Station/Boat Location~
USCGC COBIA (87') in Mobile, AL
USCGC RAZORBILL (87') in Gulfport, MS
Date there~
2001 - 2005
Weather~
January through February it is cool and sometimes cold enough to need a coat. March is usually warm but sometimes requires long sleeves to be comfortable. April through September is hot and humid. Temperatures get into the mid 90s. Sometimes the first two weeks of October is also warm but by Halloween, it is usually cooling down into comfortable temperatures (70s in the day, upper 50s or 60s at night). November and December are cool and tend to yield temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Rarely does the temperature ever drop below freezing.
Medical~
University of South Alabama (USA) medical facilities accept Tricare and offer treatment through three hospitals in Mobile and various small doctor offices. They are a teaching hospital so sometimes you will meet interns but I must say, I have been thoroughly pleased with the medical treatment my family received. The USA Women's and Children's Hospital was a life-saver for us when I delivered my twin sons at only 33 weeks gestation. They have a wonderful NICU and great pediatric department.
Housing~
When my husband was on the Cobia in Mobile, AL, we rented a 3BR house in Theodore, AL for two years. Theodore has a reputation of being the "redneck" area of Mobile and offers a lot of adult entertainment, car repair shops, and mobile home lots. However, we lived in a newly developed neighborhood with great neighbors and we enjoyed our stay there.
When my husband took the job on the Razorbill in Gulfport, MS, we bought a house in Mobile where we remained for the next two years. I preferred living in Mobile to Theodore. Overall, rent in a fairly good neighborhood averages $700 to $900/month.
Shopping~
Mobile has two shopping malls and numerous strip malls. There are two Targets, Gap, Old Navy, Pier One, numerous Super WalMarts, Sams Club, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Steinmart, PetsMart, several Lowes, Home Depot, Linens and Things, Barnes and Noble, Shoe Station (a HUGE shoe store with great prices), Circuit City, and so many, many other stores. I never had any problem finding things to buy ... just ask my husband - HA! Plus, about 45 minutes east of Mobile and 1 hour west of Mobile, there are two outlet malls that are great to shop at for the holidays.
Adult Schools~
There is the University of South Alabama (USA) which is part of the state university system. There are also private colleges like Spring Hill College and a few community colleges like Faulkner State and Bishop State. There is Caps College which is a medical program for medical technicians (i.e., pharmacy tech, lab tech, etc.). There is also a therapeutic massage school if you want to be a massage therapist.
Fun Activities~
There's the beach and the various movie theaters. Also, we have a planetarium, exploreum (cool science project exhibits that kids can interact with), skating rinks, bowling alleys, Pump It Up (a gym full of inflatable slides and play areas for young children), Blu Rabbits and Chuckie Cheese (eat and play), and numerous public parks with great slides and other safe playground equipment.
Additional Info~
I have enjoyed living in Mobile. The weather is hot and humid but the people are very friendly. If you aren't from the South, be prepared for southern accents, flip flops, and pick up trucks but these folks are "Good Ol' Boys" for the most part and helpful.
Homeport AL
USCGC COBIA (87') in Mobile, AL
USCGC RAZORBILL (87') in Gulfport, MS
Date there~
2001 - 2005
Weather~
January through February it is cool and sometimes cold enough to need a coat. March is usually warm but sometimes requires long sleeves to be comfortable. April through September is hot and humid. Temperatures get into the mid 90s. Sometimes the first two weeks of October is also warm but by Halloween, it is usually cooling down into comfortable temperatures (70s in the day, upper 50s or 60s at night). November and December are cool and tend to yield temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Rarely does the temperature ever drop below freezing.
Medical~
University of South Alabama (USA) medical facilities accept Tricare and offer treatment through three hospitals in Mobile and various small doctor offices. They are a teaching hospital so sometimes you will meet interns but I must say, I have been thoroughly pleased with the medical treatment my family received. The USA Women's and Children's Hospital was a life-saver for us when I delivered my twin sons at only 33 weeks gestation. They have a wonderful NICU and great pediatric department.
Housing~
When my husband was on the Cobia in Mobile, AL, we rented a 3BR house in Theodore, AL for two years. Theodore has a reputation of being the "redneck" area of Mobile and offers a lot of adult entertainment, car repair shops, and mobile home lots. However, we lived in a newly developed neighborhood with great neighbors and we enjoyed our stay there.
When my husband took the job on the Razorbill in Gulfport, MS, we bought a house in Mobile where we remained for the next two years. I preferred living in Mobile to Theodore. Overall, rent in a fairly good neighborhood averages $700 to $900/month.
Shopping~
Mobile has two shopping malls and numerous strip malls. There are two Targets, Gap, Old Navy, Pier One, numerous Super WalMarts, Sams Club, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Steinmart, PetsMart, several Lowes, Home Depot, Linens and Things, Barnes and Noble, Shoe Station (a HUGE shoe store with great prices), Circuit City, and so many, many other stores. I never had any problem finding things to buy ... just ask my husband - HA! Plus, about 45 minutes east of Mobile and 1 hour west of Mobile, there are two outlet malls that are great to shop at for the holidays.
Adult Schools~
There is the University of South Alabama (USA) which is part of the state university system. There are also private colleges like Spring Hill College and a few community colleges like Faulkner State and Bishop State. There is Caps College which is a medical program for medical technicians (i.e., pharmacy tech, lab tech, etc.). There is also a therapeutic massage school if you want to be a massage therapist.
Fun Activities~
There's the beach and the various movie theaters. Also, we have a planetarium, exploreum (cool science project exhibits that kids can interact with), skating rinks, bowling alleys, Pump It Up (a gym full of inflatable slides and play areas for young children), Blu Rabbits and Chuckie Cheese (eat and play), and numerous public parks with great slides and other safe playground equipment.
Additional Info~
I have enjoyed living in Mobile. The weather is hot and humid but the people are very friendly. If you aren't from the South, be prepared for southern accents, flip flops, and pick up trucks but these folks are "Good Ol' Boys" for the most part and helpful.
Homeport AL
