Home, sweet Homewood . . .
Since living in Homewood, I firmly believe you can live in Homewood and never need to leave. I genuinely think Homewood is the greatest place in all of greater Birmingham. I realize you may disagree, and I respect your perspective, but it is worth noting that having a perfect day in Homewood is much too easy to do. So to set the stage for my hypothetical perfect day, I’d start by dropping my son off at daycare – love you P, but Momma needs Momma time.
To start any perfect day in Homewood, you must take a walk outside. The city of Homewood may lack sidewalks through all its bustling neighborhoods, but it makes up for this with great walking paths, amazing parks, and a socially acceptable “walk on the side of the street” attitude. I recommend what is locally known as the Lakeshore Trail. The trail’s true name is Shades Creek Greenway, and that truly describes the trail – there is shade, a creek, and a whole lot of green. Regardless if you walk or ride this trail, you will enjoy great views of Homewood‘s natural landscape.
After basking in the beauty of sweet Homewood, it is only natural for a mom’s perfect day to continue at our second home – Target. Brookwood Mall is home to our local Target. As I ascend up the escalator (remember, this is the perfect day – so no, I’m not taking the stairs), I walk directly into the women’s clothing section to peruse and purchase nothing because I turned right to find myself in the kids’ section where I’m dumping clothes into my cart. After a blissful purchase amnesia, it is only right to brush off the Target shopping fog with a lovely cup of coffee.
I really love coffee, so my perfect day would include no less than three cups of coffee. And since we’re in Homewood, we’ll be enjoying those three cups at Caveat Coffee, OHenry’s, and Seeds. Visiting these three shops will help you cover some serious ground in Homewood. After leaving Target, I’d start by ordering a sweetened iced coffee from OHenry’s at Brookwood Mall. I’d take my coffee to go so I could grab a quick bite to eat. To keep things moving, I’d call in an order to Farm Bowl + Juice Company. While Farm Bowl is known for their acai sorbet bowels, I’m a big fan of their smoothies and oatmeal bowls. You can order the oatmeal bowls warm or cold, and if you call ahead, you can pick them up in the drive thru.
Heading into the late morning of this perfectly wonderful Homewood day, I would head for a facial at Skin Wellness Center. Because on this perfect day, any mom deserves a little rest and relaxation. After bidding the super-friendly staff at Skin Wellness farewell, it would be time to enjoy the shopping downtown SoHo has to offer. I’d start with a stop at Alabama Outdoors to find my new favorite t-shirt. I’d then spend an unreasonable amount of time shopping in At Home. After mentally redecorating my whole house and only purchasing a few candles, I’d walk on over to the Sikes Children’s Shoe store to attempt to beat the busy weekend lines. Before my second cup of coffee and/or lunch, I’d stop by Three Sheets and leave with all things comfy and cozy.
For my second cup of perfect day coffee, I’d place an online order for a draft latte to be picked up at Caveat Coffee. Caveat’s draft latte is one of the most amazing drinks I’ve ever tasted. And this drink pairs perfectly with a doughnut from Hero Doughnuts. Homewood does not lack amazing lunch places; however, on a perfect day, doughnut = lunch. So, I’d take my boston crème and draft latte and take a walk around Homewood Central Park. In an attempt to burn some calories, I’d continue my walk into downtown Edgewood. I’d head to the most amazing local pharmacy, Homewood Pharmacy, to pick up a few necessary items and then walk on down to Homewood Antiques to find a small new addition to our home.
After finishing my walk back to Homewood Central Park, I’d stop by the library for a quiet break from my busy day. Because the afternoon lull tends to hit me hard, I’d head for coffee number three at Seeds in my neck of the woods – West Homewood. Jokingly referred to as WeHo, West Homewood is the newest up and coming area in Homewood. It is the place to buy a home and the place to spend your afternoon with your family. Sitting outside of Seeds, you will be able to enjoy West Homewood by meeting the locals. We are obsessed with our side of town and are happy to tell you why this side is the best side. After enjoying my iced chai (okay, not coffee, but totally fine because this chai is amazing and I should probably start decreasing the amount of caffeine at this point), I’d go pick up my sweet little angel from daycare.
Patriot Park is in the heart of West Homewood and the area is developing right around it. I’d spend my pre-dinner moments at the park with my family. Soon enough, Patriot Park will be home to a brand-new community pool, splash pad, and new playground equipment. For now, we’d enjoy the park as is before heading over the Pizzeria GM. If you have not been, stop what you’re doing and head on over because it is amazing. I’d love to enjoy my evening with my family and I’d invite family friends join us to share a variety of amazing pizzas. Because a true perfect day ends in West Homewood with pizza and pals.
Pro tip: Schedule your perfect day on a Tuesday in the summer so you can finish your evening across the street from Pizzeria GM at the West Homewood farmer’s market. #westsideisthebestside
