Cullman, AL 18 Apartments for Rent

The north Alabama town of Cullman marked Oktoberfest for decades with music, lederhosen and bratwurst, but no beer. Now the party long billed as the world's only dry Oktoberfest has finally going wet, allowing suds for the first time in 2011.

Cullman residents don't wear lederhosen regularly (thank goodness!), but the city has deep German roots. Located halfway between Birmingham and Huntsville, it is eclectic. You might think eclectic is a euphemism for weird, but this time it means a strange mix of businesses, religious shrines, parks, and restaurants with names like Grumpy's Italian Grill and Busy Bee Cafe. Not sure what the name Rumors Deli implies about the city, but the guys in lederhosen eating bratwurst can worry about that. The reason the town celebrates Oktoberfest annually is due to the fact it was founded by a Bavarian native in 1873 for German immigrants.

Moving to the Mountain

Here is s short geography lesson: Cullman sits on Brindley Mountain on the Cumberland Plateau. The mountain is 1,322 feet high so don't be thinking in terms of spiraling peaks or anything along those lines. It's easy to reach Cullman because I-65 runs along its western edge. There are on-off ramps to Highway 278 and Highway 157 and both lead directly into Cullman. Interstate 65 will take you directly into Birmingham (south) and Huntsville (north), each approximately 55 miles from Cullman. Did you get that?

Renting in Cullman is pretty typical. Some apartments take pets. Some don't. Some include water in the rent. Some don't. You need to be prepared to let perfect strangers look at your credit report and to pay an application fee to award that privilege. You'll need to have picture ID, references, a visible means of support, and money to put down for the security deposit and first month's rent. Don't forget to have some money set aside to pay for cable or satellite installation, if you like Internet and television. Who doesn't?

Go Southwest to Settle Into a Neighborhood

It doesn't take long, when trying to find the perfect apartment complex in Cullman, to realize most addresses have "SW" at the end of the street name. People wearing lederhosen must like apartment living because there's a good selection. Cullman has four sections and city center.

Heart of the City: Anyone preferring to live in the heart of things will find several complexes with rental apartments in the city center. Lacking skyscrapers, there are no worries about being bothered by city bright lights. Just west is the world famous Ave Maria Grotto.

Northeast Area: Apartment buildings are found along 2nd avenue NW. Also called Highway 31, it runs north-south through Cullman, making it easy to get around. Rent a 2 bedroom apartment in this area, and you're close to Sportsman Lake.

Northwest Area: Where Highway 278 crosses I-65 and continues west are more places for rent. If you ever need to get out of town fast, just hop onto 278 and get lost in the countryside (and there's plenty).

Southeast Area: South of Highway 278 and on both sides of Highway 31 are subdivisions with rental homes. The city center and the Cullman Medical Center (in case you eat too much bratwurst) are nearby.

Southwest Area: Way down south in the land of Cullman are apartments for rent -- furnished and unfurnished. It's not really that "way down" because I-65 is a short distance to the east.

When Not Eating Bratwurst

Cullman has a high walkability score of 78. You can stroll to clustered shops, banks, grocery stores, and parks, and then get a drink in a restaurant (to re-energize, of course). The unlucky people still working for a living can walk to work locally or commute to Birmingham or Huntsville via I-65. For recreation, residents rely mostly on Mother Nature. The local Sportsman Lake Park in Cullman's downtown has biking and skating trails, picnic areas and paddle boats. Smith Lake is close and has become a local sports person's haven with 500 miles of shoreline and plenty of camping areas for roughing it in a tent or a motor home.

Cullman is home of the Ave Maria Grotto, also known as "The Scenic Shrine of the South." It's achieved world fame with 125 miniature reproductions of famous buildings and shrines from around the world, all set outdoors along a walking path. A monk named Brother Joseph Zoettl created them over a lifetime, using mostly junk - pieces of glass, shells, beads, buttons and so on. He was kind of like an early recycler.

Cullman is quiet, except during Oktoberfest or Strawberryfest. That's exactly the way the residents like it so good for them.