A local guide to Homewood, AL curated by a Birmingham native.
Hi! I’m Meredith, also known as The Southern Source. Born and raised in Birmingham, I have a special affinity for ALL the nooks and crannies of this city and I’m excited to share those with you throughout my Birmingham Neighborhood Guide. In this blog series, I will be touring some of my favorites sub-cities and neighborhoods within Birmingham. I hope these guides inspire you to get out, get exploring, try something new, or even relocate! Who knows!?
We are all about real-talk on this blog. I will give you my personal thoughts, recommendations, and suggestions throughout this guide, as well as bring in other local experts! Asterisks* denote places I frequent often!
See below to learn more about the Homewood real estate market, schools, as well as where to eat, shop, and stay healthy in Homewood, AL.
History of Homewood
Homewood, AL is a suburb of Birmingham, AL on the other side of Red Mountain. Its establishment can be time-stamped around the 1800s when the first settlers arrived. The city obtained an electric railway, and with it’s close proximity to downtown Birmingham, it became a popular place to reside. In the past 7-10 years, the real estate in this area has skyrocketed. Downtown Homewood, Soho, Edgewood, West Homewood are all popular areas in Homewood to live in, and you can expect to pay high-dollar in some cases.
For what some of these homes may lack in square footage they make up for in history, charm, and proximity to some of Birmingham’s best businesses which is priceless!
What’s the Draw to Homewood? – Savannah Johnson, @savannahsellsbham
I always describe Homewood to people who have never visited as “a Southern town in a vibrant city where life just seems simpler.”
Top 3 reasons people are moving to Homewood:
1.Close-knit & Unique Neighborhoods: Homewood is an extremely tight-knit community. Within Homewood, you’ll find different areas all offer something special and unique. Whether that means you’re looking in Edgewood to achieve a location that is more walkable, or you’re looking in Hollywood for a historic home with more privacy.
2.Highly-ranked school systems: Homewood has excellent public schools, and you really can’t go wrong with any school in Homewood. Even if someone doesn’t have children, taking the school systems into consideration is extremely important for resale values. (This is important for any area, of course, not just Homewood)
3.Walkability: I’d say this is the number one reason people are swooning over Homewood. When you land a home in the heart of Homewood, walkability becomes a new and simple way of life. Having the option to walk to a local coffee shop or grab lunch/dinner, letting your kids tag along with the neighborhood kids to walk to school together without having to worry about lots of traffic, and the close proximity of multiple parks are all part of what makes Homewood…Homewood.
Truth: Yard can be hard to find in Homewood. Luckily there are great public parks all over!
- Patriot Park
- Homewood Central Park
- West Homewood Park
- Woodland Park
- Overton Park
- Spring Park
- Homewood Soccer Park
- George Ward Park
Savannah is my new real estate mentor and Associate Broker at Art House. She is a seasoned Birmingham Realtor who knows her way around the Magic City. If you are looking to buy or sell your home, we’d love to team up and help you buy or sell your home!
The Best of Homewood
As mentioned, Homewood has great walkability! Many of the best restaurants, shops, and businesses in Homewood, AL are next-door neighbors so you can park and visit so many of them all in one outing. Note: Parking in Homewood can be a little sparse, so carpool or Uber if you can!
Shaia’s is a fine men’s clothier and custom tailor in Homewood, AL. Their customer service and selection are unmatched!
Boutiques
- Shaia’s*
- Hemline*
- Soca Clothing*
- The Pink Tulip
- Shea Davis
- Fab’rik
- Swaddle*
- Theodora
- Dear Prudence
- Shoefly
- Nations Boutique
- The Little Professor – children’s bookstore
- Homewood Toy & Hobby
Home Decor Shops
- At Home Furnishings*
- Homewood Antiques
- Sweet Peas Garden Shop
- Mantooth Interiors
- Nadeau*
- SoHo Retro*
- Seibels Cottage*
- Alabama Goods*
- Stock & Trade*
- Nest
- Argent*
- Defining Home
- Three Sheets*
- Domicile
- Hiltz Lauber
- Four Seasons Art Gallery
- Art Alley
- The Cottage Basket
- Brandino Brass
- Susan Gordon Pottery
Jinsei Sushi – Menu favorites include the Bao buns, Tempura Green Beans, Onion Rings, Spicy Hotate Roll
Restaurants
All the little areas of Homewood are housing some seriously good eats. Check out this list of places to eat in Homewood, AL.
Breakfast
- Ruby Sunshine*
- Homewood Bagel
- Over Easy*
- Big Bad Breakfast
- Maple Street Biscuit Co
- Bandit Bakery*
Lunch
- Real and Rosemary – The cutest outdoor and indoor seating! Love their Southwestern Salad and they have great seasonal sides
- Ono Poke* – Don’t skip the fries!
- Johnny’s – Upscale Meat and Three. Chicken pot pie to die for
- Saw’s BBQ* – Great wings, BBQ, and a delicious burger. My favorite dish is the “Pork n Greens”
- Taco Mama – Modern taco bar
- Red Pearl – Authentic Chinese food
- O’Carrs* – Best chicken salad in Birmingham
- Hero Doughnuts* – Best everything. Great doughnuts, salads, and a life-changing burger
- Demetri’s BBQ
- Greenhouse
- Zoe’s
- Chicken Salad Chick
- Urban Cookhouse* – Such a good variety of lunch items!
- Sam’s Deli
- Oak Hill Bar & Grill
- Mama Goldbergs
- Shiki
- Homewood Gourmet
- Ashley Mac’s* – Awesome to-gos! I love the salad trio (chicken salad, pimento cheese, and mardarin salad). Also love their poppy seed chicken
Dinner
- Jinsei* – Good cocktails, dark ambiance which is so nice for a date night!
- Little Donkey* – Upscale Mexican cuisine
- Pizzeria GM* – Good stuff all around
- Dave’s Pizza
- Nabeel’s
- Gianmarco’s
- SoHo Social
- The Grocery Brew Pub
- Ash West
Healthy Spots
- Homewood Nutrition* – Best smoothies in town. Instagram worthy!
- Greenhouse
- Kale Me Crazy
- Zoe’s
- Farm Bowl and Juice Co* – Also great smoothies and fresh pressed juices. Cute for Instagram photos!
- Planet Smoothie
Dessert
- Big Spoon Creamery* – Super good ice cream!
- Cookie Fix* – Insanely good cookies. How do they do it?! MUST HAVE in Homewood.
- Dreamcakes Cafe
- Pastry Art – Home of the Baby Bites
- Savages Bakery
- Edgewood Creamery
- Rolls.Homewood*
Coffee
- Caveat
- O’Henrys
- Seeds Coffee
- Red Mountain Espresso
Health & Wellness
- Skin Wellness* – our family’s personal dermatologist. Dr. Hartman is also known as one of the best injectors in Birmingham, AL
- Escape Day Spa
- Genesis Nail Spa*
- Renew Dermatology
- Total Skin
- Smart Skin Med Spa* – where I get my facials!
- HydraLive IV Bar
Fitness
- Three15 Cycle Studio* – This is where I fell in love with cycling. Inspired my DIY Peloton so I could experience it at home duirng COVID.
- Battle Republic* – Immersive kickboxing experience
- IronTribe
- Provision Studio* – Pilates
- Pure Barre
- Nexus
- Gauntlet Fitness
- Burn Boot Camp
- Cahaba Cycles – Bike Shop
With so much to do and EAT in Homewood, you’ll want to plan to visit multiple times (maybe weekly… HECK — maybe you’ll even end up moving there)! Its charm is unmatched and its people are polite and full of Southern hospitality. Homewood is definitely a do-not-miss on any trip to Birmingham, AL. Looking for more sweet spots to visit in Birmingham? Subscribe to my newsletter to see when the next Birmingham Neighborhood Guide is released!