We love the Montgomery Zoo.  It really is a gem.  It’s not just a petting zoo – it is the real deal with monkeys, elephants, giraffes, lions, and a rhino. There’s a new bald eagle exhibit, plus a river otter and (separate) alligator area under construction.  Very cool.

You can make a morning, afternoon, or all day event of it, and everyone needs a nap when you get home!

Check out my video of our trip last week.

I’ve never lived on base.  I’ve visited Maxwell AFB a few times (and it’s pretty cool), but as I try to make this blog as useful as possible, I realize there are limits to my “expertise.”

Enter the series of interviews I’ve been working on with real people living and working in the River Region.  If I haven’t experienced it, I’ll find someone who has.  I hope you find it helpful.

Who better to begin with than my friend Carolyn – her family is now taking their second Air Force stint in Montgomery.  They chose to live on base at Maxwell, and she agreed to share a little background on that decision:

Question: What were your options for housing when you moved to Montgomery?

Answer: We knew we could live on-base, in East Montgomery or in Prattville.  Since we had lived here before we had narrowed down those three places.

Question: What factors did you consider when making your housing decision?

Answer: First was location. My husband is expected at work sometimes at 4am. Driving 1/2 mile seemed easier than 10 to 15 miles. Second was school. We have 3 children, 12, 10 and 6 years of age all in school. We wanted a good public school but were willing to look at private schools if need be. Third was the house. How much is rent and how big will our house be on base? Rank dictates that decision. Is the house that they offer me going to meet my family’s needs?

Question:  Were there any resources that were especially helpful in making this decision?

Answer: John Coley was a great resource. John was able to physically look at houses that we thought looked awesome on-line. He could tell us if this was a good location or not. Military One Source is a great resource.  It has tons of information about every town that houses a military base. Schools, churches, private schools, shopping, just about anything (www.militaryonesource.com). On-line newspapers were also a good resource because you can read about your future town. You can see what parts of town are making the news (e.g. crime, flooding, construction).

Question:  Is there any advice you’d give to another family relocating to the Montgomery area?

Answer: Ask questions. Find someone who lives in the town and ask them about specific areas.  Read blogs. Don’t believe everything you hear. Just because one person didn’t like an elementary school doesn’t mean the school is horrible. Allow yourself some time to visit the town. Don’t make major decisions based on on-line pictures.

5. What are you currently enjoying about Montgomery?

Answer: Location! We are close to the beach and Lake Martin. We can travel to major cities with ease (Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville).  Outdoor activities – hiking,camping and boating are very close by . . . not to mention some great shopping!!

Thanks, Carolyn!  I have more interviews in the pipeline, so stay tuned.  If you have more specific questions about the River Region, contact us at the number at the top of the page or via the contact tab.  We’d love to help you make this area home!

Applications for Montgomery magnet schools are available on the MPS website tomorrow, January 12, 2009. I wanted to give a head’s up to families moving to Montgomery who would like their child/children to attend any of Montgomery Public Schools’ elementary, middle or high school magnet programs during the 2009-2010 school year.

Fill out the application and get it to the school of your choice by 4:30 p.m. on February 6, 2009.  The school will then contact you about scheduling an interview.  First-round acceptance letters will be mailed on April 13, 2009.  If there are any readers who have already been through this process and would like to give some tips or advice for completing this process, please feel free to comment below.

Related articles on magnet schools in Montgomery:

Head’s Up! School Registration in Montgomery is Around the Corner

America’s Top Schools: #56 Right Here in Montgomery

Magnet Application process begins Monday

10 years ago, Bridle Brook Farms was WAY out in the country.  In 2009, it’s still in the heart of Pike Road, but it’s definitely no longer out in the country.  Bridle Brook is 5 minutes from I-85, so it’s short jaunt to just about anywhere in Montgomery.If you’re driving east on Vaughn Road, cross Pike Road and Bridle Brook will soon be on your left.

So what’s the allure this particular neighborhood?  Two things come to mind: 1) affordability, and 2) a rural environment.

Let’s start with affordability.  Pike Road is an up and coming area of Montgomery County, and that means a lot of the developments are pretty pricey.  When the Pike Road school system gets off the ground, Bridle Brook homes will be some of the more affordable homes in the school zone.  In my mind, that will make them very desirable for families with school-age kids.  My curbside estimate puts these homes between 1,700 and 2,500 square feet.

But the school isn’t here just yet (so be sure to check your zoning with MPS).  So what has attracted families to Bridle Brook for the past decade?  It was developed by Watts Builders and Strickland Builders, and has a community pool, softball field, tennis court, a fishing lake, and picnic areas.  But the feel is decidedly rural.  There are lots of trees and a look that is less manicured and rigid than other neighborhoods in the area.  Here are some pictures I took this week:

A street in Bridle Brook Farms

Bridle Brook clubhouse (Carriage House) with pool and tennis court.

Bridle Brook Farms fishing pond.

Are you looking for a new construction home? Or a lot to build on?  In East Montgomery?  Maybe in Pike Road?   Maybe you’d like to try Pike Road, but don’t want to live way out in the “country”?  If you want lots of options, try Lochshire – it is of ALL the above.

Lochshire is located at the corner of Vaughn and Pike Roads, and has had a patchwork of Montgomery and Pike Road addresses.  When originally built, owners could choose to be in Pike Road, City of Montgomery, or Montgomery County.  More and more of these homes are being annexed into Pike Road, however, probably because of the push to create a Pike Road school system.  For the latest update on Lochshire zoning, contact the Town of Pike Road town hall.

Lochshire is not completely built out, but is an established neighborhood.  My curb estimate puts the homes at over 2,000 sq ft. (some a good bit more than that).  There are no amenities – pool, playground, etc. – but the common areas are nicely landscaped and well maintained.  There are lots for sale in the back of the neighborhood, and many of these lots back up to a wetlands area that is owned by the neighborhood.  A few spec homes remain on the market, along with the regular home for sale, so there is a lot to choose from.

Lochshire, like many homes in Pike Road, is 5 minutes from I-85, so access to anywhere in Montgomery is easy.  It’s a couple of minutes from Chantilly Parkway, and a short drive down Vaughn Road to anything in East Montgomery.

Here are some pics I took today of homes and lots for sale in Lochshire.  If you’re interested, or just want to know more about this area, contact us at the number at the top of the page.