Mobile Area Questions! (Montgomery, Daphne, Fairhope: house, middle school, subdivisions)

[Consu 13]

Hi Everyone!
We May be possibly relocating to the Mobile area. We have lots of questions about the area.

-Where are the best public high schools? I heard that Spanish Fort, Daphne, and Fairhope had good schools and appeared to be nice areas.

-How is Downtown Mobile? We currently live in Asheville, NC which has a very urban and lively downtown, so that's something we hope Mobile has.

-How is the shopping? How many malls are there? Is there any upscale shopping?

- Is there a lot to do there? It looks like New Orleans is near by which is nice, but is there anything of Interest in Mobile? Are there any nice places to go boating?

- Overall, would you consider Mobile a nice area to live in?

I know we have lots of questions, but we're pretty curious about the area.

- Thanks for any Help

[Peachcity]

- thr schools across the bay are good but there are plenty in Mobile County that are good too like Murphy and Baker.

-downtown Mobile is urban but it won't beat Ashville except during festivals and Mardi Gras for activity

-No upscale mall

- if you have friends there is a fair amount to do

- its a nice area to live overall if you can stand Alabama politics.

[luksky]

I lived in Mobile for 45 years. 1. Unless I wanted to throw my kid to the wolves, I would never send my kid to any publlic school in Mobile...period. 2. There is nothing lively about downtown Mobile...matter of fact it is rather boring unless you like history. 3. No upscale shopping in Mobile...the stores in the mall are very basic and full of hoodlum teenagers with nothing else to do because there's not much to do in Mobile. 4. Not much to do in Mobile aside from the beach, the beach, and the beach....yes, boating is an option. 5. No, I do not consider Mobile a nice area to live in that is why after 45 years I moved away...

Hope I didn't burst your bubble...

[humacaena]

Consu,

Check out the Eastern Shore. Spanish Fort, Daphne and Fairhope are great! I am partial to Fairhope because I live here and after looking for a place to move to (from Atlanta), we chose it, and love it!

Check out these sites:cofairhope.com, beautifulfairhope.com and theutopianfairhope.com Also, there is a great video on youtube/ smalltownflavor and I've posted url on another post. I'll try to redo it.

Schools here are great, some of the best in the state. We are on Mobile bay, and have great access to all water related sports. Our recreation center is awesome...2 pools, baseball, soccer, football, skating...you name it. The city also has tennis courts a short ride away. There is availability for sailing classes for kids, also quite popular.

We are 2 1/2 hours from New Orleans. Our Eastern Shore Center is quite nice...and we also have 2 more shopping centers within a couple of miles from the ESC. We have Dillards, Stein Mart...but do not have Nordstroms or Macys...but maybe someday they'll come this way.

My nephew lives in Asheville, and we considered it, but we wanted to be close to water, and did not like being land locked.

I hope I was able to help. Good luck!

[Peachcity]

Lol, hopefully, the op knows when a poster has a serious chip on their shoulder and when one if giving balanced advise.

Anyone who would move away and come back to the forum just bash is not a good reference.

[southernnaturelover]

There's also Belk for shopping, which is based in NC I believe.

[PortCity]

Hi Everyone!
We May be possibly relocating to the Mobile area. We have lots of questions about the area.

-Where are the best public high schools? I heard that Spanish Fort, Daphne, and Fairhope had good schools and appeared to be nice areas.

There are good schools in the Eastern shore but there are great schools in Mobile County as well. E.G : Dunbar,Council,Murphy,Baker,Semmes Middle School,Marry G. Montgomery,Barnes,Phillips,Clark,and a others that I can`t think of. And those are all public schools and that list range from elementary to High.



-How is Downtown Mobile? We currently live in Asheville, NC which has a very urban and lively downtown, so that's something we hope Mobile has.

I don`t think Downtown Mobile may be as lively as Ashville but there is activity down there.There are festivities that are held through out the year.The largest of the Festivities are of course Mardi Gra(Mobile is the home of Mardi Gra in America),Then there is Bay fest which is a 3 day festival, and there is the LODA art walk is very nice. And there are several little music festivals that are held through out the year.Downtown Mobile was forgotten by it`s citizens in the 80`s.Downtown Mobile is going through a phase as of right now and it is a good one ! So things are a lot better than it was 10 years ago.Downtown Mobile does have an entertainment district it is on Dauphin street and you can also find a nice bar on Royal street as well.

As a previous poster mentioned downtown Mobile is full of history.The city has a French,Spanish,English,Creole and African history behind it.And it`s architectural make up reflects the French and Spanish history that the city has.




-How is the shopping? How many malls are there? Is there any upscale shopping?

Now I must admit that shopping in Mobile is small for a city this size ! Bel air Mall has the same stores that Ashville mall has but it has a few more stores than Ashville mall has and I think it is larger. As for upscale shopping you will have to shop at the boutiques in Mobile for upscale shopping and even that is limited. All within the immediate area you have the choice to shop at Bel Air mall, overalls boutiques in the city,Eastern Shore Centre,Tanger Out let,legacy Village,and the out let on the Mississippi Coast which is like a 35 min drive.Again shopping in Mobile is small for a city this size.


- Is there a lot to do there? It looks like New Orleans is near by which is nice, but is there anything of Interest in Mobile? Are there any nice places to go boating?

If you are into bars that play live music and you are a sociable person then Mobile would be a a fit for you.I`m into acoustic,jazz, and other forms on contemporary music. My friends and I we will go to Serda`s cafe on Royal street downtown and listen to an acoustic band or Veet`s which is a block or two south and grab a basket of crab claws and listen to band play there.Then the following Friday we will attend the LODA art Walk or go to the Skyview lounge and listen to a jazz band. We also take delta air boat rides on Saturdays when the weather is nice.My point is life is what you make of it and if you feel that the city you live in doesn`t meet your entertainment needs then move out. For Me and my friends we will find something to do on Friday or weekend.


- Overall, would you consider Mobile a nice area to live in?

Yes every city has problems but there are some charming and amazing historical neighberhhoods in Mobile with s strong sense of community.


I know we have lots of questions, but we're pretty curious about the area.

They are good questions !

- Thanks for any Help [/quote]

[Consu 13]

Thanks for all the replies!

We'll focus on the Eastern shore area, it seems like a good fit for us. Are there any particular subdivisions you would recommend in the $300,000 ish range?

[humacaena]

Timbercreek in Spanish Fort. The Eastern Shore Center is across the street...and has a great golf course and swim/tennis.

In Daphne, Avalon and Bellaton are very nice.

In Fairhope, Summer Lake, Rock Creek, Song Grove, Sedgefield. There are many in the $200 to $300 range that are very nice also. Amongst these are The Willows, Fairfield, Idlewild and Dunmore. There is also intown living where you can walk to town and all the activities that go on here. There are many options depending on what you prefer. It's a fun safe place to live! Just check it out.

[Consu 13]

Thanks!, I'll take a look at these. It seems like you get a lot more house for your money around there than in Asheville, which is great for us. Asheville is surprisingly expensive.