9 reasons to go visit Crestwood Village, including kombucha floats

Crestwood Village recently got a facelift, so I went to check it out and see what all was going on. Turns out, a lot!

Here are 9 reasons you should head over there to see for yourself.

But first, a little backstory: we saw from our friends at the Birmingham Business Journal (that’s BBJ for short) that Crestwood Village (formerly the Shoppes of Crestwood) recently got a facelift.

Turns out Jaren Aksut and Robert Crook of Ironvest Partners are determined to make Crestwood Village the go-to place in the Crestwood community.

Not only are they fixing up the facades, but they’re been doing landscape and site improvements, too. They plan to make the transition from Crestwood Village to Crestwood Park easier and more seamless than it currently is.

We can’t wait! In the meantime, we went to check it out, and here are some of the highlights we found.

1—The Filling Station has beer, bands, food and more right at the corner of Crestwood Village

It’s hard to believe this former gas station was once the subject of hot debate among Crestwood residents. Back in the 1950s, residents were so against the idea of a gas station, they took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

All these years later, the actual gas is gone, but the spot’s been turned into a hangout place featuring local beers, bands and some tasty food. Find out more about The Filling Station here.

2—Crestwood Pharmacy and Soda Fountain has a cool bathroom, Walden FARMacy products and they make amazing milkshakes

I’ll admit it—I’m a huge fan of Crestwood Pharmacy and Soda Fountain. They’re right by Crestwood Park, they’re super-friendly, and they make the best milkshakes and floats ever.

They carry Walden FARMacy‘s products along with a range of other more traditional pharmacy items.

Plus, they have a very cool bathroom, thanks to Peter T. Wilm and his magic sharpie. Seriously, when was the last time you heard somebody raving about a pharmacy? It’s that good.

3—Crestwood Park is beautiful in all seasons—and accessible

We spend a lot of time in Crestwood Park, which is just down the hill from Crestwood Pharmacy. There are areas for little kids, areas for big kids and tennis courts for anyone. There are walking or jogging trails, a football field, and a creek for kids who don’t listen to their parents to explore.

Big bonus: it’s one of the few extremely accessible parks in Birmingham, which means even more people can enjoy it.

4—Crestwood Village’s Seasick Records has music, bands and barbers

If it isn’t obvious by now, Bham Now is a big fan of Seasick Records. In addition to selling records and record players, they host bands, Record Store Day events and even a barber shop: Newman’s Classic Cuts.

5—Crestwood Coffee Company has a beautiful back patio, art, soul brunches and delicious desserts—oh, and coffee

Crestwood Coffee has been upping its game with some upgrades to their back patio (who knew they had a back patio?), Soul Brunches, amazing desserts and some incredible menus.

It’s been far too long since I went in there. Time for a visit.

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6—Crestwood Tavern has an awesome mural, games and the only bathrooms near Crestwood Park

As the mom of youngish kids, my visits to Crestwood Tavern involve the bathroom. Once we went when Tropicaleo had a pop-up restaurant there, before they got their permanent home in Avondale. But it looks like a fun place with pool, vintage video games, beer, bands and comedy.

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7—You can get strong and fit at The Fit Facility in Crestwood Village

Seriously, you can get super-strong at The Fit Facility, if you’re wiling to put the work in. Sadly, though, they’ve had some flooding issues, so their classes are currently on hold ’till further notice.

8—Look for vintage and antique finds at Urban Suburban

Sometimes it’s fun to go browsing around antique and vintage stores just to see what you can find. Who knows, you might just decide you can’t live without a driftwood horse’s head . . .

9—Grab groceries at Vineyard Food market in Crestwood Village

If you’re in the neighborhood and need to grab some food or wine to take home, this is your best bet.