Lake forest area (Huntsville, Madison, Triana: apartments, home, neighborhood)

[rae-zor]

Hey, been reading info about the area but most of t is 2 to 3 years old. Can anyone tell me what everyday life is like in that area? We are building a home there so it won't deter us from moving there, and the schools aren't an issue since we plan to send our son to the Catholic schools. We also will be working in the Research Park area so we dont need the base daily. Looking for more info on how bad the traffic really is. I hear Zerdt is bad but they are widening it, plus it seemed to me anyway, that out of the Lake Forest development you could just go the oposite way of Zerdt to James Record to Wall Trianna. Also interested in knowing if anyone lives in the development, how they like it. I saw there were plenty more lots so theres going to be contruction for a while in there. Thanks!

[lindy112]

I have 3 sets of friends who all live in Lake Forest and they like it very much. Traffic is bad at times around Gate 7, especially with the construction going on there now, but that will eventually get better. My friends also wish Gate 7 was open on the weekends but I don't think that's a huge deal. Personally, there's not enough retail in that area yet for me but, again, that will eventually get better. It's a very nice neighborhood.

[MrBobo]

Going the other way you will be taking James Record Road out to Wall Triana Blvd., and that road is two-lanes all the way. In the morning you will be trying to turn left against incoming arsenal traffic, which will be difficult and/or dangerous, as you won't be able to see towards the right due to traffic, and people traveling towards the airport/jetplex will be driving pretty fast due to being stuck in traffic on Zierdt (arsenal traffic) - after crawling for so long, lots of people stomp on the gas and speed off once they start heading towards the airport on James Record/Martin.

Now, once they redo the gates at Martin Road, then maybe all this will improve.

I think once they widen Zierdt, turning right out of Lake Forest and then going down Zierdt might be a better choice.

[phantomplan]

Hey rae-zor,

It really isn't that bad, especially when you compare it to bigger cities. If you offset when you commute (earlier than 7:30 or later than 8:30 in the morning) as well as evenings, there is very little traffic congestion.

I recommend Zierdt if you're going onto the arsenal, Gate 7 is fairly quick. If you're going to Research Park, go Wall Triana to 565, it beats the heck out of Zierdt.

Now if you do the 8 ~ 5 work day, you will sit in traffic for sure. Madison Blvd, Madison Pike, and Highway 72 are always congested during those times.

[ghett61]

Just to give you a traffic comparison. I currently live in NOVA. I work 8-5 and my commute is 8 miles one way between Fairfax and Reston. It takes me 25-30 minutes in the morning and 30-35 to get home. I lived in Huntsville for 6 years before moving up here. My commute was 22 miles each way and I got to work and home in 25 minutes on a consistent basis. So based on that, traffic is not bad at all. Just a matter of what you are used to and how good your commute music is that morning.

[Big Grumpy]

Traffic is sometimes backed up in the mornings due to arsenal traffic but has never really been a huge issue in preventing folks from exiting the Lake Forest subdivision. I leave the subdivision at different times depending on the week and have never really noticed this being a significant or constant problem. Some days it's backed up past the entrance to the neighborhood and some days it's just backed up to Chadwick Place apartments. Depends on weather, construction activity, and other things but is not typically an everyday occurrence.

On days when traffic is backed up past the entrance, folks in line will generally assist you in making a left turn onto Martin headed toward Wall Triana. And I would definitely recommend taking Martin to Trademark or Wall Triana Blvd and then on to I-565 as opposed to taking Zierdt, especially if you work in Huntsville. You may get down Zierdt some days just fine but you will have problems trying to merge onto I-565 from Hwy 20 (Madison Blvd) just about every day. And that area is about to get worse with the addition of new office space off of Research Park Blvd at the main arsenal gate.

I would also recommend taking I-565 home in the evenings and taking the Wall Triana exit or the Huntsville International Airport exit. You will find that Madison Blvd gets backed up and very congested around the 5 o'clock hour. The Wall Triana exit also backs up for probably a mile or more in the evenings. You can bypass this congestion and continue on a mile down the road and take the airport exit and then make a right onto the new interchange and then follow that around to James Record Road where you'll take a left. James Record turns into Martin Rd which means you just go straight until you come to the Lake Forest entrance.

As far as the neighborhood goes, I'd say it's very quiet and peaceful and a nice place to live.

[rae-zor]

Thanks for the input everyone! Sounds like we'll be fine especially considering what we are used to here.