Rental Communities
South Alabama
Area Info
The character of South Alabama is largely determined by its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico: even the landlocked eastern three-quarters, cut off from the Gulf by the panhandle of Florida, is a region of gently-rising, sandy land drained by many winding, slow-moving streams. The area was not considered very good for agriculture, and so remained sparsely settled until late in the 19th century, by which time much of the native pine forest had been cut down. But the soil proved to be ideal for raising peanuts, and today the largest town in the region, Dothan, bills itself as the Peanut Capital of the World.
But it's the other corner of the region that is the best known: the area of Mobile Bay and the Gulf beaches. The city of Mobile was the first capital of French Louisiana, after its founding in 1702, and it shares much in common with the present state of Louisiana...including Mardi Gras. Mobile's first Mardi Gras "krewe" (a formally organized carnival club) dates to 1830--27 years before the first comparable organization in New Orleans.
Mobile shares much more in common with New Orleans, from its architecture (French, Spanish, and American) to its cuisine (heavily dependent on seafood) to its climate (hot and rainy in summer, but gloriously mild throughout most of the winter).
Articles
News from the Mobile Press-Register
Russian firm denies interest in U.S. Air Force tanker contest
Mar 22, 2010 3:08 am
A Russian aircraft manufacturer said it will not pursue the U.S. Air Force tanker contract, contradicting its own lawyer. United AircraftAn Ilyushin IL-96 jet pro...
Woman, 80, found in Mississippi after disappearing from Daphne
Mar 22, 2010 1:20 am
Barbara W. Ausborn DAPHNE, Ala. -- An 80-year-old woman who Daphne police said is showing early signs of Alzheimer's disease and went missing this afternoon was fo...
Bingo amendment sponsor says he'll try to pass it in Senate
Mar 22, 2010 1:01 am
State Sen. Roger Bedford has rewritten legislation to tax and regulate electronic bingo, and he will make a second attempt to pass it in the closing days of the legislative...
State conservation department opposes park discounts for Alabama residents
Mar 21, 2010 11:01 pm
Barnett Lawley, an appointee of Republican Gov. Bob Riley, accused Democratic legislators of "playing games" in a legislative election year by proposing something...
Tomorrow's forecast today for southwest Alabama
Mar 21, 2010 10:56 pm
Monday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid- to upper 50s. Lows in the upper 30s to upper 40s. Chance of rain less than 10 percent. Weather map from NOAA, forecast as...
Governor's illegal gambling task force spends $536,000 on bingo raids
Mar 21, 2010 9:39 pm
Riley's press secretary, Todd Stacy, said the legal costs are less than half of the $1.3 million the task force has seized in raids on gambling halls. Court hearin...
Quilting grows in popularity around northeast Alabama
Mar 21, 2010 9:01 pm
Gary Batson couldn't find many quilters who shared his love of quilting. That has changed in the last few years. Now several hundred people are members of quiltin...
Prattville police issued semiautomatic rifles
Mar 21, 2010 7:33 pm
Prattville police officers will soon be packing more firepower with the addition of semiautomatic, high-powered rifles. PRATTVILLE, Ala.-- Prattville police offic...
Baldwin County moves ahead with hurricane evacuation route
Mar 21, 2010 4:07 pm
BAY MINETTE --A Baldwin County Highway Department plan to link interstates 10 and 65 with a $150 million, four-lane hurricane evacuation route is moving ahead while state p...
Mar 21, 2010 3:30 pm
MOBILE, Ala. -- MOBILE, Ala. -- Many of the 53 types of beers offered at Cathedral Square on Saturday would have been illegal in the state at the same time last year. ...
