[Crankybird]

My husband is being transferred to Maxwell AFB for a year-long school. We have family in B'ham but aren't really familiar with Montgomery. We're looking at a rental house about a mile to the east of Jefferson Davis HS. I know East Montgomery is supposed to be "the best" but is the area we're looking at relatively safe?

We don't have children with us so schools aren't an issue. He'll be driving to Maxwell every day and I'll be attending one of the schools in the area (Troy, hopefully). Any tips/tricks for areas/roads to take or avoid?

Any restaurant recommendations? Fun activities for when relatives come to visit? (We're not really the party type - more interested in sight-seeing, good chow, and a wee bit of culture.)

Thank you in advance for any input you can offer!

[WanderingImport]

I'm not as familiar with that area of town as I used to be, but from what I know in the last few years, it's between a good area and a not so good area. I suppose transitional. Old Cloverdale, not so far away, is a nice little neighborhood with a few nice restaurants. Don't know if Tomatino's is still there, but I love their pizza.

As far as activities, you could catch a Montgomery Biscuits baseball game during season. You could also tour the state capitol and Old Alabama town. Just a few suggestions off the top of my head.

[Rob.]

The area directly around Maxwell AFB is in the older section of Montgomery, and is not one of the best areas of town. Montgomery is definitely shifting East, leaving some of the central and Western portions of the city to decay. The city has taken steps to improve some of the main entries into the base in recent years. Nothing to worry about for those commuting to the base, but you would not want to live anywhere outside of the base.

I would highly recommend looking at the city of Prattville, a Northern suburb about 10 miles from the base. Prattville is a very nice community with Southern hospitality and small town charm, but will also have the shopping amenities without driving into Montgomery. The drive to Maxwell from Prattville takes 10-15 minutes depending on traffic (I made this commute for 10 years and it was a breeze). What I would give to have that commute here in DFW!

As for "must see" local attractions, I would suggest going to a Montgomery Biscuits baseball game, or visiting Montgomery's downtown entertainment district (near the ballpark). The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is a must visit, and an icon in Montgomery. Prattville also hosts a wealth of festivals throughout the year.

[Rob.]

As for FOOD! My family still lives in the Montgomery area, so here are a couple of my "must visits" when I go back:

Green Papaya (Montgomery)
Lao and thai food. I have eaten at roughly over a dozen Thai restaurants around the DFW metroplex, and none have been as good as this place. It is my favorite restaurant in the Montgomery metro.

The Fantail (Millbrook)
Two words: deep fried. This place is all about the local gulf oysters IMO. Deep fried deliciousness that is all you can eat. While the thought of a seafood buffet might seem scary (I do not usually like buffets), this restaurant keeps 4-5 people assigned to keeping the buffet clean and stocked. It's expensive though, but very good if you love local seafood.

Mr. Gus' (Montgomery)
Very good Greek restaurant, although the quality of their pizza and calzones started to slide right before I moved. Their baked pasta dishes are delicious, and that baklava!

[point80]

I have a good friend that lived in that area. Are you looking near Vaughn Rd Park? It's a nice area. Racially diverse. Nice homes. You are however close to 'south' Montgomery and lots of petty crime/criminals eminate from there. You will want to invest in a security system. The thing is you would really want to do that out in East Montgomery or Prattville for that matter...for piece of mind. I think you would enjoy that area you are focused on. You would have quick access to the Perry Hill onramp to 85; then just a few minutes to base. You could also take a route straight down Vaughn Rd. And you're close to Cloverdate and downtown. Good luck. We lived in East Mont for 4 years and really enjoyed it.

[Crankybird]

Thank you all SO much for all your advice!

The place we've settled on is off of Fieldcrest in between Vaughn and McGehee Rds. It sounds like a similar situation to what we've got up here in MD - racial diversity and nice homes surrounded by some not-so-nice stuff. We'll talk to the landlord about a security system - we have one up here and I've been glad to have it.

When we last visited Montgomery in 2007 (husband for two months for a school, me for a long weekend to visit him) we heard that you shouldn't stop for red lights outside of base at night - glad to hear that's improved a little bit!

We've definitely heard really nice things about Prattville and seriously considered it - I know a lot of military folks have chosen that area and loved it.

I have to say, I'm REALLY looking forward to being back in the South. I'm originally from Augusta, GA and my husband is from Marietta - and there's just something about the people and the environment that other places can't quite match! (Not to mention the food!!!)

Random aside: The Montgomery Biscuits' mascot cracks me up - I think family and friends will be getting Biscuits apparel for their birthdays next year!

Thank you again for all the advice - it's extremely helpful to have some idea what our new home will be like. (And it's really nice to have some positive thoughts to counter the negativity I've seen elsewhere about the city.)

[giannanne34]

Now i am much less informed about which division of area as i had been, but from precisely what I'm sure in the last several years, it truly is concerning an excellent place and also a low number of beneficial place. Maybe transitional. Previous Cloverdale, low number of a long way away, can be a pleasant small local community having a couple of pleasant eateries. Have no idea of if Tomatino's remains, but I adore his or her lasagna.

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[Eufaula Jim]

The area you've picked is fine, especially for a family on military pay. The area is reasonably safe, and there is still a lot of shopping available in the area. The one really good restaurant I'd recommend is Sinclairs on Vaughn Road. Pricey but really excellent food.

The area around Maxwell AFB is an absolute dump, but stopping at red lights after dark won't get you killed. Most of the violence that does occur to motorists is not people stopping at red lights, it's people who are looking to transact business, if you know what I mean. During the day, the area is OK as long as you're not out taking a long stroll. There's a restaurant called the Wagon Wheel not far from the base that's really not bad as long as you understand you're getting a lot of down home cooking cheap.

Thank your husband for his service. I appreciate it.