Bush Hills, AL

Bush Hills, AL, is a neighborhood in Birmingham, AL, and is known for its large population of civil servants and their families, who find themselves in an easygoing, if uneventful, community. It’s a middle-class neighborhood with homes ranging from modest to sprawling McMansions, and full of children playing in the streets. The police station across from City Hall is constantly busy taking reports or answering calls. Though many residents claim the crime rate is low, they say that’s due to lack of action rather than true safety.

Though a newcomer to the neighborhood would hardly notice the difference, longtime residents of Bush Hills say some areas can feel more dangerous than others. Though this area is generally considered safe, they roll up their car windows and lock their doors at night even when going to places like Walmart or Aldi’s grocery store. Many people who live in Bush Hills own their homes, and it’s quite typical to see older people cleaning up their yard or planting flowers. However, there are also many individuals who rent here.

Some of the most common complaints from residents in Bush Hills is lack of parking downtown and too much noise at night while they’re trying to sleep. There have been reports of noisy bars and nightclubs keeping people up at night, but there are several churches in the area that act as a noise buffer.

Bush Hills is also experiencing an interesting shift in its community’s diversity. While whites and blacks remain the dominant races, Latinos have become more noticeable in the last decade. This can be seen both in schools and grocery stores where Spanish has become a more common language. Though there are still some who disapprove of this, most Bush Hills residents find the changes to be positive.

However, not everyone is excited about what’s happening in their beloved neighborhood. Some say the new kids don’t seem to want to respect the “old ways,” calling them disrespectful and complaining that they play too much.