[baby_firefly]

hey
i'm looking for a small town in alabama that hasnt seen to many people relocating
thats non metropolitan and more laidback thats open to an outsider thats not looking to change anything
i would need an apartment that has rent for no more than $500 a month
that would be hiring in bars/diners
is in driving distance to a city/bigger town
that has stuff to do for children my daughter will be 2 when we move and for me i'll be 23 soon and i'm a single mom
maybe has a public pool,lake for swimmingalso looking for a place thats big on church
and has good daycare and babysitting
and thats safe for children i liked opelika but i read the crime was higher than most parts of alabama

thanks in advance for any help

[steveklein]

as i was reading your post the opelika-auburn area definitely came to mind. give it a look. auburn is certainly the nicer town... and there are always TONS of apartments for rent because auburn has a large 18-25 year old population. competition helps keep the market reasonable. you can get a 1 br for ~400 and 2 br for ~600 and be in a good location.

opelika isn't bad, but i think auburn overall is the nicer of the towns.

auburn is a growing area, but it isn't out of control growth like you see in some parts of the country. schools are good, there is lots to do and a lot of cheap babysitting labor.

[baby_firefly]

hmm
last time i put this post up i was told about auburn but i'd like to stay away from a college town
and i'd like to be in a place that has less people living there

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by baby_firefly

hmm
last time i put this post up i was told about auburn but i'd like to stay away from a college town
and i'd like to be in a place that has less people living there

it might be tough to find a town much smaller than auburn that is still going to have a good selection of bars/diners to work at, stuff for a young daughter (or single mom) to do, etc.

opelika would also be a good choice. i don't think the crime should really keep you away... it's really not that bad.

you could also maybe try for alexander city or dadeville. they are smaller towns about 20-30 minutes north of auburn/opelika. they are very close to lake martin which may be the nicest lake in the state. i would imagine cost of living is very low as well.

you could also try some of the exurbs (suburbs a bit farther out) around birmingham or huntsville. look at the towns of athens, hartselle, and meridianville, around huntsville... and cities like pell city, mccalla, calera, and chelsea around birmingham.

[baby_firefly]

thankyou for all the places maybe i'll still have to checkout auburn and opelika
i just like small towns where evrybody knows your name
thanks again

[Toni & Patrick]

I personally recommend Shelby Shores. The town is Shelby not far from Columbiana and Calera. It might be what your are looking for. It is a Lake community. Friendly and absolutely beautiful. Moderator cut: advertising

[Mestizo]

Originally Posted by baby_firefly

hey
i'm looking for a small town in alabama that hasnt seen to many people relocating
thats non metropolitan and more laidback thats open to an outsider thats not looking to change anything
i would need an apartment that has rent for no more than $500 a month
that would be hiring in bars/diners
is in driving distance to a city/bigger town
that has stuff to do for children my daughter will be 2 when we move and for me i'll be 23 soon and i'm a single mom
maybe has a public pool,lake for swimmingalso looking for a place thats big on church
and has good daycare and babysitting
and thats safe for children i liked opelika but i read the crime was higher than most parts of alabama

thanks in advance for any help

i'd try Decatur.
it's pretty nice and laid back and it's close to Birmingham and Huntsville so you'll be able to find things to do.
they've got soooooooo many churches there and too and there's a couple of really nice public pools.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by Mestizo

i'd try Decatur.
it's pretty nice and laid back and it's close to Birmingham and Huntsville so you'll be able to find things to do.
they've got soooooooo many churches there and too and there's a couple of really nice public pools.

Not many bars or really nice restaurants here in Decatur, and most of the bars are notorious dives. Chain restaurants - Ruby Tuesday, Applebee's, O'Charley's, and Logan's. Some barbecue & catfish spots. Decatur does NOT have school busing that comes through a neighborhood, or extended day programs at schools.

[Jennigans]

Oh, definitly Hartselle. We used to live in Decatur. I am from New York and I love the laid back small town of Hartselle. I'm not a country bumpkin by any means but I am simply a suburb girl from Westchester county NY. I know the high life, (normal stuff like plays, concerts, the city,) as well as the mall and I can say I looooove it here. No keeping up with the jones's at all. People keep their homes neat and it is very casual. Our barbecue place is called The Pig Stand and when you drive by in the Fall, especially, it smells soooo good in that cool air. We live right outside the city limits so we can burn piles of brush n' stuff whenever we want to or shoot of fireworks. My husband can shoot his gun for target practice whenever. It's great. It also has a kick butt pool with great water slides and 10 foot diving board. The concession stand people go out and get about 20 boxes of pizza and bring it back and serve it on paper plates to the swimmers at the little covered area (sorry, trying to get a little picturesque, lol). Anyway, only 7 miles from Decatur which has everything you need, modern stores, etc. And a good bit of people who live in Hartselle and Decatur and surrounding areas of the city commute to Huntsville where the Space and Rocket Center is and Marshall Space Flight Center, etc. Anyway, that's my two cents.

[Southlander]

Athens is another possibility. It is "wet" (allows liquor sales) but is very small. Excellent schools. There is a college, but it is quite small and is mostly commuter. Close to Huntsville and Decatur. Also, Scottsboro...and to the west, the Florence area.