tell me about Mobile... (Prichard, Detroit: renters, movers, crime rate)

[breer23]

Originally Posted by oscottscotto

You should understand that Gulf Shores/Orange Beach is a good 50 minute drive from Mobile and Pensecola Beach is at least an hour drive, if not a few minutes more. Although Mobile sits right on the waters of Mobile Bay, people don't really consider Mobile a "beach" city at all. It is just within a 45 minutes drive of smaller beach towns.

Very good point! If you lived in Fairhope or Daphne, that can cut 15 minutes off of the drive, but still it is a good 1/2 hour to Gulf Shores & Orange beaches.

[oscottscotto]

Originally Posted by breer23

Very good point! If you lived in Fairhope or Daphne, that can cut 15 minutes off of the drive, but still it is a good 1/2 hour to Gulf Shores & Orange beaches.

Oh definitely. I would always live in Mobile (when living down there), but do envy my parents who recenlty moved to the Eastern Shore. They can make it down to the beaches in less than 30 min.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by oscottscotto

Oh definitely. I would always live in Mobile (when living down there), but do envy my parents who recenlty moved to the Eastern Shore. They can make it down to the beaches in less than 30 min.

I wouldn't live there. I was in Daphne today and almost had some idiot take the side off of my van. There's way too many people using the Parkway and the area is getting overcrowded.

[oscottscotto]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I wouldn't live there. I was in Daphne today and almost had some idiot take the side off of my van. There's way too many people using the Parkway and the area is getting overcrowded.

Well, technically Malbis.

[downtowndoll]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I wouldn't live there. I was in Daphne today and almost had some idiot take the side off of my van. There's way too many people using the Parkway and the area is getting overcrowded.

I wish they would enforce the "left lane is for passing". I can't stand it; I'm making my mom come to Mobile from Fairhope for Christmas Eve.

[downtowndoll]

Dauphin Island (35-40 minutes south of Mobile) can be a nice place to live, temporarily. You ought to rent a house down there until you get your bearings. Sand is great, that sugar type of sand. Water is clear enough and far less crowded than Gulf Shores. Beaches/water are way better than Texas; have neighbor from Texas. But realize that it is a very small island with not a whole lot going on, but that's why I personally like it. They won't allow the giant condo towers like the other places did. There are bars and restaurants, but not many. Then you have Mobile, which is a perfect size city. Mobile (ca. 1702) is actually older than New Orleans(ca. 1718) so gumbo was cooked here first! Same with Mardi Gras. We have a great downtown bar scene, I think.

It has a car ferry that goes over to Fort Morgan/ then on to Gulf Shores. I don't like Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. I kinda like the Perdido Key area but that's actually in Florida. I still prefer quiet like Dauphin Island.

They have a bike trail, and there is a state park that has a natural beach with woodland trails that I think is beautiful. They have a nice public beach, too. Bird watching is huge because this is a stop for the birds on their way down to South America.

A lot of us in Mobile like to have a house in town and a shack down there to enjoy on the weekends. That's my goal one day! Some people live there and drive back and forth to Mobile, I guess. Just a few days ago, the temp was 79 degrees. Now, I'm sure Chattanooga is great but you cannot beat this weather!!!!

As far as Mobile, others already gave good advice. The delta that feeds into the Mobile Bay has lots to do too. It's beautiful!!

Right now, the real estate market down there on the beach is dead- you might can find a good deal. Likely, it's a good deal to you since you are paying so much more up there for real estate.

Make sure if you come, stay a night in downtown Mobile on Royal Street. Some hotels on that street are: Battle House Hotel (finest), Renaissance Riverview , Hampton Inn and Suites (about to open) . Fort Conde, a reproduction of the 1724 French fort, is a free information center/museum also on Royal Street, maybe a block from two of the hotels. You can take a free MODA bus (look for LIME GREEn umbrella stops) from this Fort Conde and ride for free for 20 min. around downtown. If you want more of the historic districts, they've got a great $15 or $16 tour that leaves from Fort Conde in a bus with tour guide for an hour.

Then, stay a night on Dauphin Island. I know Angel Realty(one of many rental places- there's also Boardwalk Realty, Dauphin Island Realty, etc.) has a last minute $99 a night deal, but if you are here during the winter, you should not be paying that much. Wheel and deal on prices.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by downtowndoll

I wish they would enforce the "left lane is for passing". I can't stand it; I'm making my mom come to Mobile from Fairhope for Christmas Eve.

I don't think there is any way to enforce that since so many people are making left turns. That's what happened to me, the guy was swooping across to turn into Wal-Mart when he nearly ran me into the ditch. There's just too many people living there and being forced to use that one road.

[downtowndoll]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I don't think there is any way to enforce that since so many people are making left turns. That's what happened to me, the guy was swooping across to turn into Wal-Mart when he nearly ran me into the ditch. There's just too many people living there and being forced to use that one road.

Yeah, you're right.

[CarolWeaver]

Originally Posted by CleanCutHippie

I have always lived 15-20 minutes from the beach my whole life since technically I do live on an Island. Problem is its cold most of the year making the beach rather useless. I know Pensacola is fairly close since I have been down in the area.

I was catching up on my reading now that Christmas has passed, and this caught my attention. The weather here Christmas Day and the day after was in the 70s -- lots of folks in shorts hitting the after-Christmas sales.

In the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach/Fort Morgan area, you can expect wide expanses of white sand and lots of clear, blue, warm Gulf waters.

[cloudface]

The crime rate is a factor in Mobile. People who live in Mobile and have not been directly affected by it often gloss over it. The fact is, there is a large population of uneducated people which live in poor conditions under government housing..a welfare state, if you will. There are many broken families with no positive male role models to speak of in these communities. The public schools are dismal. Private schools are your only option, but they are expensive. Midtown is sandwiched between two ghettos, Pritchard and DIP. White flight has been going on for atleast ten years over to Baldwin county. I know this sounds a bit depressing, but someone has to say it. On the positive side, the economy in Mobile is improving and downtown is trying to come back. A shining star in Mobile is the University of South Alabama, which is growing by leaps and bounds. Hopefully, some new blood and better crime fighting will improve Mobile some more. But for now, it's still a crapshoot. I would not move here if I could avoid it.