Need some input on Columbus, Mississippi

[MSUBulldogGirl]

I left Starkville Sunday! I miss it already! *sigh* I'll be back for the home opener! Starkville will grow on you, I promise!

[Maestroh]

Originally Posted by Okie7597

There's absolutely nothing wrong with New Hope schools. Academically and otherwise they are just as good as Caledonia, plus their sports teams kick butt while Caledonia's are pretty wimpy.

Caledonia is "growing so much" because that's where the builders are building. There is plenty of very flat land there (which is creating drainage problems in some areas). There is some building going on in New Hope but not that much available land.

So I check out WCBI and we find this one - yesterday.


Moderator cut: edit
Never had this kind of problem at Caledonia - just making the point after the slam at my school.

[AF8]

I am from Columbus, MS. I graduated from Heritage Academy and yes, it is the best place to send your kids for the best education in the area. The downside is that like every other private school, you have some elitists, some snobs and kids with too much, too soon.

Columbus used to be a lot more "Southern" than it is now. I think that is because people affiliated with, employed by and living on the Columbus Air Force Base are able to find their "place" in Columbus. In the past, it was not so...they were considered outsiders or (the dreaded) "yankees." Like I said..that doesn't seem to be the case any longer. They even serve pilgrimage which is a little ironic considering it used to be Southern girls wearing antebellum dresses talking about the civil war. Now there are ladies from North Dakota opening up dressers to reveal "colonial style wigs."

Try Rubens for good catfish and steaks. Though it has changed hands/ownership in recent years, it is a Columbus tradition. Woody's has seen been revived in a new location (Woody's on the Water) and is good food, too. Let me know if you have any other questions. I lived there from 1980-1998 and again from 2004 until 2005.

[AF8]

Originally Posted by jsherman9901

I don't really know where to begin, and don't have time right now to give in-depth answers to your questions, but here is a short & to the point version.

Schools -- city schools are terrible, at least right now. There is a new supt. who is getting people on board with his idea for magnet schools, but even if it takes off, it will be 5 years before any improvements are noted. Two of the three county school districts (New Hope and Caledonia) are better, but most likely not up to the standards you have seen in the DFW area. There are some private and parochial schools, but I don't think they are any better academically than the county schools.

Social life -- it took me over 5 years of living here to "break in" to the point of being sort of accepted by my neighbors and others. If you are a church goer, that will definitely make it easier to make friends, but Columbus is sort of a "closed society", i.e., if you didn't grow up here, you will never be totally accepted. There are some opportunities to volunteer for civic groups that can help you become better acquainted with the locals.

What's there to do -- I don't generally touch those questions because it really depends on the individual. Some people are bored no matter where they live. Others (like myself) are fairly easily entertained and can always find something to do. The nearest city of any size is Birmingham, 2 hours away. If you are looking for cultural events, that is your best bet.

Columbus, along with the rest of NE Mississippi, is growing rapidly, and is being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century (they love their traditions here). Because so many new industries are coming here, outsiders are moving in, and there are many changes for the better taking place. It is not a bad place to live, just very, very different from where you are right now.

JSherman--I think, as someone who is not from Columbus, your assessment is pretty spot on.



I am from Columbus, MS. I graduated from Heritage Academy and yes, it is the best place to send your kids for the best education in the area. The downside is that like every other private school, you have some elitists, some snobs and kids with too much, too soon.

Columbus used to be a lot more "Southern" than it is now. I think that is because people affiliated with, employed by and living on the Columbus Air Force Base are able to find their "place" in Columbus. In the past, it was not so...they were considered outsiders or (the dreaded) "yankees." Like I said..that doesn't seem to be the case any longer. They even serve pilgrimage which is a little ironic considering it used to be Southern girls wearing antebellum dresses talking about the civil war. Now there are ladies from North Dakota opening up dressers to reveal "colonial style wigs."

Try Rubens for good catfish and steaks. Though it has changed hands/ownership in recent years, it is a Columbus tradition. Woody's has seen been revived in a new location (Woody's on the Water) and is good food, too. Let me know if you have any other questions. I lived there from 1980-1998 and again from 2004 until 2005.

[kcguy]

I lived in Columbus Ms from about 1998 to the year 2000. I graduated high school there and to be quite frank with you, I not only moved away but I ran fast!! If you are black then there is no problem at school, but if you are white, you could perhaps expect to receive what I did, a knife to the leg. Yes I was stabbed in high school by a black kid, I had only lived in Columbus with my Aunt for about 3 months, either way, its not a good place when you are the minority, same as anywhere, however here we whites are the minority.