As we approach the end of 2024, we’re taking the time to highlight the best 24 photos that appeared in Village Living this year—hoping to illustrate how vibrant life was in Mountain Brook this year along the way.
#24:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
A photograph of Ruby Ansley from a 1985 photoshoot. The shop celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Ruby Ansley Interiors, an interior design company based in Mountain Brook on Petticoat Lane, has been styling homes across the country for more than six decades. While Ansley passed away in 2012, her legacy lives on through the business, now run by Sallie Aman.
Read the full article here.
#23:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Santa peeks through the window of Mountain Brook Bapist Church. Alabama Santa Joe, or Joe Wells, is a lifelong Mountain Brook Resident who puts on the suit for charity and church events every year.
In this year’s Mountain Brook Holiday Parade, a Joe Wells, known as “Alabama Santa Joe,” donned his red suit in order to help ring in the holiday season. While Wells has been making appearances as Santa since 2022, this was his first year being Mountain Brook’s Santa in the parade.
Read the full article here.
#22:
Photo by Sarah Owens
Thousands of people lined Church Street in Crestline Village on Oct. 31, 2024 for the 22nd annual Mystics of Mountain Brook parade.
The 22nd annual Mystics of Mountain Brook parade took over the streets of Crestline Village on Halloween. Spectators lined the streets to watch the parade, inspired by Mardi Gras parades, in their costumes.
Read the full article here.
#21:
The Mountain Brook High School football team had another solid season this year. The Spartans finished the year with an 8-4 record, making it into the second round of the state playoffs.
#20:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
William Galloway, Mountain Brook Schools communications and public relations specialist, in the lobby at the Mountain Brook Schools main office Thursday, March 7, 2024.
William Galloway is a face that is likely recognizable to anyone familiar with Mountain Brook Schools. The school system’s communications director has had a busy year overseeing communication efforts to connect parents and the community to a system with more than 4,300 students and 750 teachers. On top of all of that, Galloway was the play-by-play announcer for the Mountain Brook High School football’s broadcast team this fall.
Read the full article here.
#19:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Brooke Burback of Mountain Brook Fire Department chats with the recruits' class president Jackson Trotman at the Over the Mountain Regional Training Center in Mountain Brook on Oct. 1, 2024.
This fall, Brooke Burback became the first female firefighter at Mountain Brook Fire Department in over a decade. Burback, a Chelsea native, decided to pursue becoming a firefighter after joking about becoming one to escape the 9-5 slog of her former office job.
Read the full article here.
#18:
Illustration courtesy of Homewood City Councilor Jennifer Andress’ newsletter
Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center has proposed a plan to renovate and convert the former Belk building in Brookwood Village into a roughly 135,000-square-foot medical office.
In early November, Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center made a proposal to renovate the former Belk’s department store in Brookwood Village to a new medical office. Developments about this project will continue to come in 2025, as the city of Mountain Brook and the city of Homewood agreed to enter into an intergovernmental cooperative agreement with one another in December to decide the fate of the project.
Read the full article here.
#17:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
A.C. Roper, Former Police Chief, speaks on the events of 9/11 at the Patriot Day ceremony in Crestline Village on Sept. 11, 2024.
In September, Mountain Brook hosted a Patriot Day ceremony in honor of those who lost their lives in 9/11. Lieutenant General A.C. Roper, pictured here, was this year’s keynote speaker, speaking on the courage and selflessness of first responders, community members and military personnel following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Read the full article here.
#16:
MB-resident Lulu Gribbin, who was critically injured in a shark attack at a Florida beach on June 7.
After completing rehabilitation at the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., Lulu Gribbin, a Mountain Brook teenager who survived a shark attack in June, returned home to a hero’s welcome. Community members lined the streets of Mountain Brook to cheer Gribbin on, as she and her family drove past in a golf cart with Mountain Brook Police cruisers escorting them.
Read the full article here.
#15:
Cadet Mallie Robinett with her fellow cadets at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
In May, Mountain Brook High School alum Mallie Robinett was preparing to pursue her dreams at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Robinett made her way to the academy by way of the Coast Guard Academy Scholars program, which functions as a year-long prep program for the academy.
Read the full article here.
#14:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Heather McCalley, a local birder, eyes a Pileated Woodpecker through her binoculars along the Jemison Park Trail on Tuesday, March 18, 2024.
During the spring, local bird watchers took advantage of recent renovations to the Jemison Park Trail, which moved its path further away from noisy roadways, to take a walk and try and spot some feathered friends. A whole host of birds can be spotted in Mountain Brook, both year-round and during migratory seasons.
Read the full article here.
#13:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Lead instructor Bobby Dixon spars with training partner at Fight Club Fitness in Crestwood.
Throughout the year, Bobby Dixon has been bringing Krav Maga and kickboxing training to Mountain Brook with Fight Club Fitness in Crestwood. Dixon moved from Massachusetts to Alabama in 2022, and has been operating Fight Club Fitness since January 2023, seeking to train gym-goers with any experience level.
Read the full article here.
#12:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
John Cannada holds up his Philidelphia Eagles glove after a Mountain Brook Green flag football team at Crestline Elementary on Sept. 9.
Some of the rising stars of Mountain Brook football started making names for themselves this year. Their game? Second grade flag football. Village Living met John Cannada, a member of Mountain Brook flag football’s green team, this year. Cannada told Village Living that he loves the Philadelphia Eagles and supporting his teammates.
Read the full article here.
#11:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Clover the therapy cat visits the teens at O'Neal Library of Mountain Brook, Ala. during the Cozy Catfe on Nov. 21, 2024.
As the end of the semester neared for students across Mountain Brook this fall, the O’Neal Library offered a solution for exam season stress: the Cozy Catfe. Clover the therapy cat from Hand in Paw would visit the library and cuddle with visitors as they worked, studied and enjoyed snacks.
Read the full article here.
#10:
Photo by James Nicholas
Mountain Brook cheerleaders on the sideline during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Mountain Brook High Schools on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at Jerry Hood Stadium in Clay, Ala.
Mountain Brook High School’s cheerleaders brought the pep to Friday nights. While football may have been Friday night’s main attraction during the fall, the Spartan cheerleaders made each game night special with their spirit.
#9:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Mountain Brook's Holiday Pararde goes through Mountain Brook Village on Dec. 8, 2024.
Mountain Brook’s annual Holiday Parade helped kick-off the holiday season again this year, rolling through the streets of Mountain Brook Village. Plenty of local organizations and businesses helped the city get in a festive mood with their floats in the parade.
Read the full article here.
#8:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Members of the fire department make soup plates during the Souperheroes first responders Luncheon on Dec. 3, 2024 at Realty South in Mountain Brook.
First responders around Mountain Brook knew where to stop to get a warm lunch as fall turned into winter. RealtySouth in Mountain Brook served their Souperhero Luncheon to Mountain Brook firefighters and police officers, dishing up warm bowls of soup and buttery cornbread.
Read the full article here.
#7:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Mountain Brook LB Luke Waldrop (21) lines up for play during the Mountain Brook vs Parker ASHAA playoff game on Nov. 15, 2024.
The Mountain Brook High School football team had another solid season this year. The Spartans finished the year with an 8-4 record, making it into the second round of the state playoffs. To top it all off, six Spartans made the All-South Metro football team.
Read the full article here.
#6:
Photo by James Nicholas
Mountain Brook senior students during a game between Mountain Brook and Pinson Valley High Schools on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Spartan Stadium.
There’s no denying that Friday night football defines the fall for high schoolers and football fans alike. Mountain Brook High Schools students would gather in the stands each Friday night, displaying their loyalty to the Spartans and rooting for their team.
#5:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Mountain Brook's Holiday Pararde goes through Mountain Brook Village on Dec. 8, 2024.
Mountain Brook’s annual Holiday Parade helped kick-off the holiday season again this year, rolling through the streets of Mountain Brook Village. This year’s parade featured the first appearance of Joe Wells, known as “Alabama Santa Joe,” as the official Santa Claus for the city.
Read the full article here.
#4:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Cameron Estes traveled to Paris in August to participate in the Marathon Pour Tous, an event held as a result of Paris’ promise to revolutionize the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games experience for the general public.
In August, Mountain Brook resident Cameron Estes traveled to Paris to participate in the Marathon Pour Tous, part of the Paris Olympics. The marathon was held in conjunction with the Olympic Games this summer and allowed the general public to run the marathon course Olympic marathon runners competed on during the games.
Read the full article here.
#3:
Photo courtesy of Katie Erickson
Utilizing local ingredients and purveyors, Abhi Sainju and his team developed a menu that caters to a diverse palate at Surf Hound in Mountain Brook. Guests can expect to find classics like burgers and nachos as well as dishes like freshly caught grilled fish, which were inspired by Sainju’s Asian roots and the beaches of his youth.
In September, Surf Hound, helmed by executive chef Abhi Sainju, opened its doors in Mountain Brook Village. Surf Hounds is Sainju’s third restaurant venture, and brings a beachy vibe to Mountain Brook Village with its menu and atmosphere.
Read the full article here.
#2:
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Mae Scofield, 3-year-old resident of Mountain Brook, dressed in a Dorian dance uniform. She watches two older Dorains chat before their game against Oxford on Sept. 20, 2024.
In September, three-year-old Mae Scofield graced the field of Spartan Stadium, donning her sparkly uniform to dance with the Mountain Brook High School Dorians. Mae is the daughter of Dorian head coach Anna Scofield, who told Village Living she liked to surround her daughter with positive female role models, such as the older Dorians.
Read the full article here.
#1:
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
The birth of the baby giraffe is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the Birmingham Zoo’s animal care team. Mopane was born to mother Ruby and father Jalil on April 17, 2024 at 12:19 a.m. This adorable newcomer marks a significant milestone for the Zoo’s Trails of Africa section, expanding the giraffe herd from four to five members.
In April, the Birmingham Zoo announced that a baby giraffe was born at the zoo—the first giraffe calf that had been born at the zoo in over a decade. Following the calf’s birth, the zoo allowed the public to vote on the new giraffe’s name. The name “Mopane,” the name of a tree whose leaves giraffes eat, won out.
Read the full article here.
