Out of all options laid out before them, they chose a home in the Sturbridge neighborhood in East Montgomery.

I was just curious.  So I asked them.  Here’s why. . .

1) “Well, I hate to say this as my #1, but we got a really great deal on this house in Sturbridge. When you add up the square footage, the age of the home (built in the 1990’s, a lot newer than our mid town home was) – it was just a great buy.  It had been on the market for a long time – maybe other buyers couldn’t see past the dirty carpet.  It needed a little cleaning, but we were glad to do it for the price we paid!”

2)   “Sturbridge’s location: it is in East Montgomery, but it’s still close to the rest of Montgomery.  It’s so easy to hop in and out of the neighborhood.  I can get to Target, Publix, the dry cleaners, Jalapeno’s Mexican restaurant and I-85 in about 5 minutes.  We made the leap from ‘Midtown’ to ‘East Montgomery’ knowing that some things like church and school would be a little farther from the new home than the old home, but Sturbridge is still a really conveniently situated place.

3) “The location of our house within Sturbridge was a big deal.  It’s at the end of a cul-de-sac on a street that dead ends into the neighborhood playground.  We feel comfortable letting our kids play with neighbors up and down the street.  Because its a dead end street, there’s not much traffic, and like I said, at the end of our street is a playground, the neighborhood clubhouse and pool, plus a huge green space for the kids to play in.  Not a bad place to be.”

Thanks for sharing your story, H family!  Enjoy your new home and new part of town. Anyone else have a story to tell . . . . ?

If you’d like to know more about Sturbridge, or any East Montgomery neighborhood, give us a call.  We can show you any property in the Montgomery Area MLS, and we’d love to help you find your next home!
Click here for another family’s story about choosing a home in Sturbridge.

Buyers relocating from up north might say, “what’s the big deal?” But let me tell you, for central Alabama, a frozen pond is a rare occurrence.  This recent cold snap is breaking records.

I was running errands with my kids yesterday in the Vaughn Road area and was surprised to see some bigger kids playing at the edge of the pond.  They were breaking off big hunks of ice and throwing them back on the iced surface.  We paused to take some pictures and the below video.  For Alabamians, this is surreal.

Hey readers – does anyone else have some good cold weather photos and videos, in Sturbridge or the rest of Montgomery? Leave a comment or reply below and let the rest of us see!

I wasn’t surprised to see one here. Sturbridge is a great neighborhood in east Montgomery, one with an apple pie, American feel.  Kids ride their bikes around there.  Moms power walk. Teens play ultimate frisbee in the “green space.”

What I was surprised about was how good the lemonade was.  It was actually like a limonada – sort of a blended, Icee consistency, with just the right amount of sweet and sour.  Worth every bit of the 75 cents and 25 cent tip.  What’s up? Do the kids in Sturbridge have some sort of secret recipe? I will return to that one.

Even though I am one of the cheapest humans alive, I will always stop at a kids’ lemonade stand.  It is free enterprise in action. It fires me up that capitalism is alive and well, no bailouts in the lemonade stand industry, no sir.

While I’m on the subject, let me point out one more great reason to stop a lemonade stands: Make A Stand – Montgomery’s own Pat & Elizabeth Adams are involved with this effort to bring awareness and raise money to fight pediatric brain cancer.

Here’s the video tour for a home we listed today in the Sturbridge Plantation neighborhood in east Montgomery, AL.  It was built in 2004, and is in the back of Sturbridge in “The Heritage” section.  Click here for the Google map.

Our favorite things about this house:

1) the huge, WOODED lot

2) the “friends” entrance on the side by the kitchen

3) the enlarged shaded back patio

4) the upgraded kitchen, and

5) the hardwood floors downstairs.

Another plus . . . if you’ll check out the proposed zoning maps for the new public schools -  Wilson Elementary and Carr Jr. High – you’ll see that Sturbridge is expected to fall within the new Wilson/Carr  school zone. (The final zoning maps have not been approved as of today, March 31, but a decision is expected in April.  All buyers should confirm their home’s zoning with the MPS office before completing the transaction.)

We’d love to show off this great home, so contact us or call us at the number above for more information and to set up a tour.

Mature trees and landscaping

Shady back yard.

Outdoor living space with brick patio.

Family room.

Kitchen has island and upgraded appliances.

Spacious master bedroom.

]]> http://threeriversrecon.com/2009/04/01/sturbridge-home-video-tour/feed/ 0 http://threeriversrecon.com/2009/02/09/we-chose-sturbridge-in-montgomery-heres-why/ http://threeriversrecon.com/2009/02/09/we-chose-sturbridge-in-montgomery-heres-why/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:12 +0000 recon4 http://threeriversrecon.com/?p=333 Click here to view the embedded video.
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.

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.

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.