Boston to Birmingham - would you do it? (Homewood, Mountain Brook: sales, crime)

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by Charlesaf3

No offense to anyone, but I find most new houses pretty horribly built and ugly,

I agree. IMO, there are some great houses to be found in the Birmingham city limits. I love the southern houses with their big covered porches. I believe there are some older nice houses in Bessemer as well, but I haven't been there.
Of course, I'm coming from California, which architecturally is very unimpressive, with a few exceptions. But I'd think older areas of Birmingham can hold its own with a lot of other US cities. If I leave, I think living in a beautiful yet affordable home on a street with pretty vegetation will be one of the things I'll miss most, unless I'm lucky enough to move to a similar type of neighborhood elsewhere.
However, I see you have children, which may force you out of these older neighborhoods in pursuit of better schools. This would be an issue. I believe Mountain Brook has some nice, older houses, but it depends on what kind of neighborhood you are looking for and how much you're willing to spend for them.

[ShipOfFools42]

I personally wouldn't dream of moving from Boston (especially the Back Bay!) to Birmingham, but I have very different circumstances than you do. I can't believe that you're willing to trade those wonderful winters (and I used to live in Worcester so I do know what it's like) for our unbelievably miserable summers. People literally don't go outside during the summer here unless they have to for their job, it is absolutely horrible. Of course, Birmingham is a good place to raise a family, and it is cheaper, so if those are priorities for you, Birmingham would work.

If you are moving here and can afford it (and it sounds like you can), check out Mountain Brook and Homewood. They are very, very nice, especially Mountain Brook. It has windy little two-lane roads that snake through the forest, and in the warm seasons, it's like driving through a beautiful green tunnel of trees. MB is really, really beautiful in the spring especially, when everything absolutely explodes with color from the dozens of different types of plants blooming everywhere.

So basically, Birmingham is very nice in the fall, winter, and spring (until early May), and then the summer takes a hold and just pummels you with misery for 3-4 long months. The major downside for me after living in Worcester is the lack of snow in the winter. I just don't feel like it's a real winter if it doesn't snow. Of course, you mentioned that you hate the winters there, so you might be right at home in Birmingham.

[Abracadaver]

Mountain Brook is a beautiful and very well-kept city. It is also very much Old Money. It was voted one of, if not the highest per capita resident income of any US city a couple of years back. If you aren't from there, you might have more trouble assimilating than say if you moved to Homewood or Vestavia (both great places to live). They know their own. All those areas mentioned have great school systems.

Most everyone that moves to Bham moves south, down HWY 280 or in Hoover.

If living close to downtown isn't a requirement, the cities on the oustkirts of town - Trussville and Springville (20min and 35 min away) are quite nice and Gardendale/Mount Olive/Kimberly/Morris and Cullman (20min north and 45 min north) north of town are as well. Once you get past north Bham, there are a lot of great communities that are well kept and the crime is low. Cullman is an ideal place to retire and its close to Smith Lake.

I grew up on the east side (Huffman) and it was a great place but has totally gone downhill. The East Lake Woodlawn area went downhill starting in the 70's thru the mid 80's and Huffman/Centerpoint went under by the mid 90's. Thats why Trussville would be an iffy move - great location, great homes..but still borders on communities that are awful now.

If urban living is your thing, there are some great lofts in downtown Bham, and the Southside (by UAB) is a very cool artsy kind of place.

I have lived in or around Bham 34 of my 38 years and I wont lie - crime in Bham is pretty rampant and the politicians are hideous. But we do have a very pretty landscape - and its built inbetween mountains so there are hills and trees everywhere. Lots of gold courses. Plus you can drive thru the city in under 5mins. Less if traffic is moving....and you are within 20 minutes of anything.

Another plus - 4 hours away is Destin FLA.

Avoid at all costs - living in west birmingham and north birmingham.

Other info of interest perhaps -

Racial makeup within the city - about 75 percent black, 20 percent white and 5 percent hispanic. Bham city schools are 99% black and 1% hispanic/other. Outside the city (or the 'burbs) its polarly opposite with whites making up anout 85 % of the population.

Hope that helped.

[pennquaker09]

I would say look in the Red Mountain area (not really a mountain, but . . ). I have to say that I don't think Charlottesville and Birmingham compare at all.

Crime happens everywhere, and one is just as likely to get murdered in Mountain Brook as he or she would in North Birmingham.

You don't want to live in Cullman. Who would want to live in Cullman? The best thing there is . . . St. Bernard and that's it.

Mountain Brook would be one of my first suggestions, but I think it depends on how much you want your kids to learn about living in the real world. It's a bubble. However, I lived there and in Hoover, and I think the same thing could be said of where my parents lived in Hoover (Greystone). My dad wants to move back to Mountain Brook, but my stepmom doesn't because the women are . . . cliquish.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by pennquaker09

My dad wants to move back to Mountain Brook, but my stepmom doesn't because the women are . . . cliquish.

Well, yes and no. I think it really depends on what section of Mountain Brook you choose to live. If you're talking about old Mountain Brook and Crestline, I'd be apt to agree with you. If you're talking about Cherokee Bend or the areas that hug Overton Road, then you're really talking about a completely different mentality.

[pennquaker09]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

Well, yes and no. I think it really depends on what section of Mountain Brook you choose to live. If you're talking about old Mountain Brook and Crestline, I'd be apt to agree with you. If you're talking about Cherokee Bend or the areas that hug Overton Road, then you're really talking about a completely different mentality.

Before, we lived in Shook Hill. If they moved back, I think it's highly likely that they'll live in the family house which is on Country Club Rd. I don't think they're going to build another house. But I do agree, that the Cherokee Bend and Overton areas would be better choices.

However, my stepmom is, fairly liberal . . I think she's actually a registered Democrat. And she doesn't want my siblings growing up there. She knows how it was for me, and she doesn't want that for them. Actually, it would be different for them, because they're not half African American, but she wants them to encounter people of other races and viewpoints. I haven't been home in a long time, but I'm coming home for a wedding next month, so I guess I see how much things have changed.

[ShipOfFools42]

Originally Posted by pennquaker09

Crime happens everywhere, and one is just as likely to get murdered in Mountain Brook as he or she would in North Birmingham.

You cannot be serious.

According to statistics taken in '03, there were 0 murders in Mountain Brook. Zero.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by pennquaker09

Before, we lived in Shook Hill. If they moved back, I think it's highly likely that they'll live in the family house which is on Country Club Rd. I don't think they're going to build another house. But I do agree, that the Cherokee Bend and Overton areas would be better choices.

However, my stepmom is, fairly liberal . . I think she's actually a registered Democrat. And she doesn't want my siblings growing up there. She knows how it was for me, and she doesn't want that for them. Actually, it would be different for them, because they're not half African American, but she wants them to encounter people of other races and viewpoints. I haven't been home in a long time, but I'm coming home for a wedding next month, so I guess I see how much things have changed.

Well, I'll say this. You see any number of Obama bumper stickers in the shopping centers, so to say that there's not a diversity of viewpoints just isn't true or fair. I would actually offer that you're more likely to find diversity of views in Mountain Brook than you will in places like Vestavia or north Shelby County.

Not that I'm an apologist for Mountain Brook by any stretch of the imagination. But to assume that everyone who lives within the city limits swings a golf club three times a week, forces their daughters to become debutantes, and toodles off to the country club for Sunday buffet after church is to indulge in stereotyping. Quite frankly, in the section where we live, I know no one who even comes close to that kind of characterization.

[pennquaker09]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

You cannot be serious.

According to statistics taken in '03, there were 0 murders in Mountain Brook. Zero.

I'm just saying. People have been murdered in affluent communities. My point is that one can't garner a false sense of security based on their address.

cpg, I think you're right. Like I said, I don't come home very often and it's been a long time since I lived in MB.

I think, just knowing the friends that my father has, it would make it kind of hard for my stepmom to socialize with their wives. Of course, it's ultimately up to her to make her way. I can also say there are snobby (or should I say were given all of the foreclosures?) women in Greystone also.

And, unfortunately, a big portion of my family does toodle off to the country club. My dad is kind of on the outs with some, so he's distanced himself, but I think he goes occasionally.

[Keeper]

You might want to check out the pictures in the announcement section. There are some pictures by Historic Bessemer that show some of the old historic homes