Mayor’s Minute By Ashley Curry - October 2021

According to the 2020 census, Vestavia Hills’ population grew by 5,000 people since the 2010 census.

We now have a population of 39,000, which places us clearly in the 15 largest cities in Alabama. But it is not our population that makes us a great place to live. It is a number of things.

Why did you decide to live in Vestavia Hills? Maybe you moved here for some of the scenery, such as the panoramic views from Shades Mountain. Maybe you moved here because of the excellent Vestavia Hills City schools. For most, it was a combination of factors that contribute to the “quality of life” that Vestavia Hills has to offer.

In my recent “State of the City” address, I referenced a report by areavibes.com, a service that rates cities across the country. According to them, the “livability” of a city is based on the quality of life that the city offers. This livability score is created from a unique algorithm based seven important metrics.

Those metrics are:

► Amenities

► Cost of living

► Crime rates

► Education

► Employment

► Housing

► Weather

The higher the livability score, the better the city. Vestavia Hills has again been listed as the No. 1 city for livability in Alabama. It was No. 1 last year as well. Nationally, we are rated in the top 200 cities inthe nation. Their ranking places us in the top 2% of the nation for livability.

The recent Community Spaces Plan has upgraded most of our parks and recreational fields in all areas of the city. The infrastructure portion of the CSP included road improvements, specifically in Cahaba Heights, and additional sidewalks throughout the city.

Our city has a robust housing market. The demand for homes exceeds the supply, hence, many homes are sold within days of being listed. Our city has again been designated as the safest city in Alabama for cities over 24,000 in population. All of these factors make Vestavia Hills a desirable place to live.

This past month we honored our senior citizens with the observance of “National Senior Citizens Day.”

This day was created as a day to support, honor and show appreciation to our seniors and to recognize their achievements. Our seniors play a vital role in the vitality of our services and quality of life activities in our city.

Also, during September, our Vestavia Hills High School Habitat for Humanity Club sponsored a “Love Your Neighbor” concert to raise money for the club’s participation in the construction of a home for a family in need in the greater Birmingham area.

By proclamation, the city declared Sept. 20-24 as “Love Your Neighbor Week” in Vestavia Hills.

Take time this month to help someone or support some charitable group, your civic club or your church that helps others.