Garden District, Montgomery: homes, schools, parks and commute

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the City of Montgomery’s Neighborhood Services map layer and ZIP code layer, the Envision Montgomery 2040 comprehensive plan (PDF), the city’s historic district brochure (PDF) and parks directory, the Montgomery Public Schools school zone search, the state’s report card, Zillow Research, The M and OpenStreetMap.

The Garden District is the grid of older houses south of downtown, on both sides of South Perry Street. The city’s Envision Montgomery 2040 plan names it, with Cloverdale, among “Montgomery’s oldest neighborhoods” in its “Traditional Neighborhood” character area, described as having “a walkable block pattern and integrated amenities such as parks, schools and neighborhood commercial.”

What this means for you

• Zoned high school: Carver High at every point we checked.
• Home value: $57,872 in ZIP 36104 in September 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. The ZIP code is much larger than the neighborhood.
• Nearest interstate exits: I-85 Exit 1 (Court Street and Union Street) and Exit 2 (Forest Avenue and Mulberry Street); I-65 Exit 170 (Fairview Avenue).

Part of our Montgomery neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

On this page the Garden District is the area the city’s Neighborhood Services map assigns to the Garden District Preservation Association. South Perry Street runs through the middle. South Court Street, South Decatur Street, Norman Bridge Road, Carter Hill Road, Arba Street and East Fairview Avenue run along or near its edges, by OpenStreetMap. Felder Avenue, Gilmer Avenue and South Hull, South Lawrence and South McDonough streets cross it.

Nearly all of it (98% of the area) is in ZIP code 36104; a small piece on the south edge is in 36105, by the city’s ZIP code layer.

The city’s historic district brochure says owners of historically designated property need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Architectural Review Board before demolishing, adding to or altering a building, removing trees or changing landscaping; routine repairs, re-roofing and painting in existing or pre-approved colors can be approved without a board hearing. To ask whether an address is designated, call the Land Use Division at 334-625-2722.

Schools

We checked 23 points across the neighborhood in the district’s school zone search on Oct. 17. All returned the same three schools. Grades are from the state’s 2024-25 report card.

Montgomery Public Schools as a whole earned a C (75). Confirm an exact address in the zone search or at 334-223-6700. More in our schools guide.

Home values

The typical home value in ZIP 36104 was $57,872 in September 2026, down 6.6% from $61,946 in September 2025, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. The index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price, and ZIP 36104 also takes in downtown and neighborhoods to the west, so it says little about any one street here. The citywide figure was $149,943, up 1.7%. Recent recorded sales are in our weekly real estate transfers column; more in our home prices guide.

Parks and trails

From the city’s parks directory:

• Bellinger Hills, 1121 S. Lawrence St., inside the neighborhood
• LeGrande Park, 528 E. Fairview Ave., on the southeast edge
• Tuscaloosa Park, 731 Genetta Ct., a few blocks northeast

More in our parks and trails guide.

Getting around

• Interstates: the nearest exits are I-85 Exit 1 (Court Street and Union Street), I-85 Exit 2 (Forest Avenue and Mulberry Street) and I-65 Exit 170 (Fairview Avenue), by OpenStreetMap’s ramp signs.
• City Hall, 103 N. Perry St., is about 1.5 miles from the middle of the area by road, most of it straight up Perry Street.
• Montgomery Regional Airport is about 11 miles by road. Both are road distances measured on the OpenStreetMap network with the OSRM routing engine, not drive times.
• Buses: three routes of The M run through or along the neighborhood: 3 Montgomery Commons, 10 South Court St. and 16 East-West Connector.

More in our getting around guide.

Neighborhood association

The city’s neighborhood directory lists the Garden District Preservation Association for this area. Neighborhood Services is at 334-625-3422.

Groceries and everyday stores

OpenStreetMap maps no supermarket or pharmacy inside the neighborhood. The nearest it shows:

• CVS Pharmacy, West Fairview Avenue, about a mile west
• Aldi, 1740 Carter Hill Road, a little over a mile east
• City Drug, Dexter Avenue, downtown

How we drew this area

The edges are the Garden District Preservation Association area in the city’s Neighborhood Services map layer; OpenStreetMap also maps a Garden District neighborhood there. ZIP shares come from the city’s ZIP code layer and school zones from 23 points inside the edges. Store, exit and bus route data are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions

What schools is the Garden District in Montgomery zoned for?

Nixon Elementary, Bellingrath Middle and Carver High, at every point we checked in the Montgomery Public Schools zone search on Oct. 17, 2026.

What ZIP code is the Garden District in?

Almost all of it is in ZIP code 36104, with a sliver on the south edge in 36105, according to the city’s ZIP code map layer.

What is the typical home value in the Garden District?

Zillow’s index for ZIP code 36104 was $57,872 in September 2026. That figure covers the whole ZIP code, including downtown and other neighborhoods, and is a modeled value, not a sale price.

Is the Garden District a historic district?

The city’s comprehensive plan names the Garden District, with Cloverdale, among Montgomery’s oldest neighborhoods. Properties in a city-designated historic district need a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior changes; the Land Use Division, 334-625-2722, can say whether an address is designated.