Mt. Laurel - too far? (Birmingham, Hoover: apartment complex, rental, house)

[Morganbc77]

I will be moving to Birmingham for a 6 month project - working downtown.
I have 2 options for housing.

1. Hoover which I understand will be a relatively easy commute.
2. Mt. Laurel, which I understand will be a horrendous commute.

My dilemma is the Mt. Laurel location is an all inclusive GREAT deal. The Hoover location will be about $300 per month more. I'm trying to determine if the monthly savings is enough to justify losing my mind in traffic. According to the few people local people I've spoken with, one says Mt. Laurel is beautiful and well worth the commute. The other person says they would rather get a root canal with no drugs than drive 280 everyday. Any advice?

[Tourian]

That is a long way to drive every morning. I would not commit myself to that. If you are going to be here for 6 mos, you'll have time to visit nice areas like that at your leisure. It won't be any fun having to allow for an hour or more (if things are just normal) for you commute.

[Morganbc77]

Thank you, Tourian! It does seem
a bit far, but I've received such mixed advice, I figured I would get some good information from this forum.

[steveklein]

Will you be by yourself? No kids?

I would think you would be bored to tears in Mount Laurel even without the commute issues. Mount Laurel, and most of the neighborhoods nearby, are geared to families. Very little in terms of entertainment within several miles. I'd go with Hoover.

One caveat... where in Hoover? Hoover is a pretty sprawling community. You've got Greystone which is in Mount Laurel's backyard, and then you've got Lake Cyrus and Ross Bridge which are 30 minutes away from Greystone. And of course a lot in between.

[cpg35223]

Morgan, start by telling us what you enjoy doing the most. That would really help us narrow things down for you.

[Morganbc77]

It's just me...no kids, single 40 yr old professional African American woman.

Thank you for pointing that out. I didn't realize Hoover is so expansive. The Hoover option is an apartment complex called Crown Falls. I believe it's in the Galleria area? They will do a 6 month lease with no extra charge (which I've found to be rare). It's a top floor, corner unit with a garage (also found to be rare). I would need to rent furniture and establish utilities.

The Mt. Laurel option is a carriage house on a homeowner's property. It's furnished and includes all utilities, Internet and cable. The rent on the Hoover option is actually less, but will end up costing more with furniture rental and utilities. Not sure if the commute from Mt. Laurel will be worth the savings.

To the poster who asked what I like to do...Much of my time will be working on the project, but I am a person who NEEDS a peaceful home space. Convenient shopping and grocery options are helpful. I have traveled a lot and my favorite thing to do in a new city and drive and explore. I know I will love seeing the historical places of Birmingham.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Morganbc77

It's just me...no kids, single 40 yr old professional African American woman.

Thank you for pointing that out. I didn't realize Hoover is so expansive. The Hoover option is an apartment complex called Crown Falls. I believe it's in the Galleria area? They will do a 6 month lease with no extra charge (which I've found to be rare). It's a top floor, corner unit with a garage (also found to be rare). I would need to rent furniture and establish utilities.

The Mt. Laurel option is a carriage house on a homeowner's property. It's furnished and includes all utilities, Internet and cable. The rent on the Hoover option is actually less, but will end up costing more with furniture rental and utilities. Not sure if the commute from Mt. Laurel will be worth the savings.

To the poster who asked what I like to do...Much of my time will be working on the project, but I am a person who NEEDS a peaceful home space. Convenient shopping and grocery options are helpful. I have traveled a lot and my favorite thing to do in a new city and drive and explore. I know I will love seeing the historical places of Birmingham.

Gotcha. That helps. The previous poster was right that Hoover sprawls all over the place. And while recent improvements to 280 have helped a great deal, you'll still be behind the wheel a lot, if you're working downtown. I don't want to recommend an area where you'll be living behind the wheel of your car cursing the traffic.

The carriage house out at Mt. Laurel sounds really great. It's out in the country with a small, architecturally planned community surrounding it. So if you like a peaceful setting, Mt. Laurel definitely delivers. My only concern comes if you want to eat at one of our great homegrown restaurants or enjoy some of the city's cultural offerings, it's a trek into town. Not going to lie about that.

Hoover does indeed sprawl. And there are parts of Hoover that will just be congested retail hell. The area around the Galleria and 280 come to mind. Then again, there are parts of Hoover that are close enough in and still offer a good quality of life. Bluff Park comes to mind immediately, as does Ross Bridge. However, I don't know what the rental situation is like.

Another area to consider would be the Forest Park/Highlands section on Birmingham's Southside. It's a graceful neighborhood that's just minutes to downtown, close to lots of restaurants, a kind of artsy part of town and near to a lot of things to do.

Obviously, the short-term rental thing is an issue. But let us know how you're doing. We try our best to help and are glad to narrow down things as much as possible.

[NoleFanHSV]

Just a suggestion...corporate housing might be more convienient for a 6 month lease. Many have apartments already furnished and utilities taken care of.

[Morganbc77]

Thanks again for the advice, everyone.

Re: corporate housing - unfortunately, that's out of the question. The cheapest option would be $1995/month. My range is $1000 - $1200.

I did check out the Highlands area but received advice that it can be hit or miss in terms of safety. I feel like I've searched ad nauseam! The best two options I've found (given my circumstances) are Hoover and Mt. Laurel. Now I need to make a decision and determine if the drive will be too far. Based on this advice, it's looking like Hoover is the better option if I don't want to spent at least 2 hours/day in my car.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Morganbc77

Thanks again for the advice, everyone.

Re: corporate housing - unfortunately, that's out of the question. The cheapest option would be $1995/month. My range is $1000 - $1200.

I did check out the Highlands area but received advice that it can be hit or miss in terms of safety. I feel like I've searched ad nauseam! The best two options I've found (given my circumstances) are Hoover and Mt. Laurel. Now I need to make a decision and determine if the drive will be too far. Based on this advice, it's looking like Hoover is the better option if I don't want to spent at least 2 hours/day in my car.

Not to dissuade you, but I think Highlands is quite safe east of the Red Mountain Expressway. Just something else to consider is all.

Good luck and let us know how else we could help. And, yes, a shame on the Mt. Laurel thing. It's a great area, as long as you're not having to make the commute to downtown.