HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Huntsville's 35805 zip code is known for its hip night life, including its restaurants and breweries housed in a very surprising place.
Huntsville District 4 City Council Member Bill Kling shares some of the history, explaining that when Butler High School relocated in the mid-sixties, its campus became Roy L. Stone Middle School, which closed in 2009. "It was empty, not being used by the school system. People would throw rocks and break windows. It had a leak in the roof and it was just kind of sitting there. And of course, it was not helping the whole neighborhood area."
Now, Campus 805 uses the classrooms as bar spaces. The location quickly turned into a must-go spot for Huntsville residents. Local brewery Straight to Ale embraces the space by using the desks once used by students, as tables and bar tops. Kling says, "We have people who used to kind of, you know, look down at West Huntsville now, all the people who were looking down on West and now they're waiting in line to get a a table at campus 805."
And it's not just the main building which was affected. The expansion goes all the way out to the Student Union building where even more bars and local businesses are placed. Kling's pride shows as he tells more about the space. "An old empty, abandoned school building. Look at it now. And people all over the state of Alabama, they come to Huntsville, one of the first things they want to do and one of the first things they see when they come in off the interstate is campus 805.
So, if you're looking for a place to live with live music and great brew pubs nearby, 35805 has you covered.