[trey1121]

To 4 orphans!
I’ve read your post again! First, thank you for your interest in Alabama! One thing I failed to mention about Dothan is that there is no interstate running through the city. I think it says a lot about the good things Dothan has to offer. I-10 is the closest interstate to Dothan which I would guess is 50 miles or so to the south. I would love to see a spur connecting Dothan to I-10. There are two major U.S. highways that both pass through. There is lots of beach traffic going through Dothan.
Eufaula is a nice town but is losing population and very little to do there except fish in Lake Eufaula and tour beautiful antebellum homes.

Tuscaloosa has I-20/59 going through it which connects New Orleans and Birmingham. U.S. 82,43, and 11 also traverse the city. Btw Tuscaloosa is not part of the Birmingham metropolitan area even though it’s only 45-50 miles away. Tuscaloosa’s metro population for 2020 is 254,000. Passing through T-town, as residents often call Tuscaloosa, I noticed this morning around 6 tower cranes between downtown and the UA campus. Lots of new things going up! Many also call the city Titletown because of the national championships UA has won and not just in football! Lake Tuscaloosa and the Warrior River provide recreation on the water! Birmingham has a USL soccer club which many believe will become a MLS club in the near future if your son is a soccer fan!

I’ll be happy to try to answer any questions you have!

COVID has not slowed down Tuscaloosa nearly as much as it has some cities.

[FeRail]

Regarding the weather events in Dothan, the city will get your usual tornadoes and thunderstorms throughout the year, but anything note-worthy is extremely rare. Dothan is also susceptible to hurricanes during the late summer and fall months, having escaped extreme damage from Hurricane Michael a few years ago. Areas to the south and east of the city were devastated.

[Exwyocowboy]

Went thru the town and area yesterday on our way to Florida. US431 is less crowded than US231 and faster imo. Almost expressway speeds in some areas. Fewer hills too.

Dothan is certainly growing. I haven't been thru there since the March storm that came out of nowhere. Many more motels and eats which is good. The epidemic hasn't slowed them down much. New major shopping south of town is impressive.

As far as damage from Michael it appears more south of town to the Fla line and US231 still looks like a war zone nearly all the way to Panama City. It's disheartening to still see blue tarps where roofs used to be - (what 18-22 months?) after the 'cane came visiting.

I've been thru a lot of them Camile, Andrew - about ten in Fla alone and Katrina. None did this kind of damage. They simply need to change their building codes - Dade county did the reasearch after Andrew. Now one of the toughest in that state.

I'd rather line in Alabama, than in Florida if faced with another move.

[Hoping4Huntsville]

Exwyocowboy, Not trying to be difficult but just wanted to get some more info as my old brain is confused. I remember one hotel being finished here in the last year (Home2Home on Montgomery Hwy) and a spattering of fast food places opening but I'm confused about the nice shopping south of town? The only thing I can remember being added down through 231S in the last year is a Dollar General (moved down the road to a freestanding location) and a Five Star Credit Union location. Nothing has really changed on Montgomery Hwy (231N) except a small strip with Starbucks and a pizza place and Schlotzky's Deli. 84 coming in from Daleville by Flowers Hospital has had some added in the last year like a couple of small shopping strips and a car wash that are pretty nice. Eastside by SEMC go a new Dollar General (those things are coming up around here like flowers in spring) a small strip with a Dunkins Donuts, a pizza place and some other store and another Chick-Fil-A location. Almost all of these developments have been chain restaurants and a couple of gyms (Crunch Fitness on 84). This place has had relatively little change in the seven years we've lived here that I can remember. We do have a small but very nice medical office park being built across from SEMC behind Winn-Dixie. Just trying to get my bearings. Again, change is slow around here and for many people that is just fine. Thanks.

[4orphans]

Ha ha... the more I read why people have negative things to say about Alabama, the more it sounds like Heaven to us! Sounds like a perfect place to live! So Boring that ya might as well have a Beer, Hot, Fishing, Hunting, Slow, no Snow,... exactly what the Doc has ordered!

[Huasho]

morelaine..Go with your Instincts and believe you me You will be Happy..I moved to Florida in 1973....Lived In Pinellas County (The Suncoast) for 15 yrs, and after that in SW Miami from 1988 until today..Almost 50 yrs in the Sunshine land and I will never leave here (move away again) alive.....

Drove thru Dothan a couple of times in the mid 80's because of work and I found The Area to be Southern Comfort.

I lived 7 yrs in NYC and I hated the 2 Months of Heat and Humidity there, but I got used to the Sunshine State after one full year and never looked back again. You will live happily thereafter in Alabummer.