questions about relocating to Huntsville (Decatur, Madison: relocation, real estate, transplants)

[sc4tracy]

Hi everyone,

I will try and ak some different questions, and I have read most of the posts related to moving to Huntsville. Here aresome questions I have and I apoogize if they are repetitive. We currently live in Louisville,KY, but I am originally from Southern California, we relocated to Louisville.

I noticed on some relo websites that Huntsille seemed to have higher than national average numbers for crime. This surprises me since it is supposed to be a more affluent smaller town. Crime in Louisville, especially violent seems to be localized to specific areas. Given al the "best places to live" stuff, Huntsville is especially high by comparison to those on that list.

Can anyone explain that?

It seems like a lotof transplants from CA, so I am happy to hear that.

Thanks for any info

[HsvMike]

Hi Tracy, I was born in Louisville and I can say that Louisville has a lot more crime than Huntsville does, and yes I know that Louisville is bigger. I have family in the Jeffersonville, and New Albany area in Southern IN.

Realisticly there is crime everywhere you go. I don't know which Relo websites you are referring to, but from all the places that I have lived, for the size Huntsville's crime is very low, IMO.

I moved down here from the Chicago area and one of the biggest draws for me was that Huntsville is such great place to raise a family. Even the "bad areas" are very good compared to where I come from.

If you haven't yet, take a trip down here and see for yourself.

[sc4tracy]

Mike, Thank you! What a coincidence that you have both Louisville and large metro background. Part of the flaw with my comparison is that you can really compare places like Louisville or Los Angeles to Huntsville. So, I have tried to compare the large suburbs that I have lived in (with similar population) to Huntsville. But, by comparing large suburb, you tend to eliminate the downtown element.

Although, the numbers for Huntsville were still very high when you use individual zip codes. I use websites like HomeFair.com or similar. You enter a zip and you get population, education stats and crime numbers. The crime numbers are listed in terms of risk, not actual numbers, and risk versus national average.

A question for you - it is a family town, and I have a small family. How are the medical services? My youngest did a brief stay in the hospital here and it makes me nervous moving to a smaller area where there might be less services.

And, being a transplant to Louisville, I found Louisville difficult to make friends. In fact, today, my friends are pretty much anyone that isn't from Louisville. Is Huntsville easy for transplants to make friends?

And final question - what is the deal with no basements? I think every home in Louisville that I visited had basements (though they might not be finished). In term of storm safety, I always wanted a basement. But, it seems to jump the price of the home up tremendously? Is there something with construction that prevents basement homes, unless you spend a lot?

Thanks to everyone that posts on this site. This has been so informative, and useful! We are visiting Huntsville in two days!

[HsvMike]

It really is a tough comparison for a Large metro area like that, to Huntsville.

For your first question, there are two main hospitals Crestwood and Huntsville Hospital. Hsv Hospital has been around since the 1800s and is a great facility, IMO. I personally have never been inside of Crestwood, but I hear it is good as well. They are also going to build a new Hospital in Madison, the town just west of Hsv, when they decide who is going to build it, it is between Hsv and Crestwood Hospital. There are a ton of doctors down here as well.

For your second, Huntsville isn't like any other town in Alabama. I have ran into more people not from here, than I have people born and raised here. There is still that southern charm, but there are people from all over the country / world here. With you being from CA and KY, I don't see you having much of a problem fitting in. Most people are very inviting. Of course like anywhere, not everyone is nice, but if you just tell certain people you are here from KY, you might be welcomed a little faster. J/K.

For your last question, I was pretty disappointed moving down here that most homes are either built on slabs or crawl spaces. The reason being is that the freeze line is so short, that it is a lot more expensive to build a basement. But up north you have to dig 4 to 5 feet, sometimes even deeper depending on how far north you are, it just makes sense to dig a little deeper and throw in a basement. Usually down here if homes do have basements, then it is a walk-out basement. If you do get a home built and you do want them to put in a traditional basement, make sure they have done it before, and ask to see homes that they have done. It is not very common down here, and I have seen basements where they just weren't done very well, just lack of experience. I have always had a basement, and I do miss the extra storage. But if you get one with a walk-out basement, you should be fine.

As far as storm safety, safe rooms or storm shelters are really becoming popular around here. While they can be pricey, it is great for peace of mind in case of tornados.

[NicoleC]

Basements: a lot of the 60's and 70's ranchers in south east Huntsville have walk-out basements at very affordable prices, and some of the newer, more expensive homes. The older ranchers often need some TLC. Not only are basements not really a southern thing, but much of the topography here is either rocky or flat, neither of which lend themselves to affordable basement building. There are other options for storm protection that you can (and should) use.

As for making friends... well, Huntsville doesn't have the sheer range of indoor and outdoor activities that So Cal does. (I know nothing of Louisville, so I can't compare to there.) There are also no entertainment districts, except for a small cluster of bars, small concert venues and restaurants downtown. Right off the bat you've got the football crowd and the church crowd, and if either interests you, you will meet many, many people.

Many other activities are present but in smaller numbers and you have to go looking for them. If you can describe some of your interests, I think the folks on this forum can give you some names of clubs and places to meet people here. With so many transplants here, Huntsville has more options than many towns it's size. You won't find many people in HSV proper that are FROM Huntsville.

It sounds like you would fit in with the more urbanized sections of Huntsville, from southeast Huntsville's inner suburbs, the historic districts, Jones Valley and the slopes of Monte Sano, all the way up to Saddletree and even over the hill in NE Huntsville where newer homes are going in like Sunrise Cove and Sunrise Valley. Or, budget and desire permitting, Providence Village and Mid Towne which are to the west of Research Park -- these developments are quite pricey but they have very nice floor plans which flow well and the interior spaces and exterior appearance are a huge leap above the the typical red brick/black hipped roof tract houses going in. There's a LOT to choose from in that region, but it's convenient to outdoor activities and also the more citified ones.

Decatur has a nice historic section, but much fewer activities. Madison is pretty much all cookie cutter suburb -- there are a few sections that defy this type, but that's the "feel" of the place.

Enjoy your visit!

[sc4tracy]

We are huge college football fans, but I went to a Pac-10 school and we are never liked in the SEC!! We are not the best church goers - nothing against it, it's just that a baby and a pre-schooler make the experience close to a total nightmare! We do enjoy eating out when we have a sitter, and Louisville really excels in that area. How is the dining scene?

Both of my previous homes were built in the early 20's. We have a soft spot for the older homes and would argue that no new home even gets close to the quality of construction. That being said, old homes require care, and we have moved enough now that I would probably enjoy a newer home. But, cookie cutter does scare me!

As for the basements, HSVMike and Nicole, your explanations make sense. Here in Louisville, people put so much stuff in their basements, you wonder if they ever come upstairs (second kitchens w/ dishwashers, laundry on every floor, wine rooms). Way too much for us, though we have liked having a more private area for our out of town family (bedroom bath). If you do not have a basement, where do you build these storm shelters? sorry if that is obvious. I come from earthquake country!

Mainly we just want to have a neighborhood that is safe, inviting for our children to meet other kids, and a nice place for family to visit. We have met our current friends through the neighborhood or through our children's schools.

The information is great. Had our child not managed to end up in the children's hospital here, the medical aspect wouldn't really be an issue. It certainly is an amenity you hope to never use. But I have liked that Louisville has good pediatric specialists.

What I have read so far about Huntsville is great and if it doesn't work out tha we live there, it sounds like a wonderful place!!

[NicoleC]

HSV has mostly chain eateries. There are some exceptions, but I haven't tried them yet so I can't say how good they are. They are mostly in the more urban areas. And I am sure, as in any other city, the very best places look like they are closed and you just have to know they are there. I haven't found any of those yet.

Storm shelters: the most common shelter is outside dug into the ground. I'm not a fan of these -- who wants to run outside when stuff is flying around in the air? Other options include attached or interior safe rooms and I saw one house where they put a storm shelter under the garage slab when they were building the house, with walk-down access. Very nice.

Most families with younger children are buying into these cookie cutter subdivisions, no doubt mostly for financial reasons and also the availability of other kids. Lots of these subdivisions are also in good schools districts. So maybe you will like them for their other perks. Finding the exception is hard when you are trying to relocate from a distance. (I certainly botched my relocation location!) Maybe one of the older neighborhoods in SE Huntsville will work?

[sc4tracy]

We can't really seem to make heads or tails of the real estate in Huntsville, but we usually get our bearings when we visit a place.

Louisville has a lot of similar new home builds (aside from the basement difference). The exteriors look like pictures from here. Though, the prices seem more reasonable here for the amount of stuff they put in them.

I bet some of the older homes are very pretty though.

Thanks again for the information. I can't believe how much information there is out there about this area!

[HsvMike]

Huntsville does have a good amount of diverse neighborhoods. I have two small kids and ended up going with a "cookie cutter" subdivison because of the ammentities. Great schools, community: pool, clubhouse, walking trails, stocked lakes, playground, and other kids around.

The two most popular areas of Hsv / Madison County are the SE Hsv, Jones Valley, Hampton Cove area, and the Madison / Monrovia / Harvest area. You have plenty of housing styles and options to choose from.

Yes Hsv does have a lot of restaurants, and people love to eat out around here. They have just about all the restaurants you are used to, and some local ones. I do miss the Spaghetti Factory though. I haven't been there in a while.

[sc4tracy]

I have been fortunate in Louisville. For whatever reason, this town has some amazing restaurants. We frequently comment that we eat at far better places here than we ever did in LA. Not the chain restaurants (though Spaghetti Factory is yummy). Just fun little restaurants with great chefs!

We do have a newer home now, though we are still close to downtown. Major important factor for me is close by retail (not huge retail, but my favorite store - Target, a grocery store, and a post office are great). Anything like that?

I see a lot of this Hampton Cove, but can't make sense of how far it is from other things. I also see a lot of this Jones Valley, but what are the subdivisions there? We currently have a community pool and clubhouse and it really helps make the neighborhood fun (Easter egg hunts, etc). But, I would love a neighborhood with a walking trail and community playground. Plus, the main thing for me is some yard and TREES!!! They cut them all down to build subdivisions here!