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Old 01-27-2008, 05:10 PM
 
22 posts, read 91,065 times
Reputation: 13

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Hi Zennjenn,

I'll be moving, with my husband and toddler, from California to Huntsville in the next few months and I just wondered if you'd want to chat about that area a little bit. I'm a bit nervous and emotional right now, knowing that I'll be leaving all my family behind. It's a very hard decision to leave, but the job offer that my husband got is almost to good to pass up.

Anyway, I was delighted to see that someone else from California just moved to that same area and posted about it. I'd love to hear your feelings about the weather, especially the humidity, and the housing options since we're just starting our search for a real estate agent.

Any info that you'd be willing to share would be greatly appreciated! :-)

Jessica
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Old 01-28-2008, 09:56 AM
 
Location: Huntsville, AL
1,618 posts, read 4,763,444 times
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I'll be happy to, Jessica. Remind me where in California you are from?

My entire family is completely happy here. That said, I've met a few people from California now and not all are as enthusiastic as we are, though I haven't met anyone that's miserable either.

Regarding the weather; we only arrived in October, though it was still unseasonably hot and humid, and we came to visit in August when it was extremely hot and humid. Honestly, I am not terribly bothered by it. I come from the Inland Empire where temps get regularly into the triple-digits in the summer and the sun is constantly beating down.

If I had to do a lot of physical exertion outdoors it would be worse, but since I don't, I prefer the humidity. AC works much better with humid air (where in California, the AC would run nonstop and never fully cool the house during the hottest time of year, and would often blow a fuse and burn out.), And I don't care what anyone says about humidity and perceived temperatures - when clouds roll in and it rains, and there's thunder, and it's balmy - it feels like a respite to me, compared to the ceaseless, glaring sun with no rain all summer and sometimes none in the fall either.

And if you have dry skin problems, the humidity is nice. My husband's skin would get so dry it would crack and bleed - here, his skin has been doing much better. My daughters love that it actually rains, and to splash in puddles, etc. The colder winter is actually a bit more of an adjustment. It's really not THAT cold - it's just that the winter looks deceptively like a California winter, and then you walk outside and realize wait, it's at least 10-20 degrees colder. You need a thicker jacket. And gloves. Etc.

Personally I have found North Alabama to be wonderful weather-wise, because being a California native I've sometimes lamented that the change in seasons is so subtle. Here, the seasons are very distinct, but still mild. To me it is the best of both worlds.

Housing options: there are tons. I'm not even familliar with all of them. The areas we looked at were: south Huntsville, southeast (Hampton Cove area), and Madison. If you want a newer home, you are probably going to be in Madison, Hampton Cove, or far south in Huntsville. If you want to be closer to the center of town, Jones Valley, Blossomwood, and other areas in central Huntsville will put you closer to more shopping etc, but you are probably looking at an older (and more expensive) home. If you want a neighborhood with a really big population of young families, Madison or Hampton Cove area has it.

I personally live in the Hampton Cove area. I like the young families (tons of kids all over the neighborhood the same age as my kids), I like the new homes, and the flat, easy-to-navigate sidewalks for trikes, bikes, and skates. The neighborhoods do have less character, and are less woodsy, but you have to weigh your various desires and needs. I also don't mind driving 10-15 minutes "over the mountain" to get to things. Being from SoCal that drive just doesn't feel like much, especially since the drive is about 10 times more beautiful than driving a California freeway. That said, it was a difficult call for me. There are a lot of REALLY beautiful neighborhoods in some of the more central Huntsville areas. Just woodsy, gorgeous. But in the end, alot of them had precipitously steep streets and driveways, older homes, not as many kids, etc.

Leaving your family behind is not easy, but there are so many transplants here. I have found it so easy to make friends and get involved. Especially as a mom with young kids. Meanwhile my husband is way more in his element socially here, being an engineer. At any social gathering he can easily find several people he can "talk shop" with.

In the end I have to say, I came to Huntsville with a very positive attitude to begin with, but even still Huntsville has been so much less of a culture shock than I expected. I have found the transition smooth and almost effortless.

Anyways, good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
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Old 01-28-2008, 11:21 AM
 
13,768 posts, read 38,044,941 times
Reputation: 10686
Once you look at some different areas, come back and ask questions here. You will get some good honest opinions about schools and traffic etc.
Jenn asked a lot of questions so you might want to check out her posts to see if they are helpful to you and your DH.

I am going to give you just one little bit of advice, having lived in many other cities. No matter where you move, if you look for the good in a place instead of focusing on the bad, you can be happy. I saw too many ppl hate a place the minute they moved in, needless to say, they were never happy the whole time they lived there. The weirdest part is once they left to go to that dream place surprisingly, they then wanted to return to their previous resident where they had been so unhappy.
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Old 01-29-2008, 02:27 AM
 
22 posts, read 91,065 times
Reputation: 13
Default Thanks so much!

Thank you Zennjenn for all the information! It's so comforting to know that someone else is out there who can relate to my exact situation.

I currently live on the Central Coast of California, near Pismo Beach. I absolutely LOVE the weather here, cool temps & ocean breezes, rarely ever goes above 85 in the summer. It's really tough for me to give up a climate that I love, but we're finding it hard to survive in this area on just one income, and being a stay-at-home mom is very important to me. The lower cost of living in Huntsville will allow me to stay home with my daughter and we won't have to struggle. I'm hoping that since all the new homes in Huntsville have A/C, the heat & humidity won't be too big of an issue for me.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Huntsville for the first time, especially the green, lush landscapes that you just don't find here in California.
I imagine we'll be flying out there in the next few weeks or so to scope out the area. Just waiting for a timeline from my husband's company on when we'll be traveling. I have a lot of mixed emotions right now, but I'm excited to be going on a new adventure.

Oh, do you know if there are any Mother's Groups in that area? Or Mommy & Me classes? I currently belong to a Mom's group that has weekly play sessions and field trips. Just wondering if there's anything similar in that area?

Thanks again for all the info! If you're interested in corresponding, Moderator cut: email address I'm sure I'll have more questions as we move forward with our relocation plans :-)

Jessica

Last edited by Keeper; 01-29-2008 at 07:15 AM.. Reason: Removed email address. Send her a Direct Message
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Old 01-29-2008, 06:34 AM
 
Location: Madison, AL
410 posts, read 1,646,428 times
Reputation: 129
The weather along the CA Central Coast is wonderful. (I am also a CA transplant.) Some days I like the fact that Alabama has weather, other days I don't. Overall, I miss the perpetual cycle of spring-summer-rainy season you get in many parts of CA, but then again, I had fun in the snow the other week.

If you are coming out in a few weeks, you won't see any green landscapes here; most everything is dead or dormant now except a few hardy evergreens. The worst of winter is over but spring is still a couple of months off. Come April all the trees will be blooming and it will be very colorful.

Virtually every home in Huntsville is going to have AC, not just the new ones.

Be forewarned that while the cost of housing and many taxes is lower here, you are going to be paying more at the grocery store and in sales tax. When all is taken into account, the cost of living here is significantly lower, but be prepared for some hits on your wallet you weren't expecting.
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Old 01-29-2008, 08:52 AM
 
Location: Huntsville, AL
1,618 posts, read 4,763,444 times
Reputation: 1517
Ah well, you're probably in for more of an adjustment weather-wise than I was.

Nicole is right about the grocery store, but then our utility bills are less than half of what we were paying in California, everything combined - in spite of energy usage for a larger house. And just about everything else has been lower for us, from medical bills to haircuts to movie theater tickets to preschool tuition.

If you move to south Huntsville, I am involved in MOMS Club. I'd be happy to put you in contact with the membership folks once you move here. There is also a MOMS Club in North Huntsville, and another in Madison, but I'm (obviously) not involved with those.

My subdivision also has its own playgroup I am involved with, as do many of the newer subdivisions. You'll find that due to the lower cost of living, there are a LOT more stay-at-home-moms. People just don't need two incomes nearly as frequently in order to maintain the lifestyle they want, or to make ends meet.

The moderator had to cut your e-mail but feel free to send me a direct message on the site.
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Old 01-29-2008, 10:49 AM
 
2,126 posts, read 6,774,288 times
Reputation: 1572
FYI, here are a few kid oriented activities in Huntsville you may be interested in checking out.

Our children's museum complex.
Alabama Museums Alabama Student Trips Alabama Banquet Spaces Huntsville AL Wedding Hall

Our children's science museum.
http://www.sci-quest.org/home/ (broken link)

Gym specifically for small children they do gymnastics, dance, cheer, karate... They have Mommy and Me type classes for ages 3 and under.
The Little Gym – Developmental children’s gyms that will make a difference in your child’s life (http://www.thelittlegym.com/gym/default.aspx?gymid=446 - broken link)

A friend of mine takes her daughter to Emma's Tea Room. They have a "Tea Party" for Mom's and Daughter's like once a month.
Coming Events
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Old 01-29-2008, 11:41 AM
 
13,768 posts, read 38,044,941 times
Reputation: 10686
It is best not to put your email address out for all the world to see or your mail box will be full of spam and unwanted solicitations. You can use the Direct message by clicking on the persons name, selecting send Direct message. At that point you can exchange email addresses.

You have a lot of helpful ppl here so don't be shy about asking questions.
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Old 01-29-2008, 11:48 AM
 
Location: Rocket City, U.S.A.
1,806 posts, read 5,682,957 times
Reputation: 865
Quote:
Originally Posted by rnc76 View Post
FYI, here are a few kid oriented activities in Huntsville you may be interested in checking out.

Our children's museum complex.
Alabama Museums Alabama Student Trips Alabama Banquet Spaces Huntsville AL Wedding Hall

Our children's science museum.
http://www.sci-quest.org/home/ (broken link)

Gym specifically for small children they do gymnastics, dance, cheer, karate... They have Mommy and Me type classes for ages 3 and under.
The Little Gym – Developmental children’s gyms that will make a difference in your child’s life (http://www.thelittlegym.com/gym/default.aspx?gymid=446 - broken link)


A friend of mine takes her daughter to Emma's Tea Room. They have a "Tea Party" for Mom's and Daughter's like once a month.
Coming Events
Thanks for the littlegym link - I had my daughter in My Gym in FL and was about to begin the search here to see if they had a location in Huntsville or other options. A great place for kids to meet and learn.
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Old 02-01-2008, 02:14 PM
 
22 posts, read 91,065 times
Reputation: 13
Default ZennJenn

I sent you a direct message a few days ago. Not sure if I sent it correctly. Did you get it?

Thanks,
Jessica
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