The Rocket City Blasts Off With Activities, but Scrub the Mission on Living Here
Written: May 07 '09
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Pros: There is plenty to do and see. It is a family oriented town.
Cons: Unless you are an engineer, military, or in medicine it is hard to survive.
The Bottom Line: This is a great place filled with a variety of activities and events geared toward families. However, living here takes earning a good bit of money to survive.
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| Wanbli_Gleska's Full Review: Huntsville |
Huntsville, Alabama has so much to offer. Nicknamed the Rocket City, it is known for its contribution to the space program. It is also rich in state and national history. In Huntsville, you will find plenty of activities that are family oriented and some that are rich in diversity.
Museums and Attractions
US Space and Rocket Center is located at One Tranquility Base. This is a wonderful museum for the whole family to come and learn about the history and science of space travel.
Early Works Museum is located at 404 Madison Street. This is a hands-on children's history museum and is a local favorite.
Alabama Constitution Village is a look into Alabama's history. It is located at 109 Gates Avenue and takes you back to the 19th century. You will also get a chance to see where Alabama's first constitution was written.
Sci-Quest has more than 100 science exhibits for children; many of these are hands-on exhibits. Located at 102D Wynn Drive, this is another big favorite for locals.
Burritt Museum is a 14-room mansion located at 3101 Burritt Drive. It was donated by Dr. William Henry Burritt and educates people on what life was like in the 1930s.
Huntsville Depot and Museum is a wonderful place to learn more about railways in Alabama throughout the state's history. It is located at 320 Church Street.
Huntsville Museum of Art is located at 300 Church Street and has seven galleries that are always filled with traveling exhibits, therefore each visit is unique and memorable.
Veteran's Memorial Museum is located at 2060-A Airport Road and focuses on the accomplishments of military men and women.
Weeden House Museum is Alabama's oldest building that is open to the public. Step back in time to the early 1800s and learn more about the civil war as well as the accomplishments of Marie Howard Weeden. The Weeden House is located at 300 Gates Avenue
Huntsville Botanical Gardens is located at 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue. This is an 110-acre attraction which features a variety of different types of gardens as well as educational programs.
Wild Animal Park is located at 431 Clouds Cove Road and is classified as a federal reserve for exotic animals. This is a great family outing as you stay in your car and ride through the 2-mile animal park as you observe buffalo, zebras, camels, ostriches, and more.
Southern Adventures is the local amusement and water park. It is located at 2150 Leeman Ferry Circle.
Parks and Playground
Huntsville offers several state and city parks. Some of the most popular parks include Monte Sano State Park, Madison County Natural Trail, Ditto Landing, Big Spring Park, and Aldridge Creek. Huntsville even has a variety of playground around town to take the kids. The largest is Kid Space which is located close to the Veteran's Memorial Museum.
Annual Festivals and Events
Panoply-Being a local favorite, this event focuses on art of all kinds. This is a three day event that occurs every April.
Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll - This cemetery is largest and oldest cemetery in the state of Alabama. You will find governors, other politicians, soldiers and more people that helped shaped history. The stroll occurs every May.
Mother's Day Powwow- Learn more about Native American culture each Mother's Day weekend at the Cahaba Shrine on Pulaski Pike.
Black Arts Festival-This is a wonderful place to celebrate the wonderful talents of African and Jamaican Americans. You will find a variety of vendor tables as well as music, art, and so much more. This is usually held in June
Ditto Landing Powwow-This is another chance to be able to learn more about Native American culture. Located at Ditto Landing, this powwow happens every June.
Big Spring Jam- This is musical celebration, and another local favorite. Come to Big Spring Park in September and discover the musical talents of a variety of artists in a wide range of genres.
New Earth Holistic Festival-This occurs every March, June, and November and is hosted at the Tom Bevill Center at UAH.
Professional Sports
Huntsville Stars is Huntsville's Minor League Baseball team. Every home game is played at Joe Davis Stadium throughout baseball season.
Huntsville Havoc is Huntsville's hockey team and a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League.
Tennessee Valley Vipers is the local arena football team and is a member of af2, a minor league of the Arena Football League.
Churches
Churches are in abundance here in Huntsville. You will also find a variety of faiths represented in Huntsville, but the most predominant faith found is Christianity in an abundance of denominations.
Colleges
Huntsville offers an abundance of colleges and universities. Some of these include Calhoun Community College, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Virginia College, Oakwood College, Drake JF State Technical College, Huntsville Bible College, and Faulkner University. There is also schools for cosmetology, and massage therapy.
Living in Huntsville
Many people enjoy living in Huntsville, Alabama. However, the cost of living is on the rise. This city is wonderful for people who have degrees, especially in engineering, physics, chemistry, or the medical field just to name a few. Huntsville is also known for Redstone Arsenal and therefore being a military town. For those that work at places that most people take for granted such as restaurants, and department stores, life can be a struggle here in Huntsville.
The average rent range for a family home or apartment is $800 - $1200 a month. The public school system is advertised to be one of the best, but it too has some major issues. For this reason, I choose to homeschool my children. Huntsville does have some excellent private schools, but they can be a bit expensive. The utility rates are fairly manageable, but I have noticed that they too are on the rise. Like I mentioned before, unless you have a high paying job you will more than likely need two incomes just to survive in Huntsville, Alabama.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
Wanbli_Gleska
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Member: Linda Watts
Location: Brownsboro, AL
Reviews written: 108
Trusted by: 40 members
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