bad areas in HSV (Huntsville, Madison: houses, neighborhoods, buying)

[Reactionary]

deesonic and clamoore - sorry to come off too harshly, but keep in mind that the OP (Ezio) is a foreigner looking for a 3-year home with his kids. IMO I don't think either of you would recommend SW as the best fit for his family, just as I wouldn't recommend 5 Points for him.

How about a group hug?

[financelife]

Let me give you the lowdown since i was 25 the last time I lived in Huntsville, and that was 3 years ago. Plus I lived in the 35805 zip so I know the scoop. I know what you mean by "bad parts." 35805 is one of the "bad parts." Don't listen to people about revitalization efforts and all that rubbish. Someone mentioned the warehouses on 9th ave! LOL. hahahaha, that's where the homeless, the prostitutes, and crack heads are. Loves it.

I actually LIVED there, WALKED there daily with friends, etc, when growing up. And because I was already comfortable with the area, I bought a $50K house there 4 years ago. Yes, wife and I heard gun shots. Yes, there were random crackheads knocking on our door or asking to cut our grass. Yes, we had a drunk neighbor banging on our door in middle of the night because he didn't know where he was more than a couple of times. Despite all that I loved that house. Not to mention the $$ wife and I saved on a $325 mortgage on $100K household income. Not for the faint of heart though.

It is not dangerous as long as you ALWAYS keep aware of your surroundings. Like when those obvious crack heads knocked on the door, I didn't pretend to be gone, I immediately opened the door and said "NOT INTERESTED, bye!." and Close the door hard in their faces. You have to be offensive. But also, that wasn't everyday, and most days were peaceful. Of course, even 35805 has "good" and "bad" areas within itself. Good= harmless crackheads and prostitutes, and Bad= shootings, stabbings.

Friends I grew up with all joke now that when times get rough, move back to 35805. LOL.

[clamoore]

I don't think the talk about revitalization should be dismissed out of hand. I will agree that the effort will take many years to reach fruition. In the March 2008 edition of Atlantic Monthly there is an article pertinent to this discussion. There are several societal factors that lend themselves toward giving credit to the theory of urban rehabilitation. If you last lived in Huntsville 10 years ago, you might still have a negative image of Five Points or Oak Park. You might even think that Madison was still a sleepy little town.

Revitalization has been a reality in many larger cities for the past decade. Dallas, Atlanta and Memphis have seen entire sections of the City change. The upswing of pricing in the suburbs, the increase in gas prices and the desire of young couples to have homes in the city have driven the trend. I think that smaller cities, like Huntsville, can realistically expect to have older parts of the city revitalized. The removal of the homeless shelter should be a positive for the Lowe Mill neighborhood. The developing artist community should drive the neighborhood development even more.

[financelife]

Yes, I was there 10 years ago, and from my 35805 neighborhood perspective, 5 points was kinda rich. In fact, some people on the block would constantly seek to burglarize the 5pts area. So what does that tell you about 35805? And that was 10 years ago. I can tell you it has gotten worse. I went back to my HS to visit, and it was bad before (but loved it), but now it is soooo much more ghetto.

Haha, here's a way to tell you what areas are good. The places everyone wanted to rob or hate because the "rich" people live there: 5 pts, whitesburg, jones valley, madison (except 35758 zip cuz that's where ghetto folks moved to be upscale), anywhere in Grissom school district, and Monte Sano mountain. With exceptions of course. LOL. Revitalize haha. Where are the pimps and hos going to go? They too have to live somewhere, and right now and for the past 15 years it's been 35805.

Maybe the huge influx of hispanics in the 35805 zip code around bob wallace, drake ave, patton rd, jordan lane, governors drive will help change the area.

Yeah, the young professionals such as myself moved in there, but we weren't fools. We knew what we were getting into. So, understand that some people will truly live below their means, and you wouldn't know by the house they own.Currently, I live in a Hampton Cove neighborhood in TN and that's because I'm not from here, which is why I chose a "good" neighborhood. but if I ever move back to Huntsville, I may consider 35805 again.

[abbmac]

Reading this thread inspired me to look up Huntsville's crime statistics. I was shocked. How can a city filled with engineers have so much crime? There were only 3 or 4 zip codes in Huntsville that had a lower crime rate than where I'm currently living, and I live in the suburbs of the murder capital. And 15% of my town is transient, illegal workers. My house has been broken into, a transient tried to snatch a teenage girl, and one guy shot his wife-- all in my tiny townhome community. I thought a place like Huntsville would be safer. Nice looking city, beautiful homes. Where I live, nice looking homes are always a sign of safety. Madison had lower crime rates, but the rape risk was through the roof, except in the one zip code someone earlier identified as ghetto.

We were thinking Huntsville could be perfect for us. My husband is an aerospace engineer, and we love newer suburbs. We don't fit in in the northeast at all. But safety is a top priority to us.

[clamoore]

Hi abbmac, I hope you do seriously consider Huntsville as a relocation destination. I moved here when I was 26 years old, so I am "New Huntsville". I have decided to make Huntsville my home. I have lived inside the city limits the entire time (10 years). I lived in the 35801 and 35802 zip codes. I am about to move to the 35805 zip code. My wife and I like to live in older houses and we are moving to get a larger house for a more affordable price. We live in Five Points and we can't afford one of the few larger homes. Merrimack Mill offers a more affordable option, but as Reactionary has noted, a less-child friendly option...for now.
I think it would be a mistake to characterize Huntsville as crime-ridden. We have the problems of most towns, from murder to theft. We have a homeless problem down in the historic districts, ranging from tresspass to theft. The Police Department has been responsive to our trouble and it is still a work in progress. I have never really felt unsafe in my neighborhood. We have even had police chases near my block, but I felt secure in defending my home.
My new neighborhood has been described as rough. We have friends in the neighborhood that allow their children to ride bikes there. We have friends that aren't afraid to sit on their porches at night. There are no burglar bars on the homes. So, I don't see the signs of people living in fear.
I will leave the Madison people to comment on the Madison issues. I have never lived there, and I don't get out there very much, so I would be a poor commentator. I know that the residents are fiercely proud of the city. I don't think it has a crime problem.

[Reactionary]

Huntsville is ranked #83 on the city-data crime list (Bham is #13). We are below the national average in police (again c-d). The crime rate has jumped in the past couple of years and last year was a record for murder (IIRC 22).

Call your City Councilman and County Commissioner, we need more city police and more jail guards (County Sheriff runs / staffs jail).

[Keeper]

As is the case in many cities, most murders are commited by ppl who know each other in one way or another. H'ville had quite a few murders the last month in 07 IIRC, which made the stats jump.

I hope you do reconsider as H'ville and the surrounding areas are safe. There are areas where crime is more prevelant as is the case in most cities.

The folks here are honest and will tell you like it is.. so if you need assistance or have more questions.. just ask.

[marysally]

The $1M+ homes of Clift's Cove are in 35758. Not exactly ghetto in my book.

[rr4611]

Look at the 35811 zip. It is the fastest growing area around Huntsville, good schools, good neighborhoods, and in the summer it is COOLER because you are on the other side of the mountain in green space! I've lived in the 35801 and 35805 zips and I like living out here the best.

35811 Zip Code (Huntsville, Alabama) Detailed Profile - residents and real estate info