Moving down south-Mobile vs. Pensacola (Saraland: sales, college, sales tax)

[southernnaturelover]

What do they call it.... Metroplex? LOL

[Southsky]

Originally Posted by PortCity

Sounds like a future Mobiel-Baldwin-Pensacola Metro to me ...That`s around 950 K I think.

A Mobile-Baldwin-Escambia metro would be ~1.05 million.

[el chupacabra]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Baldwin County kinda gets split between Mobile and Pensacola. Its true many people in Spanish Fort and Daphne commute to Mobile, but there's also people around Foley-Elberta-Lillian that commute to P'cola.

Foley, Elberta, Lillian Pop = ~15,000

Spanish Fort, Malbis, Daphne, Fairhope = ~45,000

I don't care what arbitrary Metro category the Eastern Shore is put into, it is part of the Mobile metro area. People live and work on both sides of the Bay.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by Southsky

A Mobile-Baldwin-Escambia metro would be ~1.05 million.

Larger than I thought.That will be the next three county metro one day !

[AlwaysBeachin]

I'd say either move to the Eastern Shore or certain areas of the FL Panhandle. Mobile itself has gone down considerably in the past 20 years. It's not what it used to be growing up. Crime is awful and the city is broke. The Eastern Shore is where many of the middle and upper middle class are fleeing. It's nice, taxes are lower, traffic is better, and things are building up nicely. Unfortunately it does have too much of the "lower Alabama" culture, which is why I really like the FL Panhandle, mostly Santa Rosa County. I don't have to see the big "A" plastered 10 times on every vehicle that passes by.

Pensacola, however, as a city tends to be more "dumpy" and "trashy". I would suggest Gulf Breeze as it's their "Eastern Shore" of their city. The only issue with them is their low elevation and proximity to the water. You're guranteed damage if you're a direct hit from a hurricane. That's what has prevented me from living over there. The northern Eastern Shore is on a bluff, which saves you the flooding during the hurricanes.

I haven't seen too many super nice place in Milton. Navarre is nice; but again, it's close to the water. I'd rather live in FL but Escambia county doesn't do much for me.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Don't let the population numbers fool you, Pensacola is no more "laid back" than Mobile is. I live an equal distance between the two cities so I go to both of them often. Pensacola may have no state or food tax, but property taxes will be much higher, as well as vehicle tags, insurance, etc. What Florida doesn't get through state tax it gets through other means, so you'll pay one way or another. Pensacola has the benefit of closer and better beaches, but unless you're going to be going to the beach everyday I really don't think it's worth living there. The job situation in P'cola seems to be much worse than it is in Mobile, and most of the city seems more "ghetto" to me. Another thing, even though Mobile is bigger, I can get around much easier. Pensacola's street layout makes no sense whatsoever.

If you're really wanting Pensacola, I suggest looking at the surrounding communities like Pace, Milton, or Gulf Breeze.

Thanks! This helps me understand both cities better.

[JoMiWi]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Pensacola's street layout makes no sense whatsoever.

Pensacola's airport access is much better; it's nice they put an interstate exit onto Airport Blvd. Of course you don't have to live in P'Cola to take advantage of this.

[Seashore2017]

I am considering looking at Pace, gulf breeze and East Hill area, I live in Tallahassee after I sold my home in Clearwater, I miss Clearwater a lot so now I want out of Tallahassee, I'm living on the wrong side of town also, its kind of rough, so my question is which is better for work Mobile? I take it is, I'm wondering if I should also consider Raleigh Durham NC or Va Va is so expensive though.

[aandrew]

Originally Posted by Seashore2017

I am considering looking at Pace, gulf breeze and East Hill area, I live in Tallahassee after I sold my home in Clearwater, I miss Clearwater a lot so now I want out of Tallahassee, I'm living on the wrong side of town also, its kind of rough, so my question is which is better for work Mobile? I take it is, I'm wondering if I should also consider Raleigh Durham NC or Va Va is so expensive though.

If you want to be near the beaches, you should consider the Gulf Coast in Alabama. Cities like Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Lillian are pretty closed to jobs in Pensacola and Foley. We have much lower property taxes and the beaches are amazing!

[P_Mac]

Originally Posted by JRA2000TL

I'd say either move to the Eastern Shore or certain areas of the FL Panhandle. Mobile itself has gone down considerably in the past 20 years. It's not what it used to be growing up. Crime is awful and the city is broke. The Eastern Shore is where many of the middle and upper middle class are fleeing. It's nice, taxes are lower, traffic is better, and things are building up nicely. Unfortunately it does have too much of the "lower Alabama" culture, which is why I really like the FL Panhandle, mostly Santa Rosa County. I don't have to see the big "A" plastered 10 times on every vehicle that passes by.

Pensacola, however, as a city tends to be more "dumpy" and "trashy". I would suggest Gulf Breeze as it's their "Eastern Shore" of their city. The only issue with them is their low elevation and proximity to the water. You're guranteed damage if you're a direct hit from a hurricane. That's what has prevented me from living over there. The northern Eastern Shore is on a bluff, which saves you the flooding during the hurricanes.

I haven't seen too many super nice place in Milton. Navarre is nice; but again, it's close to the water. I'd rather live in FL but Escambia county doesn't do much for me.

Mobile is definitely on the rise. Downtown/Midtown is really revamping. Also, to me at least, it seems like more and more people are moving to Saraland instead of the Eastern Shore.