Thinking of moving to Huntsville - What is it like - Really (Decatur: buy, good schools)

[militaryspouse-retired]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

Try California...

Thanks bmrisko, we would if we could afford it. We barely were able to scrape by in California when we lived there in the 80s, & that was with 2 paychecks & no kids!

[bmrisko]

Originally Posted by militaryspouse-retired

Thanks bmrisko, we would if we could afford it. We barely were able to scrape by in California when we lived there in the 80s, & that was with 2 paychecks & no kids!

Yea, the COL there is astronomical.

[steveb1047]

i am considering moving to huntsville within the next 10 months...i am older (59) soon to retire and i am single...looking for a good location in huntsville for arts and museums....kids are not part of my equation...i am from syracuse and need to stop shoveling snow 7 months out of the year...any thoughts of where in huntsville to live and work...must be a wet area...

[Reactionary]

steveb1047 - first off, Huntsville is wet (annual rainfall = 58", compare to Seattle at 36") and in addition to rivers and lakes, we've got numerous creeks, springs, and swamps. Oh, did you mean drinking? HSV is wet for liquor, beer, and wine (except for retail sales on Sunday - restaurants / bars can serve).

Instead of shoveling snow in the Winter, we shovel pollen in the Spring. Seriously, lawn work may replace snow shoveling - we have a long growing season.

Don't expect 'plural' for many things. We do have a few museums in the area (Art, Space, Childrens, Veterans, Noritake China). We have a few venues for arts (music, dance, theater, visual).

I suggest the historic areas downtown like Five Points / Twickenham / Old Town or historic Merrimack Mill; close-in neighborhoods like Blossomwood or Medical District; Monte Sano if you like hiking. Don't expect urban housing like brownstones.

You will need a car.

[Keeper]

I agree with Reactionary if you expecting a lot of entertainment you are going to be disappointed. There are a lot of spring and fall festivals and a few Broadway shows every year. You are close enough to Nashville and/or B'ham for some shows.

If you are going to retire it is a great place to live IMO. You have 4 seasons. It does get hot in the summer but it doesn't last forever.. You have the Tn River and Lake Guntersville if you like boating.

[clamoore]

I might add, as a resident of the Merrimack Mill Village, that Merrimack Hall is an easy walk from anywhere in the Village. You can look up the schedule of events for the Hall. There is an interesting array of productions. Also, you can take a cab to anywhere downtown for under $5. I don't know for sure, but Bridgestreet and Parkway Place should be in the same $ ballpark. Hopefully, in the future, bikepaths and greenways will provide a safe/picturesque thoroughfare to the Downtown area.

[y8tiger]

clamoore,

I've noticed that quite a few people on this forum live in Merrimack Mill Village and Five Points. Do you all rent the Merrimack Mill Village Duplexes I've seen advertised? If so are they decent and is the neighborhood safe for children? If so I might consider them a viable alternative to apartments.

[clamoore]

We own a house in Merrimack. I have not lived in any of the duplexes, so I don't have any first-hand experience with them. Rumor has it that the maitenance on some of the duplexes has been lacking for years. Some others have been well cared for. You would probably do better in Five Points for rentals.
Safety is not a concern for us. I have a wife and child and I don't fear for their safety. We walk around the neighborhood at night and feel secure. One thing to keep in mind, our neighborhood has an interesting mix of people. We have all ranges of the socio-economic scale. Very cool, in my opinion. You would be fine. There are 10 kids below 6 within a four block radius. No problems. We just had a block-wide Easter Egg hunt yesterday afternoon. Like everywhere, you have to be mindful of where your kids are. If you do this, all is well.

[Zeuasdaddy58]

What about the nuclear power plant?Any safety issues???!

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Zeuasdaddy58

What about the nuclear power plant nearby,anybody have concerns?

No concerns whatsoever. I never even think of it being there.