Hoover's claim to fame is that it is filled with nouveau riche neighborhoods, has a giant shopping mall called the Riverchase Galleria (recently remodeled to make it even glitzier), and boasts (yes, you got it) a gorgeous public golf course called Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa. The course is one of many that comprise Alabama's championship golf courses cumulatively known as the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Life in Hoover is mostly about shopping and living outside of Birmingham, which is only 9 miles away. In fact, it could be said that the Hoover people know and love today exists because of Birmingham. Families looking for a better place to raise children did what families were doing across the nation in the 1960s they fled the big cities to create suburban areas where they could plant their gardens and raise 2.3 kids. In 1967, Hoover incorporated as a peaceful town and then proceeded to grow over the next decades into a city full of ritzy neighborhoods.
Build and Build Some More and They Will Come
One of the reasons Hoover has grown so much over the years is due to the fact a lot of apartment buildings have gone up. Apartment buildings are like magnets. One goes up and it attracts developers like a duck call beckoning to geese. Build a housing residential area or apartment buildings and more will continue to come. As a result, it is not difficult to find a place to rent in Hoover, but finding less expensive apartments vacancies will take longer than finding vacant premier apartments in Hoover. Therefore, you should preferably try to start looking a couple of months before you plan on making the big move. In the meantime, there is a good chance that even more apartment complexes will go up, giving renters a dizzying array of options.
There is also a dizzying array of rental agreements available. For example, some apartments will give renters a half month or full month of free rent in exchange for signing a lease that is for a time period that is longer than 15 or 18 months. On the other hand, there are plenty of month-to-month rentals or arrangements in which you sign a 12-month lease and then convert to month-to-month after proving you are not some bum trying to live in an area beyond your means. One of the advantages of renting in Hoover, AL is the fact you can find a rental agreement to fit your needs simply because there are plenty of places to rent. Like any city, you need proof of income and proof of a good credit history to prove you are worthy of living in Hoover, AL.
Wealthy Families and Affordable Apartments
Most of the neighborhoods in Hoover are nice. The question is exactly how much you'd like to pay in rent. Whatever your answer, there are options in that price range. With all the development that has taken place, there are low rent, high rent and probably-cant-afford apartment rentals wherever you look. Its all a matter of your budget and the amenities you just cant live without. The following are some of the more well-known neighborhoods. Though not a complete list, they give you a good idea of what Hoover is all about.
Lake Purdy / Cahaba Valley Road: This is one of the most expensive areas for single-family homes in Hoover. It is nestled between Lake Purdy and the Shoal Creek Golf Club. Since it is the most northern and secluded section of a long city, you can definitely plan on commuting to work. Surprisingly, apartments for rent are quite reasonable in this well-established area. $$$$
Bluff Park: An older neighborhood, Bluff Park attracts families looking for affordable housing options. There are many places to rent, and the prices don't make you gasp and wonder if pitching a tent in the parking lot of the shopping mall is an option. $$$
Lake Cyrus: The Lake Cyrus neighborhood evokes the word "nice" as you drive past fountains, luxury homes, and premier apartments. Once considered secluded, the city has grown up around the neighborhood. Now there are townhomes, condominiums, and apartments for rent in all price ranges. $$$$
Greystone: The Greystone neighborhood evokes the words "this is nice, too" as you drive past more fountains, more luxury homes, and more premier apartments. $$$$
Trace Crossings: Trace Crossings is a neighborhood of expensive homes and luxury apartments. It is actually composed of seven subdivisions, many of them gated. This neighborhood is reserved for the upper-upper middle class and downright-wealthy residents who like that new home smell. $$$$$
Ross Bridge: Ross Bridge is a master-planned community that has the Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa at its center. Naturally, any neighborhood planned around a golf course and set in the gently rolling Appalachian foothills caters to the wealthy or almost-wealthy. There are some condominiums and luxury apartments in this area, so plan on paying a sizable monthly rent amount in between rounds of golf. $$$$$
Meadowbrook: Cahaba Valley Road forms the east edge and Valleydale Road forms the west edge of the Meadowbrook neighborhood. In between is a mixture of single-family residences and apartment buildings that were built in two waves. The older structures went up between 1970 and 2000, while the newer ones were built after that time period. This is a nice, quiet middle-class neighborhood. $$$
Riverchase: Riverchase is a convenient area in that it is located close to Oak Mountain State Park. The Riverchase development, that just happens to include the Riverchase Country Club, is filled with expensive homes so house rent is high. However, the area is also close to the giant mall, so there are plenty of affordable apartments outside of the planned-community development. $$$
Inverness: The neighborhood of Inverness could be described as a low-end of upper middle class area with the average house price somewhere around the national average. Thats not too bad in a city where crazy expensive homes for rent are found as far as the eyes can see. There are nice apartments for rent in Inverness, and the rents are reasonable. $$$
Rocky Ridge: Interstate 459 cuts through the heart of Rocky Ridge. It is a nice suburban neighborhood with much lower priced homes compared to many other areas in Hoover. There is also a variety of apartments to rent, including one bedroom apartments with amenities like a swimming pool, wi-fi, and a fitness center. $$$
Nice but with Continual Growing Pains
Hoover has nice neighborhoods, but it also has a traffic problem along the Highway 31 corridor. Like many continually growing suburb cities, it outgrew its roads. Hoover is long rather than wide, and the main highway 31 on the east side gets very congested during rush hour. The east side of Hoover is where you find the big shopping mall as well as numerous strip malls and free-standing businesses. Highway 31 does seamlessly connect Hoover to neighboring suburb-cities of first Vestavia and then Homewood and finally to the big city of Birmingham, meaning you can live in Hoover and easily work in any of these other cities. There is also the option of jumping onto the interstate system and bypassing the string of suburb-cities. Even in that case, there is the small detail to manage of actually reaching the on-ramps in the first place if you live close to Highway 31. You might as well plan on the car being your lounge area early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Other than dealing with the traffic, Hoover is a great place to live. The farther you get away from interstate 65 and highway 31 and head into south Hoover, the more residential development is found and thus traffic is not as bad. Hoover has a good school system, a trendy public library that hosts well-known speakers and lunch workshops, and a 30-acre wooded park called Aldridge Gardens offering a walking trail, 6-acre lake, and periodic concerts.
