One Of The Fastest Growing Cities In America!

Story by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles Lady. Photography courtesy of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of re-visiting Huntsville, Alabama after a five-year absence. To quote “Southern Living” Magazine, it is “A City on the Rise!”

Huntsville is the second largest city in Alabama, second only to Birmingham. In 2010, its population was 180,105. Ten years later, the population is 25,000. The growth since 2010 is 14.98 percent.

I asked Charles Winters, Executive Vice President of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, to what the population growth is attributed. He ticked off several reasons. A new Toyota Mazda plant is scheduled to start production this fall. There will be 4-5,000 workers direct and another 6,000 workers or so in supplier jobs, other manufacturers and companies. The Toyota Mazda plant is looking at hiring 10,000 or more people.

Redstone Arsenal is continuing to grow in number of employees. Presently it has 48,000 employees. The FBI will open at the Arsenal with 4-5,000 employees in the next 3-4 years. A new announcement is the headquarters of U.S. Space Command, which will mean additional jobs at Redstone Arsenal.

My Huntsville visit began with meeting Charles Winters at the Visitor Center located at 500 Church Street NW, Suite One in downtown Huntsville. I highly recommend that you begin your visit here where the friendly staff will assist you in gathering literature about the city and getting directions to attractions. www.huntsville.org

After greeting Charles, one of the best tourism officials in the business, we drove to the nearby Huntsville Museum of Art downtown. It is a lovely museum currently featuring, among other art works, a selection of paintings from the Sellars Collection that exemplify the strong effect that French Impressionism had on American art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On continuous view are selections from the Museum’s outstanding collections of Buccellati Silver Animals and American Studio Glass. A gift shop is on site. www.hsvmuseum.org

If you have never met and/or heard P. Allen Smith now is your opportunity! On September 9 at 11:00 a.m. he will speak at a luncheon at the Huntsville Museum of Art followed by a book signing. Often described as one of America’s most talented garden designers, he is the author of six bestselling books, host and producer of one of PBS’s most successful and award-winning television shows, and he opens his lovely Arkansas home to the public each spring and fall. I had the pleasure of interviewing him in Little Rock in his cottage in the Historic District and touring his Moss Mountain Farm located about 30-40 minutes from downtown Little Rock.

Charles and Huntsville Museum of Art marketing manager Danny Owen, a friend and I met for a delightful lunch at Pane E Vino outside the Museum of Art overlooking Big Spring International Park. It was a lovely day to dine outside on the terrace, and the food was excellent. The café is a favorite Huntsville Italian eatery situated on the Plaza Level of the Huntsville Museum of Art with lovely views of Big Spring Park and the lake. The menu includes made-to-order pizzas, salads (I ordered the Caprese salad), calzones, desserts like tiramisu, and drinks. www.panevinopizzeria.com

After lunch I toured Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, a thriving creative community. I visited this facility five years ago, and then and again this year I became nostalgic wishing that our Bemis Cotton Mill near Jackson had not been razed.

Lowe Mill is the largest privately owned arts facility in the South. With a focus on visual arts, this historic factory building has been redeveloped into more than 150 working studios for over 200 artists and makers from across the world, independent businesses, 7 art galleries, a multi-use theatre, 4 performance venues, restaurants, a foundry, a chocolate shop, and a community garden. An open door policy allows the public to visit artists and makers during the different stages of their creative process. www.lowemill.art

After touring Lowe Mill, Charles, my host, drove me to three new Huntsville developments. We began at Campus No. 805.

From a landmark location in the heart of the city, Campus No. 805 located at 2620 Clinton Avenue West has become the connecting point for the resurging West Huntsville neighborhoods and the treasured historic district and the hundreds of exciting new loft residences in downtown Huntsville. Newly transformed as the Stone Event Center, the refurbished school building offers a variety of multiuse space for private rental and has become a popular event venue for young professionals and the hospitality industry.

The Stone Center building and the new 16,000-square-foot Student Union has attracted a growing list of tenants to include craft breweries, restaurants, catering, bars, retail and entertainment venues. The creators of Campus No. 805 are proud to be part of the exciting rebirth of Huntsville’s urban core.
www.campus805.com

Stovehouse is built on the bones of the Martin Stamping & Stove factory at 3414 Governors Drive in Huntsville. Construction on the original building began around 1928 and was first home to the Electric Belle Stove Company.

Now, Stovehouse features food, music and fun! Quite by accident, I met the charming owners of Stovehouse while touring this 13-acre, mostly outdoor, campus with a food and leisure garden. Add this to your travel itinerary in Huntsville as a great place to enjoy Stovehouse restaurants, grab a drink or go shopping at their new Gaslight Alley. Six of seven days they host free events. Filling out the calendar is Monday Movie, Tuesday Trivia, Dueling Pianos on Thursday, Sunday Serenades and special events.

Stovehouse has prioritized the Food Garden to be easy, accessible, and quality food. This is perfect for a nice lunch stroll before you visit the rest of Huntsville, but ideal for a family wanting to try multiple options. The eateries range from Modern Mediterranean to Japanese Ramen to Sweet and Savory Japanese Crepes to Mexican to BBQ. In addition, Parm & Pepper specializes in Sandwiches and Pizza, Charlie Foster’s is a coffee shop, and my favorite—Oscar Moon’s Milkshake Shop! (It was named for “Oscar” Howard Floyd Moon, who worked in shipping and receiving at the Stovehouse.). A Pourhouse is a “comfortably swank” bar with unique touches not yet seen in Huntsville. There is more to come including a new co-op brewpub opening along with a new store called Wok’s Up.

Stovehouse has pieces of art hidden around every corner and live music at a state-of-the-art stage in the Leisure Garden. www.stovehouse.com

MidCity Huntsville

This mixed-use development located at 5909 University Drive offers dining, entertainment and recreational options including Alchemy Coffee at The Camp, Topgolf, Dave & Buster’s, High Point Climbing & Fitness, REI and more. When completed, MidCity District will offer a balanced mix of uses connected by urban plazas and walkable streets adjacent to a 40-acre public park that integrates a functional lake system, a 8,500-seat regional outdoor public amphitheater, multi-purpose lawns, and an outdoor climbing area.

Pulsing with energy, it’s a next-generation gathering place where cultural initiative, hospitality and programming serve as the anchors to the built environment, inspiring social engagement, diversity and creativity. www.midcitydistrict.com

After touring all afternoon, it was time for me to check in at the AC Hotel by Marriott which opened on March 25, 2019 at 435 Williams Avenue SW conveniently located in downtown Huntsville. This was my first stay in the ultra-contemporary Marriott hotel. (The AC stands for Antonio Caratrone of Spain, who created the brand.) There are 160 rooms and 4 Executive Suites, and the 6th floor is the Concierge floor.

The rooms of the hotel are European-designed with large beds and no carpet and square toilets. From my window I enjoyed the view of the Big Spring International Park. A European Breakfast Bar Buffet offers hardboiled eggs, Danish, fruit, croissants and coffee, cereals and muffins. A Grab & Go Breakfast is complimentary for the guests. Brunch is served on Friday and Saturday. Bar Vista is on the second floor patio. www.marriott.com

I enjoyed my dinner at the popular Rosie’s Cantina located at 6196 University Drive. (There are two Rosie’s Cantinas in Huntsville.) The freshly prepared guacamole was delicious. www.rosiesmexicancantina.com

Prior to my Huntsville visit, I had read in several magazines about Catacomb 435, Huntsville’s Basement Speakeasy. You must have a password to enter and there is no signage at the swanky speakeasy located at 100 Jefferson Street N. downtown. Of course, it is a legal establishment, but it has retained the 1920s feel and the covert way of finding it and getting inside.

The term “speak easy” referred to whispering to a friend that you were going to a saloon for a night on the town lest a nosy neighbor turned you in to the cops. If you manage to get through the locked front door, follow the red line down to a black staircase. The crystal chandelier lets you know you are heading in the right direction.

I was greeted by a bartender dressed in a waistcoat and bowtie. The songs of Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra drifted through the air. The low light punctuated by art deco light fixtures adds to the ambiance. Black and white movies silently play on the screen over a spinet piano, and you feel like you‘ve entered another era. Saddle up to the bar or snuggle into the corner nook, which was an old coal chute from the 1800s. Order a handcrafted cocktail developed by veteran bartender Matt Ortega. (Can’t you picture a speakeasy in downtown Jackson?)

Due to overwhelming popularity, you need to make a reservation online. After making the reservation you will be given a password, which changes daily. Enjoy a glamourous evening of perfect cocktails, delectable bites, and maybe even a piano player. Mum’s the word. www.tableagent.com and search catacomb 435

On the final day of my interesting and fun visit to Huntsville, I had a truly Southern breakfast at a very popular restaurant — Blue Plate Café at 3210 Governors Drive SW. www.blueplatecafe.com

After a bountiful breakfast it was on to the delightful Huntsville Botanical Garden located at 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue. An attractive new Guest Center has been built since my last visit five years ago. Also new is Tweetsville, which explores the role that birds play in our ecosystem. And I made a quick visit to the lovely gift shop. www.huntsvillehbg.org

My last stop in Huntsville was the U.S. Space & Rocket Center at One Tranquility Base where I had tickets to the 11:30 am show on Mars at the Intuitive Planetarium. The Intuitive Planetarium at The U.S. Space and Rocket Center offers an 8K Digital Planetarium and Digital Dome Experience—the only one of its kind in the Southeast. (My readers may not believe this, but quite a few years ago I graduated from Media Space School—did I really do this?, and I have a jumpsuit to prove it!)

The theater has 248 comfortable seats and provides a highly enjoyable, informative guest experience including an exciting space-themed lobby and a variety of food and beverage offerings. The schedule includes daytime and evening planetarium shows, full dome movies and fun educational events for all ages. www.rocketcenter.com/intuitiveplanetarium

What to Know

Huntsville-Madison County
Convention & Visitors Bureau
500 Church Street NW, Suite One,
Huntsville, Alabama 35801
800.843.0468 or 256.551.2230
www.huntsville.org