Hampton Cove (Huntsville: 2010, house, neighborhood)

[vakinderegg]

GretelB, What are they charging at Anytime Fitness? Do you have to sign up for an entire year or do they have month to month? I was hoping HH would have a nice workout room once the new building is completed....but I would like something now closer to home. I don't want to drive to Jones Valley to work out.

I find on rainy days the traffic is a bear getting my little one to HCCA. The line for the elementary school is almost to the waterfall.....next year mine is taking the bus to HCE and we can wait with an umbrella or in my car for the bus....I don't think I would be able to handle those long lines everytime it rains!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by vakinderegg

I find on rainy days the traffic is a bear getting my little one to HCCA. The line for the elementary school is almost to the waterfall.


I don't think I would be able to handle those long lines everytime it rains!

The distance from the waterfall to the Hampton Cove Academy is 0.2 miles and it is maybe another 0.3 miles to Hampton Cove Elementary drop off.

[jamison247]

Originally Posted by vakinderegg

GretelB, What are they charging at Anytime Fitness? Do you have to sign up for an entire year or do they have month to month? I was hoping HH would have a nice workout room once the new building is completed....but I would like something now closer to home. I don't want to drive to Jones Valley to work out.

I find on rainy days the traffic is a bear getting my little one to HCCA. The line for the elementary school is almost to the waterfall.....next year mine is taking the bus to HCE and we can wait with an umbrella or in my car for the bus....I don't think I would be able to handle those long lines everytime it rains!

I'm a member of Anytime Fitness and it costs $39 a month. If you'd like to add a spouse to your contract it's an extra $27 a month. I pay monthly. It's a very nice gym. Not too big but I've never had a problem with it being crowded.

[vakinderegg]

Charles stop being so sarcastic. How many times did you have to wait in the line for the elementary school when you have an 8:00 appointment on a rainy day? A 7 minute drive can take a very long time! Try it....and then let me know how you feel...not just how far it is when there is 100+ car ahead of you.

[proudmommy]

Actually, the line for the elementary school looks a lot worse than it is. It moves really fast. I leave my house in Twelve Stones at 7:35 and the kids get to the front of the line at 5-10 minutes before 8:00. I don't think it has ever taken longer than 20 minutes to get through the line, even on rainy days. Still, the bus is a wonderful convenience!

[StubbyDog]

Originally Posted by Charles

One bummer about Hampton Cove is that there are no secular preschools nearby. There is a Montessori but it is all the way over near Grissom High School. I currently have a preschooler at Hampton Cove christian Academy. We're not crazy about the religion but the academic environment is superb. It is also a very clean, well maintained, and safe preschool. It is also extremely convenient as it is located right next door to Hampton Cove Middle and Elementary schools and also right next door to a Huntsville Fire Station - nice to have next door to the schools.

My daughter goes to the Montessori and it's not bad to get her over there. It takes 7 minutes to go "over the mountain", and an additional couple of minutes to get out of my neighborhood. We are very happy with it. She went to HCCA for several months and while I know some who are very happy with it, it was far too religious for us.

We're undecided about where she'll go for K though! I'm anxious to see the new elementary.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by StubbyDog

My daughter goes to the Montessori


She went to HCCA for several months ....it was far too religious for us.

We're undecided about where she'll go for K though! I'm anxious to see the new elementary.

How do you reconcile the Spartan appearance of the Montessori there? I don't think I saw any playground equipment. Wouldn't we expect to see something for the kids to get exercise on? Otherwise I have heard nothing but good things about the place.

Parent Reviews of Montessori School of Huntsville - Huntsville, Alabama - AL

I can relate. I work near UAH and I have seen several (what look to be) secular preschools in those neighborhoods. Conceivably, I could drop the kid off in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon but that might be too long of a day and it would be a schlep for my wife to pick her up mid day.

I can't imagine the new elementary will be anything but excellent.

I heard that it used to be Hampton Cove Academy and they changed the name to HCCA. I wonder if making it a religious school (HCA to HCCA) had any tax benefits for them. My kid still goes there but the guy who runs the places just seems....can't put my finger on it....He's a real salesman for sure.

[StubbyDog]

Originally Posted by Charles

How do you reconcile the Spartan appearance of the Montessori there? I don't think I saw any playground equipment. Wouldn't we expect to see something for the kids to get exercise on? Otherwise I have heard nothing but good things about the place.

Parent Reviews of Montessori School of Huntsville - Huntsville, Alabama - AL

I can relate. I work near UAH and I have seen several (what look to be) secular preschools in those neighborhoods. Conceivably, I could drop the kid off in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon but that might be too long of a day and it would be a schlep for my wife to pick her up mid day.

I can't imagine the new elementary will be anything but excellent.

I heard that it used to be Hampton Cove Academy and they changed the name to HCCA. I wonder if making it a religious school (HCA to HCCA) had any tax benefits for them. My kid still goes there but the guy who runs the places just seems....can't put my finger on it....He's a real salesman for sure.

There is a playground in the back of the Montessori on Blevins Gap with swings, several play houses, a slide/climbing structure, a sandbox, tricycles, etc. It's not a great play area and could use some updating, but it's pretty large and the kids all seem to have a good time. They are outside whenever the weather allows. The other campus of the Montessori on Chaney Thompson is more modern and has better facilities, but is a much longer drive for those of us in Hampton Cove.

I don't think the Montessori is "perfect", there are things I wish were a bit different. But I do love the exposure that they give to different cultures, the respect and kindness that they seem to promote in the children, and the teaching method works very well for my daughter. One of those reviews you linked to is by me ...and let me just say that I don't understand the other commenter who said that the "work is too hard" for her 4 year old...since Montessori allows each child to work at their own pace, that comment makes very little sense to me. And I'm not sure why it's a negative to not let the kids have sweets, but maybe that's just me.

It IS expensive.

[GretelB]

We pay about $60 a month at anytime fitness, but we did have to sign a year contract. I find it worth it. The equipment is really nice and have individual TVs on them so you can watch whatever you want. Plus, it is convenient and never very crowded. I checked out the gyms on the other side of the mountain.. they are nice but you have to make the drive. I would probably recommend the YMCA (either downtown or the one in Southeast Huntsville) if you want a more "full service" gym.

I read some discussion at one point that they may put in a Huntsvill Hospital wellness center over by where the walmart is in HC... but given how quickly THAT project is going I would not hold my breath!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by GretelB

We pay about $60 a month at anytime fitness,

That sounds really expensive, and since they are the only game in (that part of) town, they get away with it.

Here's what my wife used in Colorado Springs; Fitness 19, $19/month (may have gone to $21), no commitment (month to month) and $1/hour per kid for child care.

Fitness19 - Home