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I have to agree with you about where you chose to settle. Meridianville has only just recently started seeing some expansion. You would have probably been happier in Madison or Harvest/Monrovia area, where things are more convenient, especially with Clift Farms, Bridge Street, Midcity, Town Madison opening up. I have lived in both the Harvest area and now just east of Athens, and I find anywhere I want to go eat is very convenient. Meridianville is getting some growth lately, but I don't know that it will ever get the kinds of things you are looking for.
We aren't hockey fans. UAH has some good basketball. But we are mainly football fans, and for that you will have to go to Tuscaloosa or Auburn, although I think if you can get into USFL/XFL, tickets for Birmingham are pretty plentiful and inexpensive (Go Stallions!)
Yes, exactly right. The OP probably should have moved to the west side of town, Madison or the Hwy 72 area. I love living in Madison, and it's far from rural like the Hazel Green/Meridianville area. That area is growing residentially, but it's nothing like the west side. As it is, I can typically get to downtown in 15 minutes.
Much of the issue here can be blamed on lack of proper highway infrastructure. And that's probably not going to change much since ALDOT seems to be actively trying to stymie growth in this area because they don't want it overshadowing its pets like Birmingham and Montgomery. Huntsville failing to be "exactly Southern", and certainly not Deep South, may have a lot to do with that attitude. But they don't mind accepting our tax dollars.
We're going to the Fab 4 (Beatles band) concert in the concert hall Saturday night, while at the same time there's a Rumours (Fleetwood Mac tribute band) in the Mars Music Hall, and a Havoc game in the main arena. We'll have to leave home around 6 for a 7:30 concert in order to get a decent parking spot in the garage across the street.
One thing the OP might try is getting tickets to the Broadway Theater League plays. They're top notch off-Broadway productions and are held in the concert hall. The capacity there is about 2500 and no steep inclines to attempt to traverse. And seats are comfortable. Lots of concerts are held in that smaller venue as well. We really enjoy the Mars Music Hall concerts, especially when the floor area has seating set up. Too old for "mosh pits". Seating at the tables upstairs is nice but hard to get unless you buy well in advance.
My husband and I looked at Harvest but ended up going where we are now. Monrovia, we never heard of until after we got here. Meridianville appealed to us, at the time, because we both work on the northern side of Huntsville and it seemed like Meridianville was a pretty direct commute north of the city. That part has proven true, though I wish we were a little closer to our jobs than 25-30 minutes both ways.
There's certainly a ton of new houses in Meridianville and Hazel Green, and more being built, but it's still much more rural than we thought and it seems like most of the new business development has been fast food restaurants. I don't get why one stretch in Hazel Green has a Culvers, Wendys and Whataburger, and they've all gone up in the last year. Why not build some good sit-down/non fast food restaurants?
The biggest things that part of Madison County are lacking - in my opinion - are a good movie theater, some sit-down restaurants that are not fast food, and good retail along the lines of Bridge Street or Park Place. It also seems ripe for something like an Ace Hardware, there's really no hardware stores up that way with Lowes and Home Depot both in Huntsville.
With what we know now, I agree that Harvest, Monrovia or Madison probably would put us in a better spot geographically.
What do you think the future holds for Meridianville and Hazel Green? You'd think some better stuff would move in there with all the new houses getting built.
It will continue to grow, and outgrow itself, and will be badly in need of proper highway/freeway but that's not gonna happen. Huntsville is unlike any other place in the state in that it typically has to pony up 50% of road construction funding.
I think our perception from 800 miles away was that Meridianville/Hazel Green was a suburb along the lines of what we know Madison to be now.
Alabama was completely new to us. We had never been, didn't know anyone here, and sometimes, it seems like when you are well-intentioned and watch things from afar, you still don't have the right perception of things like location.
I'm glad we have a rental house we both like, in a quiet, clean neighborhood, but it is tough to be as far out as we are. Is there anything our way that's worth checking out? Tate Farms looks like it has some fun things in the fall.
We also kicked the tires on a house in Owens Cross Roads before moving here but thought it was too far south, from our 800 mile away view, when we both had jobs in north Huntsville.
Yes, exactly right. The OP probably should have moved to the west side of town, Madison or the Hwy 72 area. I love living in Madison, and it's far from rural like the Hazel Green/Meridianville area. That area is growing residentially, but it's nothing like the west side. As it is, I can typically get to downtown in 15 minutes.
Much of the issue here can be blamed on lack of proper highway infrastructure. And that's probably not going to change much since ALDOT seems to be actively trying to stymie growth in this area because they don't want it overshadowing its pets like Birmingham and Montgomery. Huntsville failing to be "exactly Southern", and certainly not Deep South, may have a lot to do with that attitude. But they don't mind accepting our tax dollars.
We're going to the Fab 4 (Beatles band) concert in the concert hall Saturday night, while at the same time there's a Rumours (Fleetwood Mac tribute band) in the Mars Music Hall, and a Havoc game in the main arena. We'll have to leave home around 6 for a 7:30 concert in order to get a decent parking spot in the garage across the street.
One thing the OP might try is getting tickets to the Broadway Theater League plays. They're top notch off-Broadway productions and are held in the concert hall. The capacity there is about 2500 and no steep inclines to attempt to traverse. And seats are comfortable. Lots of concerts are held in that smaller venue as well. We really enjoy the Mars Music Hall concerts, especially when the floor area has seating set up. Too old for "mosh pits". Seating at the tables upstairs is nice but hard to get unless you buy well in advance.
We moved 10 mi. north of Hwy 72 in the Toney area, and we love our neighborhood. We don't enjoy putting our life on the line every time we cross Hwy. 53 with a total lack of traffic management. The State plans on extending the 4 lane a whopping 2 miles to Harvest Road at a cost of $20 million. That's it, with 15 miles of dangerous 2 lane roads remaining to Ardmore. Montgomery doesn't seem to realize all of the commerce that's delivered by Hwy 53 out of Nashville starting at 3:00 a.m.--a solid train of heavy trucks delivering food, etc. A 4 lane highway expansion might just bring a Walmart, Kroger and/or restaurants that the NW Madison is badly in need of.
Speaking of the northwest quadrant of Madison County: Much is being spent on roads throughout the county, however there's only plans to 4 lane Jeff Road 2.5 miles to Douglas Road. That's it. There are huge subdivisions presently being built north of Madison and Cliff Farms, and I'm talking 300 to 400 house neighborhoods all over the place. We're looking for a new elementary school construction to begin on McKee Rd., but I see nothing going on. Where are all the kids going to school from the new neighborhoods with houses being built? We need roads 4 laned out here that are extremely heavily traveled presently.
Heck, I'd just be happy if the County Highway Department would restripe and replace missing reflectors on Wall-Triana Highway. With not a street light for miles, we cannot even see the road after dark.
We're certainly glad you're here, and that you found the local job market to be so good. Madison County is simply one of the most dynamic job markets of any under city 500,000 folks. The unemployment rate simply cannot be lower than is here. We just hope you've not underestimated this place and the incredible number of scientists and engineers that keep this place moving. We're considered one of the smartest cities in the U.S.--if not the world.
Most cities this size would be proud to be on the circuit that brings in opera, Broadway shows and many first rate music stars. The new amphitheater is truly a special place, and we hope you take in the entertainment being booked there for the summer. We take it for granted, but North Alabama has an incredible talent pool with musicians, music writers and singers in some of the biggest groups in the industry. Muscle Shoals is only 70 minutes west, it also has an incredible music and theatre scene on its own. Their Summer Stock is simply the best and where we subscribe to.
I know you're from the Midwest, and home is home. But this region has an incredible number of great cities with so much to offer. Nashville's one of the most happening places in the U.S., and I can be sitting downtown in 75 minutes. They have the Titans and the Predetors for sports. Chattanooga is 90 minutes with an active Summer concert schedule. Atlanta is 3 hours, and it's one of the big, dynamic cities with all professional sports. If you want entertainment, Franklin, Tennessee is just 65 miles up I-65 from Ardmore, and they have one of the best amphitheatres in the U.S. Top talents in the world are often booked there. Justin Timberlake put on a music festival there last year bringing in 80,000 spectators--for free. And don't forget about mountains--in East Tennesse and North Georgia with incredible scenery.
I'm here because of the low cost of living--and the fabulous Tennessee River where I have a second home. Guntersville Lake is 40 mi. southeast, and it's the holy grail of Largemouth Bass. The town is absolutely beautiful with its islands and Sand Mountain running beside the lake. And they have more great restaurants than you can imagine.
If you're bored living here, you need to get out and take advantage of all that's on your doorstep. I would love to visit the Jack Daniels Distillery again, however we're just too busy doing other things right now. They have a great barbeque festival in Lynchburg in October. And horse shows are all over southern Middle Tennessee--including the Walking Horse Festival.
You think of Huntsville, Alabama as a "smaller metro," but North Alabama is almost part of the Middle Tennessee Megapolis. North Alabama is not rural, but solidly populated with a bunch of medium size communities. There's a whole lot more people within 2 hours of here than you'll find in Oklahoma and Nebraska. And we are also within one day's drive from 1/2 the population of the U.S.
I know you live north of town, but Huntsville has a whole lot more high line restaurants than I care to eat at. I see them talked about online all the time. But we're surrounded by towns with really decent restaurants of all kinds. Nashville has 2,550 restaurants--more than in the entire State of Tennessee combined.
It sounds as if you'd prefer to live a little closer to Huntsville. Maybe Jones Valley would have been a better place for you--one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. But I bet you like your property taxes--or lack thereof. Your property taxes if you were back in Omaha would have probably been 400%, 500% or more than Alabama property taxes. Snow removal is expensive.
We just hope that as the weather goes into spring and summer that you get out and find all this region has to offer within a 1/2 day's driving distance. This is a place where a staycation is a real vacation.
A lot of people are making good points. As the weather warms up, you'll find more events start popping up .. Panoply, baseball games, soccer games, Concerts in the Park every Monday night during the summer (very popular), concerts at Lowe Mill, Art Walk on the Square, etc.
The good news is that you're just renting. When I have clients who are moving here from out of town and don't know much about our area, I always recommend that they rent for at least 6 months. That gives them time to drive around on the weekends and figure out what part of North Alabama appeals to them the most. And that's what you're learning about your current location .. that it might not be for you.
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Originally Posted by midwestmover740
Country especially. We saw Luke Combs and Zac Brown in OKC, along with Keith Urban in separate shows. Older stuff like Elton John, who we saw back east, was one of the all-time best shows we've been to. We also do some Christian shows like King & Country.
King and Country were just at the Orion last May. I saw Stevie Nicks there on Halloween of 2022. It's a great facility. Hopefully, you'll find someone performing there this year that appeals to you.
Check out some of the local college sports. I've had fun attending some basketball and stick sports contests at UA-H.
For football, from the Hazel Green area you are within reasonable day trip range for MTSU, UNA, and Jacksonville State, all of which have fair to decent football and not bad tailgating scenes (though I think Jac State has the better team of those three at the moment).
It's also fun to check out events at some of the smaller schools in the area like Oakwood, or the nearby schools just over the border in TN like UT-Southern or Sewanee. I'm a little biased about Sewanee having gone to school there but the campus is beautiful and the football field is one of the oldest still in regular use dating from the late 1880s.
It's possible, if you don't mind a long day, to day trip up to Nashville for Titans games. For the Preds, I'd agree that you have to be willing to do overnight trip.
Some very solid advice and discussions.
As I started reading this thread, I grew irritated and then settled down as others expressed their opinions that seemed to match mine.
Yes, this isn't like your last place and given the distanced moved, I don't think you could expect it to be. You can adapt, many of us have and learned over time to appreciate the place. I grew in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area and was more than happy to land here but it did take some time to get use to the differences.
Apparently you are renting. Spend the next nine months finding the best place for the two of you and move. Consider yourself lucky for not buying a home in an area you don't like. Decide what is more important; commute travel time or entertainment travel time. Move, its simple.
Yes, the VB isn't great. Now what? Your place was much better. Okay. I forgot who made the point about the Havoc and its popularity. It was spot on. If you could get ice seats then likely the crowd was bad and you'll complain about the lack of good hockey.
College football. Hmmmm. Half the state is still stunned and in mourning that Saban retired. Spring practice will soon be starting and that should jump start the usual fanatic hysteria. I would suggest attend a game at both Auburn and Tuscaloosa. The whole game........ to include the tailgating six hours before the game and the four hours after the game. I know you think you know what college football is but you really don't. Your Oklahoma boys will soon find out as they embark in the SEC. While you are at it, take in a race at Talladega. Everybody should experience it once.
Restaurants; well we are plagued with too many of the standard fast food and nationwide places. However, there are many regional and Huntsville only places that our outstanding. Sounds like you're DINKs so I would suggest making a night out of it downtown each Friday & Saturday and pick a place to eat and figure it out from there. Don't forget Campus 805, Stovehouse, Lowe Mill (already mentioned), Cliff Farms, Towne Madison, and Mid City.
There are many nice hiking trails (so I've been told) and there is boating on the Tennessee or Guntersville Lake. If the VB stairs are too tough for you then these may not be options.
Country especially. We saw Luke Combs and Zac Brown in OKC, along with Keith Urban in separate shows. Older stuff like Elton John, who we saw back east, was one of the all-time best shows we've been to. We also do some Christian shows like King & Country.
Orion gets a good mix and certainly some country. I think you'll enjoy. In 2 years they've gotten Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Emmylou, Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney, Hank Williams Jr., Old Crow, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride, as well as "older" stuff like Stevie Nicks, Robert Plant, Doobie Brothers. Thankfully not only country and old stuff though, haha!
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Seating at the tables upstairs is nice but hard to get unless you buy well in advance.
