quote:Originally posted by BFred07:
As for the local outlook on jobs I am not 100% certain but it seems a bit grim over the past year and a half or so. I know that when we have put in help wanted ads that for the past several years might have brought in 8 or 10 applicants to choose from (if we were lucky) are now bringing in 500+ applicants so I take that as a bad sign but I do hear that problem is not unique to our area.
As for things to do here, for young people there are a lot of Church sponsored events where the Bible will not be shoved down your throat while you're there. There are also a few bars and even some clubs that do not serve alcohol. Then there are the obvious things for young and old alike. Our area has a lively music scene if you know where to look. There is not a day that goes by that there are not at least a couple local places to go for decent live music. Our greatest asset for things to do is the river, swimming, fishing, skiing, sailing, etc. If you like water sports, this is the place! For the golf fanatics we have more golf courses than cotton fields, take your pick. Then we have other sports, plenty of places to shoot basketball, play tennis, racquet ball, baseball, etc. Plenty of places for camping, muddin, hiking, or hunting. We can always go to the movies, usually I choose the drive-in at Russellville instead of going to the theater at the mall. Fairly often you can catch a play at UNA or the Ritz.
For an area our size we have some decent shopping and places to eat (not just chains either, a lot of local favorites here). We have parks, playgrounds, the waterslide, putt-putt- golf, bowling, skating, indoor places for kids to play on inflatable’s, batting cages, and of course Chuck-E-Cheese (a place I despise going but the kids love it). We have a few small museums and galleries. This by all means not an exhaustive list of things to do in the Shoals but there is a little something for almost everyone at just about any given time.
One of my favorite things about living in the area is the small town atmosphere but having plenty to do at the same time. If at any point there is something I want to do in Huntsville or Tupelo both are only about 60 miles away which is an easy trip for an afternoon or evening outing. Another good thing is that we are more or less centrally located between Nashville, Birmingham, and Memphis (& Tunica) all easy places for a day trip or overnight. If I just want to get away for the weekend I can always look for weekend getaway specials on Travelocity, the Huntsville airport is less than a one hour drive. Then of course there is Joe Wheeler park and the State Park (TN) at Pickwick which s only a stone’s throw from here.
Definitely not a boring place to live, maybe everything is not in walking distance or a cab ride away but at the same time we are not far from anything.
500+ applicants is bad. I really don't see it getting better any time soon, but one can hope.
On a lighter note, I love the King Drive-In in Russellville and am so glad they've been able to keep it going. I grew up watching movies there. It's just such a treat - and a truly American experience - to go to the King Drive-In.
When we're in town in the spring or summer, we'll go from time to time. My son loves it! He thinks it's so cool to sit in the back of the truck and watch a movie outside.
The last time I was there and was in the concession stand, I made sure to tell the owner how much I appreciated that they hadn't changed hardly anything about the drive-in since I was a kid. It has aged, but it hasn't changed - even the counter and the benches outside are exactly how they were years ago. She told me that customers tell her that all the time, and that they plan to keep it going as long as they're able to operate the place.
And speaking of the concession stand...I also noticed several cars and trucks parked behind the concession stand (there was plenty of parking) where the concession stand was an obvious obstruction. Now, I know there's nothing new about making out at the drive-in, but is there no where else for the kids to "go parking" up there than to pay $11.00 for two?
