All the city amenities with a small-town feel
The first settlers arrived in Calera during the 1820s, when it was just empty rolling hills and rocky flatlands. The rural area eventually began to develop in the 1850s, with the arrival of the Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad. By the 1860s, Calera had become a thriving little industrial town known as the center of limestone production. Over the next century and a half, not much changed, but somewhere around the 1990s to early 2000s, Calera began to see some major growth. Developers started building neatly organized subdivisions along U.S. Highway 11 and Interstate 65. The area continued to grow over the next few years, adding a central commercial corridor and some new shops along Main Street. Still, Brittany Rudulph, a local Realtor and broker with Rudulph Real Estate Inc., says she’s seen the most growth over the last three to four years. “A lot of people didn’t have to work in the city after Covid, so they moved out here to get away and build a dream home they can afford.” She adds, “It’s a slower pace and I really think if you’re looking for a smaller place and that neighborly feel – Calera is definitely your best bet.”
Affordable single family homes in cul-de-sacs
Modern subdivisions built over the last 10 to 20 years are spread across Calera’s hilly terrain. New construction craftsman homes are in cul-de-sacs just off the highway along with modern bungalows with wide front porches and fenced-in backyards. Older bungalows from the 1920s sit next to 1970s ranch-style homes around the center of town. These properties line up along square-shaped city blocks outlined with freshly paved sidewalks. Further away from the noisy traffic, new traditional two-stories and contemporary craftsman bungalows sit side-by-side along wide residential streets, most of which end in quiet cul-de-sacs. There are even a few historic Cape Cods, and farmhouse-style homes settled on multi-acre properties in the more rural parts of Calera. Most of the single-family homes here cost between $200,000 and $350,000, which Rudulph says is quite affordable compared to the surrounding areas. “In Calera, you can get a three-bed, two-bathroom for $220,000, whereas in Hoover, the same home would cost between the $400,000s to late $300,000s.” Still, the empty land lots can list anywhere from $15,000 for a half-acre all the way up to over $500,000 for 15 acres of woodlands.
Mom-and-pop businesses line Main Street
A few mom-and-pop eateries and other locally owned businesses cluster around the corner of Highway 31 and Main Street in the heart of Calera. The smell of fresh roasted coffee beans welcomes customers into Adventure Coffee Co. Locals can head here to pick up a quick coffee on the way to work or spend an entire afternoon sipping and reading on one of the couches. Next door, Plant doubles as a gift shop and florist, selling a wide selection of indoor plants, knick-knacks and made-to-order flower arrangements. There’s a new bakery just around the corner where residents can order a homemade cinnamon roll for breakfast and return for a chicken salad croissant at lunchtime. Driving up the highway, residents pass by the local taco truck, a couple of thrift stores and several churches until they arrive at the intersection of Highway 31 and Interstate 65. This area is Calera’s commercial district, with national restaurant chains, a Walmart Supercenter and a few other local hot spots hidden in retail strips.
Calera Elementary has a great STEM program
Calera is part of the Shelby County School District, which Rudulph says, “is a really great school system.” Calera Elementary is one of the first Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) schools in Shelby County. The school has an A rating from Niche, while Calera Intermediate follows close behind with a solid B. Also receiving a B rating, Calera High School brings the community together for Friday night football games.
Oliver Park offers 58 acres of green space
Four fenced-in baseball fields, eight basketball courts and the Rick Cairns Memorial Football Stadium are spread out across 58 acres of green space at Oliver Park. Between the meticulously groomed athletic fields, red-painted wooden bridges pass over shallow creeks that lead to the soccer field and tree-covered walking trails. While this park has a small play area, George W. Roy Recreational Park has a much larger playground with equipment of all shapes and sizes. There are toddler-sized slides and spring riders, along with taller slide towers and a swing set for older kids. The entire family can enjoy a weekend of outdoor adventures at Rolling Hills Campground. While there are over 80 RV lots on-site, residents don’t have to plan an entire camping trip to enjoy the park’s swimming pool or watch sunsets on the lake. Golfers can head just five miles down the road to play at the Timberline Golf Club – one of the top 10 golf courses in Alabama. For a truly unique experience, locals can head to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in the heart of Downtown Calera. Visitors can tour restored depots, browse collections of railroad artifacts or take a ride on one of the antique train cars.
The Calera Strawberry Festival takes place each April
Residents mosey over to Oliver Park each April for the annual Calera Strawberry Festival. Along with baskets overflowing with strawberries, attendees can buy homemade jams, hand-crafted jewelry or homegrown produce from local farmers and vendors. Rudulph adds, “They do a bunch of cool things besides the festival too; like community crawfish boils, First Fridays each month and a bunch of fun stuff around Christmas.”
Highway 31 runs through Calera
U.S. Route 31 intersects with State Road 25 in the heart of Calera. Highway 31 runs north straight through Downtown Birmingham, but Rudulph says Interstate 65 is the locally preferred route. From the freeway, “It’s usually about half an hour to Birmingham and the airport,” but “as so many people are moving to these smaller areas, it’s gotten very congested around rush hour – especially on 65.”
Photography Contributed By
Tommy Daspit
