Russell deBusk, one of Birmingham Southern drama students who burned down the rural churches "for fun," is from Hoover. I thought it was more middle-class than what is being decribed on this thread. He lived in Russet Woods--is that near this barrio area?
Hoover is a fairly high-falutin' place ... upper middle class at least ... though the invasion may have brought it down a notch.
Hoover is a generally upper-middle class suburb, with a population of approximately 70,000. The area described here is definitely the bad part of town, but the rest of it is very nice. I live there and feel quite safe.
It is a very interesting situation. The barrio area is mostly confined to the Lorna Road area, and some area apartment complexes that line that road.
Just a few miles away you will find the community of Riverchase, in Hoover, with million dollar homes. A million buys a lot of house in Hoover. Bart Starr lives in Riverchase.
The Russet Woods community is a few mile further down the road, still in Hoover, but economically between the Lorna Road Barrios and the millionaires of Riverchase.
Most homes in Russet Woods would be described as "upper-middle" class. And all this is in Hoover, which is next to Vestavia Hills, which is next to Mountain Brook, which is next to Birmingham as the crow flies.