Housing - 12/29/2010

I am a 41 yr old female in search of a new life. I am not running I amj ust trying to find myself some happiness and I would like to know what I can rent there to make myself feel happy again. I feel I am all alone and I just want to find a place to live so I can reinvent myself. I am disabled and alone in this world now that my mother has passed away. I am from SC and no longer wishes to reside here. Can you help me find an apartment? I am not looking for a house I don't want to own my own place. I just need a roof over my head. Therefore an apartment is just grand. Thanks. I would love to be near a Baptist Church as I am a churchgoer.

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POV Florence, Freeflowing - 2/26/2010

A few years ago, while i was still living in Florence, the local newspaper did an article abt why the young educated people were leaving Florence. In my early 20's as i was attending the local college, most of us would go to other cities for our shopping and entertainment...Huntsville, Nashville, etc. Later, as the years went by, the City Council made the decision to start marketing Florence as a retirement community. Nothing against seniors, but when the campaigning became heavy and people started protesting everything catering to young people (ex clubs, bars) it did make the young people feel unwelcome. If a young adult did not belong to a church, there were no meeting places to hang out and mingle with other young adults. Also, jobs in Florence are very scarce. Jobs where the employee can get a 401k, health insurance, and other needed benefits. Whenever a new business would offer to build in the industrial park, they would withdraw their bids within a few months. Many of the businesses in the industrial park are owned by one family in particular, some of the others by another family. Most people i know who have a career with a company that offers decent pay and good benefits also commute to Huntsville or Decatur (or even farther) for work. One of my main concerns with Florence is the way that the city is laid out. If one needs to go to the hospital for any reason, they have to weave their way thru an ill-planned downtown and pray they don't get stuck at the lights. The city grew out from downtown, and as it grew, downtown was pretty much left in neglect. The current main part of town, as I consider it, by Cox Creek Parkway, has no hospital, but it did for awhile. And it needs one again. The community does have an excellent university, which has won 3 football championships. It's the birthplace of WC Handy, and every summer the Handy Music Festival brings the best music around. There are many excellent churches in the area, and the school systems in the area have a commitment to excellence for all of their students. The YMCA is one of the best I've ever seen, there's a community pool down by the stadium, and several gyms. The thing i miss most abt the Florence area is Deibert Park. The park boasts walking trails thru areas that represent different types of areas in Alabama, playgrounds, ponds, and the Children's Museum.

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New in town - 9/10/2009

we will relocate to Alabama, Muscle Shoals, Florence, Sheffield area.We would like a nice town to live in, where our two kids can grow up and would not cost us a fortune.if you live close by, please drop me a line about how things work there. thanks.

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The Shoals - Not my favorite place - 4/1/2008

My husband and I have moved around quite a bit since we've been out of college, and we've been in a lot of great towns, but when we were in the Shoals, it wasn't one of our favorite places to live. The town tries really hard to be an appealing place for young couples and families and retirees, but the only people that it really has success with keeping there are the retirees and families. As for young people or those in college or fresh out of college, it's somewhat of a frustrating place to be. There are hardly any really good places to hang out with friends or find entertainment. The grocery store and shopping choices are also generic and less than satisfactory. There are four major cities in the Shoals area of northwest Alabama, and out of the four, the only place to really go out to restaurants or bars is in Florence, and even then, the choices are not that fabulous. The schools are good; the river is pretty; the climate is mild; the crime is low; it has a fantastic newspaper; it's a 2 hour drive to Memphis, 2 hour drive to Nashville and 2 hour drive to Birmingham, but with gas prices the way they are, who wants to drive 2 hours to get somewhere that actually has good shopping or entertainment? The history of the Shoals is amazing and well worth reading about, as is the music that was produced at Muscle Shoals Sound and FAME. But my husband and I were not pleased with the city's planning or with the way the pitiful downtown areas were handled. Downtown areas in all four cities are dying or barely exist. And the sad thing is, they have so much potential, but it's not utilized in the right way. There's also a good-ole-boy mentality that runs deep in the Shoals that's a turn-off. The economy is doing well there, compared to other places in the U.S. right now, and housing is extremely affordable. But why live somewhere for those reasons, if you're not enjoying the rest of your life there? There are a whole lot of extremely friendly people, and that's really what makes us miss the Shoals. But all in all, it's too far away from better places to be and too stuck in the mud about a lot of things that could make it a better place to live.

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Lived in Florence/Quad cities 25 years ago - 3/4/2007

We lived in the Florence (and nearby Killen) area right after graduating from college in the early '80s and my first child was born there. I 'm sure it has changed a lot but I thought I could add my two cents. It was very hot/humid when we lived there; sometimes reached 100 and no large body of water nearby to cool you off. Yes, folks were friendly and curious about us northerners; but we never felt fully accepted and most of our friends were from elsewhere. The isolation from a large city and its conveniences were a detriment to us. Also, prejudices were strong it seemed to me. We are now looking into places to retire to and Florence came up on my list. Fair to say I am not considering it.

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Great Place if you can Get Here - 9/29/2006

Florence offers all the charms of a small to mid-sized Southern Town. People pride themselves on their Southern manners,politeness and friendliness. It is the financial, educational,medical and commercial center of North-West Alabama and a larger region including exteme NE Mississippi and parts of Southern Middle TN. Crime is low for the most part and the climate is mild. Mostly humid with the only changes being a short winter from late December thru February. The school system is good for this part of the US which means its low to average compared to the rest of the country. There are pleny of public and private schools, a local Junior/Community college and a small but growing 4 year University which is known for its Teachers Education and Nursing Departments. Florence is the center of a larger area collectively known as the 'Shoals' named for the shoals or rapids of the Tennessee River. (combined population for the metro area is aprox 150,00 scattered across two counties.) The down side to Florence is its relative isolation. It is 40 miles from the nearest Interstate Highway. Although we do have a nice nearby airport it suffers from lack of choice. NorthWest Airlink is the only choice and it ONLY flys to one destination. MEMPHIS. The next closest airport is Huntsville International aprox 60 miles away by car. Because of its relative isolation Florence can seem like a much bigger place. There are plenty of dinning and shopping venues not often found in a city of its size. Most all national retail and eating chains have a local branch. Cost of living is LOW. Wages are low so therefore the prices of housing etc are low. Jobs are hard to find unless you want to work in the service sector. In conclusion its a great place to live and raise kids, if you have a good job or are a professional who wants a slower place. If you are young, single, and ambitious then its not for you. Locals tend to want to stay put for family ties and grab up the available good jobs because they have connections.

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thinking of relocating - 8/11/2006

We are thinking of moving to the Florence,shoals area of Alabama. Any info would be nice.

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Less is More - 8/11/2006

We are retiring and returning to Florence after a 36 year absence. A lower cost of living is icing on the cake; the "cake" is Florence, AL is an ideal community. People are friendly, the climate is ideal (short winter, long summer), the presence of a 6,000 student university (where I formerly taught), the recreation activities, the diverse population, and a chance to enjoy the "small town" attitudes with many advantages of larger cities. We reviewed seven different cities for our retirement years (cities each of us had lived in before & after we married or cities we liked) and Florence was the top choice. The other cities were Memphis, Nashville, Jackson, TN, Hattiesburg, MS, Dyersburg, TN (hometown), and Blue Mountain, MS (hometown). The cost of living criteria was important; lower taxes, lower housing costs, lower land prices, and lower utility costs improve your quality of life. Being close enough to Memphis, Birmingham, Nashville, and Atlanta that a quick trip for the big city life is a low cost adventure as well. Roll Tide!

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