One of the key drivers of home buying is convenience. Often, our clients have opted out of the suburban commute, deciding to spend their time within an increasingly interesting Birmingham. But that doesn’t mean everyone wants to be right downtown. For many clients, a semi-urban location hits the sweet spot between downtown access and a residential lifestyle. Our Gladstone townhomes in Crestline are a prime example of the semi-urban location at work.
Crestline is a best-of-both worlds kind of area, and that’s what we’ve tried to capture in siting our newest community development. The Gladstone location — 4447 Montevallo Road — lies between the neat single-family streets of Crestline Park and the everyday essentials available in the neighboring Crestwood/Irondale corridor. It’s convenient to the big-box resources of the Montclair Road Publix and the independent gems of Dunston Avenue.
The Gladstone is within shouting distance of Brookwood Primary Care, Shangri-La Chinese, and multiple pharmacies. There’s even an innovative public library branch, which the Birmingham Public Library says was conceived by former BPL Associate Director Jack Bulow, who wanted “to have a branch in a mall and merchandise it like a bookstore.” Just past the shouting perimeter, you’ll find banking options at Regions and BB&T, easy eats at Milo’s or El Cazador, plus doggie day care and boarding services at We Talk Dogs.
This is not a community for folks looking to sell off their cars and commit to a walking or biking lifestyle. It’s for folks who can accept a quick drive to work but not the life-in-a-car experience of an I-65 or Highway 280 commute. It’s also one of the few options for homebuyers in Birmingham proper who want the convenience of a community development without the stacked neighbors of multi-family living.
The whole point of developing a community, after all, is to create living options that aren’t readily available. “Our focus is really to provide products that people haven’t had lately to encourage people to live in our city,” our own Carter Hughes told AL.com. If you’ve had trouble finding your perfect Birmingham spot, consider the Gladstone your Goldilocks answer.