What will be the next Birmingham neighborhood to catch on? (Homewood: violent crime, affordable house) - Alabama (AL) - City-Data Forum

bhamoutlook · 01-09-2015, 12:22 PM

What's going to be the next "cool" neighborhood in Birmingham? We all know that Crestwood and Avondale are still catching on, but I think both neighborhoods have passed the point of only the "brave ones" moving in first. So, what do you guys think is the best place? All signs are pointing to Woodlawn because of the REV involvement, but there are so many neighborhoods with a lot of potential. Maybe we are too far away from this with all of the work that still needs to be done downtown but I see a lot of potential in Titusville, East Lake, College Hills, immediately west of I-65 in the downtown area (so many cool old buildings over there), and even Ensley if the crime situation is every fixed. Just wanted to know what you guys think about this.

cpg35223 · 01-09-2015, 12:36 PM

Cahaba Heights. Vestavia is about to put some resources into redeveloping the commercial district. That and the parts of Homewood west of Greens Springs are the last OTM neighborhoods where you can get an affordable house and a good school system at the same time.

Tourian · 01-09-2015, 12:47 PM

Cahaba Heights is going to "win" because real corporate dollars are going in to it. Daniel Corp has a vested interest and they are going to get help from Vestavia to make it happen. It is already a nice place to live, but it is going to get a whole lot nicer with new amenities real fast. The Patchwork Farms thing is a 100M deal.

As you said, I think Woodlawn and East Lake are next for the pioneers. It will be a lot easier for the East to get better because of sharing borders with MB and Southside and Irondale. It is going to be a lot tougher to push in to the West, but hey - violent crime is still dropping so who knows.

As far as suburbs go, I think Trussville/Clay/Argo will be coming up.

cpg35223 · 01-09-2015, 12:51 PM

I would offer up Leeds as well. Still an easier commute than Inverness.

bhamoutlook · 01-09-2015, 12:53 PM

Do you guys also think that Vestavia and Cahaba Heights will be popular for millenials? Hopefully their efforts will look something like the SOHO redevelopments for a more "urban" feel.

I do understand your point about the east being easier. I do assume that's the way it will go. I think Green Springs needs to be cleaned up before anything starts to move over that direction. The "bad" part of Green Springs is such a small little patch that has been neglected. It doesn't seem like it would take very much to fix that up a bit. Maybe even put a little lipstick on that old pig. (Nothing major.)

bhamoutlook · 01-09-2015, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tourian

Cahaba Heights is going to "win" because real corporate dollars are going in to it. Daniel Corp has a vested interest and they are going to get help from Vestavia to make it happen. It is already a nice place to live, but it is going to get a whole lot nicer with new amenities real fast. The Patchwork Farms thing is a 100M deal.

As you said, I think Woodlawn and East Lake are next for the pioneers. It will be a lot easier for the East to get better because of sharing borders with MB and Southside and Irondale. It is going to be a lot tougher to push in to the West, but hey - violent crime is still dropping so who knows.

As far as suburbs go, I think Trussville/Clay/Argo will be coming up.

Btw, since I moved to Birmingham 3 years ago, I heard a lot about how people were buying up houses in East Lake and renovating. I kept hearing that it was in the middle of a revitalization. I've driven over there so many times over the past few years just to see what it was all about but I never find anything. It still looks very rough to me. Am I missing something? Is there like one block that I'm missing?

rawrockills · 01-09-2015, 02:42 PM

Norwood? Or has it already reached this status?

Tourian · 01-09-2015, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhamoutlook

Btw, since I moved to Birmingham 3 years ago, I heard a lot about how people were buying up houses in East Lake and renovating. I kept hearing that it was in the middle of a revitalization. I've driven over there so many times over the past few years just to see what it was all about but I never find anything. It still looks very rough to me. Am I missing something? Is there like one block that I'm missing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawrockills

Norwood? Or has it already reached this status?

I don't think East Lake has quite made it yet, or at least isn't as far along as Norwood is, and certainly not has glamorized as Avondale.

bhamoutlook · 01-09-2015, 04:31 PM

Hmmm.... I forgot about Norwood. Although, I don't ever hear a whole lot about it. I've heard it's quite the charming neighborhood but in the three years I've been here, I've never been there.

raj kapoor · 01-09-2015, 05:49 PM

Continuing revitalization of the center city will drag Norwood, Woodlawn, and East Lake along. (I can remember when I thought Crestwood was a lost cause. I am so glad I am wrong now and then)

Avondale's turn around is directly related to the center city's growth.

On the west side I hope to see measurable activity along Bush Blvd. and College hills. The amount of traffic that is going to be taken off of Arkadelphia Road interchange will alow the city to develop a nice, appealing gateway to College Hills, without the truck route atmosphere. (about nine months to go)