[Lizap]

Huntsville hands down over Foley. Foley has gotten very crowded and is close to the crowded beaches, if you consider this a plus. Our daughter lives near there, and I’m not a fan. I do like Fairhope, but I still think Huntsville wins out.

[YouSeeYourGypsy]

Number 1: You really need to like extremely damp, wet, humid heat for up to 6 months a year.

It depends how close and how often you will want to go to the beach. If you are more of a beach person, move closer to the beach. Bham area will have you closer to the beach. Maybe consider the Oxford/Anniston area as well. It will have you a bit closer to Atlanta and Chattanooga. Huntsville is closer to Nashville though. Huntsville is a little more isolated as it is in the upper corner of the state.

I currently live in Huntsville after selling my house in South Carolina. If I stay in Alabama I will be looking a bit south of Bham or Oxford area.

Although, I was a little shocked and disappointed when I saw the gross and ratty state Bham as a city itself is. As I was living up toward Greenville about an hour and a half out of Nashville. Bham is a tier below, just saying. I grew up in Mississippi, so honestly my expectations are pretty low anyway.

Most people I've talked to about Hville say they only live here because of their high paying jobs. It's obviously what brings most folks to this area. The traffic has gotten more aggressive and it's mostly transplants from other areas. You do not hear many Southern accents here. Not saying that's a bad thing, but you only feel like this is Alabama once you get more out towards Gurley or north of Harvest. Depends on what vibe you are looking for.

It is no Greenville SC. It is no Charlotte nor Nashville.

But it's fine here, has more than enough amenities and a decent selection of restaurants both chain and local. The mall largely sucks, although malls are becoming dead nationwide.

There are enough walking trails and nature areas to satisfy the itch to get some fresh air.

There isn't much local character if you appreciate historic architecture. Twickenham Square is lovely, albeit small.

All depends on the person and their preferences.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by YouSeeYourGypsy

Number 1: You really need to like extremely damp, wet, humid heat for up to 6 months a year.

It depends how close and how often you will want to go to the beach. If you are more of a beach person, move closer to the beach. Bham area will have you closer to the beach. Maybe consider the Oxford/Anniston area as well. It will have you a bit closer to Atlanta and Chattanooga. Huntsville is closer to Nashville though. Huntsville is a little more isolated as it is in the upper corner of the state.

I currently live in Huntsville after selling my house in South Carolina. If I stay in Alabama I will be looking a bit south of Bham or Oxford area.

Although, I was a little shocked and disappointed when I saw the gross and ratty state Bham as a city itself is. As I was living up toward Greenville about an hour and a half out of Nashville. Bham is a tier below, just saying. I grew up in Mississippi, so honestly my expectations are pretty low anyway.

Most people I've talked to about Hville say they only live here because of their high paying jobs. It's obviously what brings most folks to this area. The traffic has gotten more aggressive and it's mostly transplants from other areas. You do not hear many Southern accents here. Not saying that's a bad thing, but you only feel like this is Alabama once you get more out towards Gurley or north of Harvest. Depends on what vibe you are looking for.

It is no Greenville SC. It is no Charlotte nor Nashville.

But it's fine here, has more than enough amenities and a decent selection of restaurants both chain and local. The mall largely sucks, although malls are becoming dead nationwide.

There are enough walking trails and nature areas to satisfy the itch to get some fresh air.

There isn't much local character if you appreciate historic architecture. Twickenham Square is lovely, albeit small.

All depends on the person and their preferences.

First bolded: Huntsville has 4 distinct seasons. Winters are pretty cold, spring and fall are great, and summers are hot and humid. But in general you have 3 hot months, 3 cold months, and 6 ideal months. You can't really beat that. In the end, the weather in Huntsville, Birmingham, and Nashville is essentially the same year round, just a little colder the farther north you go in the winter.

Second: Huntsville isn't not in the "upper corner of the state". It's almost exactly in the center of the state in the east-west direction, and in the very nothern part of the state. But not in a corner.

Third: People are not just here because of high paying jobs. That may be their reason for coming in the first place (the same as moving to any other area for the most part), but there are a LOT of retirees that choose to stay here. I am one of those, and love this area.

Fourth: Lack of southern accents is a good thing. I don't want everybody to sound like "high steppah Govenah Ivey." No accent at all is the best thing.

I like the Gulf coast, was born there but moved away when I was 2 or 3, so I have no memory of it. But I don't like the hurricane potential, and I like seasonal weather changes. Many will mention tornadoes here, but for 2021 there were several, 5 or 6, tornadoes in the Huntsville NWS warning area, but all were EF0. It's not like there are EF4s or 5s moving through every spring and fall.

Bottom line: If you like the beach a lot, go south. If you like an All-American city that has just about everything you could want other than the beach, go inland. And Huntsville/Madison is a good landing spot. The biggest negative is that the highway/freeway system hasn't kept up with the growth.

[k7baixo]

We escaped Ahwatukee last year. Not a big beach person so we never considered the southern part of the state. I didn’t want to trade one large city for one that seems to be growing at a frantic pace so Huntsville wasn’t considered. Our needs at this stage of life are quite different than yours so best wishes on your selection!

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

What do you want? Flatter land closer to the beach or small mountains? Baldwin is going to be more retirees and construction and tourism, while Huntsville is going to be a middle class engineer type city with all that goes along with that. It's basically the beach vs. the job market. There's nothing really 'cool' about Huntsville, it just has a ton of jobs. A mix of suburbia and military function, with a few hiking spots mixed in and fairly cheap golf.

Neither have a medium/large hub airport with convenient non-stop flights. Probably a wash there. Huntsville's probably best for that though overall, due to proximity to BNA and ATL. BHM has slightly more than HSV.

[BamaDave]

I feel like the outdoor amenities and scenery of the Huntsville area aren't mentioned enough (I know they have been in this thread, so I just mean in general). While not the dramatic, breathtaking sights of the West, the scenery includes beautifully wooded, low mountains that rise just outside downtown Huntsville and the Tennessee River with its associated lakes. If you like hiking and/or water activities, it's a great setting. I also find the region interesting because, in the flatter Tennessee Valley sections, there are pockets of the Old South that resemble areas closer to the coast (Antebellum architecture, etc.). They were settled earlier than most of the Appalachian parts of northern Alabama because of agriculture.

[Jack Apple]

Originally Posted by military spouse

We are trying to leave the Phoenix area, but most places are so challenging. Anyone willing to share which of these areas they prefer. We've never been to either, but lived in Dothan for a few years. Any help would be appreciated!

Would you be willing to talk about Dothan, if not here, then in a Dothan thread or PM? Family member seriously considering a move there.

[Nlambert]

I spent the first 19 years of my life between Monroe, Escambia, and Baldwin counties. After that I moved to Huntsville where I have spent the past 21 years.

I personally love the gulf coast. But... if we're being honest the best thing going for it is the beach and the weather (IF you like hot and humid most of the time, like we do). Huntsville has it beat in terms of entertainment, job opportunities, and reasonable access to some close major cities (Nashville ~ 1.5 hrs, Birmingham ~1.5 hrs, Atlanta ~3.5 hrs).

Aside from the humidity difference, the temp difference averages 8-10 degrees cooler in Huntsville most of the time. We don't get Hurricanes short of the remnants of storms off of one that is fizzling out, but we are in a lot higher risk category for tornadoes than Baldwin county. That said, I really don't concern myself with it too much as most have storm shelters and have rarely needed them. We do get very distinct seasons.

Many in Huntsville are transplants from other areas, so there's a lot of diversity. Huntsville is growing though, so right now road construction and traffic congestion can be a bit of a pain. Though this time of year in Baldwin county is no different down near the beach areas.

If I had to choose we would either live in Baldwin county near the beach, or right here in Huntsville. I don't think you can go wrong with either... you just need to decide what you like more.