Tell me about Bluff Park (Birmingham, Hoover: homes, neighborhoods, tenant)

[KarenLou]

In searching various threads here, I've seen a number of comments on Bluff Park mentioning things like it having "a different feel" than the rest of Hoover, or it being "fun and eclectic" or "having a good quality of life." Can anyone speak a little more to that. I'd like to know more. Thanks!!!

[BamaDave]

I've always liked Bluff Park a lot. It straddles Shades Mountain, so it's very hilly, which gives the area a nice setting and character. There are homes of various ages, so there are plenty of older shady neighborhoods that contrast with many of the newer sections of Hoover where developers have cut out a lot of the beautiful woods and crammed in homes. It's very convenient to shopping and downtown Birmingham.

[raj kapoor]

It is a great location to get around the whole city. Equally distant to diverse shopping. Bluff Park is much older than Hoover so it has the character, on top of Shades Mountain, of a well developed older community. I doubt most people who live up there ever say they live in Hoover, just like people like me in Cahaba Heights never mention Vestavia Hills. We were just a way for them to get Liberty Park. (another story)
Frankly, BP is on of the best areas of the whole metro and offers diverse accomadations and prices.
Good luck,
raj

[jakabedy]

I agree with what the others have said. You get the benefit of Hoover schools, but you're out of the sprawl and subdivision madness of the newer sections of Hoover. There is every kind of home up there that anyone could want, from inexpensive little post-war cottages, to 60s-70s ranches, to mansions overlooking the valley.

It has a couple little shopping areas along Shades Crest Road that could be more of a draw than they are with a different tenant mix. It also has a central-ish shopping/office area that could also use a little love. So it's not the equivalent of, say, Homewood (with the bustling downtown and the Edgewood shopping area). But I think that's OK, because the area offers a little more privacy than Homewood, so is less about seeing and being seen. There is a nice park and a community pool, but it seems someone told me there is a waiting list (or something) to join the pool. So you'd have to check on that.

[KarenLou]

Thanks for the responses. I find this all very interesting, and helpful as we contemplate our move to Birmingham.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

It is a great location to get around the whole city. Equally distant to diverse shopping. Bluff Park is much older than Hoover so it has the character, on top of Shades Mountain, of a well developed older community. I doubt most people who live up there ever say they live in Hoover, just like people like me in Cahaba Heights never mention Vestavia Hills. We were just a way for them to get Liberty Park. (another story)
Frankly, BP is on of the best areas of the whole metro and offers diverse accomadations and prices.
Good luck,
raj

Vestavia Hills annexed Liberty Park several years before they annexed Cahaba Heights, mid 90s for Liberty Park, 2001 for Cahaba Heights. Cahaba Heights residents preferred a Vestavia annexation over Mountain Brook because Mountain Brook wanted to annex commercial areas only and leave residential areas behind.

As for Bluff Park, a wonderful area, was fairly well developed during my days at Samford (late 70s, early 80s) in the days when Hoover wasn't much more than the area on 31 around the old Hoover Mall (pre 459 and Riverchase Galleria). Very much the same feel as parts of Vestavia Hills and Homewood. Glad to hear it is still a desirable area.