If you've been tuning in to "Good Morning America" recently, you've seen the crew's Gulf Coast states bus tour, a trek of Southern and Southeastern states that included a stop in Mobile, Alabama.

Mobile's history is rich and includes a combination of Spanish, African, Creole and French influences. A walk through the city today presents an interesting mix of architecture, populations and cuisines. The South often isn't recognized for its cultural diversity, but Mobile offers a fascinating history capable of rivaling any larger metropolitan city.

In years past, Mobile's primary function was to be a major shipping center. Surrounded by a large harbor and bay area, ships could travel to and from the area easily. These vessels carried a taste of the good life from Europe, the Orient and the Mediterranean. Many of the foreign goods brought to Mobile throughout its history are now on display in the city's five museums that pay tribute to its maritime past. Nearby Dauphin Island and the Gulf Shores islands offered vantage points from which soldiers could keep watch of the surrounding waters and ensure that only friendly visitors and traders could enter the bay. The soldiers' forts still stand today and are open to visitors. Although Mobile's economy has diversified throughout its 300-year history, the city continues to rely heavily on its waterways; more than 50 percent of the city's annual revenue is derived from industries that are either dependent upon or are significantly involved with the practice of "waterway" trade and commerce. Mobile's other major revenue source comes from its natural gas reserves; the city holds the world's second largest supply of natural gas.

Today, in addition to serving as a popular spot for lovers of history, this city of nearly 200,000 residents offers plenty of recreational opportunities -- namely world-class golf facilities, which include Rock Creek, Azalea City Golf Club, Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, TimberCreek Golf Club and Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/Magnolia Grove Golf Club. In fact, the city was ranked by Golf Digest magazine among the top 10 cities in the country for its golf courses. The weather is friendly in this region of the country, and the people are even friendlier. Mobile is very much under the influence of traditional Southern gentility and good old Southern hospitality. Consider its most famous residents, past and present: Jimmy Buffett (Mr. "Margaritaville"), Winston Groom (author of the much-loved novel-turned movie, "Forrest Gump") and the great Hank Aaron, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Situated in the heart of the old South, Mobile also is known for its beautiful landscape. Mobile has been dubbed the "Azalea City," a nickname that is, in fact, an understatement. Mobile actually has the world's largest display of azaleas. More than 50 varieties in every conceivable color are on display within city limits. The roots (no pun intended) of this azalea collection have been traced to Fifise Langlois, an explorer who bought a bunch of blossoming pink azaleas, cut from his father's garden, to Mobile when he arrived here from Toulouse, France, in 1754.

Visitors to the city will enjoy Mobile's selection of antique shops, and given the city's history, you're likely to uncover some unique finds. Mobile also is home to Fleamarket Mobile, the state's largest flea market. It's an indoor, 800-booth fantasyland for bargain-hunters. And it might surprise you to learn that Mobile owns the bragging rights to the country's original Mardi Gras festival, established in 1704. That's 62 years before New Orleans adopted its own Mardi Gras annual tradition.

The housing market in Mobile is active. According to the Mobile County Board of Realtors, in 1997, 3,972 home-sale transactions were completed in Mobile County. The average price of a single-family home that year was $103,179. That's a significant increase from 1996, when 3,716 transactions were completed at an average selling price of $96,952. These prices indicate that many relocating individuals and families -- particularly those who are moving from high-priced cities on the West and East coasts -- are likely to experience "sticker shock" in Mobile (the positive variety). Buyers do, indeed, get more for their money in Mobile.

Economists and the media alike are placing their bets on Mobile. Time magazine ranked Mobile number 11 on its "Where the Jobs Are" list in 1997. One year earlier, The Wall Street Journal and economic consulting firm DRI/McGraw-Hill ranked Mobile eighth in the Southeast for predicted job growth. For residents of the city, the benefits are clear: a cost of living, property taxes among the lowest in the United States, a mild Gulf Coast climate, a low crime rate, the addition of some 75,000 new jobs since the mid-80s, and a relaxed, friendly setting in which polite greetings and chivalry aren't dead.The old and new South live together in this proud Gulf Coast city.

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Published: May 24, 1999

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Courtney Ronan only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.