Potential move to Fairhope Alabama, need help have kids (Mobile: spring break, sales)

[thepelaks]

Howdy:

I am on the fence about taking a sales position that involves a territory that stretches from Mobile to Panama City. I have heard that Fairhope is a good bet for schools and neighborhoods that are kid friendly.

We are in Northern NJ now, weather stinks, taxes stink but we are from there so familiarity breeds comfortability.

My concerns:

Hurricanes/Floods
Hurricane Insurance Costs
Schools
Access to good medical care, my son is a Type 1 diabetic
Jobs (for my wife), pharma background

If anyone can shed a little light it would be great, we are planning a trip in several weeks to see for ourselves but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
-Scotty

[humacaena]

Scotty,

Fairhope has great schools, it is definitely kid friendly, and we have a very good hospital Also, Mobile has great hospitals,
that are very close.

You do not have to worry about floods per se, as the town sits on a bluff, and floods are not the norm. We have hurricanes, and Katrina was the last, more than 5 years ago. There was flooding in Mobile, downtown, as the bay waters rose, and some flooding in the Point Clear area, south of town. Again, this was to properties on the bay. Hurricanes have not really been a concern here as such. You get more storms (snow,ect) in NJ besides having to deal with the icy roads...so you'll tink you came to Paradise in the Eastern Shore.(I lived in NJ back in the late 60's...gloomy cold winter days were not fun).

Alabama has the lowest property taxes in the nation. Yes, our insurance is high, but the low taxes more than cover this.

People from all over are moving to Fairhope, so maybe I should not be talking it up so much...LOL!!! We moved here from Atlanta, (8 yrs ago) and have not even visited in the last 3 years. Once you get used to the laid back pace, and no traffic or rude people, it's hard to go back. Our friends come to visit us.

I hope you come and explore our town. I feel you'll be surprised how wonderful it is. What is pharma background? Sales, pharmacist? That is to be explored also. Pharmacists get very well paid around here. The sales aspect I am not sure.

Good luck and hope I was able to help.

[Keeper]

I agree the only thing you really have to worry about would be insurance cost and while higher the closer you are to the water they are not 'that' bad. It is a great place with a lot of artsy ppl. They also have Mardi Gras parades. The area itself is beautiful. Take a walk on the pier, have a seafood dinner we have the best seafood is from AL, plus you are close enough to Gulf Shores to go spend the day or a week at the gulf. Fishing is good plus Fairhope has Jubilees which occurs during the summers.
Mobile Bay jubilee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You might also want to consider Daphne, Spanish Fort, Loxley although my favorite is Fairhope. Great place to live. Spanish Fort and Daphne both have good schools too. Not sure about Loxley but it is close to I-10. We do have one member who just moved to Loxley so maybe he will stop by.

[thepelaks]

My goodness, I really appreciate the feedback.
Coincidentally, we are in FL today on vacation, kid's spring break.

I think I am going to request a (3) day tour and check it out. You have certainly made me feel better about the opportunity. I really appreciate it.
-Scotty

[BstYet2Be]

Originally Posted by thepelaks

Coincidentally, we are in FL today on vacation, kid's spring break. -Scotty

Well, I'm sure that (going to FL for vacation) will become a thing of the past if you decide to relocate here. In fact, I'm betting you'll be wondering why you ever went to Florida in the first place, when you could have been enjoying the wonderful beaches that Alabama offers here!

Just think, you could be having a vacation every day!

[thepelaks]

Folks,

My wife did a bit of research on the web regarding potential cancer clusters and rare childhood diseases in the bay area. We already have one chronic disease in the family.

Can anyone shed any light on this subject or is it heresay at this point?

Thanks.

[humacaena]

Scotty,

There have been a couple of articles in the paper about this. They've done studies and have yet come to any conclusions good or bad. So at this point, it is more heresay. There is a particular area south of town called Barnwell, and this is the area they have zeroed in. It's a rural area, and who knows if pesticides were to blame....again, no one knows.

I feel your concern as dealing with a diabetic child is very stressful. Remember that no place is perfect, although we to feel Fairhope is paradise. Have fun in Florida, but like the previous poster said, over here you'll feel like you are on vacation all the time.

[BstYet2Be]

Originally Posted by thepelaks

Folks,

My wife did a bit of research on the web regarding potential cancer clusters and rare childhood diseases in the bay area. We already have one chronic disease in the family.

Can anyone shed any light on this subject or is it heresay at this point?

Thanks.

Here are the 2011 County Health Rankings for Alabama that you might find helpful.

Note that Baldwin County is overall ranked #3 in Alabama, just behind Shelby County being ranked as the healthiest at #1 and Lee County at #2.

You can also use this same site to pull up your state/county health rankings for comparison by entering your own current state in the upper right-hand corner on the page.

[humacaena]

Thomas Hospital Receives Top Recognition

<< Back to ListingMonday, Apr 04, 2011


Thomas Hospital named one of the Nation’s 100 Top Hospitals

FAIRHOPE, AL- Thomas Hospital has been named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information dedicated to improving the cost and quality of healthcare. The annual study identifies the 100 U.S. hospitals that are setting the nation’s benchmarks for high quality care. Thomas Hospital, an affiliate of Infirmary Health, is the only hospital in the region to be recognized.
The study —Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® — examines the performance of 2,914 acute-care hospitals by analyzing Medicare cost reports and Provider Analysis data and core measures and patient satisfaction from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hospitals do not apply for the distinction and winners do not pay to market the honor.
Conducted since 1993, the study found that the 100 Top Hospitals have significantly lower mortality rates and medical complications, impeccable patient safety records, high patient satisfaction scores and low readmission rates for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia.
“Being recognized for this award is very exciting for our hospital and our medical staff as well as the people in this community,” says Thomas Hospital Administrator William McLaughlin. “Our incredible team of staff members and physicians has made our hospital a true asset providing invaluable services to our patients. We have extremely dedicated people who constantly raise the bar, set their standards at the highest level and have a passion for excellence.”
“This year’s 100 Top Hospitals have delivered exemplary results, despite volatility from healthcare reform,” says Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president at Thomson Reuters. “The leadership teams at these organizations have dealt with enormous ambiguity yet remained focused on mission and excellence across the hospital which drove national benchmarks to new highs.”
Thomas Hospital was previously recognized by Thomson Reuters as a 100 Top Hospitals® for Cardiovascular Care, earning the distinction for four consecutive years in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The hospital was also just named a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement by Blue Cross Blue Shield. For more information on the award-winning hospital and its services, visit Thomas Hospital or call (251) 928-2375.

[7spider]

Originally Posted by Keeper

I agree the only thing you really have to worry about would be insurance cost and while higher the closer you are to the water they are not 'that' bad. It is a great place with a lot of artsy ppl. They also have Mardi Gras parades. The area itself is beautiful. Take a walk on the pier, have a seafood dinner we have the best seafood is from AL, plus you are close enough to Gulf Shores to go spend the day or a week at the gulf. Fishing is good plus Fairhope has Jubilees which occurs during the summers.
Mobile Bay jubilee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You might also want to consider Daphne, Spanish Fort, Loxley although my favorite is Fairhope. Great place to live. Spanish Fort and Daphne both have good schools too. Not sure about Loxley but it is close to I-10. We do have one member who just moved to Loxley so maybe he will stop by.

We're very happy with our move to Loxley. I think a little tour of the areas will help you decide what's right for you. I personally think being that you have kids Daphne or Spanish Fort may make the best sense. More activities and you'd have the stores, be close to I-10 and hospitals. Fairhope is really nice also, just a lil further from the interstate. Good Luck.