Thinking of moving to Huntsville - What is it like - Really (Decatur: transfer, living in)

[33458]

Originally Posted by southlander

cockleburrs.
And the tiny things that bite you when you're walking through a field collecting cockleburrs? Chiggers.

I.HATE.CHIGGERS.

Big problem in my yard...they get quite personal.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by 33458

I.HATE.CHIGGERS.

Big problem in my yard...they get quite personal.

Bug spray can be your friend. Spray it on your clothing (not the "personal" areas!).

Originally Posted by MaryBeth2

Here, the tiny things that bite you walking thru the grass are fireants!!! Yikes!!!!!

Well, generally fireants only bite when you step on their mound. Chiggers are found all through a field.

[A&M Bulldawg]

Huntsville has some big ants that have crucial bites that can sting for a while.

[MaryBeth2]

Here, Texas, they are tiny.....and the sting lasts a long time. 0_o

[dsb1829]

Originally Posted by curtstein

My wife, 2 kids and I are thinking about moving to the Hunstville area, and we would like to hear from people that live there. She is from the Northeast, and I am from Colorado, and we had some culture shock when we moved to Temple, GA (50 miles west of Atlanta, GA) last year, and we aren't very happy. We don't care for the busy Atlanta traffic/city, but we don't care for the "hee-haw" lifestyle where out house is (for example, one of our neighbors has never been seen wearing a shirt, always has a can of beer in his hand, and the first time we met him he told us that he had recently blown himself up while burning something in his back yard!)... it's the worst of both worlds!

My wife doesn't think Huntsville, AL would be much of an upgrade. I think it would be much different within the Huntsville area. I have read all the standard online reviews, but I would love to hear from people that actually live in the area. What is it like living there? We are looking to likely live and work in the south Huntsville area around South Memorial Pkwy. It looks like there is a lot of housing on the east side of Redstone Arsenal. Does anyone live and work in that area? I would love to hear from you! What are the schools like (High school), what are daycares like? (newborn), what is shopping like?, what are neighbors like?, what is the traffic like?, what is downtown Huntsville like? Thanks for your help!

This thread has proven to be an interesting read. I don't know if you are still using the forum, but the tread lives on. So I will throw my two cents in.

My wife and I have been watching things in California. No good could come from what was going on there. We had been discussing relocation for years. In the Spring of 2007 we had a golden opportunity to get out of our house without losing our shirts, so we immediately kicked into high gear and narrowed our search to about 6 locations. I went looking for places to work and to ride my mountain bike. My wife went looking for culture, community, and schools. Huntsville favored well on both of our lists and had the best housing prices. So we came out and played tourist for a week.

Well, we had a good vibe from the visit so I hit the job hunt. I think the larger NASA and defense contractors are a bit hard to get in the door with remotely. I ended up taking a job a smaller company just to get here and take root. I have since transferred over to a larger subcontractor. The job market still seems to be doing well even as the economy is wavering. With so many jobs in defense and aerospace Huntsville seems to be weathering the storm. Probably far better than the other cities we looked at.

We rented for almost a year to make sure we were happy with the part of town we chose (South East FWIW) and with our school. What can I say, apartment living is never glorious but it really wasn't all bad either. In the end it turned out to be a great thing since we made friends with other parents in my son's school and actually ended up buying our house from one of them when they moved back to Florida. It is right across from a park and walking distance to the elementary.

So far my thoughts on schools here are mixed. We had a great kindergarden experience. But this year they shut down a school and overstuffed my son's first grade class. They hired on a teacher who was not equiped to teach first graders. We ended up pulling him out of school and home schooling. He will be able to go into second grade this fall at school, but we are still debating if elementary curriculum is best for him. The main reason behind putting him back in is for social development.

Lifestyle? I don't know, with two young kids we don't get out too much. My wife has made some great friends through the kids. She has met people through school, church, and even at the supermarket. I have made friends with some of the guys in the local bicycling club. With our family friends we trade date nights, share birthdays, and have social get togethers. Overall I would say that our reception into our neighborhood has been fantastic. I chat regularly with the neighbors. There doesn't seem to be any social barriers because of who anyone is or where they are from. Huntsville is actually far more diverse than I expected. Comming from the Bay Area of California I was a bit worried about going to the South. Not a problem. Good people around these parts.

Dining and shopping? We have most of the major players in town. Check the Chamber of Commerce for a full break down. I have not wanted for much since moving here. Everything I need is within reach. Some complain that there isn't enough independent restaurants or stores, but I haven't been put off by it.

Arts and crafts? There are regular local plays and productions every couple of months my son goes to a children's theater production. Big Spring jam is a big annual festival. Monte Sano Fat Tire Fest is a weekend mtb event put on by Sorba. My mother has found a couple of local glass blowers that she is quite fond of and likes to see when she visits. The list goes on and many others have done a much better job at giving the details.

Sports? Biking, hiking, fishing all supported at the many local parks. Youth leagues all over. Professional hockey and football fairly close. Stone's throw away from Taladega if you are into Nascar. Roller rinks. Again, I haven't found myself wanting for anything.

Being born and raised in California about all that I miss about there are my long-term friends, my family, and high gravity beers. That is a fairly short list, so overall I guess I think Huntsville is a good place to be

[MaryBeth2]

It sounds wonderful to me. I had my sights set looking that way. I found some bad news for me though, doesnt look like my husband's company will be needing anyone new anything soon...so that may not be where we end up. I had hoped to get there, too.

[brandonplustwo]

Please do yourself a favor and do not look BEYOND Huntsville and surroundding areas! I live 45 mins East (toward GA) and I can't stand it. I am surrounded by Bubba and his kin folk. I am originally from NJ and moved here when I was 17 (now 25) and for the most part I feel like I have wasted the last decade trying to decode the hee-haw mentality. So if you want to move to Huntsville I would agree with the previous posts that for the most part it's a nice place to live, but don't get drawn out into the country by lower prices because eventually you will pay it's miserable!!

[MaryBeth2]

brandonplustwo, you are probably going to get plowed because that seems to be what people do around here, but I appreciate your opinion. I lived too far out once too, and I think I know exactly what you are saying. I like living close enough to things I need to get to (like Walmart).. ha! But for me, the places have to be certain parts because it would have to be close to my husbands work. Thanks for the heads up though and I sure hope you get to move to where you would be more comfortable too.

[brandonplustwo]

Plowed? Really? Just for my opinion? Wow I hope I don't... I didn't mean to offend that's why I didn't list the town I live in. But it's hard when you don't fit in -- that's pretty much what I was try to articulate. If it came off too harsh for some, I apologize.

[MaryBeth2]

Originally Posted by brandonplustwo

Plowed? Really? Just for my opinion? Wow I hope I don't... I didn't mean to offend that's why I didn't list the town I live in. But it's hard when you don't fit in -- that's pretty much what I was try to articulate. If it came off too harsh for some, I apologize.

I hope you don't too. I just seen it happen more than once. I shouldnt have alarmed you. It was the first thing out of my head though. I'm sorry. Besides, dont worry about it. You are intitled to your opinion, even if some people think if you don't agree with them, it is an instant argument.

You dont owe anyone anything. No need to apologize. What fits some does not fit everyone, that's the whole point in this CD, is to find what works for you. I feel that way here, (dont fit in), and want to move. The humidity does not fit me. For the ones it does, good for them. Just because we are not comfortable in our town, does not mean anything.