[RachaelLJ]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

Being closer to your husband's family is a legitimate concern and can be in itself a good reason to move; but to pretend like Montgomery is some kind of promised land compared to Dothan is to me very naive.

Thanks, I realize it’s no promised land. There do seem to be a lot more teaching jobs due to a higher number of schools, and staying outside the city (whether here or there) will reduce those complaints I think. Little known fact about Dothan- inside city limits we HAVE to buy our utilities from the city, the municipal govt buys power from Alabama Power and resells it to us at a markup. So we have exceptionally higher rates than most other places in Bama. Montgomery and some of its suburbs are more racially and culturally diverse, Enterprise is the exception here cause of the military base.

[RachaelLJ]

Originally Posted by VTsnowbird

This is trucker slang, like Motor City for Detroit. Based on an incident with actual monkeys, probably influenced by the similar sounds. Like people who call Montgomery Ward - "Monkey Ward."

I see you had no ill intent, Ive heard the zoo monkeys explanation but that incident never actually happened. I was told that was a cover story for the name actually having racist roots, that truckers had first referred to Montgomery that way cause of the large black population.

[Hoping4Huntsville]

Montgomery is such a hit or miss town with sketchy areas and lots of old decay. It reminds me of VA in the 1980's before Richmond started getting its' act together. The "new" side of town off of Taylor Rd. is pretty nice but it just doesn't balance the overall failure of the city to pick themselves up and move forward and become the best version of themselves. Dothan feels similar in many ways with litter, blight and really bad drivers everywhere but it is smaller, so the problems are on a smaller scale and more navigable. Tallassee is in between Aub/ Opelika and Montgomery so that may be commutable. I'm just trying to be as honest with you as I can.

[n8ivmainah]

Originally Posted by RachaelLJ

Isn’t this a racist term for Montgomery… I’m not looking for biased responses

even in the DC area where went to high school it was called Monkey Wards.

Damn...people today have such a trigger on labelling things racist. It's embarrasing

[n8ivmainah]

Originally Posted by Hoping4Huntsville

Montgomery is such a hit or miss town with sketchy areas and lots of old decay. It reminds me of VA in the 1980's before Richmond started getting its' act together. The "new" side of town off of Taylor Rd. is pretty nice but it just doesn't balance the overall failure of the city to pick themselves up and move forward and become the best version of themselves. Dothan feels similar in many ways with litter, blight and really bad drivers everywhere but it is smaller, so the problems are on a smaller scale and more navigable. Tallassee is in between Aub/ Opelika and Montgomery so that may be commutable. I'm just trying to be as honest with you as I can.

My brother just left Richmond for Beaufort. it's falling apart...again.

[n8ivmainah]

I'm going on a limb to say wherever the OP moves it will be predominantly white. Guaranteed.

We lived in Haddonfield, NJ for a couple years, right outside Philly. I was sitting watching one of my kids in a baseball game or something and struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me.
I asked him how he like Haddonfield, and he said he liked it but wished it were "more diverse". I laughed, looked over my shoulder towards the town next door, Camden, NJ and I said "well Camden is literally right there. you could have moved there instead. And it's MUCH cheaper too."

Of course, he hemmed and hawed. But its just virtual signaling. It gets so old.
The only people I know who actually move their families into these more, let's just say "more diverse" cities are religious. Good friend of mine moved his family to minister in East St. Louis. He showed me an app of the various shootings that were being reported in his neighborhood. That app was running hard.

I said to him "What the hell are you doing there, man?" He felt the calling. I said "yeah, but you're taking your kids there too. They didn't volunteer for that."

I respect him immensely but man, i'd never make that choice, even in service.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by RachaelLJ

Isn’t this a racist term for Montgomery… I’m not looking for biased responses

Originally Posted by n8ivmainah

even in the DC area where went to high school it was called Monkey Wards.

Damn...people today have such a trigger on labelling things racist. It's embarrasing

A lot of people nowadays aren't old enough - not by a long shot - to remember Montgomery Ward department store. It was everywhere back in the day. We always called it Monkey Ward's. Much later, it was "Tar-Zhay" for Target. Or "Whole Paycheck" for Whole Foods. People just do that. It doesn't have anything to do with racism, not even in Alabama where I now live.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

A lot of people nowadays aren't old enough - not by a long shot - to remember Montgomery Ward department store. It was everywhere back in the day. We always called it Monkey Ward's. Muar later, it was "Tar-Zhay" for Target. Or "Whole Paycheck" for Whole Foods. People just do that. It doesn't have anything to do with racism, not even in Alabama where I now live.

Sure, nicknames are everywhere, not just in the "backward" South.

You forgot "Jacque Penne'" for JC Penney.

[pathrunner]

I never head that one! And J.C. Penney was everywhere when I was growing up. Thanks for that.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

In my mind it is not racist. Think "Montgomery Ward" historically being called "Monkey Ward." We did it all the time back in the day. (I don't know how old you are or whether you know about Montgomery Ward.) My housemate's best friend works for a federal agency in northern Alabama. Once a week she has to travel to "Monkey town." It's not a racist term when used by her or my housemate, both are natives of Alabama. She (white) is in a relationship with an African American man. I seriously doubt she would say Monkeytown as a racial slur.

Maybe there are some people using the term in a racist or derogatory manner, but not in my experience.

https://www.answers.com/Q/Why_is_Mon...ed_monkey_town