CELEBRATE SUMMER POOLSIDE THIS 4TH OF JULY AT THE RETREAT AT MOUNTAIN BROOK—AND OUT & ABOUT IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA!
Celebrate summer poolside at The Retreat at Mountain Brook—and out and about in Birmingham, Alabama, where there’s always something fun to do! Lounge In Luxury Our upscale apartment community’s three resort-style saltwater pools are some of the coolest things about living here (no pun intended, LOL!). Lounge in luxury while snacking on some fresh fruit you picked up at the Farmers Market at Pepper Place and sipping on “the” cocktail of summer 2023, a Hugo Spritz. The refreshing drink is named after a boutique hotel in Florence, Italy, where it’s often used to welcome travelers when they arrive after a long day of hiking. With elderflower liqueur, usually St. Germain, as its signature, it’s an alternative to the more-common Aperol Spritz, which has its roots in nearby Padua. (You can pick up what you need for the recipe at Highland Package Store on Birmingham’s Southside.) RECIPE FOR THE HUGO SPRITZ Ingredients Elderflower Liqueur (St. Germain) Sparkling Wine (Prosecco or Cava) Sparkling Water (or Club Soda) Mint (Leaves) Lime (Slices Directions To make one Hugo Spritz, start with a wine glass half full of ice. Pour in 1/2 ounce of elderflower liqueur. Top with 4 ounces of the sparkling wine, then finish with 1 ounce of sparkling water. Gently stir to combine. Taste a sip; add more sparkling water or wine to as desired. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and lime slices. The Shindig: Otey’s Fest 2023 If you haven’t already, mark your calendars now for the annual Otey’s Tavern festival, set for Saturday, July 15, 2023—the cookout will kick off at 6 p.m. Headlining will be the renowned Robert Randolph Band, known for their energetic performances and innovative fusion of rock, funk, and soul. Talented local supporting acts will include the Will Stewart Band, T.U.B., and Gri Cashio. This year, to accommodate a larger audience, the event is moving from the traditional Otey’s parking lot location to the grass lawn across the street from the O’Neal Library in Crestline Village. Take Me Out To the Ballgame If you’re in the mood for a classic summertime outing, plan to catch the Birmingham Barons in play at Regions Field. Peanuts, Cracker Jack, draft beer, and a hotdog and some popcorn will make your evening of hometown minor league baseball complete!
THE RETREAT AT MOUNTAIN BROOK—OFFERING ELEVATED LIVING FOR HIGHER LEARNING
UAB students, unlock your academic and professional potential by taking advantage of all that The Retreat at Mountain Brook has to offer those who are serious about their studies. First on the list? Location! The Retreat at Mountain Brook is nestled on picturesque wooded grounds in a quiet neighborhood setting adjacent to Birmingham, Alabama, only a quick drive away from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the anchor of one of the world’s most-renowned medical communities. Publix, Starbucks, restaurants, breweries, and entertainment options abound, and it’s also just minutes from the city’s international airport, making it easy for students to travel, whether as part of their program, to visit home and family, or just for fun! The gated community’s legendary apartment homes, spacious and airy, offer high-speed Internet and office/study space, so those who are pursuing graduate and terminal degrees in all fields can have an area dedicated to their work and reliable online access. And of course they also come with a washer and dryer, as high-quality kitchen appliances. Don’t want to spend time that you could devote to studying cooking? No problem! DoorDash drivers know the way to 1600 Sharpsburg Circle! MDs and MBAs, optometrists and epidemiologists, and dentists and PhDs are among the many who already call The Retreat at Mountain Brook home, so the two clubhouses are great places to meet up with like-minded people who can offer guidance based on their experiences. They’re also excellent locations for study cohort sessions—and, of course, celebrations of all kinds, especially commencements! Another advantage to living at The Retreat at Mountain Brook, which is extremely pet friendly, is the easy access to onsite fitness options. The two 24-hour fitness centers are fantastic, featuring a variety of multi-function machines, resistance bands, rowing machine, wide range of weights, and treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes. Want to exercise outdoors? There are two tennis courts, and three saltwater pools. You also can of course relax on the sundeck by those same pools, and enjoy grilling out and eating al fresco at one of the dining terraces, or your own balcony. Pick up the phone and call 205-976-9722 or reach out to us via email and talk with one of our friendly leasing team members (ask about the specials); we’re ready to help you make The Retreat at Mountain Brook your new home today.
Enjoy the Outdoors at The Retreat at Mountain Brook
Whether you’re hosting a large party or intimate gathering, The Retreat at Mountain Brook’s outdoor amenities offer something for everyone. “Our clubhouses feature large, beautifully decorated lounges and coffee bars and overlook tile-decked saltwater pools with outdoor kitchens and cabanas,” says community manager Aubrey Grant. “For small gatherings, guests can congregate in the covered outdoor kitchen area. Larger groups can spread out at multiple tables across the pool deck, creating a café-style setting that is becoming a popular outdoor-entertaining trend.” Residents who enjoy tennis can invite guests to play at two championship-modeled courts right in their own backyard. Oversized balconies, sunrooms, and patios provide even more options for entertaining guests and extending the generous personal living space The Retreat affords. Ground-level apartments even offer fenced-in yards, a great pet-amenity. “With peaceful, tree-studded surroundings, the spaces also are great for curling up with a cup of coffee, glass of wine or book, and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature,” says Grant. “Both sunrooms and balconies/patios offer residents the opportunity to cultivate container gardens of flowers or herbs, and sunrooms can double as home offices.” The Retreat is located adjacent to the Flora Johnston Nature Trail, giving residents even more possibilities for recharging in the rolling, forested hills, adjacent to the Mountain Brook community. “To top things off, this quiet, secluded getaway is only minutes from the city’s downtown, international airport, restaurants, shopping and entertainment,” says Grant. “This combination of being close to urban conveniences while surrounded by natural treasures is what sets The Retreat apart.”
“The Match Day” is almost here for Medical Residents and Fellows looking for an Apartment in Birmingham, Alabama!
Where will you live? We have just the place. The Retreat at Mountain Brook. The Retreat at Mountain Brook is located just 6.5 miles from UAB’s campus. You’ll pay about half of what you would pay at comparable apartment communities, but have up to twice the square footage. We are a recently re-imagined luxury apartment community, gated, nestled against one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the country, with manicured grounds with a naturally forested backdrop. Are you a medical student, anxiously awaiting The Match Day 2023, when you’ll learn where you will spend the next several years as a resident and what state you’ll live in to complete your medical residency? Are you moving to Alabama to participate in a residency or fellowship at University of Alabama School of Medicine, St. Vincent’s, Children’s of Alabama or Brookwood Baptist Medical Center? If so, read on… It’s an extremely exciting time…but can be very stressful. So, if you’re stressing about where you’re going to live, let us help! Pick up the phone and call 205-976-9722 or reach out to us via email and talk with one of our friendly leasing team members (ask about the specials) and start to de-stress with the right address. The leasing team at The Retreat at Mountain Brook is here to help to make your transition as easy as possible! Our staff, who we hope you will consider as your on-site home team, will strive to take care of your living details in whatever ways they can while you are busy at work. We are prepared to assist first with a personalized tour of our beautiful community, and then to make your time here with us as carefree as possible. Our apartment homes’ large size is legendary. We offer home to curb valet trash service, chef-inspired kitchens, granite countertops, stainless appliances, wood plank flooring, electric fireplaces, sunrooms, balconies, fenced backyards, double vanity sinks and walk-in closets, and AT&T U-verse for a strong internet connection – to name just a few of our remarkable features. But, back to the stress. We know that medical school and residency is extraordinarily stressful. Since we are a different sort of community, we are serious about assisting our community members and striving to make their time at home as positive an experience as possible. As a medical resident, you are about to undergo years of both physical and mental challenges. What tools can you use to successfully cope with these challenges? While a little unorthodox from the perspective of marketing a luxury apartment community, we think these are differentials we should bring to your attention — like our 24-hour state of the art fitness center, tennis courts, 3 resort-style saltwater pools and nearby hiking trails. [rl_gallery id=”2948″] Now, congratulations and welcome to the Magic City, Birmingham, Alabama, where you can call the Retreat at Mountain Brook your home. Just say yes to the address!
It’s Almost Valentine’s Day — and The Retreat at Mountain Brook is Feelin’ the Love!
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and the Idea Specialists™ at The Retreat at Mountain Brook—a premier luxury apartment community in Birmingham, Alabama—are feelin’ the love! Whether you’re planning on celebrating solo, stepping out with your sweetheart, or picking out just the right gift for your pet, they’re here to help with links and tips, dates and times. The Languages Of Love One thing to keep in mind when planning on how to mark this February 14th romantic holiday is what “language” the person you care about speaks when it comes to the way want to be shown love. Pastor and counselor Gary Chapman first created this concept and wrote about it in The 5 Love Languages, which goes into details. The languages are: No. 1: Words of affirmation No. 2: Acts of service No. 3: Gifts No. 4: Quality time No: 5: Physical touch The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ found a great about love languages here: IDEAS.TED.COM Best Picks For Him & Her Maybe you’re already fluent in your partner’s language and know that they like the combo of presents with your presence. USA Today has compiled a 2023 Gift Guide with best picks for him and her and options running the gamut from wildly fun bath bombs to personalized boxer shorts. Puppy Love The Retreat at Mountain Brook is extremely pet-friendly, so of course the Idea Specialists™ were delighted with this fun find at 1800-Flowers for your Fido—a squeaky plush toy bottle of “champawgne” and accompanying flute. They were also pleased to be reminded about CahaBones, a Birmingham-based small business that started in April 2013 from a love of dogs, local breweries, and the Cahaba River. They offer free delivery of their all-natural gourmet dog treats in the Greater Birmingham area—what’s not to love about that? Looking for something a little more practical? Roost knows what works in gourmet apartment kitchens, and shares the skinny in 9 Space-Saving Kitchen Gadgets For Every Apartment. Why not go ahead and get yourself a Valentine’s Day gift, too? The Idea Specialists™ swear by the Instant Pot Duo Mini 7-in-1. An Evening Out If you want to enjoy an evening out, Alabama’s Magic City offers options! Publix Aprons® Cooking School on Tattersall Park is giving you two chances to participate in their Valentine’s Day Wine and Dine experience; Monday and Tuesday February 13 and February 14, 2023, both from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The demonstration class menu will include chorizo-stuffed calamari tubes, pan-roasted Porterhouse, chocolate ancho pot de crème, and, of course, wines to sample. You can get together with your girlfriends for Galentine’s Day at Moon Shine, Birmingham’s hottest rooftop bar, at the sumptuous Elyton Hotel. Raise a glass to friendship and good times with one of their stylish custom cocktails, or take advantage of specials on craft brews and bubbly from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. February 14. For upscale restaurant ambiance, look no farther than Galley and Garden on Highland Avenue, celebrated as the “Most Romantic Restaurant in Alabama.” This Valentine’s Day its special four-course holiday menu, $95 per person, features such delicacies as lobster risotto, cornmeal crusted Gulf oysters, and Bouef Bourguignon. The Idea Specialists™ can’t wait to have the amaretto whipped cream for dessert—they might even indulge in a Cupid’s Magic signature cocktail at the same time! 💕💕 Love For Your Library 💕💕 Did you know that February 14 is also Library Lovers’ Day? It makes sense—it’s quite easy to fall in love with a book! And modern libraries of course offer everything from research assistance to online entertainment options like Hoopla and Kanopy, as well as laptops and hotspots you can check out. Mountain Brook offers residents all of this and more at the O’Neal Library, which is part of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative.
New Year, New Home, New You!
There’s still time to take advantage of The Retreat at Mountain Brook’s New Year’s Special—move in to one of our spacious and luxurious Birmingham Townhomes for rent by January 31 and get the first month free! And once you’ve settled in, we invite you to enjoy our two state-of-the-art fitness centers in our resident clubhouses as part of your 2023 commitment to your health. The fitness centers feature a variety of equipment, resistance bands, rowing machines, a wide range of weights, treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes. Our clubhouses overlook salt-water pools with outdoor kitchens and cabanas, so there is no need to pay extra for a gym membership when you can take advantage of all the Retreat at Mountain Brook offers! In addition to our fitness centers, The Retreat at Mountain Brook is a pet-friendly community near trails for hikes with man’s (and woman’s) best friend. When you schedule a tour, visit our pet park, where you and Fido can exercise together. Sound fabulous? Schedule a tour today and celebrate luxury living just minutes from downtown Birmingham.
Feeling All Holiday Festive at The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama
The holiday season is in full force, and that has the Idea Specialists™ at luxury apartment community The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama, ready for festivities! Gift-Giving Fun Part of being party-ready means having a variety of gifts on hand, both for gracious hosts and games of Dirty Santa. You can pop down to Alabama Goods on 18th Street South in Homewood and check out all their distinctive offerings for something that reflects Alabama’s warm spirit and creative character, from a set of Bee Creek Farm creamed honeys to Alabama cotton tea towels. Want something utterly silly for a down-and-dirty $10 and under gift exchange? How about this tin of bacon-themed bandages from the Accoutrements Store on Amazon? Yummy Goodness When you get home from the party and want to snuggle up by the fire and sample some seasonal goodies, what better way to indulge than with Hot Chocolate Eggnog? The Idea Specialists™ found an easy recipe for it on Food.com. And they found a nice bottle of Hennessy VS on the bar cart, perfect for that little extra kick. Don’t have a favorite non-alcoholic eggnog and aren’t up to making it from scratch this year? You can always rely on Southern Comfort, a New Orleans original. The company puts out two special seasonal products each year: Southern Comfort Egg Nog and Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice Egg Nog. Splash a little in your morning coffee for some extra yum! Ready To Ring In 2023? If you’re looking for a way to ring in the new year, The Magic City once again does not disappoint when it comes to outings and events. You can attend “A Viennese Celebration” and take part in the annual Alys Stephens Center tradition of toasting the end of the year with a nod to the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day performances and a glass of bubbly. Maestro Carlos Izcaray will take the podium to lead the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in a selection of Strauss family favorites and more at UAB’s Jemison Concert Hall Saturday, December 31, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; tickets start at $39. Or go ahead and make reservations now to enjoy the special New Year’s Eve menu offered by Bistro Two Eighteen. The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ already know they’re going to start with Charred Grilled Baby Artichoke and end with Chocolate Pomegranate Entremet—it’s all the courses in between they’re still thinking about! Cheers!
Bowled Over at The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama
If you haven’t ever checked out the options for upscale living at The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama, prepared to be bowled over at the amenities on offer! With sunrooms and balconies with storage closets and an incredibly pet-friendly park on the property, The Retreat at Mountain Brook affords its community members beautifully landscaped homes and luxurious spaces for leisure. And along with that, the Idea Specialists™ at The Retreat at Mountain Brook are always on hand to provide quality of life suggestions and ideas! In keeping with the bowled over theme, they’ve decided the focus of this month’s blog should be —you guessed it—bowls!! Form & Function From our first cereal bowls to our grandma’s mixing bowls, bowls are part of our memories. They can be pretty, they are certainly functional, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and patterns. Apartment Therapy, always informative, has a great piece on how to use bowls in all manner of ways. The Idea Specialists™ have long been fans of using wooden bowls to hold keys and spare change by the front door, and ceramic ones for lipsticks and the like in the bathroom. They also love the convenience of having a kitchen counter garden with herbs and greens in a large metal bowl—healthy and pretty! And speaking of healthy, they’re all about some all-in-one bowl meals like the ones the Food Network has featured in “24 Wholesome Bowls to Power Your Day.” Chicken quinoa bowl? Yes, please! Bacon and broccoli rice bowl with fried egg? We know what our new go-to breakfast is going to be! Fun & Funky Looking for some fun and funky options? Check out Uncommon Goods for everything from bowls made of record albums to sculptural bowls that could be featured in an art museum. Or, plan an outing with friends to Sips n Strokes Birmingham on Sixth Avenue South to make a bowl of your own—or to Vestavia Bowl or Bowlero Riverview for another kind of bowl entirely. Strike! Tailgate Yummies It’s football season, so of course the Idea Specialists™ at The Retreat at Mountain Brook have some ideas about tasty treats to share in bowls on game day, whether you’re tailgating onsite or on sofa! This month, they’re linking to What the Fork for some recipes for gluten-free goodies like jalapeno poppers and loaded “totchos.” Yummy! Here are some convenient links to key college football schedules: Alabama Crimson Tide Auburn Tigers Birmingham-Southern Panthers Miles College Golden Bears UAB Blazers Holiday Planning While it might still feel like summer outside a lot of the time, the fall and winter holidays will be here before we know it. The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ have scoped out a couple of possibilities for you to go ahead and put on your calendar, starting with this year’s Christmas Village Festival at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Wednesday, November 2, through Sunday, November 6, 2022. Another community holiday tradition is the Sam Lapidus Montclair Run. It’s the 46th year for this annual Thanksgiving Day race, with the starting gun set for 8:30 a.m. Thursday, November 24, 2022. A portion of every runner’s registration fee is donated to the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama. Lagniappe It only seems fitting for The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ to share the news about the latest addition to the Birmingham food and dining scene with a little flair of French…..because Bar La Fête on Morris Avenue embraces its owner Kristen Hall’s love all things France, especially Paris! A “first look” at it by The Local Palate describes the Southern wine bar as an evening haunt, complete with 11 on-menu shareable plates and a 130-bottle wine list. It joins The Essential all-day cafe and Bandit Pâtisserie, also owned by Kristen Hall and Victor King, who’s a partner in this latest venture, as well. À votre santé!
Our One-Bedroom Apartment Home – The Kent at The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama
If it’s large luxury living you’re looking for, look no further than The Retreat at Mountain Brook and “The Kent,” a supersized one-bedroom apartment home near all things Birmingham and available for a very limited time! The Kent is a one-bedroom apartment home starting at $1435 for 1284 sq ft. That’s right – do the math–it’s just $1.12 sq ft! And if that’s not enough, now, for a limited time, you can take $200 off the move-in price on select units. About The Kent: Large Bedroom carpeted, with TWO walk-in closets The primary closet is 5 x 9 x 11, and the second closet is large enough for a desk and chair or more storage En-suite bathroom with linen closet and vanity sink Sunroom heated and cooled with an entire bank of windows and a storage closet Living room with an electric fireplace and plank wood floors Kitchen – fully equipped with stainless appliances and breakfast bar Separate dining room with nickel-plated light fixtures 1/2 guest bath off hallway Full-sized washer and dryer Call us today at (205) 956-9722 for a personal tour of our community and The Kent Apartment Home at The Retreat at Mountain Brook.
Back to School Means Shifting into High Gear — The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ in Birmingham, Alabama, Have Tips on How to Manage
Even if you don’t have kids at home, back-to-school season seems to kick everyone’s schedule into high gear. That’s why the Idea Specialists™ at The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama, have put together this timely online care package for residents of their upmarket apartment community, complete with tips for getting organized and making the most of your commute. Get Organized Some days it can be hard enough keeping up with yourself, right? That’s why online calendars and organizer apps are so wildly popular, especially the easy-to-use Google Calendar. Whether it’s just you and your partner trying to avoid scheduling conflicts—or you’re figuring out how to get your eldest to soccer practice at the same time the middle child has an orthodontist appointment and the toddler has ballet—having all the info easily accessible from your phone is a modern day-must! Others to check out? Greenlight, a relatively new debit card app for kids, and “electronic corkboard” Trello, a long-time professional project management that can be used for collaborative meal planning and so much more. Plan On It While The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ are all about the mod cons, they are also all about a good solid hard copy planner; sometimes it’s just quicker and easier to jot down notes and times and dates by hand. FindThisBest did the work for us and provides the details on a range of academic year planners ranging in price from $4 to $27. Routine Maintenance Make your mornings go more smoothly by establishing—and sticking to—a set routine. Deciding on the next day’s clothes, setting the coffee to come on automatically, and having easy breakfast options ready to go are a few things you can do to get a jump on the day ahead. Mommy Nearest has more suggestions for those with little ones to manage. Our favorite? “Wake yourself up early.” Make The Most Of Your Commute Living at The Retreat at Mountain Brook just off Montevallo Road means you’re conveniently located to so many things. Ferrying schoolchildren to-and-fro? Public and private are both in easy proximity: Grantswood (K-2), Irondale Community (3-5), Irondale Middle School (6-9), Shades Valley High School (10-12), the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School (located at Shades Valley High School), Highlands Day School, The Altamont School, and St. Francis Xavier Catholic School. And it’s a quick trip from home to UAB and the city medical and business districts, which makes commuting to work easy most of the time. For those other times? There’s always the radio (commercial, public, subscription), and audio books—Audible offers many of its Top 100 best sellers free with a 30-day trial. You can also spend some quality time with the rave-reviewed Ten Percent Happier Podcast with Dan Harris, who describes himself as “a fidgety, skeptical journalist who had a panic attack on live national television, which led him to try something he otherwise never would have considered: meditation. He went on to write the bestselling book, 10% Happier.” Recent shows have covered topics like being present, how a Buddhist monk deals with anxiety, five ways to be less distracted, and what sadness can be good for. Meal Management Made Easy Getting food on the table every night can pose a challenge even when schedules aren’t hectic, no matter how well-appointed your Retreat at Mountain Brook gourmet kitchen. Here are some ideas from the Idea Specialists™ about making mealtime a little easier to manage. Take advantage of Birmingham’s incredible local restaurant scene without ever leaving home by subscribing to GrubHub+ and having dinner delivered at your convenience. com does a good job of breaking down the benefits of paying the monthly fee, and makes this important note: “With a GrubHub+ membership, GrubHub matches donations to No Kid Hungry through Donate the Change to feed food-insecure children around the country.” Go to one of the convenient area Publix locations and pick up some of their tasty Publix Aprons® premades: Meal Kits, Ready to Cook Meals for One, and Ready to Cook Entrées. Try a meal delivery service that offers pre-made and DIY meal kits. There are many options to consider; one that’s very popular is Home Chef. You can read a review of it Sidewalk Film Festival & More Upcoming Events Looking for something fun to do sometime soon? As usual, the Magic City does not disappoint when it comes to offering up a little something for everyone. Of course the biggie this month is the 24th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival, which will run from Monday, August 22, through Sunday, August 28, 2022, with lots of associated festivities to take part in—Opening Night pre- and after-parties on Friday and Saturday Night Roller Disco look especially fun! Because The Retreat at Mountain Brook is such a pet-friendly community, we’re also excited about another event happening earlier in the month: Picasso Pets, a fundraiser to benefit Hand in Paw, which provides animal-assisted therapy for those who need it most. This highly anticipated gala will celebrate its 21st year Saturday, August 13, 2022, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Harbert Center. Plan to enjoy a fabulous cocktail reception featuring a silent auction, diamond drop, wine pull, craft beer, specialty cocktails, and the official debut of this year’s Picasso Pets paintings. Woof! And, plan on making the scene when Luke Bryan hits the stage at the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, a major stop on his Raised Up Right Tour. Set for Thursday, August 18, 2022, the show will start at 7 p.m. with Mitchell Tenpenny. For more ideas, check out this roundup of August events by StyleBlueprint.
