Life in Montgomery, Alabama, explained by people who’ve lived in Montgomery:
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*Response format = Answer (Your name, How long you’ve lived in Montgomery)
Montgomery Favorites
What’s your favorite thing about living in Montgomery?
- There are a lot of things to do with kids in a relatively small area. (Courtney, 8 months)
- People are generally friendly. (Kyrstie, 3 years)
- Nothing. (Angela, 12 years)
- Within driving distance of lots of great cities. (Irene, 13 years)
- The people and the weather. (Linnea, 14 years)
Montgomery Least Favorites
What’s your least favorite thing about living in Montgomery?
- Racism is alive and well. Lack of decent restaurants. (Courtney, 8 months)
- Crime rates, political leanings and education system. (Kyrstie, 3 years)
- Blatant open racism. (Angela, 12 years)
- Public schools. (Irene, 13 years)
- The ruling class is too risk adverse. (Linnea, 14 years)
- The violence and poor shape of our schools. (Jennifer, 28 years)
Montgomery Things To Do
What are fun things to do in Montgomery?
- MMFA, lots of free concerts/shows in the park, decent playgrounds, good civil rights museums. (Courtney, 8 months)
- Biscuits baseball games, history museum, zoo. (Kyrstie, 3 years)
- Don’t care. (Angela, 12 years)
- Planetarium, swimming at the Y in the summer, eating, ASF. (Irene, 13 years)
- ASF and its grounds, riverfront, zoo. (Linnea, 14 years)
- Biscuits stadium, Montgomery zoo, and ASF. (Jennifer, 28 years)
Montgomery Reputation
What’s Montgomery known for?
- I’d say the civil rights movement (I’m not a native Alabamian). (Courtney, 8 months)
- Civil rights movement. (Kyrstie, 3 years)
- Civil rights, but not moving forward. (Angela, 12 years)
- Civil Rights Movement. (Irene, 13 years)
- Civil rights and Maxwell. (Linnea, 14 years)
- Civil Rights. (Jennifer, 28 years)
Montgomery Crime
What’s the crime like in Montgomery? (hot spot areas, etc.)
- I love downtown, and I think tales of downtown violence are grossly exaggerated. We will walk downtown at night and feel very comfortable (but we’ve lived in many cities and I think that skews our worldview for the better). (Courtney, 8 months)
- Crime rates are climbing and moving towards the east (the nicer neighborhood). Downtown and south Montgomery have the most crime. (Kyrstie, 3 years)
- We avoid going out at night. (Angela, 12 years)
- Average. (Irene, 13 years)
- The east feels safe, petty theft all over, more violent on the south and west sides—but good neighborhoods are all over. (Linnea, 14 years)
- The crime is constant and happens all over Montgomery. (Jennifer, 28 years)
Montgomery Advice
Any advice for people moving to Montgomery?
- Just get out there and experience. Sign your kids up for classes. Read the Montgomery Parents magazine every month – they have great suggestions on things to do. (Courtney, 8 months)
- Live in Pike Road, Wetumpka or Prattville and commute. (Kyrstie, 3 years)
- Don’t. (Angela, 12 years)
- Get involved. (Irene, 13 years)
- Be open minded and get involved with something you’re passionate about. There’s a lot of room to make a difference for everyone. (Linnea, 14 years)
- Don’t move here. (Jennifer, 28 years)
Montgomery Stories
Share an experience you’ve had in Montgomery (fun, crazy, dangerous, etc.).
- We recently went to Sous La Terre nightclub, and are so sad we didn’t go before. It was such an awesome jazz bar, full of locals and travelers. Everyone was friendly, and we had such an awesome time. (Courtney, 8 months)
- Being locked off base because of the tornado sirens. (Angela, 12 years)
- I was putting air in my tires and an older gentlemen said a lady shouldn’t have to do that, so he did it for me. He was very sweet. (Irene, 13 years)
- Finishing the half-marathon on the Biscuits field and being handed a medal by the Mayor was amazing. (Linnea, 14 years)
Montgomery Future
How do you think Montgomery will change over the next 10 years?
- The downtown area is going to come alive! So many new businesses coming. Many of the old houses downtown are being remodeled. (Courtney, 8 months)
- I hope that the downtown area goes through a change to make it nicer. (Kyrstie, 3 years)
- For the worse. (Angela, 12 years)
- Better public schools and more sidewalks I’d hope. (Irene, 13 years)
- I think we will be a more sustainable walkable city with a robust maker’s economy. (Linnea, 14 years)
Montgomery Facts
Any other interesting facts about Montgomery?
- As a negative, AL as a whole is the least recycle-friendly place we’ve ever lived. Prepare yourselves for that one. As a positive – the town is beautiful. All the old houses are so pretty. (Courtney, 8 months)
- Hank Williams. (Angela, 12 years)
- EJI just opened up a museum to bring the history of lynching to the forefront. (Irene, 13 years)
- Everyone should give the public schools a chance. (Linnea, 14 years)