Fairhope, Alabama

Around 1970 a national magazine named Fairhope, Alabama, as one of the best places in the country to live. It probably still qualifies. Fairhope is one of those places everyone seems to know about, and everyone seems to love.

A woman shopper comments, "It's a lovely community...friendly. We love the shops."
A man from up North says, "It's a very quaint city. We really enjoy it when we come down here."
A local woman smiles, "We love that we can walk for five minutes and be at the Bay."

Among its many unique aspects is the fact that the town was named before it was ever located. Fairhope artist and historian Dean Mosher tells the story from the 1890s, "Fairhope was founded in Des Moines, Iowa. In fact, they passed the constitution, they incorporated the town, and somebody in the back stood up and said, 'You know, I think this has a fair hope of success.' and the crowd said, 'Hey, that's catchy. Let's call the town "Fairhope."' The somebody said, 'Well, where is it? Where are we going to put Fairhope?'"

They knew what they wanted, and even had the name. They just needed to find the perfect spot. And that turned out to be 'way down south on the bluffs of Mobile Bay.

The group's plan was to create a utopian community: A single tax colony which basically means, the town owns all the land, and the residents lease it. That becomes the single source of revenue.
The founders made more good choices...plenty of the land was set aside for parks...especially along the waterfront.
Fairhope has become a sanctuary for the arts.

The annual Arts and Crafts Festival is known throughout the South.
Rumors...most probably true, abound that celebrities from all the arts have second homes around here.
Examples of public art are easy to find.

And it's hard not to be looking at flowers...they're everywhere downtown...even topping the waste containers! Speaking of downtown...no urban renewal here...sidewalks and parked cars front galleries, restaurants, and shops, just as they have for decades.

Meteorologist Jere Hough comments, "You know the City of Fairhope is really lucky to have these wonderful water views. But the people of Fairhope are lucky, too, because they all have access to them."