Areas
Ten stretches that make up the Key, both sides of the line. Locals don't call any of these "neighborhoods" — they're just the parts of town, and each one has its own deal.
Perdido Key side
Perdido Key Drive
The strip. Gulf-front high-rises, the Sandshaker, and the smell of fryer oil drifting south.
Johnson Beach / Gulf Islands
The undeveloped end. National park rules apply. Bring shade — there isn't any.
Innerarity Point
Bay side. Where locals drink. Hub Stacey's, Pirate's Cove, and a sunset that beats the Gulf for half the year.
Sorrento / Bauer Road
The inland part. Where the Publix is. Where everyone who actually lives here goes for cat litter.
The Flora-Bama Line
Two states, one parking lot. The Mullet Toss, the Songwriters, the line. Where the Key is, in spirit.
Pensacola Beach
East over the pass. Casino Beach, the beach-ball water tower, and the bar that started the Bushwacker argument.
Orange Beach side
Ono Island
Gated, quiet, and across a bridge. Locals live here. Tourists do not, on purpose.
Perdido Beach Boulevard
The OB strip. Phoenix this, Phoenix that. Cosmo's, GTs, and Hwy 182 doing four lanes' worth of nine lanes' work.
Perdido Pass / Marinas
Where the boats live. Zeke's, Sportsman, Orange Beach Marina. The charter fleet HQ.
The Wharf
Amphitheater, ferris wheel, marina, restaurants, shopping. The 'a lot at once' option.
Gulf Shores
The big beach town two towns west. Hwy 59, The Hangout, Gulf State Park, and the most attractions per square mile on the island.
Foley / OWA
Inland Baldwin County. OWA, Tanger outlets, and the rainy-day cluster.