Advice on living in Belhaven/Fondren (Jackson, Madison: sales, crime, home)

[bertboughtthepert]

Hello!

I'm a single, late 20's male moving to Jackson for work in the next couple of months. I've generally been told to stay away from Jackson and move to somewhere in Madison; however, I've found a couple interesting looking places in Belhaven and Fondren areas. I'm a very active guy: running, cycling, swimming...just recently got out of the Marine Corps...just being outside is important to me. Other than that I'm not too picky but am interested in a place that is somewhat walkable to restaurants, grocery, etc. Any advice provided by seasoned residents would be greatly appreciated!

Of note, commute does not really factor in as I work in sales so the road (my car) is my office.

Thank you!

[golden eagles fan]

You would love Fondren. It's the trendy part of town with a lot of good local restaurants, shops and a monthly street festival on the first Thursday of each month.

Belhaven is fine; just not as much to do as in Fondren.

[Luckytown123]

Welcome to the area. Negative people will be negative. Good for you for keeping an open mind anyway. I think you would love Belhaven (my neighborhood) or Fondren. Both neighborhoods are awesome for young people that want to live in walkable neighborhoods. The two neighborhoods are pretty similar. Belhaven is closer to downtown, more residential, and older. Fondren is slightly newer and has a larger concentration of reataurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. I say, go for it. My only advice is, if you're in Belhaven, look north of fortication st., and if you're in Fondren, look East of State St. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

[Neshomamench]

Yeah, they are neat areas with some of the few things to do around here. (there is very little to do here, anywhere) You will see people walking dogs, playing with kids and walking all over the place.

You are also much more likely to be a victim of a crime, both personal and property than if you pick Madison. If you park outside and have a lot of stuff in your car, it further increases the likely hood it will be broken into.

It isn't that those areas are bad, it is that they are not separated from areas that are. Even if you are in a nice place, if it is next to a toilet, you are a going to get some splatter.

[madison2013]

If you value your safety or don't want your car or home broken into then move to Madison.

If you're single and don't have a family and care more about drinking and eating out then pick Fondren.

[Luckytown123]

For what it's worth, I've lived here for six years, I have a family, and have had zero problems. Unlike what Madison implied, I value my family's life more than drinking and eating out. Your "safety" will not be in danger as one commenter just posted. As I said before, negative people will be negative. Unfortunately, there is a lot of contention between Jackson and its suburbs. I wish it wasn't that way, but some people on this site just can't help themselves.

[madison2013]

Originally Posted by Luckytown123

For what it's worth, I've lived here for six years, I have a family, and have had zero problems. Unlike what Madison implied, I value my family's life more than drinking and eating out. Your "safety" will not be in danger as one commenter just posted. As I said before, negative people will be negative. Unfortunately, there is a lot of contention between Jackson and its suburbs. I wish it wasn't that way, but some people on this site just can't help themselves.

Stats don't lie.

[Neshomamench]

Originally Posted by Luckytown123

For what it's worth, I've lived here for six years, I have a family, and have had zero problems. Unlike what Madison implied, I value my family's life more than drinking and eating out. Your "safety" will not be in danger as one commenter just posted. As I said before, negative people will be negative. Unfortunately, there is a lot of contention between Jackson and its suburbs. I wish it wasn't that way, but some people on this site just can't help themselves.

There is nothing that can overcome the statistics. Your single data point doesn't do that. Your love for the place doesn't do that and attacking people who post the stats will not do that.

You are far more likely to be the victim of a crime in those areas than you are in Madison.

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[golden eagles fan]

How about letting people be free to choose where they want to live? Since Jackson is the biggest city by far in the metro, obviously, there are greater chances of being a crime victim than in surrounding cities.

[Luckytown123]

Neshomanech,

Thanks for providing that link. On it's overview page, your source reads: "Another interesting thing about Jackson, despite not being a huge city, is that there is a relatively high proportion of people living here who are young, single, and upwardly-mobile professionals. This makes it a good choice for other relocating single professionals. Here, these young singles will find many others like themselves, with opportunities for friendships, socializing, romance, and fun." I think this particular quote from your source is especially relevant to the poster's question, since he fits that description. Thanks for the info!!