Posted on 10/11/2011 10:13:07 AM PDT by kosciusko51
I work for an engineering company that would like me to relocate to Huntsville AL from the Pittsburgh PA area. It is a big decision for my wife and I. I grew up near where I currently live and my extended family is nearby. Other than one co-worker and a few business acquaintances, I know no one in the Huntsville area.
Are there any locals that can give me advice on the area? Schools, churches, neighborhoods, activities, places to avoid, etc?
Thanks,
K51
Don’t beleive the hype from the “Hrelp” you’re getting here.
Huntsville is the finest city in the state. They have the best schools, highest average income and a real estate market that has at least wethered the storm hit nation-wide so, if you move again, your odds of selling your home are very high.
I would recommend the Madison County School district. Bob Jones High School is consistently one of the highest rated high schools in the state.
Also, homes west of town in the Harvest and County Line areas are very nice.
RLTW
Best move I ever made (other than my wife of course.
Best move I ever made (other than my wife of course.
Here’s my best advice: Learn to say Roll Tide Roll early and often! Roll Tide! and welcome to the Heart of Dixie!
Go for it.
I’ll pass on your comments to my family who live in Monroeville - they’ll appreciate the thoughts!
Yankees come to visit, Damn Yankees come to Live.
Welcome from another Damn Yankee (moved here in 1983). A lot of great areas to live around here. Madison (kind of a HSV suburb) has really exploded and is still building.
Have the local newspaper mailed to you. This will give you insight as the the neighborhoods to avoid, the local political climate, things to do, as well as the flavor of the area.
Make sure that you purchase or rent a house with a storm cellar.
A lot depends on your expectations and your age. If you are in your 30s (or younger), you may be able to adapt to the cultural change and Huntsville will become more like home to you over time (as long as you keep an open mind and embrace the differences!). If you are older, Huntsville could be a place where you live and work, but it won’t be home and you will probably move back to PA within a decade (probably sooner; ESPECIALLY if you make mental comparisons to PA and decide that NOTHING in AL is as good as it is in PA).
Alabama has a lot to offer. It’s NOT (as the liberal media and SNL would have you believe) home to rednecks and idiots. The Goddard Space Center has been there since the 40s and is a foremost space R & D lab. It also has easy access to to the Gulf of Mexico, Georgia, northern Florida and, oh yeah, did I mention the University of Alabama?
I haven’t lived in Alabama for many. many years, but I have traveled the US extensively. You could do much, MUCH worse than Huntsville.
Finally, if your company is paying for the move, jump on it!! You’re getting to keep your job. That’s HUGH, today!!
A lot depends on your expectations and your age. If you are in your 30s (or younger), you may be able to adapt to the cultural change and Huntsville will become more like home to you over time (as long as you keep an open mind and embrace the differences!). If you are older, Huntsville could be a place where you live and work, but it won’t be home and you will probably move back to PA within a decade (probably sooner; ESPECIALLY if you make mental comparisons to PA and decide that NOTHING in AL is as good as it is in PA).
Alabama has a lot to offer. It’s NOT (as the liberal media and SNL would have you believe) home to rednecks and idiots. The Goddard Space Center has been there since the 40s and is a foremost space R & D lab. It also has easy access to to the Gulf of Mexico, Georgia, northern Florida and, oh yeah, did I mention the University of Alabama?
I haven’t lived in Alabama for many. many years, but I have traveled the US extensively. You could do much, MUCH worse than Huntsville.
Finally, if your company is paying for the move, jump on it!! You’re getting to keep your job. That’s HUGH, today!!
That is such a heart warming story, wbill. I think a good judge of an area is how they treat people. It is obvious from your story that they demanded you come to dinner and not be alone on Christmas. You must have felt very blessed that year.
Huntsville is a nice place, especially if you’re an engineer. Very affordable real estate, reasonable traffic, not too far from several larger cities. Madison is a nice area (west side, surrounded by Huntsville) and has good schools. Easy hop to the airport, too.
You are trading UP...big time. Take a moment to thank G-d; then go for it.
I spent literally days using that tool and rent finders to find an area with the best schools in an area I could afford. I found the absolute best fit and moved right to that neighborhood. It was a perfect match. I can tell you now that I have lived here almost 2 years that EVERY area where the school scores were highest are the NICEST areas that you would want to live in and EVERY area where the scores are miserable are the EXACT areas you want to avoid like the plague.
I have been in several places in Georgia and some are downright awful while others are both extremely beautiful with wonderful people. I have not been specifically to Huntsville so I can't give you specific advice, except that if you do move, check out that school finder. Even if you send your kids to private school or homeschool, that tool will find the neighborhood you want to live in.
The Chuck Wagon BBQ, just NE of the airport is a great little hole in the wall place for lunch.
I’ve never lived there, but have friends who do...they love it.
Do you have a son? If so, he wants to help pack!!!
I grew up there and vist frequently. It is a great town and I can’t recommend it highly enough. You will suffer culture shock if you are coming from the North because in Huntsville people actually speak to each other in friendly tones and like each other’s company. It is about as cuturally diverse as you can get but still retains a Southern feel to it, especially once you enter the countryside. It takes about six months to get used to it, then you wonder why more people don’t know about it. Again, pack up never look back.
Learn to shoot, hunt, and fish, then get an Alabama to English dictionary.
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