“Half the size, but twice the amenities of Deer Creek”.  This is the description I heard in the sales office of the new east-side Lowder development, Woodland Creek.  (For those of you not familiar with Deer Creek, it’s a large planned community close by that’s been around 10+ years in East Montgomery).  I drove through and took some pictures today, and I posted them below.

It seems that the best of what works in Deer Creek was poured into Woodland Creek – aptly named because the property is wooded ( a big deal in East Montgomery).  It also seems like it is in Pike Road, but according to the developers, is in the city of Montgomery (residents have Montgomery City sewer, police and fire protection, etc.)  Take Vaughn Road east, cross Pike Road, and you’ll soon see it on the right.

The architecture of Woodland Creek is a take on Craftsman style (rustic, simple materials), but the floor plans of the homes inside are modern and open. There are several price ranges, lots sizes, and home styles, but the grounds are what really caught my attention.  The streets wind through the neighborhood, and so many trees have been left!  There is a huge clubhouse, pool area, kid’s playground, bark park, walking trails – the harshness of new development does not seem so strong here.  Beyond the rooftops there is nature, not just rows and rows of rooftops.

Check it out and see for yourself.  It’s about 4 minutes from Woodland Creek to I-85, and that means it’s not far from anywhere in Montgomery.  Plus, commercial development is springing up all around Woodland Creek: the Fine Foods Market, Pike Road Public Library, Crockmier’s, a new gas station, CVS.  It’s a convenient little area.

If you’re interested in seeing the homes in Woodland Creek, contact us at the number at the top of the page.  We’d love to help you get to know this River Region neighborhood.

Woodland Creek Has Trees

A Home in Woodland Creek

Another Woodland Creek Home

Woodland Creek Playground

If there’s any question about the demand for good public schools in Montgomery, AL, check out the population explosion at Wynton Blount Elementary School.  Clearly there is a trend, and clearly Blount is meeting that need.

It’s the newest elementary school in Montgomery and it draws from neighborhoods on the south side of Vaughn Road in east Montgomery (Sturbridge, Deer Creek, Thorington Trace, Breckenridge, etc.).  Count the portables – they’re evidence of the demand for good neighborhood schools.

So it’s in a good location, but what goes on inside?  Click here to check out test scores for Blount Elementary.

With Carr Middle School scheduled to open next door in the fall of 2009, it seems that demand will remain strong for Blount Elementary School.  Its address on Ray Thorington Road means that it will be surrounded by new neighborhoods with varying price points, and it will be convenient to east Montgomery shopping and churches.

You can contact Blount elementary school at (334) 244-0078 or visit their website here.  You can also access the Montgomery Public Schools website by clicking here.

For the exact zoning of any school, be sure to contact the Montgomery Public School System at (334) 223-6700.

I drove by Halcyon Elementary School the other day and took these pictures.  Sorry, but they are not Ansel Adams quality, but I thought that people might be interested in what it looked like.  One teacher was even nice enough to let me in to photograph a classroom.  She was in there getting organized for the new school year, which starts on August 11, 2008.

Here is a look from the outside:

Here is the inside of a classroom:

For Halcyon’s SAT-9 test scores click here.

If you’re looking for a home in Halcyon Elementary School’s school zone, or any school zone in the Montgomery area, call us at the number at the top of the page, or send us an email.  We’d love to help!

The fall season in underway (practice started in August), and the location is great for residents of Pike Road and east Montgomery -although anyone from any part of town can play there.  If you’re not familiar with the Upward sports concept, click here to learn more from the national website.  Upward sports are also offered at Frazer UMC.  The Montgomery YMCA offers soccer and many other sports as well.

For moms with young children, they have child care.  For working parents, there’s after-school care.  My personal favorite is the heated indoor swimming area - a great change of pace from the regular February activity! The exercise classes are top notch, as are the personal trainers - should you be so inclined.  The fellowship with other families is an added bonus.

In east Montgomery alone, there are Y’s located on Bell Road, Atlanta Highway, and at The Waters. It’s hard to get too far from one. Click here for a larger version of this map.

There are sports programs - soccer, t-ball, baseball, football, volleyball, gymnastics, tennis, wrestling, track, cheerleading, swimming, etc., and their website says over 10,000 kids in Montgomery participated in sports through the Y.   Non-members can play sports, but Y members get a 50% cut in registration fees.  Even for small families, that discount will almost pay for the monthly membership cost.

It’s a great deal.  I had no idea.

Sturbridge is big, but it doesn’t feel big.  It’s new enough to offer modern amenities (pool, fitness center, playground, etc.), and old enough to have a little history (as far as east Montgomery goes) and a little foliage!

Sturbridge is divided into subdivisions, so there’s a little of everything:  the colorful Cottages near the entrance, the traditional homes in the Plantation, the large stone and stucco homes of Rockbridgse, the estate lots on Payne Road.

Bottom line: People in Sturbridge do a lot of living there.  They are zoned for two new schools: Wilson Elementary School and Carr Middle School They take swimming lessons sponsored by the YMCA at the pool.  They host holiday craft markets at the clubhouse (which are well attended).   I’ve been to a Super Bowl party at the clubhouse and I’ve met friends at the park for play dates.  I get a real sense of community when I’m in Sturbridge.

Would anyone else agree?  Help us out and let us know!

If you’d like to look at a home for sale in Sturbridge, let us know by calling the number at the top of this page or sending us an email.

My family was in Breckenridge the other day for a birthday party at the pool/clubhouse.  It’s a big facility, with all the bells and whistles a new neighborhood (e.g Deer Creek, Sturbridge, Woodland Creek) has these days:  pool, clubhouse, playground, green space, sidewalks, etc.  The kids loved the zero-entry pool.  The parents loved the shade at the pavillion.  The amenities were definately more than anticipated.

I also went along with John to show a house one Saturday.  To me, the houses looked pretty big, and in a higher price range than some neighborhoods off Ray Thorington Road.  The home I was in had features that were a notch above the traditional spec house – built in cabinetry, more extensive molding, high end finishes in the kitchen.

Curious about where your rock will hit?  Give Breckenridge a look.  We’ve been there and can help you.  Contact us at the phone number or email address at the top of this page for a showing of any River Region home!

From what I can tell from the curb, homes average somewhere around 1,600-2,00- square feet, and the neighborhood is designed to be a destination, not a thoroughfare (read – no thru traffic). 

The feeling is rural, but the neighborhood is really close to The Shoppes at Eastchase, Target, Publix, and the new Wal-Mart and Home Depot on Chantilly parkway. I took a picture of an average street in Thorington Trace so you can get the feel of it:

If public schools are a priority, Blount Elementary and (the under construction) Carr Middle schools are less than a mile down Ray Thorington Road.  We have some friends who have 5 kids (one 1st grader and a younger set of quads) who moved to Thorington Trace specifically for the public schools.  I’m sure they’re not the only ones!

As Montgomery marches eastward, Ray Thorington Road is no longer the end of the line – it is a major attraction with churches, ballfields, new schools, and schools under construction.  New neighborhoods are springing up alongside established ones on both sides of the road. 

What’s life like in Thorington Trace?  Help us get to know your neighborhood and leave a comment below!

There’s been hope that a new middle school would be built in east Montgomery for some time now, so I thought I’d share some pics so you can see that it really is happening!

 Carr Middle School will be right beside Blount Elementary School on Ray Thorington Road. 

 According to this article in the Montgomery Advertiser, the 119,000-square-foot school will cost about $22 million, and will serve 800 stu­dents.  It is scheduled to open in August of 2009.  Carr is named after civil rights activist, Johnnie R. Carr, who was a part of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1954.

Would you like to buy or sell a home in this Montgomery school zone?  We’re real familiar with this area and would be glad to help.  Contact us by phone or email at this page.

While we won’t settle this rumble here, maybe you can at least learn about the different neighborhood pools in east Montgomery:

1.  – Deer Creek  – Deer Creek is unusual in that it has a water splash park along with the pool.  This is a recent addition, put in a couple of years ago.  It is a hit with non-swimming kids as well as adolescents.  Deer Creek also has a separate baby pool with a zero entry, wade in feature which is nice.  This is the pic on the right.

2. Sturbridge- Sturbridge’s pool has a great family feel.  It’s right in the center of the neighborhood, and has a separate kids pool with water feature.  Sturbridge also has a really big area that is covered so that parents can sit in the shade while the kids play in the water, and the YMCA offers swim lessons here in the summer.

3. Woodland Creek - See pic to the left. This is a new neighborhood by Lowder New Homes. The Craftsman-style clubhouse looks really cool, and and the pool design looks nice too.  We haven’t been swimming here yet, but its setting in the trees makes it feel private, and the architectural detail makes for good eye candy. 

Call it like you see it.  You decide which is best.

Help us all and comment below – tell us what you like or don’t like about your neighborhood pool.  Or, if an event is going on that you would like publicized, let us know by commenting below.