Ensley

Ensley

Located in Jefferson County

$91,171 Average Value
$54 Average Price per Sq Ft
1 Home For Sale

Strong community roots and history of industry

With a history of industrial boom and decline, Ensley is an area defined by the shifting neighborhood amenities available to its established, close-knit community. While residents no longer work in steel production at The Ensley Works, the neighborhood’s proximity to I-20 means locals often drive to employers across the greater Birmingham area. Local dining, specialty shopping and convenience options provide residents with daily essentials, alongside a handful of chain options along 20th Street Ensley. When neighbors aren’t chatting across front porches, they can be found walking down Ensley’s residential sidewalks to local parks or to classes at East Ensley Public Library on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Residents who have lived in the area for their entire lives live alongside new neighbors seeking refuge from high property costs around downtown Birmingham, building upon Ensley’s existing suburban community.

The busy interior of Green Acres restaurant.
The busy interior of Green Acres restaurant.
Take a walk down the historic downtown area of Ensley.
Take a walk down the historic downtown area of Ensley.
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Blocks of single-family homes

Ensley’s residential areas are laid out in grassy blocks of single-family homes built in the 1920s through 1950s. Homes sport unique designs and paint colors, with bungalows, shotguns and the occasional four square style houses making up many of the offerings. Fixer-uppers in need of serious work may sell for $30,000, while move-in ready options go for $80,000 to $130,000 depending on its interior updates and square footage. “Ensley has a bright future because more people want to live where rent and mortgages are lower than downtown Birmingham. People buy and renovate out here where things aren’t as congested,” says George A. McCall, president of the Ensley Neighborhood Association who has lived in the neighborhood for 80 years. Narrow residential sidewalks run past rows of porches lined by bushes and flowers, occasional vacant or damaged lots and under the boughs of mature trees, connecting the neighborhood.

A residential street in Ensley.
A residential street in Ensley.
A historic home in Ensley.
A historic home in Ensley.
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Proximity to I-20

“We’ve got proximity to the interstate, so you can get anywhere in Birmingham very quickly. It’s part of what attracts people to the area,” says McCall. I-20 runs along the southeast of Ensley, providing residents with a 7-mile commute to downtown Birmingham, home to many of the area’s employers. Locals also have access to public transportation via bus stops which run the length of the neighborhood.

Downtown Birmingham from the interstate.
Downtown Birmingham from the interstate.
You are always welcome in Ensley.
You are always welcome in Ensley.
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Local businesses of downtown Ensley

Downtown Ensley provides a handful of options for locals’ daily necessities and dining, as well as a few specialty businesses which tend to be sandwiched between vacant storefronts. Groceries can be picked up at Marino’s Market on Avenue E, and the Family Dollar and Dollar General on 20th Street Ensley provide further household essentials. Stop & Shop Square has served locals takeout soul food for decades, while the newer Heritage Coffee provides residents with a cozy coffeeshop interior in which to get caffeinated. A couple of development projects in the downtown area are slated to provide increased commercial and medical spaces to Ensley, but these projects are still in the works.

The cafe counter in Heritage Coffee.
The cafe counter in Heritage Coffee.
Signage at Stop and Shop Square.
Signage at Stop and Shop Square.
The exterior of Green Acres restaurant.
The exterior of Green Acres restaurant.
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Attending Birmingham City Schools

Kids in Ensley can attend kindergarten through fifth grade at Wylam Elementary School and sixth through eighth grade at Bush Hills Academy, both of which are outside of Ensley and earn a C-minus and D-plus on Niche respectively. Students finish school within Ensley at P.D. Jackson-Olin High school which earns a C-minus and can choose to participate in Career and Technical Education programs which allow them to explore specialized career interests alongside traditional academics.

Bush Hills STEAM Academy teaches kids to do their best near Ensley.
Bush Hills STEAM Academy teaches kids to do their best near Ensley.
Wylam K-8 School is a great place to learn for Ensley children.
Wylam K-8 School is a great place to learn for Ensley children.
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Swimming and sporting at McAlpine and Ensley parks

McAlpine Park and Ensley Park provide residents with large public green spaces and a recreation center at each which can be booked for community events. Residents looking to play a pick-up game of tennis or baseball might head to Ensley Park, while similar athletic fields as well as a playground and community pool draw locals to McAlpine Park.

Take a stroll at McAlpine Park in Ensley.
Take a stroll at McAlpine Park in Ensley.
Take a stroll with someone you love at Ensley Park.
Take a stroll with someone you love at Ensley Park.
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Ensley and Western/Jackson-Olin High School alumni events

Ensley has produced robust high school alumni associations out of Jackson-Olin High School and the now demolished Ensley High School, both of which engage with Ensley’s wider community at events like annual alumni picnics. Beyond giving thousands of neighbors and old classmates space to get together, alumni also raise money for scholarships for current students in Birmingham.

Cheer on the Mustangs at Jackson-Olin High School near Ensley.
Cheer on the Mustangs at Jackson-Olin High School near Ensley.
Jackson Olin High School takes pride in teaching future leaders of Ensley.
Jackson Olin High School takes pride in teaching future leaders of Ensley.
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Rebecca Frankel
Written By
Rebecca Frankel
Robert Harris
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Robert Harris

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Average Home Value



Source: Public Records
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
Ensley