places to eat. I believe Colonial Mall is the biggest between the two.

If you get on I-65 going north and get off of the Airport Blvd. exit going east the malls are on each side of Airport right by the interstate. Colonial Mall is on your right and Springdale Mall is on your left.

My husband said their is an Asian community in Bayou La Batre. It is a small fishing community.

Hope this helps.

[Hyun-Soo]

^^ Thanks for all the info, everyody.

Yep, I was searching around I saw about Riverchase, seems nice. I just needed to find out about a few places where a I could chill out once in a while.

And I love to eat Asian food, so that is why I asked about the Asian communities. There doesn't seem to be that many in Alabama. But I will be within easy reach of Atlanta where there is Doraville, a large Asian town. I used to live in Macon, Georgia also.

[folkart]

If you get on I-10 going toward Mobile, there is a really neat mall in Malbis. Here's the link:

http://www.easternshorecentre.com/

[steveklein]

there is a pretty high number of asians in hoover. not percentage wise, but there is an eclectic mix of people in the town... hoover has lots of white,s blacks, asians, and middle easterners... enough to where i think anyone could find a cultural niche.

best shopping in the state is in birmingham and it isn't even close.

in the mobile area you have the malls that have already been mentioned and then also the retail outlets in foley (probably ~35-40 minutes? not exactly sure)

in montgomery, all the happening shopping/restaurants are on the east side of town... exits 6, 9, and 11. growing residential areas out there too. i'm sure prattville has some shopping too, but don't know a whole ot about prattville/wetumpka.

[folkart]

Prattville is almost finished with a new mall with a Target. They also have a Bass Pro shop opening in July. If I were to live somewhere near Montgomery, it'd be Prattville-cool town!

Originally Posted by steveklein

there is a pretty high number of asians in hoover. not percentage wise, but there is an eclectic mix of people in the town... hoover has lots of white,s blacks, asians, and middle easterners... enough to where i think anyone could find a cultural niche.

best shopping in the state is in birmingham and it isn't even close.

in the mobile area you have the malls that have already been mentioned and then also the retail outlets in foley (probably ~35-40 minutes? not exactly sure)

in montgomery, all the happening shopping/restaurants are on the east side of town... exits 6, 9, and 11. growing residential areas out there too. i'm sure prattville has some shopping too, but don't know a whole ot about prattville/wetumpka.

[UABinBHM]

The Riverchase Galleria is not only the largest in the state, it's one of the largest in the nation. It has over 200 shops and is covered with the largest skylight in the Western hemisphere.

The Summit Birmingham [flagship of the Summit Lifestyle Centers] (which is off of I-459 in Birmingham) is credited by the International Council of Shopping Centers as being the first "lifestyle center" which has resulted in the latest shopping craze of building lifestyle centers.

Other great shopping centers around Birmingham include: Colonial Brookwood Village, the Wildwood Centre, Patton Creek, Watermark Outlet Center, etc etc. There are also a number of additional centers currently under construction such as Caufield Square Promenade, Colonial Promenade Fultondale, Colonial Promenade Alabaster, etc etc.

As far as asian eateries, there are quite a few... depends on what you're looking for, but Birmingham has Chinese (of course), Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, etc.

[Hyun-Soo]

Originally Posted by folkart

Prattville is almost finished with a new mall with a Target. They also have a Bass Pro shop opening in July. If I were to live somewhere near Montgomery, it'd be Prattville-cool town!

Ahh, Good news!

I love Bass Pro Shops, I've heard in the past that they are building there. Aren't they building on down in Spanish Fort also?

I haven't been to Alabama really before. Only drove through it when I lived in Georgia on my way to Biloxi/Gulfport and then to New Orleans.

Mobile seems like a nice port city but heavily industrialized. I like it though. I liked the Priesters Pecans in that one town south of Montgomery [sorry can't remember the name]



Prattville seems like the most affluent area in the Montgomery metro area. I think I will be fine.

I do remember seeing on mall from the highway going near downtown then on down past the Hyundai factory which was under const. at the time...

I guess that was east of the river.

I can't wait to see how downtown Montgomery is. I love to see these Southern downtowns for some reason. I loved the Macon downtown even though it didn't have much. It did have some great antebellum houses though..


-Thanks all for the great info, and can't wait to get to Alabama in a year.

-HyunSoo