Mountain Brook is a community in Birmingham, Alabama. The city has been the site of many natural disasters and tragedies over the past century. However, it has also become an icon for overcoming adversity. Mountain Brook is home to some of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Birmingham with plenty of green spaces and parks for residents to enjoy. 

Mountain Brook was founded by developer William Riddle Jr., who purchased 2,000 acres from lumber companies that had stripped away much of Birmingham’s timberland during the early 20th century’s Great Depression. He envisioned a “garden suburb” with curvilinear streets lined by shade trees and served by trolley cars running through its center like spokes on a wheel: there would be no noisy trains or factories, no churches, no saloons. He advertised his development as “the least likely place you will ever see” and named it for its location atop Red Mountain—a line of red clay bluffs that was once part of the coastline during the Jurassic era. It cost $1 to enter Riddle’s drawing (with a map) for his new city, which was held at the Alabama State Fairgrounds Soldiers Building.

Mountain Brook was established in 1926 with an elected mayor/council form of government. Industrialist J. Stanley Webster built the city’s first shopping center in 1947, sparking the area’s transformation from a quiet suburb to a central business district. The city became known for its upscale housing, with many prominent Alabama businessmen relocating to the community in the 1970s and 1980s. Mountain Brook is now considered one of the best places to live in America.

Mountain Brook was founded by developer William Riddle Jr., who envisioned a “garden suburb” with curvilinear streets lined by shade trees and served by trolley cars.

Industrialist J. Stanley Webster built the city’s first shopping center in 1947, sparking the area’s transformation from a quiet suburb to a central business district.

Things to do in Mountain Brook:

1. Birmingham Botanical Gardens: the gardens feature a number of different landscapes and over 1,000 native plant species and offer education and outreach programs to help improve environmental wellbeing.

2. Redmont Park: located right in downtown Mountain Brook, this park features tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground that is perfect for children of all ages , and a walking trail.

3. Railroad Park: located in downtown Birmingham, Railroad Park is one of the nation’s largest urban parks opened in 2010 on the site of an abandoned railroad line that had once divided the city into eastern and western sides.

4. The Workplay Theater: founded in 1999, Workplay is an entertainment venue offering live music, comedy shows, movies, and more.

5. Shain Park Splash Pad: located on the playground near the intersection of Westminster Rd and Clairmont Ave at the end of Brookwood Mall.

Mountain Brook is a beautiful place to live with many amazing perks.