State Capital Battle: Jackson MS vs Montgomery AL

[annie_himself]

Never heard anyone say they like Jackson.

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

Never heard anyone say they like Jackson.

Was wondering where the person who's so down on Mississippi was at, thanks for checking in.

[rnc2mbfl]

Been to both briefly for business reasons. Based on my business experiences in each, I'd choose Jackson.

[GATXM&M]

I've spent time in both and like them both for what is expected of a metro of that size. In-town Jackson is grittier and has more suburban retail development (also issues between state legislature and Jackson). Montgomery city limits is better and has a lot more retail development therefore it helps the cities tax base which gives it the better infrastructure. I prefer Montgomery but Jackson does have a better location (Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville and Birmingham under 6 hour drive)

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by GATXM&M

I've spent time in both and like them both for what is expected of a metro of that size. In-town Jackson is grittier and has more suburban retail development (also issues between state legislature and Jackson). Montgomery city limits is better and has a lot more retail development therefore it helps the cities tax base which gives it the better infrastructure. I prefer Montgomery but Jackson does have a better location (Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville and Birmingham under 6 hour drive)

Eh, I think location is probably a tie. Montgomery is closer to the good Gulf Coast beaches of Alabama and Florida, Atlantic Coast beaches near Savannah and Jacksonville, Atlanta, and the mountains and the cities in the vicinity (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Asheville).

[Kerrymad25]

Originally Posted by Aficionado

Which city is better off? Jackson
Which is more desirable? To me, definitely Jackson.
Which has more culture? Tie. They're quite similar in this regard IMO.
Which city is better to visit? Neither, so Jackson by default.
Which city do you prefer and why? Definitely Jackson.

I'm comfortably familiar with both, and I'd say Jackson wins here for sure. I've always said that Montgomery is Jackson's closest replica in the state of Alabama. Even the terrain is quite similar around both metros with minor topographical variations. Montgomery has pockets of spanish moss while Jackson doesn't, but both are quite flat.

I genuinely like Jack-town better than the gump, so given the choice, I would choose Jackson many times over. Jackson has always felt more developed, and well rounded overall as a city than Montgomery to me. Jackson seems to have better shopping, better suburbs, and an undoubtedly larger skyline.

Jackson wins.

Jackson is smaller than Montgomery al for population and city size Montgomery land area is 158 square miles Jackson is 110 in land size skyline do not have anything to do with city size

[NorthDeKalb]

Jackson's economy [29B] is also considerably larger than Montgomery's [17B].

This was several years ago, but I believe the skyline comment may have just been a way of substantiating a general premise that Jackson always felt more comprehensive than Montgomery. They're similar in scope, but overall my opinion hasn't changed.

[C24L]

Montgomery cuz its in Alabama

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by C24L

Montgomery cuz its in Alabama

Is that your only rationale for ever choosing one place over another? Are arbitrary state borders the only thing that matter?

[MinivanDriver]

I've been to Jackson several times. Montgomery, on the other hand, I used to travel there on biz two days a week. Finally, my client came to me and asked, "M, what would it take for you to move here?" My reply? "A gun to my head. And even then I'd make a break for it."

So, Jackson.