Anybody ever heard of Altoona, AL (Gadsden, Albertville: environment, for sale, wage)

[wilkermoo]

Has anybody ever heard of Altoona, AL? Or does anybody live in Altoona? What is it like?

[NotYourTypicalSoutherner]

Unfortunately, yes. I used to live in a town called Walnut Grove, which is right next to Altoona. I'm not sure where you're from, but if you know anything about the typical small-town in Alabama (or anywhere rural for that matter), then expect more of the same in Altoona. It's very rural, lots of cow pastures, but the scenery is pretty with rolling hills and such. A huge flea market called Mountain Top Trade-Day is right down the road, but the last time I went there it was getting very homogenized. Rather than a mish-mash of antiques, handcrafts, and neat odds and ends, there was an endless supply of tools and "made in china" stuff. The kind of things you'd find at any Dollar store! It is definitely the quiet life there...although there has been a large influx of Hispanic folk in the last few years, thanks to the chicken plants in Albertville and their hiring of illegal immigrants. So if you're uncomfortable with that, beware. So, in summation, cons are: nothing to do, isolated, not-at-all progressive area...pros are: nice country surroundings, plenty of land for sale if you want it, and very low cost of living. Any more questions just ask, i will try to check back here!

[wilkermoo]

Thanks for the response NotYourTypicalSoutherner. I have married into family that lives in Altoona. I have not been there to visit yet but they are all trying to convince us to move down there. They are always talking about the great home prices and you can get jobs working for the Power Company and such.
I was just wondering what the environment is like. Is is a poor area? Houses are pretty cheap, but that could be that there is no work there. I like the country, but this may be too country for me.

[NotYourTypicalSoutherner]

No problem! Well, I guess I wouldn't say it's a poor area...it's certainly not ghettofied or anything...but that part of Alabama is definitely economically depressed. You would not have an easy time finding a job up the mountain in the Boaz area, b/c the jobs there are mostly the chicken plants, manufactured housing plants, industrial plants, or retail. None of which pay well and ALL of which I would not recommend to anybody! Now if you go down the mountain a bit to Gadsden, there are more jobs, but that's not what I'd call a "growth" area ...nothing has come into that area to bring jobs in a long time. Alabama Power does have good jobs, and they employ a lot of people, but keep in mind that in that area, it's usually WHO you know. If you have connections, like a family member that works there, I'd say it's a safe bet.

Anyway, the area itself is not slummy, it's just really, really rural. I will emphatically agree that the home prices are great...that area probably has the lowest cost of living of anywhere in America. But I'm afraid it's because there's not much there. That's why we (me & my husband) left. Even with the low cost of living, we still struggled to find jobs that paid a decent wage and won't suck the life out of you. I don't mean to sound so depressing, but it certainly was not for us, in our early 20s and wanting to have a life! But if you have kids and want them to be with that part of the family, or you want to start a family, it's a good place to be. Lots of fresh air and nature! And not crowded: most of what's down there is families who've lived there for generations, old people, and now some Hispanic folk.

If you have anymore questions, just ask! I only moved from there about 4 years ago, and my husband still has family on Sand Mountain (Boaz), so we go down there often.

[airlinepilot1]

Hey, I was born and raised in Altoona. Great place to grow up and live if you like the slow small town southern thing which I do. Now live in Houston and cant wait to get back. But visit before you make assumptions. Good luck. By the way I bet I know the person you are marrying, after all it is a small town.

[rana45]

i am living in florida right now and like the looks of altoona and am considering moving to the area. don't know what kind of business to go into yet. my husband and i own a small business and would not consider working for someone. any ideas on what kind of business to open?
thanks
rana from
umatilla fl.