[Simmering7]

Hi all....looking for some help! My husband and I are just starting to consider a move to SOMEWHERE south! We aren't in to impressing people or "keeping up with the Jones". We are used to living on about $50,000 a year and are both blue collar workers, he has a lot of experience in field technician/maintenance/construction, I am an office type worker. Just looking for a warm climate with friendly people and a more laid back life style while keeping a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs.

We were both born and raised in small towns of under 1000 in Ohio, about 10 minutes from a city of 60,000, an hour from much larger cities, 500,000 +. We are in our late 40's, empty nesters, and wanting to get out of the COLD and away from the "cliquishness" of our small towns. We both kind of adapt an attitude of "live and let live". A lot of people here are very rude and if they don't already know you, have known you for your whole life, they don't WANT to know you!

Considering southern Alabama or Florida right now, but like I said, just beginning our search. Really curious about what the PEOPLE are like, friendly and polite, or if we don't know you don't want to know you type.

I know this is a lot of info, just wanted to give you something to go on as any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated!

[southernnaturelover]

I wouldn't say people here are rude, but there's definitely a mix. The person in front of you at the grocery store may start up a conversation out of nowhere, but the person behind you may not speak at all. If you find a church to go to your chances of making friends is much higher, simply because you're around a large group of people.

Since you're used to being near a city of 60k people, I suggest looking around the Dothan area, maybe Enterprise, Opp, or Geneva. Parts of Baldwin County may work too (Loxley, Bay Minette).

[Simmering7]

Haven't looked at those area. Will have to do some research. Thanks!

[Southern man]

Most likely as you drive around in the small towns you will see folks hold up their hand as a greeting. I don't know anywhere else this is done.

[Simmering7]

That sounds exactly like my husband...he always says its a "farmer" thing Maybe in days past in our area it was, but now people just look at you like you're NUTS if you wave to people you don't know!

[Reactionary]

It's still common for people to wave around here, even in cities. Not so much on highways, but it happens there as well (and I'm not talking about the one finger wave)

[Mawoods]

I agree that the Dothan area would be a possibility. Big enough to have some big box stores and a decent grocery store like Publix but not so big like Atlanta. Good luck!

[Classy Southerner]

Simmering,

I have lived here my whole life, and southern Alabama is where I call home. You'll find that the people here are friendly and as benevolent/charitable as any group of people in the world.

Dothan (pop 66,000) is a good choice if you like a family-friendly, conservative environment. You won't find too much in the way of bars and nightlife, but for people your age, I think you would like it. I worked there for a summer, and met a lot of transplants (Ft. Rucker nearby brings in military families from all over the nation). It is a growing city, and has all of the chain restaurants and big box retailers you could want (Best Buy, Olive Garden, Bed Bath & Beyond, Red Lobster, Kohl's, etc.) I think the crime rate is fairly low as well.

I have stayed in the area for as long as I have simply because it is where my roots lie, but I would jump at the opportunity to move for one reason - the weather and the topography. Topographically speaking, it's pretty boring. Then again, I'm an outdoorsman who loves the mountains. One man's trash is another's treasure, and you might like it for all I know. There are pockets where some steep hills can be found, however, most of southern AL consists of very subtle hills, peanut/cotton fields, planted pine forests, and pecan groves, replete with sandy soil. Around the river bottoms, you'll find sweetgum, cypress, bay, red maples, and river birch trees growing in abundance. I find it very uninteresting. Though the trees do drop their leaves in the winter, the fall foliage is mostly lame. You'll find a few pockets of vibrant reds and oranges, but many trees' leaves simply turn brown and fall off without any color display. You have basically two seasons: warm and cool. From Apr. to mid-October, it's hot and humid. Then from late Oct. through late March, you have a conglomeration of some fall days, some spring days, with a smattering of true winter days mixed in when Arctic outbreaks plunge down into the South. A cold winter day here would feature maybe a high of 35 with a low of 17. I love the cold, and for that reason, I'm looking to move farther north.

But...what I don't like about the climate, you would likely enjoy, and to each his own! I wish you the best and hope you'll find a great place to live soon.

[Keeper]

Really pretty much any place in AL meets those requirements. You might want to check out areas around Mobile. Mobile has lots of jobs due to several large manufactures. Saraland is close to some of these places. The pay will be much better there than in most small towns.

[Simmering7]

Thanks everyone for your input! Still don't know where we're going to end up, but it's encouraging to hear that there ARE friendlier areas to live in We are likely taking a trip Jan/Feb for a couple weeks just to check things out and get a "feel" for the different areas. Nice to here there might be some jobs around Mobile as well!!