About 63 miles east of Birmingham, the city of Anniston celebrates its cultural attractions and green spaces but suffers from high crime rates and below average schools. Most homes, as well as vacant lots, sit west and north of U.S. Route 431, and construction’s ongoing in new subdivisions. Locally owned and chain shops and restaurants line downtown streets near the city center, and residents bike trails and attend festivals at local museums. Plans to extend trails and build sidewalks are slated for completion by 2025, while efforts to build a downtown plaza and prevent crime are ongoing.
Trails, community centers and festivals
Over 33 miles of multiuse trails and campgrounds surround the city center, and six community centers with gyms, basketball courts and pools stay open year-round. Residents live within walking distance of twenty parks, most with playgrounds and picnic tables. Anniston’s Comprehensive Plan aims to build a trail connector from Coldwater Mountain to downtown and expand the Chief Ladiga Trail to be accessible by the city’s Amtrak station; both projects are slated for completion by the end of 2024.
Downtown’s Noble Street Park and the 125-acre Anniston Museums and Gardens in the northern end of the city host annual festivals. Noble Street closes each spring for a pro bike race and families and school groups interact with museum exhibits throughout the year. Businesses use museum space for conferences and events, and weddings and private parties are held in their gardens.
Locally owned restaurants and downtown revitalization
Two shopping centers along U.S. Routes 78 and 21 are home to a mix of department stores and bargain outlets, as well as chain and locally owned restaurants. Set along Noble Street, the lunch and dinner seafood restaurant Classic on Noble is highly sought after; Mexican and barbecue restaurants line the southern end of the city, while Italian eateries are at the northern end. Anniston’s raising money to revitalize downtown with new businesses, restaurants and entertainment venues to promote economic development and encourage residents to gather for events. Plans to build new federal buildings and green spaces next to existing shops along Noble Street are ongoing.
Ranch-style homes, rental properties and new construction
Three-bedroom ranch-style homes built between the 1940s and ‘60s make up much of the housing market in Anniston; prices here average $150,000, in contrast to the county average of $137,000, and usually sell within 90 days. In the city’s western end, prices start as low as $49,000, while in the southeastern end prices can reach as high as $850,000. Investors look to the northeastern end for two-bedroom rental properties starting at $40,000, and west for new subdivisions with vacant lots of roughly 7 acres, starting at $2,500. Southeast of downtown, newly constructed Craftsman-style homes with up to four bedrooms start at $275,000. Golden Springs is a popular neighborhood in southeast Anniston, offering up to six-bedroom midcentury Colonial Revival- and ranch-style homes.
Interstates and bus routes
U.S. Route 21 and 431 provide access to commercial and residential areas throughout Anniston, while Interstate 20 takes commuters into downtown Birmingham and its eastern suburbs. The Areawide Community Transportation System offers fixed bus routes with paratransit options; residents can ride the Greyhound and Amtrak. The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is 54 miles west and Stringfellow Memorial Hospital is 1 mile north.
Low reading scores and culinary arts
Serving over 1,900 students, the Anniston City School District earns an overall grade of C-minus from Niche. Students at its three elementary schools have below average math and reading scores, and Anniston Middle School offers parent and family engagement programs to promote higher test scores and better behavior. Students can enroll in Anniston High’s culinary arts program, work as a teller at its onsite bank or learn how to use 3-D printers as part of its STEM program.
High property and violent crime rates
According to Reddit and Neighborhood Scout, locals report not feeling safe at night in Anniston, especially in the eastern end of the city near the high school. The city’s property crime rate is 54.39 per 1,000 residents, compared to the national average of 19.55; residents here make sure to lock their bikes, cars and homes. Anniston’s violent crime rate is 8.36 per 1,000 residents, compared to the national average of 3.8; locals don’t linger in public spaces or walk in their neighborhoods after sunset. According to the Anniston Police Department’s 2022 Annual Report, Anniston has hired crime analysts and partnered with the East Metro Area Crime Center in efforts to prevent crime.
Future plans and flooding and tornado hazards
By the end of 2025, sidewalks will line existing roads in newer neighborhoods, and pedestrian crossings and bike lanes will be added along Noble Street and at the Quintard Avenue Corridor. Efforts to build a downtown plaza with a multi-use pavilion, a stage for live music and a crushed gravel parking lot are ongoing, as well as plans to add the city’s historic downtown buildings to the National Register of Historic Places to protect them from demolition.
According to Risk Factor, Anniston is at a major risk of localized flooding, so homeowners are required to buy flood insurance for their homes. Anniston Water Works and Sewer Board officials are working on plans to maintain stormwater drainage by cleaning pipes and inlets and removing debris; residential rain gardens and updates to existing stormwater detention ponds and concrete-lined ditches will follow. Tornadoes occur during most seasons throughout Alabama. Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency is upgrading its tornado-warning alert system and promoting preparedness and action plans across social media.
Gary Gaines is married with 3 boys. In 2005, he received the Rookie of the Year award for the top selling Rookie in Calhoun County. He's licensed for the entire state of Alabama but specializes in the Eastern and Central parts of the state.
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