anyones thoughts on macon? (Atlanta, Warner Robins: low crime, houses, unemployment)

[angelbee]

Hi , family and I were up there during the cherry blossom festival and was quite pleased with Macon and the way the city was laid out. Husband looked for work there for body shop painter but found nothing however we saw 2 houses there near lake wildwood that really we could get IF he had gotten a job... I noticed unemployment is 10% there, at least on this website, but that was 2003. Anyone out there who could tell their tale about this area would be great.

[Madame]

Angelbee:

South and mid-Macon are not great places to live. The houses are older, and it's overcrowded.

North Macon is better, particularly near the Ingelside/Pierce area past Vineville but before Riverside.

Macon's a great place overall. The architecture is unique to Georgia. Good luck in your search.

[mycatsmom]

I lived in Macon for about 15 months around 1986. We lived on College Street next to a doctor and down from Beal's Restaurant (don't know if its there now or not). Our autos were broken into 4 times in less than 3 months. We also found the natives quite snobbish. Seems as though if you were not from the area for the last hundred years you were nothing.

I have a friend who still lives there and he says its no better. He lives in the historic district and still has a problem with crime.

[Holly]

There is a big problem with crime and drugs here. I would agree with stay in North Macon or go south into bibb county. I have found teh people to be nice and I am from up north. The poverty level is really high. Jobs here I am not sure there a whole lot. I know that Mercer employees a lot of people. Stay away from downtown or in the city anywhere unless its north macon.

[afonega]

Im from nearby Warner Robins.The cities are like day night.Its been many years since i lived there but i have noticed a lot of positive changes in Macon on trips back to visit family.There is more civic pride but jobs and are not plentiful.At one point i was more scared to go Downtown Macon than i ever was since ive been in Atlanta. Like Atlanta,crime is significantly down.Downtown is looking much nicer and there are nice places if you are single or a young couple.I do not recommend it for families.Warner Robins is a close alternative with good schools low crime,jobs.and diversity due to the large ROBINS AFB and its only 15minutes away from "city life" of Macon

[vilanoangel]

Hi, I was born and raised in Macon. I moved away 2 years ago because the city is going under- it's getting really bad. Sure, the Cherry Blossom Festival and a few other events are nice, but before you decide to move there watch what's on www.Macon.com the Telegraph. It's the online edition of the newspaper. The city of Macon has been going downhill. Companies and business moving away, crime rates going higher, joblessness increasing, schools are pitiful and the city government continually has to borrow money just to meet payroll. If the area is interesting to you, check out Warner Robins in Houston County, it's growing with business and people. Everybody moves from Macon to Jones County, Houston County, Byron or elsewhere. Your husband could check B&H Body Shop on Hawkinsville Rd., Macon for a job, it's between Macon and Warner Robins. Macon was once a good place to live, work and play- not anymore. Good luck to you whatever your decision.

[sweetgapeach]

I'm 42 years old and lived in Macon until 1995 when my family and I moved to nearby Warner Robins. Since that time, the city of Macon has gone downhill in a bad way. Seeing what has happened to Macon has been very sad to me. Everyone here talks about how bad Macon has become since Mayor Ellis went into office. The Macon Mall has had a serious problem with crime and everyone knows not to go to the mall in the evenings. I don't just mean crime such as shoplifting, but gang fights and such. The mall was closed down early at least one evening last summer due to a fight that broke out inside of the mall. My son worked at the mall as a security guard last year and the first night he was on the job there was a bloody fight where a woman cut 2 girls up with a box cutter inside of the mall. The mall is a different place after dark or at least it was last year. I rarely go there anymore and I know other people who will travel all the way to Atlanta to shop rather than to visit the mall in Macon. Crime is a bad problem in Macon and I for one won't ever move back to my hometown unless some positive changes start taking place. A lot of people have left Macon in the last few years who have lived there most of their lives and are moving to nearby cities and to the outskirts of Macon. I personally don't see any of this improving unless and until Mayor Ellis is replaced. There have been many tries to remove him from office but so far none has worked. My father died many years ago and I know that he would be so sad to know what has happened to the city he lived in all of his life. I would strongly recommend that you not move to Macon, Georgia.

[jdaryl2002]

I also agree with the other posts. I personality know a high ranking police official in the Macon PD who told me that Macon has been turned over to intercity youths who has no adult supervision and drug dealers. The sad thing is that the downtown has a rich heritage with many nice old buildings. There is a lot of potential for downtown but unless city officials weed out and clean up neighborhoods it’s not going to change anytime soon. On the flip side don’t discount Bibb County. That is where all the tax payers who lived in Macon have moved to. The West and North sides are high growth and have many very nice communities.

[Hargrove Willett]

I couldn't resist this one. I have lived here in Macon for 16 years. Even before I lived here, I knew the town well, as my mom grew up here. Macon is a fantastic place! I live in the historic district - only a few blocks from downtown. I have never been robbed, my home or car has never been broken in to, I've never been assaulted and no one has ever offered me drugs on the street! My house is over 100 years old and it's a wonderful house. My neighbors are great and people walk up and down my street at all hours of the day (and night). I've walked the streets of downtown with my family. My son rides his bike down there every weekend. We visit the cafes and eateries, the home owned bookstore, the local museums and historic sites and the beautiful new river trail. We run into the local homeless folks and say hello -- and even attend their funerals when the end comes (paid for by all the folks who stop and say hello and offer a hand). Within a few blocks I could visit several churches or temples or other houses of worship and feel quite welcome at any of them. My home is not "Southern Living" or "Martha Stewart", my cars are older and were bought used, yet no one seems to mind. I'm surrounded by wonderful music and the people who made it. You'd be hard pressed to find a town that has offered to the world as many musical geniuses as Macon has. You can visit any of our wonderful new downtown clubs and run into some of these folks! As far as drugs go, you'll find them anywhere, but as a public school teacher I've heard students say that to buy drugs you need to go to North Macon where the kids who have more money live. For everything that you have read about the dangers of downtown Macon, I could write what we who live in downtown hear about North Macon and the other outlying areas. It's all relative! There is good and bad in any community. Macon does need some political work, but that's about the only thing that I could agree with in other postings about the community. There is so much to get involved with here. It's not all about malls and shopping. Macon has a rich history and a lot of people who want to get those facts out there. There are some great people here, and plenty of room for new ones to step in and help.

[Georgia]

Macon is losing population, down over 10% in the last 6 years.
I personally like Macon, the history etc. The issues I have found are in the NE area where I-16/I-75 meet.
Heck, I was approached at the McDonalds parking lot for money and harrassment, considering I'm 6'4" in good shape etc., I wondered what would become of an elderly person or petite female traveling alone. Then again, this could happen anywhere, not just Macon.
I also had the opportunity to be in the West side of Macon at a Country Club for a meeting. Now that was a nice area.
Outside of the Mickey D's crackhead, I have yet to see anyone in Macon mean or snobbish. Only nice.