What are the pros and cons of living in SoWal full-time?

The overwhelming natural beauty of the region is by far the best reason to live here fulltime. There is no pollution, not much traffic, and no crime whatsoever. All the people who gravitate here seem to have a deep-seede appreciation of all these wonderful attributes. The cons: it's a long way to Lowe's and Chic-filet.

pros: anyone asking must have never been here. Too numerous and obvious to list.

cons: I'll have to get back to you on that. There's not many that matter much any more.

Maybe missing old buildings. Like walking into an old city library and smelling the words.
I don't want to hear anyone complaining about having to drive 20 minutes to get a hammer or thai food. :lol: It takes you 45 minutes to get anywhere in a city and sometimes much longer.

Maybe a lack of high-paying jobs. And a lack of choices for singles seeking romance.

Pros:
Nature, trees, sand, sun, water
Friendly People
Culture
Quiet nights
A sky full of stars
Quality eats
Beaches
The anonymity of hanging with cool tourists
Bike path/trails
Family

Cons:
Having to drive anywhere (only because I would rather not at all)
Cost of living
Low paying jobs
Very little for the 20 somethings and/or singles
No place to go dance until the wee hours

If you are lucky enough to be retired and live here, there are no cons, only pros.

pros:

Beach
Attitudes
Creativeness/Beauty
Unique People

cons:
Still trying to come up with something..........

PRO-You eat too much, stay in the sun too much and drink too much.

CON-You eat too much, stay in the sun too much and drink too much.

What is the labor force like in the area right now? Jobs plentiful, labor force quality?

We live in a small town near Atlanta. One of our best friends just got misdiagnosed there. Her father-in-law used to own much of what is now downtown Destin. I'm sure that many of you knew him. If she had gone to Atlanta, she might have a better prognosis.

Same with my husband. He got ill in the summer of 2009 with severe back pain. We decided to use local doctors. He kept getting worse. I was desperate and started googling. I diagnosed him with osteomyelitis. We called the local doctor, and he concurred. Hubby was referred to Emory in Atlanta. We were told at Emory that if I hadn't diagnosed him properly which resulted in surgery, he would have been dead within a month.

So the only problem I see with relocating to SoWal is if you are 50 or older. You just need to be able to afford to fly to a major medical center like Emory or whatever for your annual checkups.

I am very grateful that I saved my husband's life by googling his symptoms and seeing the proper diagnosis on the first page of hits. Scary that the local physician didn't know that or didn't care enough to research it.

Pro: We get to witness amazing natural beauty every single day. I missed every moment it while we were away. Peace for me is sitting on the beach & watching Mother Nature do her finest.

Con: I miss a large, well-stocked, bustling library & a handful of other things that we enjoyed while living in a large college town. Also, I second Beach Runner's views about health care here.

People live here because they choose to!

The biggest Pro: The People: People that live here in SoWal full time do so because they choose to because of the beauty and quality of life. As a result, everyone really loves their life here.

In every other place I have been, you run across people that are there due to commitments, career, family obligations, etc.

The biggest Con: Having a career which causes you to travel extensively makes you rely on the airline industry, which you can't rely on.

Pro: An atmosphere where a healthy lifestyle can be quickly adopted--fresh air, biking, bootcamps, yolo, great running paths, walking on the beach, gyms, local foods, kayaking.

Con: None, or very little, cultural or racial diversity.

Since this is becoming a full time vacation destination for our outside visitors, locals are quick to adopt their attitudes of I don't care, life is a vacation, when is happy hour?, I will return your call or text when I want to and if I want to, and I don't have to use turn signals while driving.

Still not one single, really good, Italian Restaurant anywhere near Sowal.( And pls don't suggest any--I have been to them all). The Thai food has improved immensely though.

Pro: An atmosphere where a healthy lifestyle can be quickly adopted--fresh air, biking, bootcamps, yolo, great running paths, walking on the beach, gyms, local foods, kayaking.

Con: None, or very little, cultural or racial diversity.

Since this is becoming a full time vacation destination for our outside visitors, locals are quick to adopt their attitudes of I don't care, life is a vacation, when is happy hour?, I will return your call when I want to and if I want to, and I don't have to use turn signals while driving.

Still not one single, really good, Italian Restaurant anywhere near Sowal.( And pls don't suggest any--I have been to them all). The Thai food has improved immensely though.

If lack of turn signal usage is the biggest drawback in SoWal, we're doing pretty good! Who cares about return phone calls...just put down the iphone, walk away, and nobody will get hurt. :cool:

Pro- Morrison Springs is only 35 minutes away.
Con- Ikea is 500 miles away.

Pro- Yummy fish.
Con- $14.95 for fish tacos.

Pro- Small Schools
Con- Less Scholarship opportunity

Pro- sunny weather
Con- $300.00 electric bill

Pro- You know everybody in Publix.
Con- You know everybody in Publix.

The above post was me. Someone was logged on my iPad. : /

Pro- You know everybody in Publix.
Con- You know everybody in Publix.

Priceless!!:clap:

Pros:
We live in a very special community. I believe the beauty of the natural environment is a draw for people to relocate here. However, the community is so special because of the people who have chosen to make their lives here. People move here because they have made a decision about the quality of life they desire for their family, and these people really care and contribute to the community in many ways making it better and better. SoWal has become such a family oriented place! Even though our beaches are a big draw, locals know its way more than a beach! Our diversity comes from unique people moving here from all over the Southeast and beyond.

Lots of state preserved land, forests, beaches! One of the best qualities, imo.

Publix! (we had NO grocery stores here - and it was not that long ago). I can live without Walmart (happily), but I must have groceries!

Cons:
Shopping is still lacking.
We do not have racial/cultural diversity to speak of.
It is a very "white" kind of place.
No old, unique historic buildings.
Too many giant/rental houses on or near the beach.
Too many visitors on certain holiday weekends.


Most of the cons can be fulfilled through travel to large cities. But we just don't do that often because we don't like leaving town because we love being here.

Alpha C - the best Italian food is prepared at home, or found in Italy. You should know that! However, when I want to find a good pasta or veal dish, it definitely is here if you know where to go.

A little story. I always thought pizza was and original Italian dish, and maybe it is. I haven't checked. Anyway, on a stop in Naples, Italy, our crew got off the beaten path and found a nice neighborhood bistro. I thought it would be great to order a wonderful Italian pizza so I did. Absolutely the worst pizza I've ever had in my life!

A little story. I always thought pizza was and original Italian dish, and maybe it is. I haven't checked. Anyway, on a stop in Naples, Italy, our crew got off the beaten path and found a nice neighborhood bistro. I thought it would be great to order a wonderful Italian pizza so I did. Absolutely the worst pizza I've ever had in my life!

we ate our way through Italy one summer. had the best pizza on the planet daily. along with pastas and gelato, coffees, olives, wines. fresh fresh fresh with many great locally grown ingredients!

of course, we occasionally wound up in a mediocre place - but certainly not often! we were on a budget but ate the best meals of our lives in very affordable places on a daily basis - the service was extradinary always. Some picnic meals were bought on the street in little bakery's, cheese shops, pastry shops, produce stores, etc. oh, we must return. the foods and cooking and ingredients in Italy are just divine.

we ate our way through Italy one summer. had the best pizza on the planet daily. along with pastas and gelato, coffees, olives, wines. fresh fresh fresh with many great locally grown ingredients!

of course, we occasionally wound up in a mediocre place - but certainly not often! we were on a budget but ate the best meals of our lives in very affordable places on a daily basis - the service was extradinary always. Some picnic meals were bought on the street in little bakery's, cheese shops, pastry shops, produce stores, etc. oh, we must return. the foods and cooking and ingredients in Italy are just divine.

One of our Italy trips was the summer I was pregnant with our daughter. I had morning sickness the entire pregnancy. But I craved cheese, pizza, and ice cream. So that's all I ate there. The pizza was really great. So different than in the U.S.