For those of you looking for a new construction home in East Montgomery, New Park is an interesting option – interesting for two reasons.

1) The developer (Jim Wilson & Associates) has already brought Montgomery notable developments such as the Wynlakes neighborhood and country club, and the huge Eastchase shopping area.

2) The newest East Montgomery elementary school, James W. Wilson, Jr. Elementary School is being built inside New Park.  At this point, there is not another public school built inside an East Montgomery neighborhood.

Since it’s a brand new neighborhood, you have to build a home.  Phase One is paved and landscaped.  The total development will encompass 1,400 acres.  (To put that in perspective, Deer Creek, across from New Park on Ray Thorington Road, is built on around 800 acres.  Do the math.  The place is going to be big.)

Based on the New Park website, it looks like there are 5 builders to choose from to build your home.  You can use one of their house plans, or bring your own.

It will be interesting to see how quickly New Park grows once Jim Wilson Elementary school opens.  As of this post, Montgomery Public Schools has not finalized zoning plans for Wilson Elementary, or Carr Middle School (also under construction and next  to New Park).  Students in this area currently attend Blount Elementary School.

If you’re interested in New Park, or any neighborhood in the River Region, please contact us or give us a call.  We’d love to help you explore your options!

Directions to New Park:    From I-85,  take Taylor Road to Vaughn Road. Drive one mile and turn right at light onto Ray Thorington Road.   Drive 2 miles and New Park will be on your right.

As of Friday, February 13, 2009, next year’s zoning for Blount Elementary School, Carr Middle School, and James W. Wilson , Jr. Elementary School has yet to be finalized.  All three public schools in East Montgomery are located off of Ray Thorington Road – Carr and Jim Wilson are new schools under construction with opening dates of Fall 2009.

I called the Montgomery Public Schools office Friday and was directed to their transportation department.  The employee who answered the phone there said that zoning decisions for next year are currently underway, and have not been released yet.

Students currently in the  Blount Elementary zone are living in homes south of Vaughn Road in East Montgomery neighborhoods like Sturbridge, Deer Creek, Thorington Trace, and Breckenridge.  Neighborhoods as far east as Woodland Creek are included in this school zone. (The map below shows  areas north of Vaughn that are zoned for Halcyon, and areas south of Vaughn currently zoned for Blount.)

As always, MPS is the final authority for zoning neighborhoods for public schools.  It’s a big deal for two new public schools to open in this area, so I’ll post an update when MPS finalizes zoning lines. If you’d like to find a home zoned for these new schools,  contact us or call the number at the top of the page. We know the area well and would love to help you find the right home and the right school for your family.

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Breckenridge (located on Ray Thorington Road, right past Deer Creek) looks pretty, but what’s it really like to live there?  We wanted the scoop on this newer neighborhood in east Montgomery, AL, so we asked a homeowner.  Check out what Marla had to say below.

Question:  Why did you choose Breckenridge when you were looking to buy a home?

Answer:    We chose Breckenridge because we wanted to be a little further out of the city but still have all the city perks (ex., water, garbage, fire department,).  We also liked the feel about Breckenridge!  We thought it would be nice to be a part of a newly developed neighborhood.

Question:  What perks have you found living in this neighborhood (that you may not have considered when you bought)?

Answer:  The clubhouse is wonderful!  The weight room is extremely nice, the kids (and I) LOVE the swimming pool, the tennis court is great as well.  An added bonus is the 2 ponds that are just a short walking distance from our house.  Our new puppy will LOVE them!  The middle school that is almost directly behind my house is a huge added bonus that we did not know would be ready when we moved here.  Also, the location is EXTREMELY convenient to so many things!  Most things that I need are only 8 to 9 minutes from my driveway.

Question:  What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone relocating to Montgomery

Answer:  Convenience!  With everyone’s busy lifestyle no one wants to be in the car any longer than they have to.  Look at what is available close to you.  Also, look at a neighborhood at different times of the day.  Are families outside playing, walking the dog?

Thanks so much for your help, Marla!  Not only are you a most fabulous pre-school teacher, you are also a huge help to families looking for homes in the River Region.

If you have more questions about Breckenridge,or would like to tour a home for sale, we’d love to help.  Call us at the number at the top of the page, or send us an email via the contacts tab.

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What would make someone chose to hang their hat in Sturbridge Plantation in East Montgomery?   If you’re trying to make a decision about where to live in Montgomery, AL, you might want to read what others were thinking as they made this decision.

Rosemary and her husband (and now 3 kids) have lived in Sturbridge for six years.  Here’s what she has to say about choosing Sturbridge:

Question:  How did you choose your neighborhood?  What were the main factors that led you to buy where you are?

My husband & I were newlyweds when we were looking to buy a house on the east side of town. Sturbridge was a popular and reputable neighborhood (and still is) – family oriented with the clubhouse, pool and playground, sidewalks, duck ponds, etc. It was centrally located with easy access to Taylor Road, I-85, Vaughn Road (basically everywhere we traveled or shopped). It was also a neighborhood that had been around, but was still ‘growing’ with new development, clean kept and right for our budget. It is definitely a place we could see ourselves staying for a long long time! All of these factors still hold true.

Question:  What perks have you found living in this neighborhood (that you may not have considered when you bought)?

We knew Sturbridge was conveniently located when we chose it, but there has been SO MUCH development on Taylor and Vaughn Roads that this area continues to GROW and everything we need is within reach! If we need something quick, CVS is right down the road. If we need groceries, Publix and Winn Dixie are right down the road, not to mention retail stores, gift shops, our favorite restaurants, the movie theater or just a cup of coffee. Now that we’re a family of 5 we have really enjoyed the “family neighborhood” aspects of Sturbridge, like the sidewalks and duck ponds and playground – all within walking or biking distance! My husband enjoys the workout facilities as well. Again, after 6 years in Sturbridge, we are perfectly content and plan to stay here for a long time.

Question:  What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone relocating to Montgomery?

Location and schools – Consider where you might like to shop, go to church and SCHOOLS SCHOOLS SCHOOLS!! Montgomery is a little different in regards to public schools! Private schools seem to be the “norm”, but there are some great public school options if you are zoned for them!

Thanks for your input, Rosemary!  If you live in Sturbridge and have more information to share, please help us out and leave a comment below.  If you’d like to look at homes for sale in Sturbridge, contact us at the number at the top of the page.  We’d love to help you find your home in the River Region.

What should you expect in a Deer Creek home?  We shot this video when we had a home for sale in Deer Creek in Montgomery, AL  in May 2008.    And it sold (thankfully) in only three days!

Ours was a medium size Deer Creek floor plan, built in 1999.  It’s pretty representative of what you’ll find there – modern, open floor plans ranging from 1,400 to 3,000 square feet.  I looked today and there are 50 homes listed on the  Montgomery MLS in Deer Creek (I don’t have a count of FSBOs).  If you want to check out other homes in this (or any) neighborhood, click on the Home Search tab at the top of this page and look for homes in the 36117 zip code.

If you’d like to walk through any of the homes in this area, contact us.  We know it well, and would love to help.