Here’s some local chatter about the Ross Bridge community from a local blog…
Q: [I’m] thinking of moving to Ross Bridge. Can anyone tell me more about Ross Bridge in Hoover? It seems like a really pretty place. Will we be too far from stores, etc.? Is the drive to UAB really only 20-25 minutes?
A: It's not bad at all. In fact, 25-minutes feels a bit long to me. Essentially, it's a straight shot up Lakeshore Drive (there's no lake, so go figure) to I-65, then five minutes to the UAB exit. Along the way, there's plenty of shopping, movies, chain restaurants, etc. It's not the entertainment and restaurant district, mind you. But it's pretty convenient area to live from what I know.
Q: I am the wife of the original poster of the question. I'm struggling with the decision of where to buy a house. We like the development at Ross Bridge very much. We hear there is a good community base for newcomers as well. We just worry that we will have to drive 20-min to everything.
A1: my friends that live in Ross Bridge love it. It is a family oriented community. You will get new construction in Ross Bridge for what you will pay for a house built in 1945 in Homewood. The new construction in Homewood begins at 450k plus. There are about 10 new construction houses available in Homewood, but they are in the 550-700k+ range.
A2: Ross Bridge is quite lovely. I would buy there.
A3: A very good friend of mine is one of the primary homebuilders there and his firm has a tremendous reputation. Even in this soft market, Ross Bridge continues to sell very strongly. IMHO, it would be hard to lose out there…
Q: How far is Ross Bridge from the airport? Is it centrally located so you can reach shopping easily? We would probably look at new construction or fairly new houses.
A1: I will reply here on two of your questions as a public service – I will then PM you with the name of the builder.
First – How far is Ross Bridge from the airport? According to Google Maps it is 17.9 miles and approximately 30-minutes. 30-minutes would be right during the mid-day hours and it would stretch to about 45 during rush hours.
Second – Is it centrally located so you can reach shopping easily? Like most cities with population of over 1 million, the 'centrally located' neighborhoods were built decades ago, and this is certainly the case here. To find a home within ten minutes of downtown, you are going to buy one that is between 20-80 years old…but for the most part, they are grand homes – in Homewood, Vestavia and Mountain Brook…BUT – they will be more expensive.
Ross Bridge is exceptionally attractive and selling strongly in a weak market because:
1) It is located in Hoover, which has good government services and schools.
2) It is located in a beautiful valley so from an aesthetic standpoint, it is very, very strong.
3) The homebuilders selected for the development have great reputations.
I will PM you with the name of the builder. I played golf with him yesterday and another man came up and raved about his new house at Ross Bridge…
On the other hand, just because Ross Bridge is not centrally located does not mean you cannot "reach shopping easily". From Ross Bridge:
1) Hit the Galleria in 12-13 minutes – on I-65 South.
2) Hit Brookwood Village in about 8-9 minutes – straight down Lakeshore. No turns…
3) Hit the Summit in about 15 – I-65 to I-459.
Will PM you with builder name. He is sometimes has 'waiting lists' – he is that good.
A2: That's a good response…The only think I would add is that Ross Bridge is also very close to Wildwood, which offers everyday shopping with a Lowe's, Wal-Mart, groceries, shoes, apparel, movie theaters, etc.
A3: Great point…all the day-to-day basics are five minutes away and plenty of them for that matter. It's the higher-end shopping that takes a little longer but still very, very reasonable travel times.
I just love that valley…playing golf on the Ross Bridge Course has so many stunning views…it’s the most expensive on the Trail and jammed. [It’s] that popular.
A4: Bravo did Ross Bridge so much justice with his post. And all I have to add is that it's better than Greystone!
A5: Well, I think we've done pretty much all we can do except put in an offer for you. No matter how much we rave about Ross Bridge, the decision is ultimately yours.