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My husband and I are going to be visiting the area of Florence/Muscle Shoals,/Tuscumbia/Sheffield for a few days this July. My husband may possibly receive a transfer there, and either way we'd like to see if the area is a good match for our little family.
Quick background-- we currently reside in Miami, FL, and my husband has never lived outside of a metropolitan area. I, however, have only ever lived in one tiny town in MS until I moved to Miami. We have one 4-year-old and a 3-year-old Australian cattle dog.
Now then, we've done some preliminary research and my husband has talked to his coworkers that live there about the area already. I see it to be much like the midsized city I grew up around (Hattiesburg, MS) and my husband-- though excited-- sees each of the areas as town-sized. So we've decided to visit for a few days regardless if he receives the transfer in order to see if we like the place.
We know he would need to check out his work facilities, and I would need to check out the community college and available retail. But what else should we see? Google maps can let us see traffic throughout the day, and I've already checked to ensure that my usual shops are in the area. But I want to experience the area as I would resident. How could we do that? How many days might be sufficient? 1 day for work/school, 1-2 days browsing apartments, 1 day driving and walking around, perhaps another day to see the touristic things for fun? Is this the right kind of approach?
We would both appreciate any advice or insight anyone w/experience with NW Alabama could offer.
TL;DR-
From Miami, FL
Young couple, small child, med dog
Moving possibly b/c of job
Asking for advice, tips, insight on area
My husband and I are going to be visiting the area of Florence/Muscle Shoals,/Tuscumbia/Sheffield for a few days this July. My husband may possibly receive a transfer there, and either way we'd like to see if the area is a good match for our little family.
Quick background-- we currently reside in Miami, FL, and my husband has never lived outside of a metropolitan area. I, however, have only ever lived in one tiny town in MS until I moved to Miami. We have one 4-year-old and a 3-year-old Australian cattle dog.
Now then, we've done some preliminary research and my husband has talked to his coworkers that live there about the area already. I see it to be much like the midsized city I grew up around (Hattiesburg, MS) and my husband-- though excited-- sees each of the areas as town-sized. So we've decided to visit for a few days regardless if he receives the transfer in order to see if we like the place.
We know he would need to check out his work facilities, and I would need to check out the community college and available retail. But what else should we see? Google maps can let us see traffic throughout the day, and I've already checked to ensure that my usual shops are in the area. But I want to experience the area as I would resident. How could we do that? How many days might be sufficient? 1 day for work/school, 1-2 days browsing apartments, 1 day driving and walking around, perhaps another day to see the touristic things for fun? Is this the right kind of approach?
We would both appreciate any advice or insight anyone w/experience with NW Alabama could offer.
There are very, very few people on these boards from that area.
I lived there for a couples of years (in the 2nd and 3rd grades - a LONG time ago!) and we visit a couple of times a year for doctor visits or such.
It's far, far from a metropolitan area! There are 4 small cities together. There is a very small mall and some "basic" sort of shopping - WalMart, Target, Belk, etc.
There is a very good small college, the University of North Alabama, in Florence. It has a beautiful campus that's a significant part of downtown. There is a community college in Tuscumbia. Florence has some beautiful old homes. This area had, back during the 1800s, several very large cotton plantations. Agriculture is still very important.
The Tennessee River (this is the heart of TVA country) flows through the area and many, many people play on it via small boats. Lots of houses on the river, too.
Shopping - for major shopping, you will likely drive to Huntsville, about an hour east, or Nashville, or even Birmingham. Surprisingly, Florence is an important player in the fashion industry, thanks to Billy Reid in menswear design and Natalie Channin in women's handmade textiles. You're also 2 hours east of Memphis, but go there for ribs or nightlife. Memphis isn't noted for shopping.
Schools are good. Children's sports are important.
It's a quiet area.
Some things to do while there: the Helen Keller home in Tuscumbia. During June and part of July, a semi-professional company performs "The Miracle Worker." Go to Trowbridge's in downtown Florence for a real old-fashioned milk shake or malt, a hot dog or a pimento cheese sandwich.
Visit the Frank Lloyd Wright house, the only one in Alabama and one of very few in the South.
Visit the Renaissance Tower at the Marriott. It overlooks the river. There's a challenging golf course there, too, as well as a spa and hotel. If you're there at the right time, you could enjoy the Helen Keller Festival, or the W.C. Handy Festival, or a number of other fun events.
There's the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and Muscle Shoals is home to Fame Studios and still exercises a lot of influence in the music world. Not sure if there are tours, but the visitors bureau can help, I'm sure. Info and http://www.colbertcountytourism.org/
Welcome to Alabama!
Great comments from Southlander, as usual. Your husband especially will be in for culture shock. We lived in Miami for a year and then the Ft. Lauderdale area. About the only analogy I can think of that fits is if you compared Miami to an Indy 500 car going a couple hundred miles an hour, then slammed on the brakes and drove it at 25 mph past a row of churches.
My usual advice for people moving anywhere new or different holds for you. RENT, do not buy, for at least a year.
checking out Florence/Muscle Shoals for possible move
That are is a far cry from Miami as a metropolitan area, but a far place to live in my opinion-others mileage may well vary. Florence/MS is small,laid back and comfortable-not that much to do, no great edifices of great beauty, but a ni ce place to live.
I moved back to Northern Virginia in 2010 after living in the Shoals (Sheffield and Florence) for 4 years. It was a nightmare for us. What we thought to be quaint and refreshing in the beginning soon felt suffocating. The schools are terrible unless you live in Muscle Shoals, and compared to the real world, those aren't that good, but you'd think by the way people act that the halls were paved with gold. Animal neglect/abuse abounds. They do believe in corporal punishment. My kids were good students and never in trouble, but I can tell you that we would have had a big problem if anyone had ever laid a finger on them. Be forewarned that there is no bus service in Sheffield schools and you have to drive them, so you have to work around the schools hours if you are planning to try to work. There is a good old boy mentality in the area and anyone in government or law is autonomous. Just do your research. There is no work unless you know somebody. At least half of the people are on government assistance because they can't find a job. The health care is also horrible. Most doctors aren't even taking new patients. There are not enough GP's for the population. I could go on but I won't. The people who are born and raised there think it's a wonderful place but having moved there from a metropolitan area, we found it boring after the newness wore off and we started seeing things more realistically. Unless you boat or golf, there isn't much to do. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide. PS... Unless you have your kids in school sports and church groups, there is no social life for them. Oh, be prepared for everyone to try to get you to join their churches right off the bat. And don't make the mistake of trying to suggest ways to make things better. They don't like it.
Last edited by Dazed&Confused; 06-30-2013 at 09:15 PM..
Wow, Dazed & Confused really didn't like living in the Shoals, huh? That's too bad, since its actually a pretty great place to live and raise kids. I grew up here, moved away for my husbands job for 10+ years, and came back a few years ago to raise our family. I have lived in Chattanooga, Kansas City, Akron, and Jackson, MS, so I have pretty good idea of big vs. small town and the pros/cons of each. I am also familiar with Hattiesburg, too.
If you want an idea of how a local would live in Florence, I'll try and give a few pointers:
(If you can, try to stay at the Marriott Shoals. It's by far the nicest hotel in town- and has great music in the restaurant every Thursday night)
You can start your morning with coffee & a muffin at our great local coffee shop, Rivertown Coffee. It is downtown on Seminary St. John, the owner, bikes to work every day and has started serving dinner - with wine/beer! (Unfortunately, this is a real issue in Florence- it's pretty hard to get a liquor license here. The city is wet, county is dry. City Hall keeps a too tight leash (IMO) on drinking establishments.) Get it to go and wear your walking shoes. Downtown is a great place for a morning stroll. The Florence Library is a couple of blocks away, Court Street is our main downtown street with great local boutique shops and restaurants. Yumm is our newest eatery - fantastic sushi and Thai food, very cool vibe. Billy Reid has his headquarters/flagship store in Florence and is a super nice, down to earth guy who coaches his son's little league team. Downtown has something called "First Fridays" every month. Tons of people come to see and be seen. Local artists hock their was, musicians busk on sidewalks, and there is always a cool band playing.
Speaking of music, have you heard of The Civil Wars? The Drive By Truckers? The Alabama Shakes? All local people making fantastic music. The Shoals has a great music scene. Try Pegasus Rcords on a Friday or Saturday night for some impromptu band parties. You never know who is going to show up and play. Oh, yeah, Muscle Shoals has been known for a song or two... ;-)
After breakfast, take your son to the Univeristy of North Alabama (my alma mater) to look at Leo & Una, our resident lions. They have a new-ish habitat built by donors. The campus is a walking campus and beautiful.
Walk back down to Court Street and have lunch at Trowbridges, an ice cream shop opened since 1918. Have a chicken salad sandwich, chips and an ice cold bottle of Coca Cola. Then try the orange pineapple ice cream - it made the 100 foods in Alabama you have to eat before you die list.
Another up and coming shopping area is Seven Points. There is a fantastic restaurant, Sweet Magnolia Cafe, that I recommend for dinner. There are other retail shops (Relique, Driftwood, Peck Ace Hardware - a cool, very old school hardware shop) that you should check out as well.
Other shopping areas are English Village (The French Basket, Marigail Mathis, Sweet Basil Cafe - another great place to eat!) and Cox Creek Pkwy, where the big box stores and the local mall is. Honestly, I rarely go to the mall - we have great local shops!
Our school system is fantastic! So far 2 of my four have graduated from FHS and both have done very well in their respective universities, my daughter at Auburn (War Eagle!!) and my son at the Air Force Academy. Florence has just started a Fine Arts School within the main high school. They also have a technology school (AKA Trade School, back in the day) that is on the same campus as the high school. My son took automotive repair and learned so much about fixing cars! I think it's great that the students aren't forced into a box - college prep or trade school. They can pick and choose their classes for a better, well rounded education. We have an orchestra, equestrian team, bass fishing team, and other traditional sports teams. As a former teacher, I know there is no such thing as a perfect school system. We looked at all the other schools in the area - city, county, private & parochial - and are very pleased with our choice.
Other things to do: (without copying Southlander)
Go for a hike on the TVA trail. We used to take our kids there almost every Sunday afternoon. They have restored the old railroad bridge and sometimes people meet there for early morning yoga. Very zen.
Go to Spring Park in Tuscumbia and feed the ducks. Tuscumbia is a lovely old town. My grandparents lived here and I grew up roaming the streets, going to the Five & Dime. Go get an ice cream soda from the Palace Drug Store.
Wednesday in the Park - lunchtime concerts in Wilson Park every Wednesday during the summer.
Thursday Tapas at The Wine Seller on Court St. Yummy small bites and local flavor.
Go to the Splash Pad behind the Marriott. Your son will love it!
Watch a barge lock through the dam. They used to give tours of the inner workings of Wilson Dam. Not sure they do it any more.
As far as the whole church issue- yes, there are a LOT of churches here. You can't turn the corner without bumping into one. One of the first questions you will be asked after "Where are you from?" and "Who are you kin to?" is "Where do you go to church?" Most people are just programmed to ask this to get to know you better. If they are pushy or too noisy, just smile and ignore them. They will eventually get the message or find someody else to bug. Most of the time, I'm home-churched myself. ;-)
While I do miss the wide variety of great restaurants, shopping, night life & larger airports of a big city, I don't miss the traffic, congestion or noise. There are trade offs. Overall, Florence is a pretty nice place to live. It is what you make it.
Like I said, the people who were born and raised there think it's wonderful. Do note, however, that there was no argument against the key points I made in my post, except for the schools, which you should research. Yes, Florence is MUCH better than Sheffield, but anybody living anywhere in the Shoals who can afford it has their kids in private schools for a reason. As far as all those fun things to do, yes, we did all those things and enjoyed them. The problem is, once you've done all those things, that's it. . Enjoy the water/light show but watch for the duck poo at Spring Park. It can really "fowl" up your day. Don't miss Oka Kapassa, pretty cool! Don't forget visiting the Indian Mound and Coon Dog Cemetary. Also, make sure to eat at Rice Box in Seven Points and Casa Mexicana (Sheffield, not Muscle Shoals) is great for Mexican. PS, You can't watch the barges lock through any more. They took away the viewing area after 9/11. One huge eye opener for my family was seeing the KKK dressed in their robes on the steps of the courthouse in Tuscumbia having a rally while we were on our way home from The Palace the first month we were there. Wasn't easy trying to explain it to my kids who came from an area rich in racial and cultural diversity and who had dear friends of all races and ethnicities.
Last edited by Dazed&Confused; 07-01-2013 at 06:04 AM..
I was born and raised there. I now reside in Florida. I can say Florence is growing fast and mainly smothering the others. Florence is honestly not that small anymore.. Now there is not alot to do for younger people since this area lacks things like clubs and the like. Lots of recreational things to do here. Hike trails, boating, fishing, hunting, lots of festivals through the year.
W.C Handy fest is my favorite. Good music and bands are playing live in nearly all the sit in restaurants.. Lots of arts and craft also. The mall is sad and just needs a whole new bigger one " which I've heard is coming when the deal is closed". Schools are not the best but hey. No school is perfect. I would stay away from Sheffield. It's known as the "hood" "ghetto" etc. the town honestly has nothing to offer Muscle Shoals is very nice as well, so is Tuscumbia, but everything is in Florence
The police in Tuscumbia will pull you over just cause their bored..
Also Spring Park is very nice there, also the downtown area is beautiful
You have to try food from Sparkys, it's a favorite in town and my cousins run
It so please give it a try and also try Sweet Peppers Deli in Muscle Shoals. It's amazing
I moved back to Northern Virginia in 2010 after living in the Shoals (Sheffield and Florence) for 4 years. It was a nightmare for us. What we thought to be quaint and refreshing in the beginning soon felt suffocating. The schools are terrible unless you live in Muscle Shoals, and compared to the real world, those aren't that good, but you'd think by the way people act that the halls were paved with gold. Animal neglect/abuse abounds. They do believe in corporal punishment. My kids were good students and never in trouble, but I can tell you that we would have had a big problem if anyone had ever laid a finger on them. Be forewarned that there is no bus service in Sheffield schools and you have to drive them, so you have to work around the schools hours if you are planning to try to work. There is a good old boy mentality in the area and anyone in government or law is autonomous. Just do your research. There is no work unless you know somebody. At least half of the people are on government assistance because they can't find a job. The health care is also horrible. Most doctors aren't even taking new patients. There are not enough GP's for the population. I could go on but I won't. The people who are born and raised there think it's a wonderful place but having moved there from a metropolitan area, we found it boring after the newness wore off and we started seeing things more realistically. Unless you boat or golf, there isn't much to do. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide. PS... Unless you have your kids in school sports and church groups, there is no social life for them. Oh, be prepared for everyone to try to get you to join their churches right off the bat. And don't make the mistake of trying to suggest ways to make things better. They don't like it.
A lot of things others have said is on point and good advice, but I do know that the statement above is absolutely false. I would say that the Sheffield schools are definitely below par, but Florence is one of the better systems in the state. Muscle Shoals is good, but vastly overrated. The kids going to Duke, Vandy, Emory and, on occasion, Harvard and the like, are from Florence High School.
I am not saying just Medicaid or Welfare, but any kind of assistance. Look at the percentage of kids who qualify for free lunch. Almost everybody. Look at the percentage of people who qualify for food stamps. Almost everybody. Florence schools may be one of the "better systems in the state", but that's not much to crow about, seeing where the state schools are rated nationally. What else did I say that you would claim to be false?
Last edited by Dazed&Confused; 07-01-2013 at 07:17 PM..
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checking out Florence/Muscle Shoals for possible move
PS, You can't watch the barges lock through any more. They took away the viewing area after 9/11. One huge eye opener for my family was seeing the KKK dressed in their robes on the steps of the courthouse in Tuscumbia having a rally while we were on our way home from The Palace the first month we were there. Wasn't easy trying to explain it to my kids who came from an area rich in racial and cultural diversity and who had dear friends of all races and ethnicities. 
