What are the downsides of Dothan?

by Patrick S.
(Greensboro, NC)

I'm a bama boy and up here in NC, and prior to that boston. I had been considering Fort Walton for several years, but after another hurricane season I decided it was just a bad idea. Last time I was in Alabama I had been considering coming down for a visit.

All I ever remember about it is it didn't look too bad, and its about the right size, but hey we were almost to the beach so.....lol. Anyway I've been looking online and trying to learn what I can about the city and find the negatives.

I looked at real estate and based on the shape of the homes it looks like there are some really bad sections, and looking at the arrest reports it concerns me about. Can you tell me the downsides of Dothan?

Comments for What are the downsides of Dothan?

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Dothan has it's good and bad points - mostly good
by: Anonymous

Downsides:
Dothan doesn't have a Costco, Chipotle, Whole Foods Market, or a Starbucks that is not inside a bookstore. We do have a Sam's Club and most of the typical major restaurants and stores that you find anywhere.

There is not a huge variety of entertainment like you would find in larger towns but that is starting to change with new restaurants and night clubs opening in the Dothan Downtown Historic District and Country Crossing on it's way in a year or so.

We get occasional tornado watches and warnings during the spring and summer but no more than any other town in the southeast.

Traffic management is not as well thought out as in larger cities but coming along. Having lived in a larger, more congested city, Dothan is heaven traffic-wise for me.

I don't really worry about crime. There are plenty of good areas to live in and, yes, there are some neighborhoods getting a little more run down. But if you've lived in Boston and Raleigh you already know how to avoid the bad areas.
Not too many downsides actually
by: Linda M.

Like-minded people... hit or miss here. Generally the people are typical southern conservative. White southern conservatives are the predominent culture with southern Baptists playing a loud role. But there are all kinds of people to be found here. And the whole is pretty tolerent of different types on the whole. Always has been but I wouldn't go as far as to say that Dothan is diverse. Not a lot of IT here, all small stuff.
sad, sorry little town NEW
by: Anonymous

There are no night clubs, only run down bars. No Cheesecake Factory, P.F.Changs, Carrabba's, NO authentic green chillie in any of the mexican resturants. And if thats not bad enough. The shopping is really sad. At least we finally got Publix, Target & Kohl's. But, there is NO:
Macy's, Parisian, Nordsrtoms, Neimans, Hollister, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Bro Bass Shop, Cabella's, IKEA, Costco, Coach, Black & White, Ann Taylor, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma,

For the last 5 years the only theater is Carmike & the Wicksberg drive thru.

Yes, it's a sad little town. No "quality" entertainment, No professional theater, no Broadway shows come to this town, no monster truck jam, no dinner theater playhouse's. No big name musical artists, outside of the near local country ones that always play.
Dothan Alabama Wake Up NEW
by: Anonymous

Yes it is sad! Country Crossing is history! they just want to give all their money to Georgia and Florida and have nothing here in Dothan. You have a lot of proffessinal church goers here. People that do not smile and look unhappy. Probably because there are a lot of piss poor people here. Wake up Dothan! Life goes on but not Dothan they stay behind!
BORING!!!!! NEW
by: Anonymous

Nothing to do here! No art, no culture, no shopping, no health scene, no plays, etc, etc, etc, this place is so far behind it's unbelievable! I have been here for several years, and I am done! Moving the hell away from Mayberry!!!!
Nothing to see here!!! NEW
by: Anonymous

My advice - save yourself from this sorry town. Traffic is terrible due to the poor planning by the city. There is a red light every 1/8th mile. The roads are crumbling and there is ZERO money to be found. Nothing but a bunch of mouth breathing bible humpers!
dont kid yourself NEW
by: Kyle,fla!

I have lived in dothan for over two years. I am originally from Marianna Fla and surrounding areas. If you have never lived anywhere else dothan is ok, but if you have dothan is bad.i never seen it coming.i came to dothan to shop and for the restaurants.now i live here it's such a cut on quality of life.i can't wait to leave. I would rather live in tornado alley and travel during a storm than ever deal with this. Florida is so much better.idon't care what dothan tries to do they have events that are over priced and are just bad its all to make money to support bad decisions.in Florida near fort Walton you can have a blast for almost free.the air is better there for sure andthe people I'm dying here like a flower without sunshine.life ceases to continue here. Please for your life's sake don't live in dothan if you cherish real friendship and a sense of security!!!!
Worst excuse for a town! NEW
by: Anonymous

I recently spent a enough time in the Dothan area to figure out that I would NEVER consider living there! I was invited to a couple of functions including a wretched Mardi Gras ball. I was introduced to a great number of the supposedly social "elites". By admission of the person making the introductions, the vast majority of the women are neurotic and their husbands are philanderers. It appeared to me that the requirements for membership to the country club consisted of how many affairs you've had or how many times you've been admitted to the psychiatric ward. There are some genuinely nice people in Dothan. They just hide.
Dothan itself is pretty much a jerkwater with few things to recommend it unless you're into hunting, fishing, alcoholism or infidelity.
I Agree...Nothing Exciting To Do! NEW
by: Anonymous

The longer you live here you find out how the people are. Loved it here when we first arrived but pretty much stuck here now at least for the next 5 years when mortgage will be paid. Agree, we could use some name entertainment brought in because there is a civic center. But I guess it wouldn't pay off due to the low population. Someday out, I hope.
cultural events NEW
by: Anonymous

If you are unaware of the plays, musicals, and dance performances that are regularly staged in and around Dothan, you have no one to blame but yourself.
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Dothan Alabama NEW
by: Anonymous

Not the place to be If you are a black american! Everything is made to keep you down!
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Pathetic NEW
by: Anonymous

A small-minded town filled mostly with little people who think mediocrity is wonderful.
don't even try or consider it NEW
by: Anonymous

just a nothing town. plenty of nothing to do. also, people here don't like outsiders and yes, the police dept. is over the top with some of their activities. job market, yes, is you want to earn a minimum wage and get laid off in 1 year. it is so boring here, you can hear the telephone lines humming all the time.
dothan NEW
by: Anonymous

Horrible I settled there after a deployment to Afghanistan I couldn't wait to get out of Dothan Afghanistan was better! Horrible little business owners have gutted the town. No heavy industry because of retarded taxing and corruption. There is NO jobs there. Stay out of that retched little hick town. But if you like to be surrounded by over the top cops, drunk ugly chicks and the worst job market in America sure move to Dothan Alabama or Liberia Africa about the same. I love the commenter from the Dothan council " if you don't know about the events it your own fault" Well what she didn't tell you is to attend first you need to own a business there and be white don't be gay or demarcate and you better be Baptist and never miss church. Do your soul a favor just stay out of Dothan.
Dothan is What you Make IT NEW
by: Anonymous

I've been in Dothan a bit over 10 years. I'm from Tallahassee but have traveled all over the world and even lived in Los Angeles for a while. Yes, Dothan is a smallish southern (and somewhat religious) town. I'm unsure why people are comparing it to much larger cities that have places such as Whole Foods, IKEA, Urban Outfitters, etc. Did you know these places are only In the larger cities in the U.S.? A majority of small towns do not have businesses such as these. Dothan doesn't have the economy to support such places, yet.

There are some wonderful plays/acting here. If you don't know about them, you have not been looking.

In the past 5 years, some pretty decent shops/stores have been built. Publix is one of my favorites. I agree that I'd like to see more variety, but I do believe in the near future they will be coming.

I have come to know some wonderful people here. Authentic, down to earth, and kind. There are plenty of people who are not southern Baptist. Many have come here because of the military and decided to stay.

Guess what? A city is what you make of it. If you don't like it, it's your own fault.
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by: ALK

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by: High Point, NC

It's just an odd area with lots of odd people. People tend to be cliquish and not very open. Some are downright rude. I've heard "the roads go back north you know" more than I care to think about. I've never seen so many people drive against correctly moving traffic in the lanes of Walmart in my life and they struggle desperately to stay in their lane of travel (with cell phone in hand). Lived outside HP for over fifteen years and thought they were bad but I'd go back in 1/4 of a heartbeat. Once you've toured the "Circle" and US 231 you've pretty much done it all. Litter here is ridiculous also. I'm pretty sure they never do roadside cleanups and hope it just magically disappears. There are good things here just as there are everywhere else, but there just isn't enough good to outweigh the crap.

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