Tomorrow's Great
Energy Center For the Eastern Gulf of Mexico
Compiled by the
Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce
Community
Despite its reputation as a laid-back Southern community, Mobile is on the move. Basking in a prime coastal location, Mobile enjoys all the business and leisure benefits of being on the water. It’s just one of the many appealing aspects of our quality of life that includes affordable, state of the art healthcare facilities, a rich history and endless recreation.
A thriving location, Mobile’s international business profile has been raised to new levels with the opening of the Mobile Container Terminal, construction of the ThyssenKrupp state-of-the-art steel and stainless steel processing facility, the selection of Mobile as an Airbus Engineering Center facility and a potentially major manufacturing plant for the U.S. Air Force’s next generation tanker fleet. Northrop Grumman Corporation has joined EADS as a partner in bringing the aerial refueling tanker project to the Brookley Complex. Since 2001, over 12,500 new jobs have been created as the result of 120 new and expanding industries/companies. Forbes.com recently named Mobile the No. 1 Small Metro Area on its Best Places list of America’s Fastest Growing Metros.
From Old South charm to sleek modern practicality, the housing styles available in Mobile are endless. A home in Mobile is not only affordable; it’s a great investment. A low cost of living and a high quality of life are reasons why Mobile is continuously ranked in Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” annual survey. The selection of existing homes in any one of Mobile’s downtown and midtown neighborhoods, including seven historic residential districts, ranges from mansions to Victorian cottages. Further away, suburban neighborhoods offer the options of waterfront property, rolling hills and quiet cul de sacs. ACCRA, The American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association, produces a quarterly cost of living index for over 300 cities throughout the United States. The ACCRA index uses the national average as a base of 100 and ranks the cities accordingly. Mobile’s cost of living is consistently one of the 10 lowest out of the 80 largest U.S. metropolitan areas according to the ACCRA study. The index measures regional differences, and is based on six major components including housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare and miscellaneous goods and services.
Mobile County is home to a thriving healthcare community. Mobile County has five general hospitals, a women's and children's hospital, a public mental hospital, a private mental hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, five outpatient surgery centers, a cancer institute, a cancer center affiliated with the MD Anderson Physicians Network, a hospice, a mental school, numerous nursing homes, assisted living facilities, outpatient mental health centers, emergency centers and alcoholism/drug abuse centers.
The Mobile County Public School System continues to improve programs and facilities. The Mobile County public schools have the state’s largest Advanced Placement program, six magnet schools, two schools with International Baccalaureate programs, an Engineering Pathways Integrated Curriculum and the Mobile Math Initiative. The area has a large parochial school system operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile and many other schools operated through churches or private boards. The area provides residents and businesses access to four public and private four-year universities and three community and technical colleges.
The Mobile region offers an abundance of cultural and recreational opportunities for people of all ages – more than 16 museums, nine libraries, a variety of theater, opera, symphony, ballet, fishing, hunting , golfing, boating, sailing, relaxing at the beach and more.
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Mobile was founded in 1702 and is the home to the country’s original Mardi Gras. Mobile is home to the Senior Bowl, GMAC Bowl, Mobile BayBears AA baseball, Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, the Dauphin Island Regatta, Bellingrath Gardens and Home, America’s Junior Miss pageant and the USS ALABAMA battleship. For updated calendar information and specific event dates, visit the City of Mobile’s web site, www.cityofmobile.org, and select Calendar of Events.
The Mobile Copeland-Cox Tennis Center is the nation’s largest public facility with 50 hard courts in one location. Regional golfing is among the nations finest, with more than 25 courses.
The Mobile area’s incredible climate supports year-round outdoor adventures. There are more than 70 parks and playgrounds in the Mobile areas offering facilities for picnics, canoeing, biking, hiking, camping and other leisure activities.
From shrimp and oysters to red snapper and grouper, seafood dishes from Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico define Mobile cuisine. In kitchens throughout our city, an abundance of fresh Gulf seafood simmers in a rich culinary heritage to produce delicious meals meant to be shared. But if you don’t like seafood, don’t worry; Mobile has plenty of other great food to keep you happy. To explore restaurants in the Mobile areas, search restaurants on-line at www.mobilechamber.com.