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Living in Gulf Shores, AL
Gulf Shores is one of two (Orange Beach being the other
one) seaside resorts in the state of Alabama. Most of the city is therefore
devoted to beachfront hotels, condominiums, vacation houses and a tourism/real
estate based economy. Because the nearby Mississippi Gulf Coast is protected by
barrier islands, Gulf Shores is one of only two resort cities with a large
beach, fronting the Gulf of Mexico between New Orleans, Louisiana and the
well-known resorts of Florida. Gulf Shores is therefore more popular with
populations in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana than the Florida resorts,
which tend to be dominated by visitors from other regions of the United States.
The adjacent resort city of Orange Beach offers direct access to the Gulf of
Mexico for vessels, via Perdido pass. The greater area is home to a very large
charter fishing fleet. Gulf Shores is served by Jack Edwards Airport, which is
located on the north side of town on Highway 59. To view area info visit: Gulf
Coast Beach Guide.
The extensive spring break facilities of Panama City and Destin on the east side
and the casinos of Gulfport and Biloxi to the west give Gulf Shores plenty of
competition. During the winter months, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach both host a
sizable population of "Snowbirds" primarily from the upper Midwestern states.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach bore the brunt of Hurricane Ivan on September 16,
2004. Since Ivan, the beach has been restored and is kept in excellent condition
with plenty of sand between the beachfront resorts and the surf. The entire Gulf
Shores/Orange Beach area has been designated a "Go Zone" as a result of
hurricane Ivan spurring unprecedented development with newly minted, towering
structures now bristling along the beachfront as of early 2007. This building
boom continues. An average yet well appointed beachfront condominium with two
bedrooms and two baths can cost from $250,000 to $2,000,000 dollars depending on
square footage and other factors.
Unincorporated Ft. Morgan, the City of Gulf Shores and the City of Orange Beach
are contiguous from west to east respectively. The Intercostal Waterway forms a
canal starting at Mobile Bay to the west, and cuts through to the east, into
Wolf Bay, forming an island. The combined stretch of beach from Ft. Morgan to
Perdidio pass is roughly 30 miles in length and begins at the tip of Ft. Morgan,
on the west end of the island. It then continues through the City of Gulf
Shores, the City of Orange Beach, terminating at Perdido Pass. From there, a
bridge connects Orange Beach to Perdido Key, Alabama which continues to the
Florida state line. The Alabama Gulf Coast beach is renowned for its bright,
"sugar white" sand. This is because the grains of sand that make up the beach
are composed of quartz. This quartz sand although quite abrasive to CDs,
sunglasses etc., is also very powdery, soft and comfortable to the feet. The
warm Gulf of Mexico waters along the beachfront tend to have an emerald green
tint due to the close proximity of the Mobile Bay estuarial system to the west,
where the Mobile river delta meets the Gulf of Mexico. The prevailing west to
east current along the beach brings suspended silt from the Mobile river delta
toward the Florida panhandle thus giving the water its green tint. Gulf Shores
is well known for an abundance of gulf coast seafood dining, excellent fishing,
water sports and an unpretentious, deep-south culture.