Dose of Reality in re BRAC (Huntsville, Madison: homes, landscaping, neighborhood)

[tammie2]

Originally Posted by CharlotteRJ

Actually, we sound like we have similar tastes, in restaurants, at least!

Tammie - are you in a development where they can walk to school and a park? If we can't find what we want in town, we'd probably go for a neighborhood like that. Right now, we have two neighbors, and we have to drive 20 minutes to get anywhere. Our town just built a beautiful new park, but it's in a location where not a soul can walk to.

Maybe I'm wanting something different in a downtown than the people who want more than what Huntsville has now.

Since you're from Chicago, have you heard of Freeport? (20-30k people) It's certainly not a haven by any means, but growing up there I had some things that I'd like for my kids. And I know it's not like that there anymore, either. I could walk to school, the library, several parks, the community pool, and a small downtown movie theater. Downtown was small, but it had what you needed.

Another small town downtown that I lived near more recently was Lansdale, PA. Lansdale has less than 20k people, but is also a suburb of Philly. Suburbs can have downtowns! Lansdale had a locally owned hardware store, several breakfast nook type places, a few restaurants, a great spice shop, etc.

Huntsville isn't much smaller than Madison, WI, although Madison certainly has the University to kick the place up a notch. Madison has plenty of night life, and State Street is an incredibly fun place to hang out.

My ideal "downtown" would have a coffee shop, deli, bakery, small hardware store, ice cream parlor, pizza joint, farmer's market once or twice a week, pub, a few local restaurants, indie/small movie theater (ok, that's asking a lot...), corner store where I could pick up milk and a paper (or better yet, a co-op). If not a one of them is a chain I'd be thrilled.

I had cousins(we were raised together) that lived in Beloit and then Roscoe. I lived in Sandwich for elementary and Lisle(smooshed between Naperville and Downers Grove-since no one knows where Lisle is) for middle and high.

I lived in Hatfield and Horsham PA.

I know the charm you are seeking and while you won't find that, you will find a small locally owned hardware store, but you will have to drive there. Friday said it best, it is an area, not a Main St.

I love the grocery options here, they are mostly small chains, I will do my best to get all the ones I know of...Publix, Piggly Wiggly, Star Market, Southern Family Market, Fresh Market, European Market, it seems I am forgetting one, but as you can see, most are small, some are one store only. You will have to drive, but it isn't far. I can be to any of the above in 10 minutes-2 minutes for Publix...and that is if I get stopped at the light. I enjoy the variety this provides. We also have the requisite Walmart and Target...both super of course.

Madison has a great farmers market on Saturdays until 10/24, Scottsboro(a 20 minute drive from Hampton Cove) has a great quaint downtown area, they host a farmers market/flea market type thing in the square many weekends.

I am in the Deford Mill section of Hampton Cove, my kids pass 7 driveways to get to school-and cross no streets. The school has the neighborhood "park" and there are always kids there after school and on weekends. There are several lakes and although I won't let my kids go there alone yet, many of the kids walk there and I have taken the kids several times-a block and a half away. Hampton House is our community recreation center with a clubhouse, olympic sized pool, clay tennis courts, etc(it is beautiful with a lake/golf course setting), that is a bike ride away...I think a mile to a mile and a half. The nice thing here is that there are kids outside ALL THE TIME!! We had kids in our previous neighborhoods, but you would never know it, they were all tucked inside. Here you can see a dozen outside playing just driving a block or two. Two Sundays ago the kids went outside at 11:30AM and only came in to check in until 7PM. The other day they were congregated here in front of my house for a bit, I had 7 kids inside the house when it started to rain, 5 of them I didn't know, now I do Overall I couldn't be happier.

It isn't home, but you can definatly make it home.


There is a house across the street from me for sale

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by tammie2

There is a house across the street from me for sale

Charlotte,

Beware ! Tammie is giving you the "good scoop" on Huntsville just to lure you here. She has not told you about the *** DANGER *** being in Huntsville. I shall enlighten you....

Beware of the red alabama clay, they are dangerous!!! When they're dry, they're hard as rock and it's impossible to dig a hole to plant flowers or trees. Just inches below these innocent looking clay lies hard limestone rocks and just challenge you to dig around them more (why do you think they call this place a "redstone" arsenal in the first place?). When they're wet, they're even worse. Everything they touches turn red, even your driveway. High pressure wash sometime can not get rid of their red stain. I used to have a pair of white sneaker, now I have a pair of red sneaker.

Oh the horror continues.... are you sure you want to move here?

[tammie2]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Charlotte,

Beware ! Tammie is giving you the "good scoop" on Huntsville just to lure you here. She has not told you about the *** DANGER *** being in Huntsville. I shall enlighten you....

Beware of the red alabama clay, they are dangerous!!! When they're dry, they're hard as rock and it's impossible to dig a hole to plant flowers or trees. Just inches below these innocent looking clay lies hard limestone rocks and just challenge you to dig around them more (why do you think they call this place a "redstone" arsenal in the first place?). When they're wet, they're even worse. Everything they touches turn red, even your driveway. High pressure wash sometime can not get rid of their red stain. I used to have a pair of white sneaker, now I have a pair of red sneaker.

Oh the horror continues.... are you sure you want to move here?

Beware, I am evil, just trying to lure you into my lair.

[friday13]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Charlotte,

Beware ! Tammie is giving you the "good scoop" on Huntsville just to lure you here. She has not told you about the *** DANGER *** being in Huntsville. I shall enlighten you....

Beware of the red alabama clay, they are dangerous!!! When they're dry, they're hard as rock and it's impossible to dig a hole to plant flowers or trees. Just inches below these innocent looking clay lies hard limestone rocks and just challenge you to dig around them more (why do you think they call this place a "redstone" arsenal in the first place?). When they're wet, they're even worse. Everything they touches turn red, even your driveway. High pressure wash sometime can not get rid of their red stain. I used to have a pair of white sneaker, now I have a pair of red sneaker.

Oh the horror continues.... are you sure you want to move here ?

HB, you are not completely and brutally truthful: tell them about mosquitoes, snakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat and humidity, HOA non-disclosure, poor road planning, ol' boy network, lack of Neiman, Macys, Cheesecake Factory, Trader Joe, nightlife, french continental brunch, highest airfare out of Hsv airport, desegregation order, HHA and social re-engineering, future MDA and defense jobs etc.

Oh, did I mention we don't have an aquarium or a signature tower?

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by friday13

HB, you are not completely and brutally truthful: tell them about mosquitoes, snakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat and humidity, HOA non-disclosure, poor road planning, ol' boy network, lack of Neiman, Macys, Cheesecake Factory, Trader Joe, nightlife, french continental brunch, highest airfare out of Hsv airport, desegregation order, HHA and social re-engineering, future MDA and defense jobs etc.

Oh, did I mention we don't have an aquarium or a signature tower?

We have hurricanes here? !!! I did not get the memo !!!

I can do without Neiman Marcus, who can afford a $7,000 shirt around here?

Speaking of which, Charlotte; be prepare to put all your FANCY CLOTHES in storage. Here you'll find modesty dress code, most can be found in Walmart. I have not seen women carrying name brand handbag around here (other than my wife ), so handbags from target shall suffice.

[friday13]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

We have hurricanes here? !!! I did not get the memo !!!

I just threw that in there for shock value.
We get drenched in remnant hurricane rain though.

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Speaking of which, Charlotte; be prepare to put all your FANCY CLOTHES in storage. Here you'll find modesty dress code, most can be found in Walmart. I have not seen women carrying name brand handbag around here (other than my wife ), so handbags from target shall suffice.

Yes, the mormon-style pastel dress - the Church here is also fashion police - dress it up, pay it up!

HB, will you join us on the Land Trust trail? Bring your LV backpack for easier identification

[Mawoods]

friday13 Are you with the Land Trust? If so just want to say how much we appreciate the work it does. We love all the trails and the guided hikes. THANKS!!!!!

HB2HSV Our clay down here is red but when we lived in Madison, WI the dirt up there was BROWN CLAY!!! We were shocked - didn't expect it. My husband put in a fence and that stuff would just cling and sit up on his shoes and clothes. APparantly, just a different color. I was always amending the soil up there too. You were in school so you probably were not paying attention to the soil ???And all those rocks up there - we loved them! round from the glaciers. The farmer behind our house would pick them up every spring after the winter rains brought them to the surface. He had a huge pile of at least 20 years worth.

[friday13]

Originally Posted by Mawoods

friday13 Are you with the Land Trust? If so just want to say how much we appreciate the work it does. We love all the trails and the guided hikes. THANKS!!!!!

No, I'm not, I'm just "proselytizing". I don't deserve any credit for their work.

[CharlotteRJ]

I have to admit, that the descriptions of Hampton Cove plus the pictures Charles posted are pretty attractive. I’m used to those neighborhoods being an hour out of the main city, so that might make a difference.


Red clay? Here in SoMD we have HARD packed brown clay. We can’t get a shovel into it – we had to rent a backhoe to do landscaping. And our developer was criminal when it came to the yard – dig up the basement, spread out all of the clay, drive on it over and over and over with heavy equipment, and lay down a half inch of topsoil. ARGH! Lawn? What lawn?


I would actually move back to MadTown in a heartbeat, if there were defense jobs there. Ha!

Mosquitoes – lived in Minnesota. State bird. Nuff said.

Lack of stores – I grew up in central WI
Hurricanes – we get some of the rain here, too. Not nearly as much.
Tornadoes – my town was flattened a few years back. But that was before I lived here. In IL and WI we had multiple warnings per summer. Not like there, natch’.
Poor road planning – traffic? Compared to DC? Hahahaha!

Heat and Humidity – This worries me. I compared Huntsville with Arlington, on weather.com. The summer temps in HSV are supposedly the same, it just lasts longer. Is that true? I prefer more temperate weather, but I’m just wondering if it’s actually that much worse than it is here.


Yeah, I’ve had a lot of homes. I can’t wait to drive around and see if it’s for us. Maybe I’m premature though – husband just applied for the job last week…

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by Mawoods

friday13 Are you with the Land Trust? If so just want to say how much we appreciate the work it does. We love all the trails and the guided hikes. THANKS!!!!!

HB2HSV Our clay down here is red but when we lived in Madison, WI the dirt up there was BROWN CLAY!!! We were shocked - didn't expect it. My husband put in a fence and that stuff would just cling and sit up on his shoes and clothes. APparantly, just a different color. I was always amending the soil up there too. You were in school so you probably were not paying attention to the soil ???And all those rocks up there - we loved them! round from the glaciers. The farmer behind our house would pick them up every spring after the winter rains brought them to the surface. He had a huge pile of at least 20 years worth.

Mawood, you're right. I was in school back then in Madison. The only clay I worry about is when I had to lay down from having too much to drink (which was a graduation requirements back there).

I know you're into gardening and amending soils. Just to let you know that my local friends here offer me as much horse manures as I can take away. So if you have a pick up truck, I'd be happy to take you to get the alabama "brown clay".