[happy7]

I live in Washington DC which is very crime infested, gang infested and the public schools are a tragedy. I honestly believe even Montgomery's worst would be an improvement on the conditions we are existing in now.

I am originaly from Florence, Alabama but there are no jobs or public transportation there. I am fed up with the high cost of living here in DC and the poor living conditions. I am a low paid Federal employee and am willing to throw my career here out the window in order to live somewhere that is at least halfway decent where I can raise my kids. We are not wealthy but a poor hard working family looking for a better place to live.

My kids were raised in Florence Alabama and have not fell prey to the gangs, the crime or violence here in DC because of their Christian background.

Where in Montgomery can I find cheap rental housing that's not in the middle of a brawling ghetto, which is where what we are in now in Washington DC? We need to find low rental housing in Montgomery. This is our all or nothing attempt at getting out of DC and re-establishing back in Alabama.

[Bravo35223]

Hi Happy:

Glad to hear you are coming back....

The nicest area of the Montgomery area is Prattville - across the Alabama River to the North on I-65.. It is one of the oldest towns in Alabama and has become one of its newest suburbs...therefore it still has its original town center and now has a lot of nice retail on the highways and good schools. These are also the best public schools in the Montogmery area.

Prattville, Alabama (AL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

Before looking anywhere else in Montgomery try your hardest to get a place in Prattville....I think you will be very glad you did...one of our employees lives there and his daughter is on an outstanding youth swim team....

Many of the managers from the new Hyundai plant live there too....

[Southlander]

If you need public transportation, make sure Prattville has it. Most suburban areas do not. No area in Alabama has much public transportation. A car is a necessity here.

[urbups]

I have never lived in Montgomery but it is part of my territory for my job. I go there 1 to three times per month and go through the various neigborhoods and actively notice things in the neigborhoods because it is a beautiful city that retains a lot of its historic character. If I was serious about living in a smaller city than Bham (and decided I could deal with the summer humidity) I'd consider Montgomery.
The areas of the city that seem "ghetto" (i.e. boarded up buildings and houses, lots of trash, graphitti on buildings, etc) are relatively small as a percentage of the city. Based on looks, Capitol Heights and the surrounding area has lots neat yards and well taken care of older homes with great historic character. The area south of downtown that can be seen from the highway junction of I-65 and I-85 looks rough and underdeveloped.

[hoppysing]

I lived in Montgomery for 2 years and moved to AZ recently for family reasons. Montgomery has many things to like. However, if you are looking for a crime free area, Montgomery is not it. Stay away from the South side and the West side. Crime is heavy in these areas. The east is the newer area and seems to be less crime prone. Pratville is a nice place 10 miles away from the government jobs in downtown Montgomery.

The one issue I have with Montgomery is that they are still in the Civil Rights era and will not turn loose of past grievances to allow their town to evolve. It is too bad that now the discrimination of Black against White reminds one of the White against Black of 50 years ago. This is especially prevalent among young Black kids. It is too bad because progress can not come until all discrimination is stopped in this town.

[Reactionary]

Have you consided transferring with your Federal job to Huntsville? BRAC is bringing thousands of jobs to HSV. There is no real public transportation but housing is cheaper than DC. Plus it's a lot closer to Florence.

BRAC To Huntsville Alabama

I've lived in WDC a couple of times. It's not very kid friendly (or adult friendly for that matter), but I did have some great experiences there.

[ShellsNJam]

I think you would be in luck here with a rental. There are tons of rental properties b/c of the military base - people come here, buy a house, leave, and rent it out. As for affordable places - I think there are several areas that are not considered "ghetto." Cloverdale area of dwntn, E Mtgmy, Prattville, Millbrook. An above poster mentioned this, but I would veer away from South/West Mtgmy. As with all cities, they all have areas of crime and even in the best cities, the possibility of getting mixed up in the wrong crowd. I believe that employment is ample here with an opportunity for most people who really want to work. Good luck!

[MullinsCurve]

I wouldn't put a lot of effort into living in Montgomery, you'd better off going to Prattville, Millbrook and towns around it or the area around Wetumpka. I live out from Wetumpka and drive in, takes me about 20 minutes.

[marcellinadiggs0173]

i am originally from maryland

Originally Posted by happy7

I live in Washington DC which is very crime infested, gang infested and the public schools are a tragedy. I honestly believe even Montgomery's worst would be an improvement on the conditions we are existing in now.

I am originaly from Florence, Alabama but there are no jobs or public transportation there. I am fed up with the high cost of living here in DC and the poor living conditions. I am a low paid Federal employee and am willing to throw my career here out the window in order to live somewhere that is at least halfway decent where I can raise my kids. We are not wealthy but a poor hard working family looking for a better place to live.

My kids were raised in Florence Alabama and have not fell prey to the gangs, the crime or violence here in DC because of their Christian background.

Where in Montgomery can I find cheap rental housing that's not in the middle of a brawling ghetto, which is where what we are in now in Washington DC? We need to find low rental housing in Montgomery. This is our all or nothing attempt at getting out of DC and re-establishing back in Alabama.

so how long have you lived in DC

[Three Rivers Recon]

Chekc out my blog, <A HREF="http://threeriversrecon.com/">Three Rivers Recon</A>. I write it for relocators to the Montgomery area (Montgomery, Prattville, Pike Road, etc.) who need to know more about neighborhoods, schools, and activities here. If you have a question I have not answered in a post, let me know and I'll do my best to find the answer for you.

Like someone already said, because of the military presence in Montgomery, there is a lot to rent here in the River Region. If school-age kids are a factor, then find a school first and let that choice determine where you rent.

Three Rivers Recon