Roebuck Springs

Driving through this neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama is reminiscent of English country lanes with no sidewalks, no curbs, no gutters.  Just narrow winding lanes that meander the tree covered gently rolling hills.   

This 115 year old neighborhood was the first residential subdivision in the State of Alabama where the streets were geared specifically for cars.  When it was first developed, it was very suburban.  It offered the residents a welcome escape from the dust, soot and heat of the city while giving them easy and quick access to Birmingham.

Roebuck Springs is located in the 35206 area code of Birmingham, Alabama.  It borders I-59 between mile markers 133 & 134 to the north, 4th Avenue south to the west, Roebuck Parkway to the East and 86th Street to the south.

Roebuck Springs was the first neighborhood in Birmingham to be associated with a golf course/country club development (Roebuck Auto and Golf Club now owned by the city and named Roebuck Golf Course).  It was a decidedly upscale neighborhood which boasted Doctors, Lawyers, Judges and business leaders as homeowners.

The majority of the homes built in this subdivision were built on estate sized lots.  The styles of homes included Craftsman Bungalows, English country and Tudor revivals.  Most of the smaller houses were originally built as summer cottages for those who lived in the city but wanted a summer home closeby.  

Still a close and cohesive neighborhood, each year the association hosts numerous parties. One of which is the popular "Pig and Fig" celebration which is held when the numerous fig trees in the neighborhood produce ripe fruit.

At the entrance to this neighborhood at 4th Avenue South and Roebuck Springs Drive, sits Gabrella Manor.

Built in 1938 for furniture magnate Robert Bundy, it was originally called the Bundy House and is a Spanish Revival style with terracotta roof, turreted entryway and numerous patios and terraces.   It sits on over 5 acres and originally had a guest house and an inground pool.  It boasts over 8,000 square feet of living space.  

By 1997, the swimming pool had been filled in and the enormous guest house next door had been sold to a private owner.   The house was long overdue for updates when the current owners bought it, lovingly restored it and opened it as a wedding venue.  Fittingly, the current owners were the first couple to marry at the newly renamed Gabrella Manor.

Nestled in the heart of Roebuck Springs is the Wilson Chapel Methodist church and Cemetery which was opened in 1917 and is still an active church and cemetery.

On Valley Lake Drive in the Roebuck Springs subdivision sits the original Roebuck Springs lake complete with an original grist mill.  It once was the water source for the entire area.  It is 100% spring fed and is now privately owned as part of an 11 1/5 acre estate by the Bourda family who have lived in this subdivision for 4 generations and continue to populate it.

Perhaps due to its size, I am unable to find data as to number of renters versus homeowners or even accurate population numbers.

Often on a boring afternoon, I will drive through this neighborhood.  I always notice something that I missed on previous drives.  I will warn you of one thing.....the lanes in this neighborhood go in circles and intersect often without warning.  The first few times I drove around there, I was lost for an hour in an area that isn't over 20 blocks in any direction.

But on the upside, if a person has to be lost, this would be the area to be lost in.  Beautiful neighborhood.

Historic Southside

The Historic Southside community of Birmingham is situated on the hilly and forested slopes of Red Mountain just south of downtown Birmingham.  It is one of the most densely populated residential neighborhoods in Birmingham and includes the University of Alabama at Birmingham and its adjacent hospitals.  UAB is the state's second largest employer.  According to the Birmingham Business Journal, this community has the highest income growth of any zipcode in the Birmingham metro area.

Because of the international draw of UAB, Southside is the most racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the Birmingham metro area.  Each June southside plays host to the city's annual Gay Pride parade.  According to walkscore.com southside has 2 of the top 3 most walkable zipcodes in the metro area.

Anywhere you live in this community, you are only blocks away from a specialty grocery store, coffee shop, bar or restaurant.

Parks are in an abundance in this area.  There are more than a dozen parks in this relatively small section of the metro area.  Each boasts its own type of charm.  Some offer walking trails, others offer incredible city views from atop Red Mountain, others offer areas specifically geared for walking and exercising dogs, areas for children to play and others simply as a shaded area to picnic or relax.  There's even a beautifully maintained public Golf course.  I would be remiss not to mention the most popular and well known park in the Southside area.  Vulcan Park.

Below are some shots of Vulcan Park and the hiking trails which take you from Southside all the way up Red Mountain to the Vulcan.  Along the hike you will come upon numerous mine entrances which have long been blocked from access.  The actual trail follows a long abandoned train track that was once used to pick up ore mined from the many mines in Red Mountain.

One of Birmingham most treasured landmarks is a Five Points South sculpture created by local artist Frank Fleming.  The sculpture was commissioned in 1986 and was dedicated in late 1991.  A plaque affixed to the statue reads "The Storyteller Frank Fleming, Artist. Born Bear Creek, Alabama, 1940.  Collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art.  Storytelling is a deeply rooted southern heritage.  The animals are listening to a story intended to convey the idea of a peaceable kingdom.  Fleming's deep respect for the dignity and honesty found in nature is symbolized  in these figures."

Perched atop one of the hills leading down from Red Mountain is another of Southside's more curious staples....the Quinlan Castle.  This building has been the fodder of rumors and legends for nearly a century.  The Quinlan Castle was built in 1927 to look like a medieval fortress complete with turrets at each corner.  It contained 72 efficiency style apartments.  The building is composed of two U-shaped halves connected by arched gateways on the north and south, forming a 4-story rectangle clad in light brown sandstone and punctuated with dozens of arch-topped windows.  The roofline is crested with a battlement and adorned with round turrets at each corners.  

The name of the building was taken from quinlan Avenue, the former name of 9th Ave. South, which honored Bishop Quinlan of the Catholic Diocese of Mobile.  Quinlan had purchased the hilltop and surrounding property decades before as a potential site for Birmingham's First Catholic Church.  For unknown reasons St. Paul's was built in 1872 on a site a few miles from this hilltop.

In the early part of the 20th Century apartment complexes where unmarried men and women lived in close proximity to one another were considered scandalous in the deep south.  This coupled with the odd exterior of the building provided plenty of fodder for the rumor mills.

Then in 1940, Birmingham police led a raid on Quinlan Castle because it was rumored to be a Communist Party headquarters.  Robert Hall, the secretary of the Communist Party in Birmingham at the time, apparently lived in the complex.  Police found little of interest still, the negative publicity led the owners to change the name to the Royal Arms Apartments.

From the early 1980's until 2014, this building sat empty and abandoned.  It has changed owners several times and most recently was owned by the Southern Research Institute who wanted to tear it down and add much needed parking.  However, historical property advocates blocked this move.  SRI sold the property to a private investor and restoration work began.  It is now a renovated condo complex with units nearing completion.

  

During the turn of the last century, Birmingham was a prime summer destination for the wealthy folks of New York, Washington D.C. and other northern cities.  Built atop mountains, the Birmingham summers, while hot and humid, offered nearly constant breezes and every street was laden with trees.  The water in the area was also touted as being pure and containing health benefits to those who consumed it.  

To accommodate these out of town dwellers who often lived in Birmingham for months at a time, the Terrace Court Apartments located at the corner of Highland and 20th Street South in the very heart of Five Points South was built in 1908.  At the time it was deemed the first "high-class" hotel south of Washington D.C.  It was also the first hotel in the country that offered its guest a kitchenette.   

This building boasted the rare and early use of steel reinforced concrete while the exterior was clad in gold-toned pressed brick with dark-brown terra cotta trim.  Wrought-iron balconies serves each apartment.  A grand stair of white marble led to the porticoed entrance on the main courtyard.  The design incorporated several innovative amenities for tenants.  Sand was packed into the voids in the wall tiles and floor arches to help with soundproofing. 

The Southside community in Birmingham is perhaps the most eclectic and diverse area in the entire state of Alabama.  With nearly 20,000 residents (as of 2010), it is impossible to lump it into any one class or economic sphere.  Nearly half of the 12,183 properties in this area were built before 1940 with only 194 that were built since 2000.

As of 2010, there were a total of 10 houses in that area valued at $10,000 or under and 35 valued at over $1,000,000.  The majority of houses are valued at $150,000 to $250,000.

All of these things makes Southside an interesting and great place to live! 

Irondale, Alabama

October 5, 1887 saw the birth of a newly incorporated Irondale, Alabama.  At that time there were 29 residents.  The corporate limits extended 1/2 mile in every direction from the center between 3 oak trees standing about midway between Alabama Great Southern and The Georgia Pacific railroads.  Nearly in front of the Hotel Resort.

By 1912 the hotel no longer existed and the trees were gone but for many years there was a marker in that spot designating the center of town.  In 1887 Irondale consisted of 4 city blocks.  Now there is an intersection where the oak trees once stood with 3 flag poles standing in for the trees.

By January 1, 1888, there were around 50 residents and some 12 businesses. Today, according to city-data.com, there are approximately 12,379 residents in the city limits. While its neighbor (Birmingham) has seen a steady decrease in population since 2000, Irondale has actually seen a 26.1% increase.  The median rent in Irondale is $973.

Like Birmingham, Avondale, Fairfield and many other towns in Alabama, the chief employer in Irondale were the iron/steel companies.  The furnace in Irondale was used to make pig iron which was hauled by oxcart to Montevallo and then delivered by railroad to the arsenal at Selma to be fashioned into munitions for the Confederate Army.

In mid-March, 1865, the furnace was destroyed by Wilson's raiders.  It has the distinction of being the first furnace to be rebuilt after the war but once again, was destroyed - this time by fire - in 1887.

The land that once housed the furnace is now a hiking trail and nature walk.

Perhaps the most famous business in Irondale is the Whistlestop cafe.  The actual name is the Irondale Cafe but thanks to Fannie Flagg, it will forever be called the Whistlestop.

The Whistlestop Cafe opened in 1928 by Emmett Montgomery as a hotdog stand.  In 1932, Miss Bess Fortenberry bought it.  By all accounts, Miss Bess was a free spirited, vivacious woman who loved people.  She was from a prominent local family and never married.

In the early 1940's, Miss Bess leased out the cafe and traveled to Florida to aid in the war efforts.  There she met a black lady named Lizzie Carmichael who was a wonderful cook, and Sue Lovelace.  After the war, Miss Bess talked both Ms. Carmichanel and Ms. Lovelace into coming back to Irondale and helping her run the cafe.

The great niece of Miss Bess, Fannie Flagg, wrote the book "Fried Green Tomatoes" about the life and times of Miss Bess and her cafe.

Every year the City of Irondale hosts the Whistlestop Festival which is a huge draw for the area and tourists alike.

Irondale also owns a boat launch called the Cahaba Landing which provides access for people to canoe on the Cahaba River.

With all the amenities and the fantastic location close to Birmingham, Anniston, Leeds, Moody, etc., what's not to love about Irondale?

Hoover Alabama

When people visit Birmingham Alabama, it can be a bit confusing.  To drive around, it would appear to be a large city with a large population.  But looks can be deceiving.

The actual city of Birmingham only has 212,237 people living within the city limits.  But the Birmingham Metro has over 1,000,000 people.  Where are all the others?  They live in the 30 suburbs that completely surround Birmingham causing it to be landlocked.

The largest suburb by far is Hoover.  There are 84,126 people living there.  The second largest is Vestavia Hills with 34,018 in population.  Quite a difference between numbers 1 and 2.

Hoover Alabama sits astraddle two counties located along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  Both Jefferson county and Shelby County Alabama are represented in Hoover.  Hoover is home to the Riverchase Galleria which is one of the largest shopping centers in the southeastern region of the United States.  It is also one of the largest mixed use centers in the entire country.

Many consider Hoover to be the most desirable suburb of Birmingham.  The average price for houses/condo's in the area is $251,300.  That compares favorably to the average sale price for homes in the state which is $123,200 and extremely favorably when you compare it to the average sale price for homes in the city of Birmingham which is $87,700.

The average rental amount for the city of Birmingham is $694.00 while the average rental amount for the city of Hoover is $909.00.

According to the FBI, the average number for crime in the United States is 297.4.  While the city of Birmingham has a number of 769.7 - the city of Hoover's number is 170.9 which means that Hoover is way below the national average for crime according to the FBI.

The city was named after William H. Hoover, a local insurance company owner and was formally founded on April 28, 1967.  Prior to that, it was known as the Green Valley community.  Originally planned as a residential community, commercial growth took off like a rocket after the opening of the Galleria in 1986.  It is now home to several large corporations such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

The weather in Hoover is mild to moderate with long hot summers and relatively short mild winters. Since most of the city sits atop a mountain or high hill, the breezes coming through the many trees, makes the summers more than bearable.  Occasionally it sees snowfall but not enough to boast about and when it does, the snow has usually melted before sundown.  Since this is central Alabama, it is humid and there are mountains and a bountiful amount of tall hills.  So when it rains and the temperatures fall at or below freezing, ice can and oftentimes does form on the streets making them practically impassable.  Luckily, that only happens once or twice a year and some years not at all.

The pictures below were taken during the winter of 2013.  Look at all the abandoned vehicles on highway 31 which cuts all the way through Hoover.  This was truly an exception to the rule and everyone was caught off guard.

The scenic beauty of this area is truly amazing.  Mountains, tall hills, deep valleys make driving in this part of the country anything but boring.  Add to that the fact that the residents have long been staunch protectors of the natural beauty and you have a gorgeous place to call home if you live in this area.

There are so many things to see and do that I can't imagine anyone getting bored here.  Lots of extremely well maintained parks, walking trails, hiking trails, boulder parks and of course, Aldridge Gardens.

Aldridge Gardens is named after the Aldridge family who originally owned and developed these gardens as their own private sanctuary.  The family house still stands and is now the visitor's center and offices for the gardens.  Many new forms of roses and especially hydrangeas have been cultivated here.  It's in high demand as a venue for weddings and family reunions.  It's also a wonderful place to sit and read a book while watching the many birds, ducks and other water fowl on the lake.

Another big draw in Hoover is the Lover's Leap hiking trail which boats a diner at the top with extraordinary views.  

Another great hiking and rock climbing park is known as the Moss Rock Preserve and Boulder Field.  Repellers and zip liners love this park.

Around the turn of the last century Hoover (and Birmingham to a lessor extent) was fairly isolated from the rest of the country.  This all changed with the creation of the Brock Gap rail line that cut through the mountains and opened the area up to the railroad.

Hoover is home to one of the finest comparably sized city owned baseball parks in the country.  It was used for years by the Birmingham Barons and was actually where Michael Jordan played his first professional baseball game.

Star Lake is another favorite outdoor spot for people in the area.  It boasts fishing, boating and beautiful sceneries all year long.

Hoover is proud of its veterans and boasts a well maintained and well equipped Veterans Park.

Here's a view of one of the fire towers in the area, complete with the requisite buzzards.

If golfing or visiting a world renowned spa is your idea of fun, Hoover has that as well.  The Hoover country club is first class.  Named after the iconic Ross Bridge (picture below), I don't think anyone will disagree that the Renaissance-Ross Bridge Club Resort is one of our country's finest.  

If fishing or canoeing is your thing, there's always the Cahaba River.  One of the cleanest and most staunchly protected river sections in the country, this river runs through Hoover, parts of Birmingham and through many of the other suburbs of the metro area.  

  

Add all of this to the exceptional school system and the many theaters, fine eating establishments and other amenities of this city, and Hoover is a great place to call home!