Are there intergrated neighborhoods in Mississippi? (Biloxi, Pascagoula: house, purchase, gated)

[ggluvbug]

It depends on what you are looking for......

[mccarley]

Ocean Springs is a very nice town.

[ggluvbug]

It is a nice place. I loved living in Gulfport. I liked it better than Biloxi. My sis lived in Bay St. Louis before the storm and loved it, but I don't know much about it lately. Ocean Springs is a very nice, well-rounded town. Housing is a bit higher, but schools are really good there.

[willdufauve]

I'm looking for a place to retire that's attractive, safe, decent weather. It would have to be a tolerant place where black and white aren't openly hostile to each other but can get along and be good neighbors.

I'm thinking Jackson because I see it has museums, colleges and some of the cultural things I'm interested in and I might be able to contribute to the community. I'm a big blues fan. We're artsy, liberal New Englanders but we lived in rural Texas for a while.

I want to keep an open mind about Mississippi, not be naive, but not buy into the stereotypes northerners have about the south because I liked Texas. I'd like to believe what posters are saying about how it's not the 1950's in MS anymore.

[Phil75230]

Originally Posted by willdufauve

Phil, or any others who might know,

Could you tell me more about the Fondren and Belhaven neighborhoods in Jackson, what streets are in there, or the boundary streets? Thanks

Fondren and Belhaven are adjacent neighborhoods. Fondren's to the north of Lakeland Drive, Belhaven to the South.

Two Private liberal arts colleges are here: Belhaven College (Presbyrterian) and Millsaps College (Methodist). Although these are "Church Schools", they are not fundamentalist in orientation (Certainly not Millsaps, whose social climate is moderate-to-liberal even by national standards. It's not Berkeley or Swathmore, but still no miniature Brigham Young or Baylor either). As for entertainment and news, the "liberal alt" paper in town, The Jackson Free Press is a good place to start looking. I think these neighborhoods are good as a cultural bridge - so to speak. Being in Mississippi, it cant' help but understand the rest of the state, yet it's not so steeped in deep tradition that it's hostile to non-traditional values.

The "Main Drags" going through them are: State Street, Old Canton Road, and Meadowbrook Road. The heart of Fondren, i.e. Cups Coffee House, Fondren Corner, plus several night spots, and such is at the intersection of State St. and Old Canton. From I-55, take the Lakeland Drive exit and turn west (at St. Dominic's and University Medical Center)

As for the specific boundaries:

Eastern Boundary: I-55

Northern Boundary: Northside Drive

Western Boundary: Indefinite, but the N-S Railroad Track about 1 mile to the west of 55 is a good marker, IMO

Southern Boundary: Strictly speaking, Fortification St. -- BUT, to the south of there is Belhaven Heights, which has the same basic cultural outlook as Belhaven, although still a little rough-around-the-edges (meaning, it's not crime-free, but it's not absolutely riddled with it-- just the usual burglaries and property crime, rather than hideous violent crime)

Belhaven Heights is south of Fortification, east of State Street, down to High Street.

[ministers]

Originally Posted by ggluvbug

Come down to the Coast. Sure, there are black neighborhoods and white neighborhoods, but there alot of integrated ones as well. In addition, schools are integrated. I teach in 50/50 black white school. If you want to see alot of races, the Coast is a place in Mississippi to be. There are alot of communities with black, white, Asian......I have met people from all over the world in South Mississippi. With our universities, we are a very diverse area.

Has the coast been rebuilt yet after Katrina?

[StuckPA]

[quote=undertheironsea;2148640]To be truthful, in some areas, some blacks hate whites, and some whites hate blacks. It's not a universal truth, but it happens. There are some places in Mississippi that if you're white, I would NOT advise you to go through, just as there are if you were black.

The wonder of life is that sometimes some people just don't get along. I've lived in an area where I've gotten beaten up just for being white, and at the same time, had a black best friend.[quote]

Jeez where is this? Sounds like some neighborhoods here in Philly(PA).

[msbiggz]

It has come a long way since Katrina... not 100% but it will get there. There is still lots of great things about the coast..we even had Disney on Ice last week..and if you are a hockey fan the sea wolves...we are rebuilding

[jeanmc]

It's interesting that a "minister" started this thread of discussion. If you have been to the Jackson Metro Area, you would know that there are no segregated ares in the worst slum areas. Those are all black and they are poverty stricken, drug ridden and crime ridden. In the midst of those areas are wonderful, ordinary Christian people who cannot get out. However, in the "taxpaying" areas, there are both black, white, oriental and hispanic taxpaying citizens in neighborhoods of houses that range from $85,000.00 to $1,000,000.00 or more. Any more questions?

[cncguy2000]

I lived in Gulfport for many years, have had some good and bad neighbors.
we have a mix of races, and lifestyles.

to me, It doesn't matter what color you are, but how you act and live.
there are trashy people in all races, along with great ones.

As far as Black church's go, I think that is in reference to the style
of worship, not the color of it's members.

-Just my $.02
-Henry