ANYTHING desirable about Macon?? (Columbus, Savannah: neighborhood, law school, live)

[twingirls2boys]

SO, my husband has two potential job offers on the table. One state we have already checked out and like very much. In August we will be visiting Macon to check out the other. I am SO discouraged by everything I have read about Macon, and I fear it will be no better (and perhaps worse) than where we are right now.

I am trying to be as vague as possible in where we currently live and where the other job option is just to get some neutral feedback on Macon. Of course it is not hard to find out the other information on this forum

Please be honest. From what I have read, I think we would reside in North Macon or as far out as Forsyth or Lizella.

Thanks!

[King_X]

North Macon (Northern Bibb County) is very nice and suburban in character and so is Southern Bibb County out in the Hartley Bridge Rd. area, it's very nice too. As for the metro, you have plenty of options to check out.

Warner Robins, Byron, Bonaire, Kathleen, Forsyth, other random areas in Houston County, Jones County and Monroe County.

If you head out of the city limits, you can find more rural areas in Western Bibb County such as Lizella (as you've already mentioned) or out Thomaston Rd....or in East Macon/East Bibb headed near the Jones County or Twiggs County borders.

Macon gets a bad rap, but overall Bibb County and the entire metro has more nice than bad areas. It just so happens that our city limit boundaries encompass most of the bad areas. If our city limit boundaries stretched out enough to include more prosperous areas further away from the inner city like a few other of our 2nd Tier GA cities then the "stats" wouldnt look nearly as bad.

Dont let people discourage you, you'd be in a great area if you check out any of the places I listed above.

I think Jones County is slept on alot on this board, it's pretty nice out there.

[twingirls2boys]

Thanks King X! I appreciate your info. I will keep looking around. We'd really like to find someplace family friendly with lots of stuff to do... outdoor cafes, walking trails, nice shopping, good restaurants, maybe a lake nearby?? Where would you recommend for that sort of stuff?

There have been a lot of views on this thread but only one response??

[geog-fanatic]

Originally Posted by twingirls2boys

We'd really like to find someplace family friendly with lots of stuff to do... outdoor cafes, walking trails, nice shopping, good restaurants, maybe a lake nearby?? Where would you recommend for that sort of stuff?

Macon does have the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail system, which includes the walking trails within the Ocmulgee National Monument/Indian Mounds. There are 2 lakes very close to the city: Lake Tobesofkee & Lake Wildwood. Both are surrounded by residential areas, but Lake Tobesofkee does have a few public access parks and supposedly good fishing. Lake Juliette is also a pretty good lake located a few miles north of the city.

There are several festivals that take place each year, such as the Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon and Mossy Creek (south of Warner Robins), and both are good family friendly events. However, I think a lot of the family friendly type activities are usually centered around the church. As for shopping and restaurants, that would depend on what your specific tastes/preferences are. They have an indoor mall in Macon, although many of the stores are vacant, and they have a lifestyle center-type mall in North Macon. Most of the restaurants are chain or franchise establishments in both Macon and Warner Robins, but there are a few exceptions.

[King_X]

twingirls2boys, seriously, considering what you're looking for I would look into Jones County as much as possible.

Jones County is bordered by Milledgeville which is a charming town itself and is the largest town in what is considered the "lake country" part of GA.

Lake Oconee | Lake Sinclair | Georgia's Lake Country

Lake Sinclair/Lake Oconee


Good info from, geog-fanatic
as well.

[twingirls2boys]

Thank you both very much!! Off to explore that link!

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by vonoventwin

removed by moderator

I agree, my buddy who goes to law school there just had his car broken into near campus. Plus, there just isn't as much to do there compared to other Georgia cities like Savannah, Columbus, and Augusta. Visited this past weekend and downtown was kind of dead.

[King_X]

Compared to Augusta or especially Savannah, no. However, compared to Columbus, I know there isn't any more to do there than in Macon for young adults in their 20s and teens.


DT Columbus isnt noticeably more active on weekends or the weekdays than DT Macon, nor is it any less "ghetto." This is especially true with those Booker T Washington public housing units across the street from the Columbus Civic Center.

Columbus might have more country clubs and golf courses for middle aged people, that's about it.

I lived in Columbus for a couple years. Driving down main roads like J.R. Allen Pkwy, Veterans, Victory, Manchester Expressway, Macon Rd, etc. in Columbus
does not exhibit any characteristics that would suggest you are in a more lively city than Macon. When you consider the way the heavily traveled
I-75 cuts through the heart of Macon, with roads such as Mercer Univ Dr, Riverside Dr, Gray Highway, Eisenhower, and Pio Nono Ave branching off....
it just seems Macon moves at a faster pace. Perhaps this is because Columbus sits off by itself and only has a spur connecting it to a real interstate.

Combine that with the fact that we have more and bigger malls, a visible skyline, and more late night spots for teens and young adults...and Macon just seems more urban than Columbus.

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by King_X

Compared to Augusta or especially Savannah, no. However, compared to Columbus, I know there isn't any more to do there than in Macon for young adults in their 20s and teens.


DT Columbus isnt noticeably more active on weekends or the weekdays than DT Macon, nor is it any less "ghetto." This is especially true with those Booker T Washington public housing units across the street from the Columbus Civic Center.

Columbus might have more country clubs and golf courses for middle aged people, that's about it.

I lived in Columbus for a couple years. Driving down main roads like J.R. Allen Pkwy, Veterans, Victory, Manchester Expressway, Macon Rd, etc. in Columbus
does not exhibit any characteristics that would suggest you are in a more lively city than Macon. When you consider the way the heavily traveled
I-75 cuts through the heart of Macon, with roads such as Mercer Univ Dr, Riverside Dr, Gray Highway, Eisenhower, and Pio Nono Ave branching off....
it just seems Macon moves at a faster pace. Perhaps this is because Columbus sits off by itself and only has a spur connecting it to a real interstate.

Combine that with the fact that we have more and bigger malls, a visible skyline, and more late night spots for teens and young adults...and Macon just seems more urban than Columbus.

Only thing that makes it more "lively" is that it has I-75 running through it, other than that Macon is pretty slow and much smaller. Mercer is nice though.

[LovinDecatur]

My sister has lived there for 16 years (married a native) and has come to really appreciate Macon. Her assessment: lovely people, slow-paced lifestyle, very church-oriented, private school in Bibb County a must. She really loves her north Macon neighborhood (near Wesleyan).