“I left Mobile in 1990 when I graduated from high school, and I came back in 2019. I grew up in a small town, Grand Bay, and there was always something inside of me that said, there’s a great big world out there, and you need to see it. And so, I knew that when I went away to college that that was my opportunity to start getting out there in the world, which I did, for many, many years. I had been coming back for a few years to visit my parents, and the city had just progressed so much. I always tell people that Mobile was sort of like Portland right before Portland became super hot. We’re right on the cusp of being the next great mid-sized city, and I just really wanted to be a part of that. I felt like I’d been gone long enough, and I also got to come back on my terms. I got to come back because I wanted to, not because I had to, and I think that’s very important in life when you’re thinking about your happiness, you know?” – Murphy Bishop of Mobile

Murphy Bishop said he has a new appreciation for Mobile since returning in 2019. (Michelle Matthews / People of Alabama)

Bishop’s time away from the Port City helped him appreciate Mobile.

“I have loved every minute of my life here. Coming from 30-plus years in major cities, there’s some things that we just simply do not have here. If you stay in the city, we don’t have real traffic. We have traffic, but it doesn’t cripple your entire day. Everything I do is in the midtown and downtown area, and the sheer amount of efficiency I get out of my day is just mind-blowing. So, I love that about my life because I’m very structured from the moment I get up until the moment I go to bed, because I have all these irons in the fire. I love how accessible we are to other things. We’re an hour from Pensacola, an hour from Gulf Shores, two hours from New Orleans. And I’m also a huge fan of our weather. You don’t realize how much you miss rain until you go 20 years without having rain. I just think there’s nothing better than sitting out on the porch with the rain pouring down and just watching the day go by. There is literally something going on every weekend here. You can never get bored. I think that’s super refreshing. The city programming is really sort of next level, and the community support is great, so I really enjoy it. I don’t see myself going anywhere anytime soon.”

Murphy Bishop wants The Driskell to showcase some of his favorite aspects of Mobile. (Michelle Mattews / People of Alabama)

Bishop is the founder of The Better Skin Co. and owner of Coastal Domain, a property development company. His latest project, The Driskell, is a historic Government Street mansion that’s being renovated to become a private social club with a saltwater pool (named The Betty for his late mother), a full-service restaurant and an outdoor event space.

“I’m of the mindset that I want to live a long, full life, you know? If I’m going to work this hard now, I want to live a long, full life, so I’m committed to staying positive and getting there. Both my parents passed away years ago, and one of the things that you really learn when you lose your parents is, it’s about you. There’s no going home. You can’t call mom, you can’t call dad. You may not have their house to drive back to when things aren’t going good. And it really changes the way you feel about your life and the way you make decisions and all those types of things. I hate that I lost them so young, but it also really sort of fast-forwards your take on how you navigate the world. I had great parents, and there’s nothing like mom and dad.”

These are the faces and stories of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home. People of Alabama is a Red Clay Media and Alabama News Center partnership.