[juanisback]

Considering a move to Pensecola area. How are schools, quality of life in Gulf Shores/Milton/Navarre area?

[glendareynolds]

I have been to Pensacola a few times to do job searching and to go fishing with my husband - that is before hurricane Ivan came ashore close to there. My impression of Pensacola was that it has some old, run down sections. It was discouraging to try for jobs there. In my opinion, Pensacola doesn't have that much to offer as far as the job market. If you're retired, it wouldn't be a bad place to live. The communities situated higher on the bluffs offer a great view of the water. They have outstanding beaches, beautiful dunes and boardwalks leading to the beach - and not many people on them. I don't know very much about the other communities such as Navarre; we've mostly just drove through them. I live in Panama City. The cost of housing here has been climbing. I don't live at the beach, but the price of real estate on the beach has pushed pricing up in our county. Destin, which is in between Pensacola and Panama City, has always been a higher cost of living. The developers and tourist industry there cater to people who have alot of money. You could say that Destin is the crown jewel for Northwest Fla. Panama City offers more affordable living with more jobs. But still Panama City's job market isn't all that spectacular either as compared to other parts of Florida. Bay county is suppose to be one of the lowest paying counties in the state. But I've managed to find a few jobs that paid decent enough. They're out there. Hope I didn't give you too much info. It's good to compare places according to your needs and wants.