The "port town" of Mobile, AL has open access to the Gulf of Mexico but is somewhat protected from seasonal storms by a sliver-like strand of Gulf Coast islands. The city derived its name from the presence of the Mobile (Mauvile or Maubila) Indians in the area at the time of its founding. Mobile is Alabama's third most populous and oldest city. Home of America's first Mardi Gras, Mobile observed this pre-Lenten celebration in 1703, before New Orleans was even founded! Mobile is the perfect place to fully understand and experience Mardi Gras.
More than a quarter of a million people live in the metropolitan area that covers 128 square miles. Although Mobile offers the amenities and infrastructure of a major metropolitan area, it has retained its sense of community and friendliness. This consummate Southern town has been ranked as one of the top five most "polite" cities in the nation and consistently ranks high in Money Magazine's issue, "300 Best Places to Live." Mobile is also one of the top ten most prosperous cities in the U.S.
Visitors to Mobile’s downtown area will find much of its historic architecture lovingly preserved. Stroll down any given street and find yourself shaded from the sun by 200-year-old oak trees and hauntingly beautiful Spanish moss. If you come in April, you’ll enjoy the city's famous Azalea Trail Festival, a 30-plus-mile floral tour that winds past some of Southern Alabama's loveliest antebellum homes. Other must-see sights include Fort Condé, once home base for France's Louisiana Territory; the Museum of Mobile, whose paintings and exhibits celebrate the city's rich French, British and Spanish heritage; and the Richards-DAR House (circa 1826), an exquisite example of Italianate architecture whose lace ironwork, period furniture and ruby Bohemian glass entrance recollect the extravagance and wealth of the Old South. Also not to be missed are the captivating gardens at the 65-acre antebellum estate of Bellingrath Gardens.
Mobile's art and history museums include the Mobile Museum of Art, the Oakleigh Historic Complex displaying historic buildings and homes and Battleship Memorial Park which includes the dry docked USS Alabama and the submarine USS Drum (SS-228). If your taste leans toward cultural offerings, the Gulf Coast Exploreum offers exhibitions on a variety of topics coupled with an IMAX theater. The Mobile Carnival Museum houses the city's Mardi Gras history and memorabilia and documents the variety of floats and displays seen during the festival season. The Saenger Theatre is designed similar to European opera houses, and the city hosts the Mobile Opera, the Mobile Symphony and the Mobile Ballet.
When the day wanes and your appetite peaks, Mobile standards like Rousso’s Seafood on South Royal, known throughout the South for Creole-style gumbo and Wintzell's Oyster House, home of "stewed and nude" shellfish, are just what the doctor ordered.
Mobile is an old city on the rise, undergoing its greatest economic expansion in history, making it a great place to live, work, play or grow a business. Numerous local, national and international companies have funneled over $9 billion into the city, and homebuilding in Mobile increased over 15% from 2005 to 2007. Contact us today to become a part of this exciting Alabama Gulf Coast Real Estate growth.
