Would appreciate an update on where to rent in or near Birmingham? (Montgomery: apartment)

[changinscenery]

Hi folks,

I looked through threads about Where to live in BIRMINGHAM that were at least 5 years old...I know, just in the past 2 years, RENTS have increased in a lot of places in the country. Not to make it too complicated, I want to move to Birmingham or its whereabouts because it "seems" affordable.

I'd like any real advice on best (safest) cities or apt complexes to RENT IN or NEAR Birmingham that are like in the $800 a month range. Though in my 40's as a single female, I've had to spend a lot of time taking care of elderly parents in FL (I'm so glad to get out of Florida) so I'm way behind financially and need good cheap rent because I'll be working to keep myself above water. It would be great to be around 30-40 year olds and such. I feel like I've aged having lived around retirees.

Would appreciate reliable advice. Thank you!

[MinivanDriver]

Hey there. Rents are indeed affordable compared to other cities. That being said, $800 is going to be tough and not wind up in some sketch part of town. That's not to discourage you, because there are bargains to be found. But you'll need to to drive around with Craigslist on your phone and see what passes the sniff test.

[changinscenery]

Thanks for ur reply.

Frankly, I delved again into apartment searching this week for Birmingham, AL. And, I swear, it looks like rent went up AGAIN. It's now at least $900 a month for a decent hole in the wall. I figure by the time I ACTUALLY get out of FL, it'll hit $1000 a month, too much above my range.

These are prices I was seeing for Phoenix AZ three years ago...now they've gotten close to at least $1500 a month, which is a big forget-it.

At this point, I think I'm giving up on Birmingham. I mean if it was a Phoenix AZ that is brimming over with jobs, on top of a regular job, I may have considered it, but I'm not gonna struggle just to live in a city with limited resources...That's the whole problem with FL! Too many cities where you're going to struggle for everything.

I noticed there's no thread on Montgomery, AL. Ironically that seems to have the cheapest rent right now, anyway. The number of "cheaper" rent cities has definitely shrunk since like 6 months ago.