[chappyfam]

Wife and I are done with California and will be able to retire in 5 years. We are looking for a lake home in Alabama. Looking at Lewis Smith & Harding. We are used to the California lifestyle so we would like to be within a reasonable drive to some nightlife (restaurants / bars, etc..) fishing is high on the list and lastly would be attending sporting events (no longer able to attend Raider and USC games). We are open to any suggestions and which college team should we switch to? Thank you.

[cpg35223]

Logan Martin is close to Birmingham with boffo dining, nightlife, entertainment and healthcare.

Lake Martin is really nice but a little removed from things, unless you count Auburn and Auburn University. Auburn is also a great place to retire with golf courses, etc., and a reasonable drive to Atlanta and Birmingham.

Another lake to consider is Lake Guntersville. It's a hop and a skip to Huntsville.

Smith Lake and Lake Harding are nice I hear, but I don't know enough about either. Lake Harding is very close to Auburn, so there's a lot of benefit in that. That being said, Lake Eufala is certainly worth a look.

[chappyfam]

Any info is helpful. Just looked at Weiss lake too. We are starting to take road trips to Alabama to narrow down where we want to end up. Already looked at a few areas in Louisiana and Texas.

[harry chickpea]

I STRONGLY suggest that you visit for at least a couple of weeks first. AFAIK, there is NO replacement for a "California lifestyle" in Alabama. You are also going from an extremely blue state to an extremely red one with a huge emphasis on church. If Lake Lanier has water anymore, you would be making a better choice with Georgia around Atlanta. What you are asking is the same as asking "What part of Saudi Arabia has the best bars?"

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I STRONGLY suggest that you visit for at least a couple of weeks first. AFAIK, there is NO replacement for a "California lifestyle" in Alabama. You are also going from an extremely blue state to an extremely red one with a huge emphasis on church. If Lake Lanier has water anymore, you would be making a better choice with Georgia around Atlanta. What you are asking is the same as asking "What part of Saudi Arabia has the best bars?"

Well, I'll respectfully disagree. No, Alabama is not California. Not even close. But there are lakes in Alabama that are close enough to metro areas with things to do. Birmingham has a gracious plenty of good restaurants and nightclubs, enough to get props in the national foodie press. Of course, given that the poster is reaching retirement age, I'm thinking he doesn't want to party all night like a pimp with a week to live. He likely wants to drive into town with the missus once or twice a week to catch a band or enjoy a good meal.

I mean, hell, Lake Lanier isn't exactly Miami Beach. My in-laws live within a stone's throw of Lake Lanier way up there in the trackless northeastern Atlanta suburbs. In that sense, you're probably far more likely to reach a decent restaurant, nightclub, or show in forty-five minutes living on Lake Martin or Lake Guntersville than you will on Lake Lanier.

However, I will agree with you that a visit is essential.

Back to the OP. What do you and your wife enjoy doing the most? That would help us narrow things down for you.

[chappyfam]

You almost nailed it, my pimp with a week to live went away years ago. Wife and I enjoy gastro pub type places to enjoy a good meal, some live music, maybe some local beers and a relaxed crowd. We currently live between Los Angeles and San Diego so we have done the party/club thing for several years and looking to gear down a bit. We are not in a rush so we would spend a week or so in each area before we decide.

[harry chickpea]

I certainly see your point. I also agree that B'ham has grown to have some awesome restaurants.

As you know, we took a 20 year sojourn in south Florida before moving back to Alabama, and purposely moved rural. There are a lot of differences in the two lifestyles that the OP may not be fully considering. Over time, we have gone from driving into a more developed area two or thee times per week to once every other week. Eating out is less important than access to good medical care, and any major move to get closer in at this point would be nigh on to impossible without a severe disruption.

Spending a single week in an area is a vacation. Planting yourself in the area for at least a couple of weeks gives a much more realistic view of what drawbacks their might be as well as enjoying the pleasant distractions.

Part of my point of suggesting the Atlanta area of GA is that it is less pure red than AL, and someone from CA has more of a chance of finding like-minded folks for friends.

[cpg35223]

Right. I don't deny the cultural differences. But it really depends on the political philosophy of the OP. On my street in Mountain Brook, there are three different transplants from California. It's interesting to hear them talk at parties. The upshot is that while there are certainly things they miss (Really good Mexican is a common theme) they have no intention of going back. As my across-the-street neighbor put it, "There are a lot of things I'll be willing to put up with to get away from all that. And I don't have to really put up with a lot."

[Southlander]

Smith Lake is quite rural, and because of its location and the lay of the land, it's a long drive to get to gourmet restaurants and nightlife in Birmingham. Cullman and Jasper, the closest municipalities that are "wet," (meaning the sale of alcoholic beverages is legal) hardly have much nightlife and, although I can name a good restaurant in Cullman and an OK one in Jasper, don't have gourmet dining.

My suggestion would be possibly Lake Tuscaloosa. Nice million dollar residences, mostly belonging to University of Alabama coaches of various ilk, not so far from the truly gourmet restaurants of Birmingham, and some close to gourmet restaurants and craft beer of Tuscaloosa. Plus the adjoining college team to support.

It's a pity there isn't a closer lake to Birmingham. Logan Martin Lake is not too far away, but the water level is incredibly low there right now because of drought conditions, and it's almost the same distance as Smith Lake.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Southlander

Smith Lake is quite rural, and because of its location and the lay of the land, it's a long drive to get to gourmet restaurants and nightlife in Birmingham. Cullman and Jasper, the closest municipalities that are "wet," (meaning the sale of alcoholic beverages is legal) hardly have much nightlife and, although I can name a good restaurant in Cullman and an OK one in Jasper, don't have gourmet dining.

My suggestion would be possibly Lake Tuscaloosa. Nice million dollar residences, mostly belonging to University of Alabama coaches of various ilk, not so far from the truly gourmet restaurants of Birmingham, and some close to gourmet restaurants and craft beer of Tuscaloosa. Plus the adjoining college team to support.

It's a pity there isn't a closer lake to Birmingham. Logan Martin Lake is not too far away, but the water level is incredibly low there right now because of drought conditions, and it's almost the same distance as Smith Lake.

This isn't accurate. LM is almost at full pool. What you might be observing is that Alabama Power lowers the water by roughly 5-8 feet during the winter time in order to do maintenance on the dam and other structures.

Here's a graph:

Logan Martin Lake Water Level