downtown, riverfront district create excitement, economic boom · 2009-04-16 · programmers,...
TRANSCRIPT
We veer from our usual focus on neighborhoods,because the city's downtown sector is a crucial part ofMidtown living. Because of its convenient proximity,many that work in this sector live in nearby Midtownneighbohoods. Because we foresee the day when down-town can be countedagain as a thriving resi-dential neighborhood,it is an important com-ponent in our city’s his-tory, renaissance andgrowth. All told, nearly$300 million in publicand private money isbeing invested in down-town projects. Weexpect more will beinvested in the monthsand years ahead.
We’re excited, too,about the plan toexpand the Riverwalkwest to Maxwell AirForce Base, and the city and Air Force’s plan to incorpo-rate Maxwell from its present gate to a new entrance nearI-65 and Bell Street. We predict this move will substan-tially change the face of Montgomery for all who travel onI-65 and ultimately its image as USAF members and theirfamilies who come to Maxwell disperse around the world.With its completion, Montgomery's Riverfront District willbe one of the most panoramic in the nation and a sight tobehold for both thosewho view it by foot,boat, bike or motorvehicle.
Before the advent ofautomobiles and thedissolving of the City’selectric streetcars, his-toric downtown Mont-gomery was once theonly place to shop. That is when Montgomery had 105,715people in 1950. As automobile ownership grew, incomesincreased, and affordable housing became available, peoplebegan to move to the “new” suburbs, which we now refer toas Midtown. With that exodus, most retail stores left. Afterall, merchants go where people go. Others will appear aspeople return.
DOWNTOWN DEFINEDWe loosely define downtown as a relatively square sector
between I-65 on the west, I-85 on the south, Jackson Streeton the east and the Alabama River and Randolph Street onthe north. It borders some of our most charming neighbor-
hoods and historic dis-tricts. It is a place withlots of potential forredevelopment and fur-ther preservation.
Many recognizedowntown as a govern-ment center. Othersknow it as a center forbusiness, the placewhere utilities, ban-king, finance, legal, andassociations maintaintheir central offices.Some know it as aplace full of touristattractions, sports, andentertainment. But, it is
also a residential neighborhood. As such, it has and needsschools, churches, shopping and entertainment.
WORKING DOWNTOWNDowntown is corporate and regional headquarters for some
of the city's most prominent corporate names. Majoraccounting and brokerage firms have their regional offices, asdo scores of security brokerages, insurance carriers and invest-
ment offices. It is thefinancial center withmore bank employeesthere than in any othersector. More than 1,400employees in this group.It is home for 4,279employees in many ser-vice industries: hotels,laundry and dry cleaning
processing plants, medical laboratories, building contractors,suppliers, auto repair shops, caterers, and court reporters.
The central business district is home to a dozen radio broad-casting stations, the state’s public television station, a nationalmedia broadcasting company, a half dozen printing companies,and several book and news publishers.
Yes, we list and sell high-end homes in Midtown and the region.
Call the Hat Team to put them to work for you!
• The Kovels
• Jack Nicklaus
• Dave Barry
• Working Smart
• Click and Clack
• Sports Trivia
• Crossword
• Chicken Soup
(334) 834-1500
MONTGOMERY GUNTER GROVEVAUGHN MEADOWSEDGEWOOD
$315,000 $237,900 $110,000 $90,900
NARROW LANE BRADLEYGARDEN DISTRICTOLD CLOVERDALE
$149,900 $255,000 $334,900 $64,900
VAUGHN MEADOWS CLOVERDALE RIDGEWOODMEREGREEN ACRES
$253,900 $138,900 $179,900 $149,900All payment estimates based on a 5% down payment and a 6%, 30-year conventional mortgage.
Talk to one of the Hat Team Specialists. We can show any home in Montgomery. Call 834-1500.
Sandra NickelBroker
Billy YoungSr. Buyer Specialist
Rusty WilkinsonSr. ListingSpecialist
Frank PowellBuyer Specialist
Lauren LayfieldBuyer Specialist
Steve LukerClosing Manager
Pam MasseySeller Services
Manager
Jim NickelTechnical Manager
$369 Month
$1,445 Month
$784 Month
$1,355 Month
$627 Month
$1,794 Month
$538 Month
$1,908 Month
$1,018 Month
$853 Month
$1,794 Month
$1,434 Month
FFFFeeeeaaaattttuuuurrrreeeedddd IIIInnnnssss iiiiddddeeee
Downtown, Riverfront District CreateExcitement, Economic Boom
www.hat-lady.com
TOP 300 IN THE U.S.REALTOR® Magazine
PRES
ORT
ED
STAN
DAR
D
U.S.
POST
AGE
PAID
C
UST
OM
HO
USE
PUBL
ISH
ERS,
INC.
4520
3
Montgomery’s Midtown Neighborhoods
Story continued on page 6
Most importantly, downtown is the place where pro-ducers, preservationists, professionals, procurators,programmers, practitioners, parishioners, patrons,the powerful, the poor and the forward thinking pace-makers merge to form a more prosperous City Center,a place whose strengthened, healthy portal flows toother parts of the City and region.
Downtown Montgomery and the new Riverfront District.
Photo Courtesy of:Affordable Aerials
MOVERS
Resource Guide Thank you to the following Midtown Living Partners for their participation & investment in this publication. When you patronize these companies,please tell them you saw their ad in Sandra Nickel’s Midtown Living.
MORTGAGE
ATTORNEY
PRE-SELL INSPECTIONS
HOME INSPECTION
MORTGAGE MORTGAGE
GARY PITTMANMortgage Loan
Officer
8301 Crossland Loop
213-1347
FHA, VA andCONVENTIONAL
LOANS
ResidentialMortgage
Corporation
Take advantageof the historic
low rates!
Apply by phoneSteve & Samye Kermish
270-9100
RMC
SCOTT MCNELLY1200 NEWELL PKWY.
262-6666SMCNELLEY@
ADMIRALMOVERS.COM
FREE ESTIMATESEXPERT PACKINGLOCAL/WORLDWIDE
INTERSTATE AGENTFOR AMERICAN
RED BALL
ROY E.MCBRYAR
ATTORNEY AT LAW
4241 Lomac StreetMontgomery, AL 36106
272-1065FAX 272-5363
FOR ALL YOUR REALESTATE NEEDS
No representation is made that thequality of the legal services to be
provided is greater than the quality oflegal services performed by others.
CHOOSE ONE OF THESE FUN, UNIQUE MIDTOWN DINING SPOTS FOR YOUR NEXT OCCASION OUT. STAYING INSIDE THE BYPASS SAVES GAS.
IT MAKES OUR NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANTEURS HAPPY, TOO. Uniquely Midtown
Smart-PayMortgage
Interest OnlyRates Below Prime!
Up to 100% Financing
WELLSFARGO
HOMEMORTGAGE
Call Andy LittleHome Mortgage Consultant
[email protected] is the First Stage...Wells Fargo is the Next Stage
MORTGAGE
Page 7 • Your Family HomePage 6 • Your Family Home
They’re MovingBut, I’m Staying.
CAFE LOUISAjust got sweeter
AMS REAL ESTATEINSPECTION, LLC
ALLEN STUCKEY1002 S HULL ST.
834-7969
Real Estate InspectionsPlumbing, Heating/AC,
Electrical, Roof, FoundationPre-Purchase Inspection
Synthetic Stucco Inspection
DOWNTOWNBy the NumbersPeople Living Downtown
2,799
Troy University Students3,120
Arts Performance Attendees330,000
Attended Biscuits Baseball300,000
New Development Underway$300,000,000
Average Cars on I-85at Union/Court Exits
79,103
Average Cars on I-65at Bell/Herron
70,905
Hotel Rooms Available703
Hotel & Lodging Employees353
Service Firms363
Retail Trade Employees1,033
Retail Stores & Restaurants133
Public Utilities3
Books & Periodicals Available457,653
We make you a betterhome buyer!
Certified HomeInspections
Call: Lee Hester850.4939E-mail:
REAL PROPERTYCONSULTING, LLC.
V I S I T S I N C L A I R ’ S F O R A
Join us at any of our three locations for daily seafood specials.Fresh from the Gulf coast our delicious seafood is prepared to please
any appetite. Grilled, sauteed or blackened you’re sure to finda great catch that’s just right for you.
EASTSIDE7847 Vaughn Rd.
Montgomery334-271-7654
OLD CLOVERDALE1051 E. Fairview Ave.
Montgomery334-834-7462
KOWALIGA295 Kowaliga Rd.
Lake Martin334-857-2889
ChickenSteaks
Homemade DessertsFine Wines & SpiritsServing daily from
11:00 a.m.
Crisp SaladsAppetizers
SoupsSandwiches
PastaFresh Seafood
Story continued from page 6
Story continued from page 1
Riverfront Recharges Downtown SectorCOFFEE • TEA • WINE • JUICE • BAKED GOODS
SANDWICHES • DESSERTS • ITALIAN ICE CREAMS
New owner and pastry chef Missy Ferraro invitesyou to try this eclectic Midtown cafe for cateringyour next breakfast! lunch or dinner" Pickup available with call
OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY 7 A.M. -10 P.M.SUNDAY 8 A.M. -10 P.M.
1034 EAST FAIRVIEW IN OLD CLOVERDALE 264-4241
Please Allow #$%hour notice for special orders"
RESTAURANT GUIDE
COMING SOONThe Hat Team on TV!
Downtown Growing AgainOther professionals choose to work down-
town. Scores of architectural, accounting andfinancial planners, consultants, lobbyists,counselors, and advertising agencies, realestate agents, and software programmers makeit their work place. Combined, some 8,400professional employees.
Of course Downtown is home to govern-ment at four levels. Combined, more than11,000 government employees work downtown.The federal government maintains courts andmany other offices there. The state and RSA fillmore than 3 million square feet in two dozenoffice building complexes. The county has itsadministrative offices, district attorney, courts,probate, sheriff, public safety, and engineeringdepartments there, as does the public school
system administration. Downtown is home toCity Hall and most departments, including thosejointly funded by the city and county.
With its proximity to the courts, downtown isthe legal center. A dozen law firms have a signif-icant presence. And more than 100 associationsmaintain offices near the State Legislature.
But it is more.
LIVING DOWNTOWNIn spite of the common misperception,
people actually do live downtown. Census2000 data shows that 2,799 people live in thissector (tracts 1 & 2). There are 2,288 apart-ments in buildings and large homes convertedto multiplexes. Some 522 individually ownedhomes are scattered downtown, including our
treasured Cottage Hill neighborhood.Yes, there is a limited retail presence, an
occurrence we're sure will grow. We predictthat one day, some of these housing units willbe upraded, and we’ll see mid-rise apartmentsand condominiums among the living options inaddition to the loft apartments being readied foroccupancy. As more people move in, expect tosee shops opening in the months ahead.
You can eat and drink downtown, too. Dottedin and among the hundreds of buildings in thissector are nearly 50 small delis, cafes and snackshops from which more than 30,000 downtownworkers grab lunch or breakfast. Due to thevisionary insights of several entrepreneurs whohave moved here from places with other vibrant
downtown districts, several coffeehouseshave appeared. At night, trendy new restau-rants, casual eateries and lounges areemerging and join outstanding restaurants andprivate clubs. All are convenient places forMidtowners to patronize. More are planned inthe Riverfront Entertainment District.
VISITING DOWNTOWNDowntown is the center for culture. It is
home for 457,650 books and periodicals atstate, county and city libraries. It is home for3,120 students who attend Troy University'sMontgomery campus. It is home for morethan two dozen historical attractions,museums and sites that preserve and show-case our cultural heritage to more than250,000 annual visitors. It is home for adozen churches whose combined member-
ship soars above 10,000. It is home and boxoffice for the symphony, dance theater, artistgalleries, music festivals and touring com-pany performances attended annually bymore than 330,000 patrons. The city's newriverfront amphitheater and smaller publichalls and parks used for musical ensemblesperiodically keep downtown in the spotlight.A large performing arts center planned aspart of the expanded convention center com-plex will draw even more people.
Downtown is a sports mecca drawinghundreds of thousands of fans. RiverwalkStadium, home of the Montgomery Biscuitsbaseball team brought 300,000 peopledowntown this year joining old-timefavorites Cramton Bowl and Paterson Field.Both sport stiff inter-city, intra-state andnational competitions. The little known, but
fantastic, Armory Gymnastics Center isamong the state's best training programs andvenues. Riverskate Park, the Downtown Y,and Rowing Club help round out the presentsports offerings. Perhaps one day, we'll seefishing piers, tennis courts, cycling trailsand more water sports venues emergewithin a downtown sports complex as wellas pro-basketball, hockey or wrestling.
As a center for regional tourism, enhancedby a superb Visitor Center in Union Station,emphasis is being placed to host bigger con-ventions to grow the base of 350,000 annualtourists and conventioneers. New expandedmeeting, exhibition and ballroom space willenable the city to attract larger groups. Whena new 300-room hotel is completed, there willbe more than 1,000 hotel rooms downtown,not to overlook some esteemed bed and break-
fast inns. We anticipate new attractions fromrailroad and aviation museums to more civilrights and archival venues.
The renaissance of the RiverwalkDistrict, a new police substation, and ampleparking facilities provide the cornerstonesfor a thriving entertainment, dining, shop-ping and residential district.
A dynamic downtown means a robustcity. Midtowners will make good use of, allneighborhoods will find advantage in, andcities in the River Region will benefit froma thriving downtown Montgomery. Wesalute those partners who stepped up tocreate new excitement in the center city.
Now, who said downtown is not a placefor fun?
-Sandra Nickel
Story continued on page 7
Watch for the Sandra Nickel,Realtor team appearing in “HeyLeslie, What's Happening?” onWSFA TV 12 from 11 to 11:30a.m. weekdays following theJane Pauley Show.
We’ll be a sponsor sharinginsights on Midtown Living. You’lllearn tips on how to buy and sellyour house, achieve good curbappeal, and on purchasing andliving in old houses. Plus, we’llshowcase some Midtown dreamdrives. We even plan a segmenton single women who becomehomeowners.
HAT TEAM
Where Southern HospitalityMeets Modern Technology
Putting 27 Years of LocalExperience to Work
in Montgomery.
215-4526
John Herzog, CBM
A taste of the Gulf ...& so much more!
Where the locals eattime and time again ...Come see why!
MONDAY–SATURDAY 11 A.M. – 10 P.M.
511 E. Edgemont • 262-1215
MOVERS
Resource Guide Thank you to the following Midtown Living Partners for their participation & investment in this publication. When you patronize these companies,please tell them you saw their ad in Sandra Nickel’s Midtown Living.
MORTGAGE
ATTORNEY
PRE-SELL INSPECTIONS
HOME INSPECTION
MORTGAGE MORTGAGE
GARY PITTMANMortgage Loan
Officer
8301 Crossland Loop
213-1347
FHA, VA andCONVENTIONAL
LOANS
ResidentialMortgage
Corporation
Take advantageof the historic
low rates!
Apply by phoneSteve & Samye Kermish
270-9100
RMC
SCOTT MCNELLY1200 NEWELL PKWY.
262-6666SMCNELLEY@
ADMIRALMOVERS.COM
FREE ESTIMATESEXPERT PACKINGLOCAL/WORLDWIDE
INTERSTATE AGENTFOR AMERICAN
RED BALL
ROY E.MCBRYAR
ATTORNEY AT LAW
4241 Lomac StreetMontgomery, AL 36106
272-1065FAX 272-5363
FOR ALL YOUR REALESTATE NEEDS
No representation is made that thequality of the legal services to be
provided is greater than the quality oflegal services performed by others.
CHOOSE ONE OF THESE FUN, UNIQUE MIDTOWN DINING SPOTS FOR YOUR NEXT OCCASION OUT. STAYING INSIDE THE BYPASS SAVES GAS.
IT MAKES OUR NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANTEURS HAPPY, TOO. Uniquely Midtown
Smart-PayMortgage
Interest OnlyRates Below Prime!
Up to 100% Financing
WELLSFARGO
HOMEMORTGAGE
Call Andy LittleHome Mortgage Consultant
[email protected] is the First Stage...Wells Fargo is the Next Stage
MORTGAGE
Page 7 • Your Family HomePage 6 • Your Family Home
They’re MovingBut, I’m Staying.
CAFE LOUISAjust got sweeter
AMS REAL ESTATEINSPECTION, LLC
ALLEN STUCKEY1002 S HULL ST.
834-7969
Real Estate InspectionsPlumbing, Heating/AC,
Electrical, Roof, FoundationPre-Purchase Inspection
Synthetic Stucco Inspection
DOWNTOWNBy the NumbersPeople Living Downtown
2,799
Troy University Students3,120
Arts Performance Attendees330,000
Attended Biscuits Baseball300,000
New Development Underway$300,000,000
Average Cars on I-85at Union/Court Exits
79,103
Average Cars on I-65at Bell/Herron
70,905
Hotel Rooms Available703
Hotel & Lodging Employees353
Service Firms363
Retail Trade Employees1,033
Retail Stores & Restaurants133
Public Utilities3
Books & Periodicals Available457,653
We make you a betterhome buyer!
Certified HomeInspections
Call: Lee Hester850.4939E-mail:
REAL PROPERTYCONSULTING, LLC.
V I S I T S I N C L A I R ’ S F O R A
Join us at any of our three locations for daily seafood specials.Fresh from the Gulf coast our delicious seafood is prepared to please
any appetite. Grilled, sauteed or blackened you’re sure to finda great catch that’s just right for you.
EASTSIDE7847 Vaughn Rd.
Montgomery334-271-7654
OLD CLOVERDALE1051 E. Fairview Ave.
Montgomery334-834-7462
KOWALIGA295 Kowaliga Rd.
Lake Martin334-857-2889
ChickenSteaks
Homemade DessertsFine Wines & SpiritsServing daily from
11:00 a.m.
Crisp SaladsAppetizers
SoupsSandwiches
PastaFresh Seafood
Story continued from page 6
Story continued from page 1
Riverfront Recharges Downtown SectorCOFFEE • TEA • WINE • JUICE • BAKED GOODS
SANDWICHES • DESSERTS • ITALIAN ICE CREAMS
New owner and pastry chef Missy Ferraro invitesyou to try this eclectic Midtown cafe for cateringyour next breakfast! lunch or dinner" Pickup available with call
OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY 7 A.M. -10 P.M.SUNDAY 8 A.M. -10 P.M.
1034 EAST FAIRVIEW IN OLD CLOVERDALE 264-4241
Please Allow #$%hour notice for special orders"
RESTAURANT GUIDE
COMING SOONThe Hat Team on TV!
Downtown Growing AgainOther professionals choose to work down-
town. Scores of architectural, accounting andfinancial planners, consultants, lobbyists,counselors, and advertising agencies, realestate agents, and software programmers makeit their work place. Combined, some 8,400professional employees.
Of course Downtown is home to govern-ment at four levels. Combined, more than11,000 government employees work downtown.The federal government maintains courts andmany other offices there. The state and RSA fillmore than 3 million square feet in two dozenoffice building complexes. The county has itsadministrative offices, district attorney, courts,probate, sheriff, public safety, and engineeringdepartments there, as does the public school
system administration. Downtown is home toCity Hall and most departments, including thosejointly funded by the city and county.
With its proximity to the courts, downtown isthe legal center. A dozen law firms have a signif-icant presence. And more than 100 associationsmaintain offices near the State Legislature.
But it is more.
LIVING DOWNTOWNIn spite of the common misperception,
people actually do live downtown. Census2000 data shows that 2,799 people live in thissector (tracts 1 & 2). There are 2,288 apart-ments in buildings and large homes convertedto multiplexes. Some 522 individually ownedhomes are scattered downtown, including our
treasured Cottage Hill neighborhood.Yes, there is a limited retail presence, an
occurrence we're sure will grow. We predictthat one day, some of these housing units willbe upraded, and we’ll see mid-rise apartmentsand condominiums among the living options inaddition to the loft apartments being readied foroccupancy. As more people move in, expect tosee shops opening in the months ahead.
You can eat and drink downtown, too. Dottedin and among the hundreds of buildings in thissector are nearly 50 small delis, cafes and snackshops from which more than 30,000 downtownworkers grab lunch or breakfast. Due to thevisionary insights of several entrepreneurs whohave moved here from places with other vibrant
downtown districts, several coffeehouseshave appeared. At night, trendy new restau-rants, casual eateries and lounges areemerging and join outstanding restaurants andprivate clubs. All are convenient places forMidtowners to patronize. More are planned inthe Riverfront Entertainment District.
VISITING DOWNTOWNDowntown is the center for culture. It is
home for 457,650 books and periodicals atstate, county and city libraries. It is home for3,120 students who attend Troy University'sMontgomery campus. It is home for morethan two dozen historical attractions,museums and sites that preserve and show-case our cultural heritage to more than250,000 annual visitors. It is home for adozen churches whose combined member-
ship soars above 10,000. It is home and boxoffice for the symphony, dance theater, artistgalleries, music festivals and touring com-pany performances attended annually bymore than 330,000 patrons. The city's newriverfront amphitheater and smaller publichalls and parks used for musical ensemblesperiodically keep downtown in the spotlight.A large performing arts center planned aspart of the expanded convention center com-plex will draw even more people.
Downtown is a sports mecca drawinghundreds of thousands of fans. RiverwalkStadium, home of the Montgomery Biscuitsbaseball team brought 300,000 peopledowntown this year joining old-timefavorites Cramton Bowl and Paterson Field.Both sport stiff inter-city, intra-state andnational competitions. The little known, but
fantastic, Armory Gymnastics Center isamong the state's best training programs andvenues. Riverskate Park, the Downtown Y,and Rowing Club help round out the presentsports offerings. Perhaps one day, we'll seefishing piers, tennis courts, cycling trailsand more water sports venues emergewithin a downtown sports complex as wellas pro-basketball, hockey or wrestling.
As a center for regional tourism, enhancedby a superb Visitor Center in Union Station,emphasis is being placed to host bigger con-ventions to grow the base of 350,000 annualtourists and conventioneers. New expandedmeeting, exhibition and ballroom space willenable the city to attract larger groups. Whena new 300-room hotel is completed, there willbe more than 1,000 hotel rooms downtown,not to overlook some esteemed bed and break-
fast inns. We anticipate new attractions fromrailroad and aviation museums to more civilrights and archival venues.
The renaissance of the RiverwalkDistrict, a new police substation, and ampleparking facilities provide the cornerstonesfor a thriving entertainment, dining, shop-ping and residential district.
A dynamic downtown means a robustcity. Midtowners will make good use of, allneighborhoods will find advantage in, andcities in the River Region will benefit froma thriving downtown Montgomery. Wesalute those partners who stepped up tocreate new excitement in the center city.
Now, who said downtown is not a placefor fun?
-Sandra Nickel
Story continued on page 7
Watch for the Sandra Nickel,Realtor team appearing in “HeyLeslie, What's Happening?” onWSFA TV 12 from 11 to 11:30a.m. weekdays following theJane Pauley Show.
We’ll be a sponsor sharinginsights on Midtown Living. You’lllearn tips on how to buy and sellyour house, achieve good curbappeal, and on purchasing andliving in old houses. Plus, we’llshowcase some Midtown dreamdrives. We even plan a segmenton single women who becomehomeowners.
HAT TEAM
Where Southern HospitalityMeets Modern Technology
Putting 27 Years of LocalExperience to Work
in Montgomery.
215-4526
John Herzog, CBM
A taste of the Gulf ...& so much more!
Where the locals eattime and time again ...Come see why!
MONDAY–SATURDAY 11 A.M. – 10 P.M.
511 E. Edgemont • 262-1215
We veer from our usual focus on neighborhoods,because the city's downtown sector is a crucial part ofMidtown living. Because of its convenient proximity,many that work in this sector live in nearby Midtownneighbohoods. Because we foresee the day when down-town can be countedagain as a thriving resi-dential neighborhood,it is an important com-ponent in our city’s his-tory, renaissance andgrowth. All told, nearly$300 million in publicand private money isbeing invested in down-town projects. Weexpect more will beinvested in the monthsand years ahead.
We’re excited, too,about the plan toexpand the Riverwalkwest to Maxwell AirForce Base, and the city and Air Force’s plan to incorpo-rate Maxwell from its present gate to a new entrance nearI-65 and Bell Street. We predict this move will substan-tially change the face of Montgomery for all who travel onI-65 and ultimately its image as USAF members and theirfamilies who come to Maxwell disperse around the world.With its completion, Montgomery's Riverfront District willbe one of the most panoramic in the nation and a sight tobehold for both thosewho view it by foot,boat, bike or motorvehicle.
Before the advent ofautomobiles and thedissolving of the City’selectric streetcars, his-toric downtown Mont-gomery was once theonly place to shop. That is when Montgomery had 105,715people in 1950. As automobile ownership grew, incomesincreased, and affordable housing became available, peoplebegan to move to the “new” suburbs, which we now refer toas Midtown. With that exodus, most retail stores left. Afterall, merchants go where people go. Others will appear aspeople return.
DOWNTOWN DEFINEDWe loosely define downtown as a relatively square sector
between I-65 on the west, I-85 on the south, Jackson Streeton the east and the Alabama River and Randolph Street onthe north. It borders some of our most charming neighbor-
hoods and historic dis-tricts. It is a place withlots of potential forredevelopment and fur-ther preservation.
Many recognizedowntown as a govern-ment center. Othersknow it as a center forbusiness, the placewhere utilities, ban-king, finance, legal, andassociations maintaintheir central offices.Some know it as aplace full of touristattractions, sports, andentertainment. But, it is
also a residential neighborhood. As such, it has and needsschools, churches, shopping and entertainment.
WORKING DOWNTOWNDowntown is corporate and regional headquarters for some
of the city's most prominent corporate names. Majoraccounting and brokerage firms have their regional offices, asdo scores of security brokerages, insurance carriers and invest-
ment offices. It is thefinancial center withmore bank employeesthere than in any othersector. More than 1,400employees in this group.It is home for 4,279employees in many ser-vice industries: hotels,laundry and dry cleaning
processing plants, medical laboratories, building contractors,suppliers, auto repair shops, caterers, and court reporters.
The central business district is home to a dozen radio broad-casting stations, the state’s public television station, a nationalmedia broadcasting company, a half dozen printing companies,and several book and news publishers.
Yes, we list and sell high-end homes in Midtown and the region.
Call the Hat Team to put them to work for you!
• The Kovels
• Jack Nicklaus
• Dave Barry
• Working Smart
• Click and Clack
• Sports Trivia
• Crossword
• Chicken Soup
(334) 834-1500
MONTGOMERY GUNTER GROVEVAUGHN MEADOWSEDGEWOOD
$315,000 $237,900 $110,000 $90,900
NARROW LANE BRADLEYGARDEN DISTRICTOLD CLOVERDALE
$149,900 $255,000 $334,900 $64,900
VAUGHN MEADOWS CLOVERDALE RIDGEWOODMEREGREEN ACRES
$253,900 $138,900 $179,900 $149,900All payment estimates based on a 5% down payment and a 6%, 30-year conventional mortgage.
Talk to one of the Hat Team Specialists. We can show any home in Montgomery. Call 834-1500.
Sandra NickelBroker
Billy YoungSr. Buyer Specialist
Rusty WilkinsonSr. ListingSpecialist
Frank PowellBuyer Specialist
Lauren LayfieldBuyer Specialist
Steve LukerClosing Manager
Pam MasseySeller Services
Manager
Jim NickelTechnical Manager
$369 Month
$1,445 Month
$784 Month
$1,355 Month
$627 Month
$1,794 Month
$538 Month
$1,908 Month
$1,018 Month
$853 Month
$1,794 Month
$1,434 Month
FFFFeeeeaaaattttuuuurrrreeeedddd IIIInnnnssss iiiiddddeeee
Downtown, Riverfront District CreateExcitement, Economic Boom
www.hat-lady.com
TOP 300 IN THE U.S.REALTOR® Magazine
PRES
ORT
ED
STAN
DAR
D
U.S.
POST
AGE
PAID
C
UST
OM
HO
USE
PUBL
ISH
ERS,
INC.
4520
3
Montgomery’s Midtown Neighborhoods
Story continued on page 6
Most importantly, downtown is the place where pro-ducers, preservationists, professionals, procurators,programmers, practitioners, parishioners, patrons,the powerful, the poor and the forward thinking pace-makers merge to form a more prosperous City Center,a place whose strengthened, healthy portal flows toother parts of the City and region.
Downtown Montgomery and the new Riverfront District.
Photo Courtesy of:Affordable Aerials