Bolton - Mobile, AL Area Guide

Mobile first established in 1702 and quickly rose to prominence as a center of trade due to its large ports. As the harbor grew, the city's population grew, and by the early 1900s Mobile's population had grown substantially in size.

Following WWII, Mobile experienced another growth spurt, resulting in the development of suburban neighborhoods such as Bolton surrounding the city. At first, development consisted mostly of houses and apartment complexes, but in the early 1980s, the neighborhood embraced the development of the Mobile Festival Centre.

This important shopping center brought a great deal of money to Bolton and helped to establish the neighborhood as one of the city's pre-eminent commercial districts. In modern-day Bolton, a mixture of residential zones and commercial areas characterize the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, most of Mobile's art scenes occur in other sections of the neighborhood. The History Museum of Mobile in downtown Mobile pays tribute to the area's history.

Numerous restaurants operate within the borders of Bolton, especially on the streets surrounding the Mobile Festival Centre. Due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, many of Mobile's restaurants specialize in fresh seafood, such as the Half Shell Oyster House. This beloved establishment specializes in crayfish, mussels and oysters. Patrons also rave about the restaurant's delectable crab cakes. The best time to visit the Half Shell proves during their Sunday brunch, though keep in mind the long wait times.

Wasabi Sushi will take care of your craving for oriental cuisine once you move to your Bolton apartment. Although this restaurant's sushi enjoys the most popularity, its Ramen soup also deserves mention. Many patrons consider Wasabi Mobile's best sushi restaurant due to both its succulent dishes and relaxing decor.

On night's out, most of Bolton's residents travel to the bars of downtown Mobile. However, the neighborhood pub also draws large crowds on weekend nights. Called the Lucky Irish Pub & Grill, the dark-wood decor and large drink menu keep patrons returning every weekend. Furthermore, the Lucky Irish Pub also serves up a range of high-quality drinks and often hosts live music.

Driving represents the best method of transport around Bolton. Parking exists in abundance in the residential districts of Bolton, though finding public parking in the shopping zones presents a challenge. Major expressways, such as Interstate 65, Highway 90 and the Airport Boulevard Service Road, all cater to the neighborhood. Furthermore, several taxi services service Bolton; taxi drivers most often frequent area streets surrounding the Mobile Festival Centre. Unfortunately, Uber does not cater to Mobile.

Walkers and bikers face few significant risks in Bolton's residential areas due to low traffic levels. However, the lack of biking lanes makes cycling on major roads risky. Routes 7, 18, and 10 of Mobile's public transportation system, the Wave Transit, cater to Bolton with low fare prices.

Only one park exists within the borders of Bolton: Matthews Park. This park centers around baseball and softball fields, and numerous children's sporting events happen on a regular basis. The park's other amenities include an open green space and a picnic area. Though no facilities specifically catering to canines exist, the park encourages Bolton's residents to bring their dogs on strolls through the park. Unfortunately, little to no regularly occurring public events happen at Matthews Park.

Cost of living in Bolton differs very little from Mobile's city averages. For instance, a one-bedroom residence in Bolton costs only $600 per month, just $50 less than the citywide average. Bolton's residents expect average food and drink prices as well, as evidenced by the $5 cost of a pint at the neighborhood's pubs. Mobile's public transit system charges $1.25 per route no matter what, which saves residents money on gas. Gasoline costs just 1 percent higher than the city average in Bolton, though this still rates as much as 14 percent lower than the national average.

As previously mentioned, the three major shopping malls located in north eastern Bolton helped to distinguish the neighborhood as one of Mobile's premier luxury shopping outlets. For the most part, multinational chain stores occupy most of these mall's real estate, punctuated by the occasional locally owned boutique.

Elliot's Jewelry houses one of the neighborhood's oldest, locally owned boutiques. Though this shop does sell finished products, they specialize in working with customers to create custom pieces. This dedication to personalization allows the staff of Elliot's Jewelry to build long-lasting relationships with the community, which no doubt accounts for the store's lengthy history in the area.

South of Bolton sits one of Mobile's most beloved dress outlets, Rosie's Fashion Center. This establishment caters mostly in wedding dresses and typically creates custom clothing for their patrons. Rosie's strives to present significantly lower prices than its multinational competitors; this habit leaves customers satisfied and likely to return in the future.

Several grocery stores exist in the Bolton area, including a Publix, Sam's Club, International Food & Grocery, and even a luxury food outlet called the Fresh Market.