Good neighboorhood near Whole Foods & Summit?

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by tgcali

I'm dyin' over here. You guys are too funny. May I ask what constitutes 'umpteen miles out'?

I still am looking to move from San Diego to Birmingham, I've had to postpone due to the job market/economy so I don't know when, but I was curious what the locals consider a long distance/time for a commute.

Where I am I live on a Boulevard that has just as much traffic as I see on 280 when I visit but that's just a street and not a big deal in terms of traffic. The Interstate 5/805 merge (translation - something like 12 lanes of gridlock) is TRAFFIC.

Not to say that the 280 traffic or the commutes aren't bad, just that those of us with experience in large cities/heavy traffic will view it differently. So I was just curious about what the locals consider a bad commute in terms of distance/time?

Umpteen? It's one of those Southernisms that I've really grown to love. They sure do have a mastery of the language here. It means a large, yet indefinite amount.

30 minutes seems like a lifetime. During rush hour, the drive from Inverness/Greystone on 280 to downtown can take upwards of 45 minutes.

Yeah, I know, you're probably rolling your eyes at that. But the whole point of Birmingham is supposed to have almost all the amenities of a larger city with relatively few hassles. My wife literally has a three-mile commute, while mine is from my bedroom to my study. It's just a great way to live, let me tell you.

[tgcali]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

Umpteen? It's one of those Southernisms that I've really grown to love. They sure do have a mastery of the language here. It means a large, yet indefinite amount.

30 minutes seems like a lifetime. During rush hour, the drive from Inverness/Greystone on 280 to downtown can take upwards of 45 minutes.

Yeah, I know, you're probably rolling your eyes at that. But the whole point of Birmingham is supposed to have almost all the amenities of a larger city with relatively few hassles. My wife literally has a three-mile commute, while mine is from my bedroom to my study. It's just a great way to live, let me tell you.

I know umpteen. My family is from Arkansas. I just happen to be the first generation raised out here in California. I have a pretty easy commute right now, 12 freeway miles against traffic each way. Paradise in this town.

When my daughter was still in daycare, my commute was 55 miles round-trip each day. I knew ALL the different ways to go to avoid as much traffic as possible.

If I'm already doing 20 minutes each way and I moved there, 40 minutes wouldn't be a big price to pay to be able to live in the South. Not for me. It wasn't that big a deal when I was doing it here in SoCal, it would be a breeze to do it there.

So is the rush hour traffic going into downtown in the mornings? Just trying to get a feel for the flow of traffic in the worst times when making my final selection on neighborhood. Thanks!

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by tgcali

I know umpteen. My family is from Arkansas. I just happen to be the first generation raised out here in California. I have a pretty easy commute right now, 12 freeway miles against traffic each way. Paradise in this town.

When my daughter was still in daycare, my commute was 55 miles round-trip each day. I knew ALL the different ways to go to avoid as much traffic as possible.

If I'm already doing 20 minutes each way and I moved there, 40 minutes wouldn't be a big price to pay to be able to live in the South. Not for me. It wasn't that big a deal when I was doing it here in SoCal, it would be a breeze to do it there.

So is the rush hour traffic going into downtown in the mornings? Just trying to get a feel for the flow of traffic in the worst times when making my final selection on neighborhood. Thanks!

Yes, chiefly from the southern tier of suburbs. The reason for this is geographical, because Shades Mountain and Red Mountain really limit the number of thoroughfares that come into the city. So, aside from any number of small streets crossing the mountain, the majority of traffic eventually funnels into highway 280 and I-65. Greens Springs Highway (Old Columbiana Road) roughly parallels I-65, so that's an alternative route as well.

The question I have for you is where you'll be living. While you don't mind 40 minute commutes, wouldn't a ten-minute commute be even better? I think there are large parts of Birmingham where you can enjoy that yet enjoy a nice quality of life at the same time.

[tgcali]

Cpg,

I don't know where I'll be living. I'd like to radiate out from Inverness/Greystone. You probably saw that on the thread I started though.

Thanks for the help!