What DON'T you like about Huntsville/Decater areas? (Birmingham, Madison: 2009, employment)

[amsa526]

My family and I are moving to HSV within a month or two.

During my initial visit, I was warmly received and greeted/treated everywhere I went.
I am an Asian American - not white ... so this treatment was a big plus for me.
Plus ---- I was frequently greeted by a 'Merry Christmas' not the PC term 'Happy Holidays' ...
Next - the traffic was not even 'traffic' by CA standards!

OK ... the thing that would bother me would probably be the following:

1. The zoning/urban planning in some older areas ... and some newer areas as well
2. Lack of ethnic / Asian groceries
3. No Trader Joe's!
4. You cannot do online transactions with the DMV (this may be true of all AL)

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by amsa526

My family and I are moving to HSV within a month or two.

During my initial visit, I was warmly received and greeted/treated everywhere I went.
I am an Asian American - not white ... so this treatment was a big plus for me.
Plus ---- I was frequently greeted by a 'Merry Christmas' not the PC term 'Happy Holidays' ...
Next - the traffic was not even 'traffic' by CA standards!

OK ... the thing that would bother me would probably be the following:

1. The zoning/urban planning in some older areas ... and some newer areas as well
2. Lack of ethnic / Asian groceries
3. No Trader Joe's!
4. You cannot do online transactions with the DMV (this may be true of all AL)

A early welcome to Huntsville. We moved here, also from California, 4 months ago. Where about in Kalifornia (I mean... California ) are you from? We're from Huntington Beach, So. CA, so we know a bit about the asian communities/ markets in Little Saigon.

[amsa526]

We are from San Jose (SF Bay Area)...
I did go to grad school down in LA ... so am very familiar with Huntington Beach. Lived over in South Pasadena while I was there.

Two very minor irritating experiences (due to my lack of familiarity) were:
1. When I was trying to exit from I-72 (going south) ... the on and off ramp were quite close to each other ... I kept entering and exiting the freeway multiple times...
2. The exits along I-72 north after the airport are about 5+ miles apart ... I missed an exit so I had to keep on driving for a relatively long distance.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by amsa526

Two very minor irritating experiences (due to my lack of familiarity) were:
1. When I was trying to exit from I-72 (going south) ... the on and off ramp were quite close to each other ... I kept entering and exiting the freeway multiple times...
2. The exits along I-72 north after the airport are about 5+ miles apart ... I missed an exit so I had to keep on driving for a relatively long distance.

Those areas, along the frontage road north of 72/565 and south toward Swancott and New Hope and through parts of the Wheeler Refuge are great places for cycling. One minute you are in cottonfields and the next minute you are riding over a marshy area with all sorts of waterfowl and wild life. I take my bike out there at lunchtime and do a 14 mile loop. No traffic, no lights, flat, can be a bit breezy. I hope no one out there has any loose pit bulls though....

(images not protected by copyright)

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by amsa526

We are from San Jose (SF Bay Area)...
I did go to grad school down in LA ... so am very familiar with Huntington Beach. Lived over in South Pasadena while I was there.

Two very minor irritating experiences (due to my lack of familiarity) were:
1. When I was trying to exit from I-72 (going south) ... the on and off ramp were quite close to each other ... I kept entering and exiting the freeway multiple times...
2. The exits along I-72 north after the airport are about 5+ miles apart ... I missed an exit so I had to keep on driving for a relatively long distance.

Yes the roads here are counter intuitive. Often they do not provide the minimum turn radius or grading as we were used to in California, so you must slow down approaching curves and freeway exits. On the freeway (I-565) and parkway (231) there are 2 groups of drivers, one drive very fast and the other group drives very slow, almost nothing in between.

To answer your earlier question, we love asian food. There're no equivalent of asian 'supermarket' here, such as the 99 ranch market, only the mom & pop type of grocery stores. We've found 3, one a vietnamese owned in Madison (madison blvd just east of wall triana - in spencer square), one a korean owned on Jordan Lane in west Huntsville, and a chinese owned (Far East) on Memorial Parkway (231). All of them carry various common asian food. Just about the only asian food that is hard to get is fresh, e.g., live, fish. You'll find the prices are 30% higher than what you're used to (supply & demand curve).

For some reason, Thai restaurants & food are very popular here. I've found better Thai restaurants here than in So. Cal., but the chinese restaurants here are nothing to brag about. I also like the vietnamese restaurant in Madison (on Madison blvd in the same plaza as the grocery store), the quality is comparable to Little Saigon, but the prices are again 30% higher.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

one a korean owned on Jordan Lane in west Huntsville, .

I was speaking to a Korean lady at work today who told me about a new Korean restaurant near the South Parkway and Home Depot....

Hyun's Korean Restaurant

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by Charles

I was speaking to a Korean lady at work today....

Cool. I didn't know you speak korean!

That's good to know. We love korean BBQ. Will be sure to pay it a visit.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

I didn't know you speak korean!

I only know two words in Korean: "More Kimchi"

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by Charles

I only know two words in Korean: "More Kimchi"

I know three words: "More Beef Bulgogi" (edit: Bulgogi - a korean marinate with a mixture of soya sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic and other ingredients)

I can't take the spicy food very well, but my wife just love spicy food.

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

To answer your earlier question, we love asian food. There're no equivalent of asian 'supermarket' here, such as the 99 ranch market, only the mom & pop type of grocery stores. We've found 3, one a vietnamese owned in Madison (madison blvd just east of wall triana - in spencer square), one a korean owned on Jordan Lane in west Huntsville, and a chinese owned (Far East) on Memorial Parkway (231). All of them carry various common asian food. Just about the only asian food that is hard to get is fresh, e.g., live, fish. You'll find the prices are 30% higher than what you're used to (supply & demand curve).

For some reason, Thai restaurants & food are very popular here. I've found better Thai restaurants here than in So. Cal., but the chinese restaurants here are nothing to brag about. I also like the vietnamese restaurant in Madison (on Madison blvd in the same plaza as the grocery store), the quality is comparable to Little Saigon, but the prices are again 30% higher.

Charm Thai on 72 West (next to Indigo Joe's) also has a nice little market attached to it.