Jackson (Ann Arbor: housing, jobs, schools)

[ibshelly40]

I was raised in Jackson, but I have been gone 25 years. In my heart, Jackson is still home. Can anyone give me an update on the town? What is the name of Jackson High now? I'm a little homesick at times.

[leadsquirter]

On the UrbanPlanet website some guy posted a lot of pictures of Jackson taken last summer. A lot of history and neat old buildings in Jackson.
Jackson - UrbanPlanet.org

[Mimi24]

Jackson High is still Jackson High, as far as I know. I guess Jackson is OK. I worked there for 5+ years and moved away 2 years ago. The 'hood is still the 'hood...basically anything bordered by Francis, Morrell and Greenwood St. That's about it.

[ibshelly40]

Thanks for the link. I loved looking at all of the pictures. I have been away so long, I couldn't remember exactly where all of those places were. I loved looking at them anyway. Now I'll be able to share a little bit of my life as a teen, with my new husband. I didn't live downtown; I lived by the airport. I did take a trip up there a couple years ago with my 15 year old daughter and showed her Jackson High. (For some reason, I thought they had changed the name when the schools combined). It's kind of cool to share your former life with your children.

[dooface]

Jackson seems to be getting more retail spaces like Panera Bread and Starbucks but overall not much has changed in 20 years. Housing is still affordable and not much in the way of art and/or cultural opportunities.

[A2Mich]

I just moved from Jackson a few months ago. I had lived there for a year and had never lived in Jackson before that, but had visited there many times before. My opinion...I didn't like Jackson, mostly because I work in Ann Arbor, and the commute was getting old and expensive. I always felt like Jackson was just the place for poor section 8 people. I know that that isn't necessarily true, but that's the way I felt when I lived there, the town seems to give that kind of impression. The biggest drawback I found is that are practically no jobs at all in Jackson. I also really could not find the nice part of town. Not saying that the whole town as bad, but no one part seemed nicer than any other. Just my opinion...I didn't really mind living there, though, as most of the shopping I needed to do was nearby. I just couldn't handle the commuting time and expense driving from Jackson to A2 everyday.

[Sociologist]

Originally Posted by ibshelly40

I was raised in Jackson, but I have been gone 25 years. In my heart, Jackson is still home. Can anyone give me an update on the town? What is the name of Jackson High now? I'm a little homesick at times.

Well since you left, many jobs have also gone, along with families. I spent some time living in the area, and it is frustrating to see what has happened to the town. The town is still run by very conservative individuals who are against change to laws that would allow for tax breaks and expansions. Most schools are still the same, struggling to educate the public on how desperate millages are needed. Many buildings stand vacant, but the city allows for cheap strip malls to be built that often loose their occupants within months. There is no stable employment unless you are employed with the largest employers in the area, which is less than 5. Things were much better 25 years ago in the area than they are now, this is probably true for most of Michigan. I'm not trying to be overly negative, although the leaders of this city have done absolutely nothing to prevent the many jobs that have left the city from doing so. It is a sad situation, you have a town that has charm and promise and is neglected.