[aga vater]

What you need to do is find a place in Alabama where they don't spell the word clan with a K.

[ivymm]

I won't say much as I had trouble fitting into the conservative Indianapolis lifestyle. I've been to AL many times and didn't care for Birmingham. Regions in our country do have personalities. Most people are friendly and will give you a chance; however, you can't expect them to change for you.
In most all of AL you will find the type of people you said you want to avoid. Bottom in the SE you will be in the Bible Belt and much of life, social activites are based from there. There are more pick-up trucks, gun racks, trailer parks and bass boats. I am not judging just keeping it real!

[Dragondog]

ivymm is correct

lets not judge Alabama or any other region for its political color or culture.
In just about all of American history- there has been a great deal of geographic
separatism. Perhaps those differences and 'cultural personalities' are amplified today like no other time in our history based on cultural issues, be they; religion, abortion, gay rights/marriage, race, etc.

If one moves to the Northeast from the deep south, there is to be sure a great amount of cultural shock- and the opposite is true.

Met a man at the local Lowes store who moved to New England from Iowa, and said he experienced 'cultural shock'.....

If one is looking to live with others who have the same 'values' as them, they might find it difficult but not impossible to find others like themselves in a region opposite of what they came from.

[freshlemonade]

Try Hoover, McCalla, Woodstock, Vance, Million Dollar Lake, & etc.

"Redneck" is insulting to a noticeable number of southern born & bred pleasant country folks. Most all are honest, not-always highly educated but none-the-less intelligent hard-working people. Day-by-day they're bettering their eviornment to benefit their families, future generations, & NEW NEIGHBORS. Besides all this; there's a lot of GREAT home cooking, talented surgeons, talented car-builders, engineers, finest nurses, caring teachers & homemakers dedicated to their spouse & children.

Continue to do your research but you must come on down to see for yourself!

[brandoni57]

To IVYMM
With all do respect, your "keeping it real" does come off like you are stereotyping an entire region, or even worse, that you have resorted your understanding of anything through ASSUMPTION. Statements like yours sound stereotypical, so I have decided to respond. I have lived in Alabama all of my life (Huntsville, a city most areas in the south AND North can only dream of being like, and a city that sounds like "garbage" to Yankees beacuase of the "AL" behind it until they move here and never want to look back at wherever they came from) ... and I too dislike Birmingham, there is more to any area than its largest area. I have been to many northern states and western states.. and I have witnessed a large population of poor that many would pass off as "trash", in similar habitats or trailer parks that you have mentioned dot the Alabama countryside. The problem is, you seem to assume or appear to believe poverty is a much larger problem in the south. The bottom line is sir, you can't get away from poverty, I could go into great detail about why and how it has happened via my understanding ofeconomic and history lectures but I will spare you that. Actually, in the north and west just like the south you have slums and ghettos, in the west and large cities in the north those in poverty are not necessarily gun loving hillbillies as you put it, but mostly hispanic and minority. If you can picture in your mind the places I have seen all around this country south and north alike, you will notice every area struggles with depressed people. The rich get richer everywhere and the poor are getting poorer everywhere.. PERIOD. I'm not judging the south or north, I am stating every area has problems with poverty. THANK OUTSOURCING, thank DRUG TRAFFICKING, thank lack of EDUCATION, thank ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, thank LOCAL governments and there lack of ecnomic knowledge or willpower all across this great land for our poverty.
You also appear to assume everyone in the South is Bible Thumping Christians and that the North or other areas are free of Bible Thumpers. My hometown is one of the most unchurched cities in the south due to its high population of muslims and hindus from the middle east and India working with nasa, boeing, lockheed martin etc. But apparently everything about my life and my activities are shaped by the dominant religion that is prevelant in Alabama as well as California, Chrisitianity.
So I, Brandon: an Educated, informed and knowledgeable Christian, friend to nonChristians and Muslims, one that wants to discuss with Osama Bin Ladin the love I have through Christ with peace and respect, "redneck" from Alabama who knows how to shoot a Chineese Assualt Rifle, who knows how to vote, and how to excercise his civil liberties, I guess I'm just another stereotypical SOUTHERNER who should be avoided.. because I'm like "MOST all in AL". When people honestly believe that everyone within a certain sector of this vast world, be it cultural, religious, or geographical sector, are all the "same", ignorance is the end result. Ultimately, the world knows how to view people and places: in Blanket groups. God views and loves all of us as INDIVIDUALS, He does not care whether we have fee simple ownership of 6,000 square feet or leasehold estate, whether Christian or Muslim, whether we vote democrat or republican. Let's not ASSUME, because we know how to break that word down.. let's not judge and let's not believe everything people of our same race/religious belief/geographic location/ political views/etc. believe to be gospel, this just means we don't have the time or willpower to research or expand our knowledge to decide for ourselves what we believe, we ultimately let someone else tell us how to think. People are not defined by their hometown, zipcode, religion, or race.. they are defined by their own personal actions decisions choices and spirit. I am not the same as my neighbor, I am not the same as my father, I am my own person, don't you dare assume I am what you "know" me to be, I am not a statistic, no one is.

** (Now, I went into great detail about a whole lot of nothing here simply because I am bored and can't sleep, but if IVYMM feels I have misinterpreted his statements than let him speak up. But I have seen a lot of poor and pick up trucks in other parts of the country guy, and my hometown Huntsville AL is probably better off in many areas than your town... but I can't assume that to be true because I don't know where you are from, I am just basing it on the National recognition, generally top tier rankings in general areas that are important to economic prosperity that Huntsville is noted for and based on my first hand observations. You don't know me friend and you don't know my neighbor just as I don't know where you reside,your beliefs or values or even income. I'm not going to assume anything about you, I'm just going to listen to what you say and respond.)

[Rick in Dixie]

yeah ! sometimes we may run around on our 4 wheelers, but no more than folks up north run around on their snowmobiles. If you dont like people wearing John Deere hats and driving 4 wheel drive trucks, which is what you'll find anywhere south of the mason dixon line. I guess the best place to move to would be either Boston or Sacramento. I'm appalled by this thread , you should choose your words more tastfully. This forum is designed to share viable information about cities and communities that will help people make sound decisions on where to raise there families, find jobs, and purchase homes. Not to label cultures and class of the population.