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I'm planning on moving to Starkville soon to attend MSU. I would love it if some of the residents or former residents could help me out on some things.
Any suggestions on pet friendly places to live? 2 dogs (one large and one medium) and a cat? Both dogs are very friendly towards everyone and the cat is a strictly inside cat.
Best restaurants?
How is the traffic in Starkville?
Are there any non denominational churches?
How's the police department? Friendly or rude officers? I'm not a trouble maker, just would like to hear a thank you for once when I hold the door open for an officer.
Recommendations for dentists, tattoo/piercing parlors, and general doctors?
Best grocery store? I like friendly staff and clean places with good choices. I love to cook and fresh meats (particularly beef and venison) are a must.
Good place for school supplies? Not overly expensive.
The nicest park around there for walking dogs?
Good gym?
Good place for fishing?
Best place to shop for sports fan gear? Not just MSU. I love Auburn, too.
Are the movie theaters good?
Movie rental places besides Redbox?
Thanks for the help. Feel free to add in anything else about Starkville. I've already read the city's page and everything to learn about the place, but no one can tell me what's what better than someone who lives there, right?
I haven't lived in Oktibbeha County since 2000, but my family is still there so I visit often. I'm not a big fan of the area so please take what I say with a grain of salt.
1) I don't know about rentals since I never rented an apt in Starkville, and none of my friends who did rent had pets.
2) Restaurants - depends on what you like and what you're looking for. Having lived in very diverse areas, I don't like the restaurants in town. I think they are WAY overpriced for the quality of food you get. I prefer to eat at my mom's.
3) Traffic in Starkville? Compared to Jackson, Memphis, Chattanooga, NYC? Nonexistent. Just don't think you'll be moving "quickly" during rush hour 7-8, 4:30-5:30. Getting around on Hwy 12 is a little slow during that time.
4) There are scads of churches. You'll be able to find nondenominational ones too. Not a problem.
5) The question about the police is weird to me. I have no input. I always thought that cops are cops.
6) No recs on drs. In general, I HATE the medical care available in town. It's not that great. I beg my parents to move as they are aging and have to drive to Tupelo for adequate medical care. The dentists are especially bad. A note about the OCH (Oktibbeha County Hospital): it is a notoriously bad hospital. Several of my friends have gone to Columbus or Eupora to have their babies. My dad had a heart attack, and they left him in the ER for four hours before transferring him to Tupelo. When he complained, they told him if he didn't like their level of care that he could get up and walk out. Yeah, right. Once he was transferred to Tupelo, the dr. there said in another hour my dad would have died. Idiots at OCH. A friend of mine had a daughter who was bit in the face by a pit bull, and OCH had her wait for 6 hours in the ER. Do yourself a favor and don't mess around with that hospital.
7) I don't know about grocery stores. Last I knew, it was just the chain stores like Kroger and Wal-Mart. Maybe there is more near campus.
8) Scan the ads for supply deals.
9) I don't think there are any dog parks so I don't know about that.
10) If you're affiliated with the college, use the university gym.
11) We fished at a friend's farm so I don't know about public fishing.
12) Sports gear? Not MSU? Maybe the internet.
13) Last time I was at the theater there, it was fine.
14) I don't know about movie rentals. We use RedBox.
Life in Starkville really does revolve around the university and the college kids. The prices of pretty much everything are inflated because of it.
I have former classmates who were born in Starkville and are raising their children there. They love it. They have season tickets for MSU football, basketball and baseball. Some people really love it there. Maybe one of those people will find your post and respond.
I'm going to try and stay mostly unbiased, but I left the place running...
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Originally Posted by brc925
Any suggestions on pet friendly places to live?
Most apartment complexes in the area allow small dogs or cats, with pet deposit. The Highlands is a community of mass-produced houses close to MSU campus, the main entrance located beside the Shell station on the corner of Highway 82, and 182 on the East side. The houses there also allow pets.
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Originally Posted by brc925
Best restaurants?
Leave town eastbound on highway 182. Cross under Highway 82 once (if you cross under a large underpass a 2nd time, you've gone too far). Turn left onto 16 Section Rd (by the MSU golf course). You'll see a building on the left, about the size of a double-wide trailer, with a small sign out front. This is Morris's BBQ. It is the best BBQ you will ever have. Enjoy it.
Also, University Drive, into the Cotton District (looks like the French Quarter of New Orleans). On the north side of the road, go between the two buildings, down the brick street. On the left is "Jean's Cafe". The owner is a short, old Asian lady. Feel free to call her "Mama Jean". She'll talk your ear off, but it is the best Chinese food I've ever had. Definitely order the Cheese Wontons. There's nothing like them.
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Originally Posted by brc925
How is the traffic in Starkville?
Traffic? What's that? During games, they reroute some streets on campus to accommodate the flow, but asides from that the streets are basically free all times of day. You'll probably get stuck at a red light on highway 12.
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Originally Posted by brc925
How's the police department?
Mostly unnoticeable. I had mostly no trouble while there (didn't get robbed, assaulted, or anything else). The one experience I did have with an officer, though, it was bad. I was riding my bike (the pedal variety) to campus, and pulled out my phone to read a text. Got pulled over for "texting while driving". The officer then proceeded to issue me a ticket for it. I took it to court, and the judge took the officer's side, even though the law states that you cannot text while operating a motor vehicle. Preach to me all you want about safety, a bicycle is not a motor vehicle.
I also got pulled over for walking a dog with a friend. Apparently, though, my friend (who was a local) had a reputation with the cop, so the cop was just making sure my friend wasn't up to anything bad.
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Originally Posted by brc925
Recommendations for dentists, tattoo/piercing parlors, and general doctors?
Doctors: student health center on campus. Can't speak for dentists, or tattoo/piercing parlors, but I can't imagine there are too many options.
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Originally Posted by brc925
Best grocery store?
Piggly Wiggly. Or Walmart. They both have food.
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Originally Posted by brc925
Good place for school supplies?
Walmart, or one of the various book stores on campus. There's one on Lee Blvd, if you exit campus to the northeast (keep driving past Burger King).
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Originally Posted by brc925
The nicest park around there for walking dogs?
Either around campus, or the various campus farms. There's also a small dog park (see link) -- it's really just a small baseball field.
The Sandersen Center, on campus. It's really your only option.
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Originally Posted by brc925
Are the movie theaters good?
Plural? There's only one. Just your average, small movie theatre. Decent size screen, ticket prices are reasonable. You're stuck watching whatever 4 movies they're playing, though.
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Originally Posted by brc925
Feel free to add in anything else about Starkville.
I left. As fast as I could. I didn't enjoy the small town, close minded attitudes of the locals. Honestly, the campus and college aren't that bad, but the town itself is a patch of dirt. The cotton district is fun at night, though... And you can always find a house party in the highlands.
I haven't lived in Oktibbeha County since 2000, but my family is still there so I visit often. I'm not a big fan of the area so please take what I say with a grain of salt.
Keep in mind that Starkville in 2012 is a much different city than it was in 2000. It may be difficult to notice all the changes if you are not staying for long during your visits (a fair assumption, given your admission of not being a fan of the area). Starkville is one of the fastest growing cities in Mississippi, and certainly among the fastest growing cities in the southeast. MSU drives a lot of that growth. They are the largest university in the state, and have north of 21,000 students now. That represents significant growth over the past decade. With more students, the city itself has grown quite a bit. One of the more exciting projects that will continue the city's transformation is the Cotton Mills Marketplace, which will be a mix of conference facilities, hotels, condos, and shops. That will be located right across the street from MSU, on highway 12.
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2) Restaurants - depends on what you like and what you're looking for. Having lived in very diverse areas, I don't like the restaurants in town. I think they are WAY overpriced for the quality of food you get. I prefer to eat at my mom's.
Not fair. Sure, it's not Atlanta, but there is a very diverse set of restaurants here in town. To give you an idea of the diversity, a very good Thai restaurant recently opened, there's a good Greek restaurant downtown, and the city is home to 3 very good Tex-mex restaurants. I've lived in much larger cities, and most good local owned/operated places are driven out by the chains. While we still have most of the largest chains (e.g., Chili's, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, Buffalo Wild Wing's), we do lack others (e.g., TGI Friday's, IHOP), but I don't see that as much of a problem.
I can see why someone might say that the dining options are lacking if they mainly go to the "most famous" restaurants (e.g., Little Dooey). Personally, I stay far away from those places. I don't like barbecue and I don't like hole in the walls. Whenever we have a visitor, we always try to talk them out of Little Dooey, actually. If that's your thing then you may enjoy it, but for my money, there's much better options.
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6) No recs on drs. In general, I HATE the medical care available in town. It's not that great. I beg my parents to move as they are aging and have to drive to Tupelo for adequate medical care. The dentists are especially bad. A note about the OCH (Oktibbeha County Hospital): it is a notoriously bad hospital. Several of my friends have gone to Columbus or Eupora to have their babies. My dad had a heart attack, and they left him in the ER for four hours before transferring him to Tupelo. When he complained, they told him if he didn't like their level of care that he could get up and walk out. Yeah, right. Once he was transferred to Tupelo, the dr. there said in another hour my dad would have died. Idiots at OCH. A friend of mine had a daughter who was bit in the face by a pit bull, and OCH had her wait for 6 hours in the ER. Do yourself a favor and don't mess around with that hospital.
Maybe it has improved since then? Any hospital is going to have some people with good experiences and some with bad experiences. While there is no excuse for the treatment your father received, I went there for an outpatient MRI scan and was impressed with the service. The facilities were very modern. They were very accommodating fitting me in the next day, and the staff were very friendly. I didn't wait longer than 30 minutes in total. I do find that the local specialists tend to be very overcrowded, but they are capable. Prepare to wait a while in the waiting room. Many doctors seem to work some days in Starkville, and other days in Columbus.
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7) I don't know about grocery stores. Last I knew, it was just the chain stores like Kroger and Wal-Mart. Maybe there is more near campus.
Yup, just as you'd find in any town USA, you have the chains. I prefer Kroger but my wife likes Piggly Wiggly. Walmart probably has the best prices out of any chain. Don't forget, Columbus is not far and has their own Kroger, Piggly Wiggly, Walmart, and a few others not represented in Starkville (e.g., Food Giant). But, the OP asked about a good place to get meat. From everyone I've ever talked to about that, you can't beat the MSU on campus butcher. I was a bit surprised to learn that they have one, but that's easily the best beat if it's just meat you're looking for.
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9) I don't think there are any dog parks so I don't know about that.
Actually, there is a pretty nice sized dog park in town by the OCH hospital, certainly nicer than we expected. It is located on a former baseball field. There's a small dog section and a big dog section, although I don't understand why the smaller section is for big dogs and the bigger section is for small dogs. Most people don't abide by that rule, though.
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Life in Starkville really does revolve around the university and the college kids. The prices of pretty much everything are inflated because of it.
I have former classmates who were born in Starkville and are raising their children there. They love it. They have season tickets for MSU football, basketball and baseball. Some people really love it there. Maybe one of those people will find your post and respond.
Good luck!
Yes, much of Starkville does revolve around the university. It is a college town. If you don't mind seeing other students, then that is not going to be an issue. If you don't want to see students, it's simple to commute from Columbus. A 20 minute commute is not anything in the grand scheme of things. There are places that are more frequented by the "professionals" (e.g., The Veranda), but those are the places that are going to cost more per drink than the places catering to students. Compared to the rest of Mississippi, Starkville is progressive. I've lived all over the South and the North, and things aren't really that different. Cops aren't going to treat you any differently than what you're used to. I wouldn't expect a cop to say "thank you" if I held a door open for them here, nor would I expect that in Los Angeles, either. I don't get asked what church I go to (I don't go) and have no problem making friends. I will admit that most of the people I regularly hang out with are from other places in the South, and are connected with the University. There are a lot of people who are born/raised here that stick around for college. There isn't much industry outside of the university, but the growing university does afford many career options to those wanting to stay in town after they finish college. There is a decent sized industrial park in town, and there's a few tech firms that exist/will exist near the airport. Columbus has more industry, and I imagine there are some who live in Starkville and commute there.
Well, at least the traffic doesn't sound bad. Thank y'all.
I graduated in 1995, then went back to graduate school a few years later and finished that in 2001. I've always liked Starkville and would have no reservations about moving back, even though I'm several years removed from college life.
Keep in mind that Starkville in 2012 is a much different city than it was in 2000. It may be difficult to notice all the changes if you are not staying for long during your visits (a fair assumption, given your admission of not being a fan of the area). Starkville is one of the fastest growing cities in Mississippi, and certainly among the fastest growing cities in the southeast. MSU drives a lot of that growth. They are the largest university in the state, and have north of 21,000 students now. That represents significant growth over the past decade. With more students, the city itself has grown quite a bit. One of the more exciting projects that will continue the city's transformation is the Cotton Mills Marketplace, which will be a mix of conference facilities, hotels, condos, and shops. That will be located right across the street from MSU, on highway 12.
Not sure why you responded to my post, but I'll answer just a few points.
Yes, Starkville has changed a lot in the twelve years since I was living there. I'm not a fan of the Cotton District. It's crowded, expensive and reminds me WAY too much of high school. That's my very personal opinion. Most people love it.
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Originally Posted by trueicon
Not fair. Sure, it's not Atlanta, but there is a very diverse set of restaurants here in town. To give you an idea of the diversity, a very good Thai restaurant recently opened, there's a good Greek restaurant downtown, and the city is home to 3 very good Tex-mex restaurants. I've lived in much larger cities, and most good local owned/operated places are driven out by the chains. While we still have most of the largest chains (e.g., Chili's, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, Buffalo Wild Wing's), we do lack others (e.g., TGI Friday's, IHOP), but I don't see that as much of a problem.
I can see why someone might say that the dining options are lacking if they mainly go to the "most famous" restaurants (e.g., Little Dooey). Personally, I stay far away from those places. I don't like barbecue and I don't like hole in the walls. Whenever we have a visitor, we always try to talk them out of Little Dooey, actually. If that's your thing then you may enjoy it, but for my money, there's much better options.
Atlanta??? The restaurants aren't as diverse as those in Chattanooga. I'm certainly not talking about chains; I'm talking about small mom and pop ethnic foods. I'm glad they finally got a Thai restaurant. That's an improvement. I do like Little Dooey's. I haven't eaten there in YEARS, maybe a decade. I've been going to another hole-in-the-wall BBQ.
Quote:
Originally Posted by trueicon
Maybe it has improved since then? Any hospital is going to have some people with good experiences and some with bad experiences. While there is no excuse for the treatment your father received, I went there for an outpatient MRI scan and was impressed with the service. The facilities were very modern. They were very accommodating fitting me in the next day, and the staff were very friendly. I didn't wait longer than 30 minutes in total. I do find that the local specialists tend to be very overcrowded, but they are capable. Prepare to wait a while in the waiting room. Many doctors seem to work some days in Starkville, and other days in Columbus.
Nope. No improvement. I was there (in the ER) in 2009 with my dad. My friends were there in 2008. I would never, ever go to that ER.
I would also not go to the doctors in town. There is an GYN that is very, very good, but he'll be retiring pretty soon. Nope, I'd drive to Columbus for medical care and to Tupelo for specialization if I couldn't get seen on campus. I have seen personally and heard of too many problems within the medical community in town. Like I said, I beg my mom to visit us for medical care, especially dental work (my dad goes to Tuscaloosa for his).
Quote:
Originally Posted by trueicon
Yes, much of Starkville does revolve around the university. It is a college town. If you don't mind seeing other students, then that is not going to be an issue. If you don't want to see students, it's simple to commute from Columbus. A 20 minute commute is not anything in the grand scheme of things. There are places that are more frequented by the "professionals" (e.g., The Veranda), but those are the places that are going to cost more per drink than the places catering to students. Compared to the rest of Mississippi, Starkville is progressive. I've lived all over the South and the North, and things aren't really that different. Cops aren't going to treat you any differently than what you're used to. I wouldn't expect a cop to say "thank you" if I held a door open for them here, nor would I expect that in Los Angeles, either. I don't get asked what church I go to (I don't go) and have no problem making friends. I will admit that most of the people I regularly hang out with are from other places in the South, and are connected with the University. There are a lot of people who are born/raised here that stick around for college. There isn't much industry outside of the university, but the growing university does afford many career options to those wanting to stay in town after they finish college. There is a decent sized industrial park in town, and there's a few tech firms that exist/will exist near the airport. Columbus has more industry, and I imagine there are some who live in Starkville and commute there.
I think there are people in south MS who might disagree. The people I went to HS with who stayed in the area are NOT progressive, but I won't get into all that. I can't imagine where you have lived that "things aren't really that different". I have lived in five states - three southern, two northern - and they were all very different.
Clearly, OP, we all have different opinions. I am a lot more like cab591. I ran out of town when I graduated from State. I have no intention of returning and have been begging my parents to leave, especially as they age and need more and more medical care. Since my husband and I now live in "snow country", they are leery of leaving the warm southern climate and their acreage.
As far as the college goes, it's a great campus. I had a wonderful time in college. Some of the programs (like engineering and computer sciences) are better than others so your education will depend on your field of study. If I were you, I'd stick to the university - medical services, working out, clubs, etc. There are a lot of opportunities and a lot of interesting people on campus.
Good luck!
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