[RachaelLJ]

Hello, our family is moving soon, we’ve outgrown our house and are looking for a little bit of land, couple acres or more, and we have the opportunity to relocate with this move if we want to. We have 2 grade school kids and a baby.

We live in Dothan right now and would like to get out of the city for sure, looking mostly in Ozark, Enterprise, Columbia and Graceville FL if we stay in this area. I’m from here and my family all live in the Wiregrass but I’m just not very attached to the idea of staying. I am a little involved w volunteering and a church but it’s nothing I can’t find somewhere else know what I mean?

The reason we would consider the Montgomery area is that my husbands family is there. He’s much closer w his family than I am w mine. It also looks like we can get more for our money far as sq ft and acreage. Been looking at prattville, wetumpka, billingsley, fort deposit, Davenport, hayneville, red level, shorter etc. My husband works for himself currently as a plumber/electrician, his business is just 2 yrs old and doing pretty well where we’re at now, he’s built out a great network, but we feel confident he could easily get work in the Montgomery area, some of his family do construction and need help. There’s always demand for plumbers and electricians I feel like. If/when I go back to work I can teach social studies in middle or high school and am also a certified personal trainer, but my real passion is growing food!

We are looking at things like schools and extra curricular opportunities for the babies too. And demographics of each town, we don’t want to be in a racially homogenous area, which can be a little harder to find when you want some land. There seem to be more diverse rural areas outside of Montgomery than here. A last and major consideration is that we are a blended family, the two oldest have visitation w their father here in the Wiregrass, but it is pretty flexible. They also enjoy visits w my family from time to time. It’s not like Montgomery is too far to make the trip back pretty often though.

Anyway we been considering this move for like a year now and still can’t decide whether we wanna stay or go. We’re getting close to cashing out on a investment property that will allow us to make this move so I’m just hoping to hear from anybody who can help sell us on one place over the other. Just having a hard time focusing in on where we should be house hunting.

[Jensen440]

I wouldn't trade parts of Dothan for most parts of Monkeytown unless it's Prattville, or to the NE

[Hoping4Huntsville]

I don't care much for Dothan (current resident) but I second the ”no trade for Montgomery” thought. Auburn and Opelika are not far from Montgomery and are very up and coming areas with great downtowns and exceptional growth.

[EscAlaMike]

The Wiregrass is a nicer area than Montgomery, for the most part. I don't really see any point in leaving Dothan for Montgomery, unless you just have to be closer to your husband's family.

[RachaelLJ]

Originally Posted by Jensen440

I wouldn't trade parts of Dothan for most parts of Monkeytown unless it's Prattville, or to the NE

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

[RachaelLJ]

Hoping4Huntsville we don’t want to be that far from the city (auburn opelika) since we’ll probably be commuting there for work, but as a Dothan resident what do you feel is the trade off vs the Montgomery area? It’s a bigger city, more metro area, lots more to do plus it looks like we can get more of what we’re looking for on land/home size. I know folks say crime/schools in the Gump can be rough but honestly Dothan is getting more like that every year and we are really looking outside of Montgomery anyway.
I lived my whole life in the Dothan area so I already know exactly what I like and dislike about it. Not as familiar w the ups and downs of other regions.

[RachaelLJ]

EscAlaMike do you have any more opinion on what makes the Wiregrass nicer? Closer to the beach is the best we can come up with. Some of my specific complaints as a lifetime resident are the Dothan city government/Dothan utilities, Dothan city schools, lack of good jobs, housing costs, traffic is terrible. We have nice public parks, I can say that. If we stay in the Wiregrass we’re getting out of Dothan at least. But most areas outside the city are a monoculture, not much diversity at all, which pretty much leaves us w Enterprise/Ozark/Midland city. Then there is still the jobs issue for me when I go back to work.
What do you see as advantages in the Wiregrass over central Alabama?

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by RachaelLJ

EscAlaMike do you have any more opinion on what makes the Wiregrass nicer? Closer to the beach is the best we can come up with. Some of my specific complaints as a lifetime resident are the Dothan city government/Dothan utilities, Dothan city schools, lack of good jobs, housing costs, traffic is terrible. We have nice public parks, I can say that. If we stay in the Wiregrass we’re getting out of Dothan at least. But most areas outside the city are a monoculture, not much diversity at all, which pretty much leaves us w Enterprise/Ozark/Midland city. Then there is still the jobs issue for me when I go back to work.
What do you see as advantages in the Wiregrass over central Alabama?

I certainly understand if there are things you strongly dislike about Dothan. Having never lived in Dothan myself, I have no reason not to take your word for it.

I just think that when comparing the specific things you listed:

city governments
utilities
schools
jobs
housing cost
traffic

I don't see how Montgomery is an improvement. Montgomery has the same problems and in some cases has them much worse.

Getting out of the city of Dothan may be a good option. As far as "diversity", in what way do you perceive Montgomery as being "more diverse" than the Wiregrass?

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.

[VTsnowbird]

Originally Posted by RachaelLJ

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

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."

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by RachaelLJ

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

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.