[At1WithNature]

within the next 2 years i should have my degree and plan to move to Alabama from the city of chicago. i love nature, the sun, and just the outdoors in general. my degree is elementary education so i feel like i will be able to get a job almost anywhere. do you have any ideas for this chicago transplant? I would like minimal crime and i would not like to live in an urban environment. thanks a million!

[At1WithNature]

what would be a good town to move to that meets that criteria?

[breer23]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

within the next 2 years i should have my degree and plan to move to Alabama from the city of chicago. i love nature, the sun, and just the outdoors in general. my degree is elementary education so i feel like i will be able to get a job almost anywhere. do you have any ideas for this chicago transplant? I would like minimal crime and i would not like to live in an urban environment. thanks a million!

My suggestion would be Auburn/Opelika. It's not a large city, but large enough to have everything that you need. Several wooded areas around the town. Add the university to the mix, and it has the makings (IMO) of a good place to settle in. Plus, you'll be only a couple of hours from both Birmingham & Atlanta.

I've lived both in Chicago (5 yrs) and Alabama (Mobile, for 3 yrs). I don't think Mobile is quite what you might be looking for, even though you are nearer to the beach, but please do check it out for yourself. G' luck!

[At1WithNature]

do you like alabama? i've never been but read up on it quite a bit plus i want to live in what one would consider the "deep south." what are some of the big/fun contrasts between BAMA and chicago?

[breer23]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

do you like alabama? i've never been but read up on it quite a bit plus i want to live in what one would consider the "deep south." what are some of the big/fun contrasts between BAMA and chicago?

There were a few negatives to living in Mobile, but I don't want to harp on those. Mostly it was just a different culture, plus we endured two of the worst hurricane seasons in recent history, so that certainly complicated matters. In their favor, though, Mobile has gained a lot in terms of industry, so I can see that area really taking an upswing in the next 5 years and beyond.

From the little amount of time that we spent in Auburn, though, it didn't have the deep south feel, or at least not nearly as much as in Mobile. The biggest advantage is a warmer climate during the traditional winter months (we spent one New Years' at an outdoor BBQ...in shorts!). That same heat can be pretty oppressive in the summer, but it's really no different than Chicago in, say, July & August, it just lasts a lot longer.

All in all, I think we would have enjoyed our time in Auburn much moreso than in Mobile, but still, if you can, please check it out for yourself.

[timunh]

Being from Chicago, you might not consider some of the major cities (Montgomery, Huntsville, Columbus GA) "urban" enough to eliminate on that basis. I agree with the previous poster's suggestion of Auburn/Opelika. The features I like are four distinct seasons with a mild winter, rolling hills, and lots of trees. You didn't mention what types of outdoor activities you like. If being able to take year-round day trips to beaches on the Florida panhandle is your ideal, Dothan is an option. It's a bit flat for my taste. In a lot of places in central and northern Alabama, lakes are popular (for example, Lake Martin near Auburn). Eufaula is a nice town halfway between Dothan and Columbus on the lake. Another nice feature of living in Auburn is you can get to the Atlanta airport in less than an hour and a half. If you travel a lot, it's nice to be able to fly directly to almost anywhere and not be limited by the typical options at regional airports.

[kevin_1975]

Check out Coffee County. Enterprise or some of the smaller towns would be a low crime area to pick from.

[southernerd]

How country and/or low-crime would you like to get? We have everything from cities that might seem relatively non-urban to a Chicagoan, all the way to deep, deep country like in Deliverance.

Would you like to live in the suburbs, but near nature? In a Mayberry-sized town? In deep country a hundred miles from the nearest Wal-Mart, teaching children who get shotguns and ATVs for Christmas?

There's a wide range available, and it includes some possibilities that might make you say "I didn't mean that much nature."

[Alatex]

We have everything from cities that might seem relatively non-urban to a Chicagoan, all the way to deep, deep country like in Deliverance.

Auburn's best-known tradition is throwing toilet paper in a tree. Seriously.

I can't believe people are actually suggesting that.

Baldwin County (especially anywhere within a few miles of the water) is an infinitely better choice. Crime is low, the economy is good, and the beach is the best natural feature that Alabama has to offer. Lots of Midwest transplants live in Baldwin County, too.

[timunh]

Actually, Auburn's best-known tradition is beating Bama in football, which often precedes the whole toilet-paper-in-the-trees event.