[bohem21]

After much observation of recent posts regarding life/living in various parts of Alabama, there seems to be so much focus on the negative vs. the positive.
Any chance of some sharing of positive experiences? thoughts? of life in Alabama?

At 42, I had lived the bulk of my life in San Francisco. Then I had the chance to go rural. Southeast Alabama. Enterprise, Alabama. And I never looked back. (well there was one time in four years)

After a lifetime of knowing the luxuries of big city living along with the hassles that go with it, I wanted the change. Welcomed the change. Needed the change. And am thankful for that change.

I like that it costs less to live here, that I know the grocery store clerk by name, that the sun shines more days than not, that I have made friends with people I use to consider were not at all like me, using resourcefulness to seek out what is in my region, that my friends visit here and fall in love with the town, that we have some of the best produce in the country, have established relationships with most my neighbors, that there are different people of all sorts living in harmony, .......and I could go on and on............ All minor things??? But they sure do add up.

After the major move from CA to here, much has changed. And for that I feel most grateful.
Thus, my move to ALABAMA has been a most positive change for the better.

(the negatives definitely are minor compared to the positives) I am an optimist and a realist. So I am not ignoring negative aspects of life here or anywhere, but I can see, daily, ALL of the wonderful positive things about life in Alabama.

Would love to hear what others have experienced, enjoyed, or loved about life in Alabama.

[Threestep2]

Shelby County and gated community was not what we had in mind:>)
I have shopping, art and culture within a few minutes driving distance but no through traffic or construction. Kids play in the street. I can borrow the infamous cup of sugar or cry in a glas of wine at a neighbor's house. AC dies, car breaks down, hair needs TLC - someone is in that line of work or knows someone. I am not living alone or next to others. Our neighborhood cares out what is going on from handyman services (all singles know my husband) to books/dinner/company for shut ins.
Do you know your mail man's name and he takes your outgoing mail and brings the receipt back? Mine does.
Regulars at the small farmers market know who lives where and near whom. Non reason for a neighbor to get her weekly five pounds of tomatoes. I will gladly take them to her.
Cannot make to after school care on time? No problem. I work from home and will get the rascals before penalties have to be paid.
It was a good move and AL was a very positive surprise.
I do fit the stereotype - drive a truck, drink cheap beer and shoot fairly well. No skoal!

[VMH2507]

What I like is the friendliness of the people. I can tell you of numerous occassions when complete strangers have gone out of their way to help me lift a heavy bag of dog food or get an item off the top shelf at the grocery store or strike up a conversation in the checkout line. And this goes for all races and creeds. When I moved here I thought it would only be for a few years and that I would eventually move back to GA to be closer to my roots and family. I even went so far as to buy a place in N GA mtns a few years back. I quickly found that the people just weren't as friendly there and have since sold the place and I'm here to stay!

[Reactionary]

Focusing on Huntsville:

#1 - good people. I'll echo the rest of y'all in commenting that there are no strangers. I'll add that I've found kindness in other cities too, but here it seems universal. There is an abundance of common sense (even with the occasional "hey y'all, watch this...") and common decency.

#2 - natural beauty. We've got mountains and rivers, and a richness in biology. There have been species of fish that were discovered in just the past few years. Even with the sprawl, the Land Trust, city, state, and feds have conserved a good bit of nature. HSV has been recognized as one of the 'greenest' cities in the US. The beach is six hours away.

#3 - life is good. Jobs are plentiful, housing is nice, low taxes, great place to raise a family. Boating, canoeing, hiking, sports, museums, concerts, plays, history, bars, restaurants, etc. Lots to do. Politicians don't steal much more than they need to get by (just kidding but not really).

[relo854]

Living in the North east Alabama sounds like a great place to move...just have some concerns....it would be a HUGE move for us and want to make sure it's right for us...

Reactionary - Jobs are plentiful????....I understand that this area has an abundance of engineers, scientists, R&D jobs that require higher education....how about the job market for people without the higher education?..

[Reactionary]

I can't directly address your question, but, rocket scientists have to live, so service industries, hospitals, construction, trades, etc. are looking for workers. There are some manufacturers here (IIRC Toyota being the largest). Other parts of the State are booming too (Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai, Austal, Thiessen-Kruppe). Lots of manufacturers are locating in AL - it's a 'right to work' state.

Also, there are quite a few opportunities for higher education here (UAH, AAMU, Calhoun, Athens State, more).

[Southlander]

If you have a high school diploma or at least a GED, there are quite a few manufacturers hiring in Decatur. 3M and Daikin are 2 top companies to work for. It is tough to get in - you run through a gauntlet of tests - but they are excellent employers. Many go through the Alabama Department of Unemployment - well, they don't call it that now, it's something more PC like "Alabama Career Center." Some use local temp agencies to screen employees. Pay is quite good at these plants.
So yes, you can get a job without a higher education, but the more you can get, the higher you can go. A couple of years spent at Calhoun in one of their training programs could make you more marketable...anywhere, not just Alabama. And these programs are often set up to accommodate people who work full time.

[adavis21]

I moved from south Al to south FL, and.. I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Al. People are just nicer there, and there is a sense of place and history that Fl definitely doesn't have. Here even the plants are from somewhere else. I miss trees and hills. And by the way, you northern Al folks don't know what you're talking about with the humidity.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by adavis21

I moved from south Al to south FL, and.. I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Al. People are just nicer there, and there is a sense of place and history that Fl definitely doesn't have. Here even the plants are from somewhere else. I miss trees and hills. And by the way, you northern Al folks don't know what you're talking about with the humidity.

I agree...I grew up in north Alabama. Only spent a handful of years in Atlanta before moving back to my home town. I adored Atlanta (after the first year), but it was so nice to be in a place where I knew people from the time they were kids...knew the history of this and that...knew ahead of time the advantages as well as the disadvantages.
adavis, you are right about the humidity right now...the drought is so bad our humidity is running around 45%. Normally it's in the 90 percentile, thanks to the Tennessee River. Most humid place I ever went? Centralia, Illinois in July!

[Southlander]

And thanks to bohem21 for a positive thread...for a change!