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For the last several weeks, I have read online and elsewhere a description of the City of Montgomery that does not meet my reality.
The descriptions online are bleak—a city on the decline.
However, that’s not my Montgomery.
I did not grow up here, but I consider Montgomery to be my hometown. I moved to the River Region in 2014 after graduate school, bought my first home in Capitol Heights in 2017, and I’ve been living and working here ever since. My husband and I are raising our daughter here, and my parents have moved here to be closer to their granddaughter. I have encouraged friends and family from all over the country to consider Montgomery when they are thinking about relocating or purchasing a home.
But more than that, I encourage every current and future citizen of Montgomery to truly see the city for its many opportunities.
Montgomery has been one of the state’s biggest success stories when it comes to attracting new jobs and investment. In recent years, I’ve seen Montgomery lead or be among the top three cities in the state for economic investments and new job creation every year. I work in the tech industry, so seeing the recent investments from global tech companies in our community makes me excited for the future of our city.
Today, new projects are coming to life in neighborhoods that haven’t seen this kind of attention in decades, if ever. Montgomery has received the largest federal grant in our city’s history to help improve West Montgomery. Additionally, the city has started revitalization projects along key gateways, breathing new life into areas that once felt overlooked and making them welcoming entry points.
My Montgomery has responded to the nationwide uptick in crime with unprecedented resources for police and first responders and initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of crime. It has put more money into education and youth sports and built, reopened, and renovated several community centers and other public spaces. But I am most proud of the city’s efforts to take on illegal gun ownership—a responsibility the state has neglected.
These days, I feel a buzz and excitement around town that I hadn’t felt before. Over the last several years, post-COVID, my Montgomery has opened City Hall to more voices. Faith leaders, small business owners, and community advocates are just as likely now to be seen in the hallways as the city’s corporate titans and prominent families. Groups like the mayor’s Young Professional Council, of which I am a member, are now open to everyone.
Some in this community would rather go back to the way things were when fewer people had access to Montgomery’s prosperity. Back when they had access, resources, and a rubber stamp, but other voices were left out. They see movement on someone else’s project before theirs as their loss, not the city’s gain. And that is unfortunate. We must put aside a scarcity mindset and focus instead on one of abundance.
My Montgomery is a city of rich, vibrant, and complex history, but we are so much more than just our past. I am excited to be a part of the future we create together as we work to make Montgomery the community we want to see. I hope to see a city with a thriving social scene, a unique cultural footprint, and people who care about their neighbors. I hope we can continue to grow into our identity as a 21st-century city full of new businesses, tech jobs, walkable communities, and optimism about the future. I hope that this city that has become my home continues to welcome newcomers and tourists, showing that we are a community with something for everyone.
Montgomery is not the stagnant city some would have you believe. It’s a place where investments are reshaping neglected streets and corridors, and our neighborhoods are finally seeing the support and resources they need to become safer and stronger. This is a city redefining itself in real-time, and for those willing to look forward, there’s so much more on the horizon.
