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This is quite an interesting OP and discussion. I am going to put in my 2 cents. I am not from Mississippi. I am from Ohio, my half brother grew up in North Louisiana, I used to take road trips once or twice a year to see him, I would hit 61 out of Memphis, head to Jackson and so on and so on. After college in 2013, I spent 6 months in Mobile, AL and tried to do as much exploring as I could. That said here are my takes.
This utopia you look for, I am not sure you will find in Mississippi, as a previous poster said, I think the closest you may get would be is maybe the Bay St. Louis area. IMO you actually may be a bit more likely to find what you're looking for in Central/South Louisiana IE Natchitoches or Lafayette.
Like others mentioned there is a base in Biloxi so it may not be as "un"diverse as one may think.
I am of white South African decent from Ohio, I have a bit of a accent, I do not vote republican, I am not conservative, and I am not christian. That said I was never judged or looked at weird. I did get some off the wall questions, but out of curiosity not anything negative. The place I would get my haircut used to give me all kinds of crap about not being republican and my sports teams, I would always make "Bama" and Ole Miss comments right back in good fun. Once they even gave me Obama toilet paper haha. I will agree football seems to be the only sport people know in that area lol.
As for times I did feel uncomfortable, it was always at night, it seems that's when the rough hooligans come out and make trouble, never personally had any incidents in the southern part of Miss (had 2 in Jackson though).
Locals who are from there may feel different but to me this whole area is just beautiful, the big lack point for me is the entertainment aspect. Driving to New Orleans just isn't close enough for me and probably for the OP as being used to walk or bus anywhere. Which after going to NOLA a few times i'm not sure I will ever go back lol.
That said IMO this area has amazing and kind people, beautiful scenery, but not personally for me to live. If you have funds I urge you to spend time there before making that big of a jump.
This is quite an interesting OP and discussion. I am going to put in my 2 cents. I am not from Mississippi. I am from Ohio, my half brother grew up in North Louisiana, I used to take road trips once or twice a year to see him, I would hit 61 out of Memphis, head to Jackson and so on and so on. After college in 2013, I spent 6 months in Mobile, AL and tried to do as much exploring as I could. That said here are my takes.
This utopia you look for, I am not sure you will find in Mississippi, as a previous poster said, I think the closest you may get would be is maybe the Bay St. Louis area. IMOyou actually may be a bit more likely to find what you're looking for in Central/South Louisiana IE Natchitoches or Lafayette.
Like others mentioned there is a base in Biloxi so it may not be as "un"diverse as one may think.
I am of white South African decent from Ohio, I have a bit of a accent, I do not vote republican, I am not conservative, and I am not christian. That said I was never judged or looked at weird. I did get some off the wall questions, but out of curiosity not anything negative. The place I would get my haircut used to give me all kinds of crap about not being republican and my sports teams, I would always make "Bama" and Ole Miss comments right back in good fun. Once they even gave me Obama toilet paper haha. I will agree football seems to be the only sport people know in that area lol.
As for times I did feel uncomfortable, it was always at night, it seems that's when the rough hooligans come out and make trouble, never personally had any incidents in the southern part of Miss (had 2 in Jackson though).
Locals who are from there may feel different but to me this whole area is just beautiful, the big lack point for me is the entertainment aspect. Driving to New Orleans just isn't close enough for me and probably for the OP as being used to walk or bus anywhere. Which after going to NOLA a few times i'm not sure I will ever go back lol.
That said IMO this area has amazing and kind people, beautiful scenery, but not personally for me to live. If you have funds I urge you to spend time there before making that big of a jump.
Natchitoches is a hell hole...there is a small historic district to the city, and even a small college, but it is a very small town far from any major highways or interstates with VERY little to do. I was very dismayed at this city. Lafayette has a reputation of high crime, wouldn't count on it either. I'm sure it has its nicer areas though.
Really, the only old charming cities in Mississippi that I know of would probably be Natchez, Columbus, maybe Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs, and select areas of Jackson. THough most of Jackson's nicer areas are modern suburbia filled with McMansions, lots of old money there, but they've all built the new and rather tasteless houses.
Natchitoches is a hell hole...there is a small historic district to the city, and even a small college, but it is a very small town far from any major highways or interstates with VERY little to do. I was very dismayed at this city. Lafayette has a reputation of high crime, wouldn't count on it either. I'm sure it has its nicer areas though.
Really, the only old charming cities in Mississippi that I know of would probably be Natchez, Columbus, maybe Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs, and select areas of Jackson. THough most of Jackson's nicer areas are modern suburbia filled with McMansions, lots of old money there, but they've all built the new and rather tasteless houses.
Can't argue with the nothing to do in Natchitoches lol. I drove through it, thought it was very pretty. Living and visiting are 2 diff things though. Just trying to put more options out there if hes still reading.
Can't argue with the nothing to do in Natchitoches lol. I drove through it, thought it was very pretty. Living and visiting are 2 diff things though. Just trying to put more options out there if hes still reading.
It's in a very flat and desolate part of the state. There is extreme poverty in Natchitoches and a serious brain drain on the local population. It's mostly a dying city, though they do have a very impressive summer festival along the river, the city generates some regional tourism and it does have a few historic areas. I could not stand living there though, saw all it had to see in under a day.
Status:
"81 Years, NOT 91 Felonies"
(set 27 days ago)
Location: Dallas, TX
5,790 posts, read 3,598,050 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwkilgore
With all due respect, I believe you have fallen in love with a fantasy that does not exist. It's possible you will find the place of your dreams somewhere in Mississippi. More likely, you will quickly find out that the real world rarely matches the expectations out of books and movies.
I wish you luck.
Like they say, Southern Decadence, don't believe everything you see on TV, although I can understand how a lot of people can get that impression of Mississippi, even modern MS. When I was about 11 or 12, I visited California with my grandparents, thinking it was the IT place - where nonstop action and excitement, good times, great fun, and telegenic lifestyles pursued with passion were ALWAYS no more than a hard soccer ball kick or frisbee throw away. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed with the place. Don't get me wrong, I though California was all right, just not the big deal they make it out to be on TV.
The life's lesson: If I can't trust Hollywood to portray its own front yard with any accuracy worth speaking of, then how can I trust it to portray with accuracy any other place?
Excuse the off topic, but I had to comment about the subtle power that exposing yourself to thousands of hours of TV before you turn 21 can have on your perception of reality. That includes the reality of the state of Mississippi (or the rest of the world too, for that matter).
Like they say, Southern Decadence, don't believe everything you see on TV, although I can understand how a lot of people can get that impression of Mississippi, even modern MS. When I was about 11 or 12, I visited California with my grandparents, thinking it was the IT place - where nonstop action and excitement, good times, great fun, and telegenic lifestyles pursued with passion were ALWAYS no more than a hard soccer ball kick or frisbee throw away. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed with the place. Don't get me wrong, I though California was all right, just not the big deal they make it out to be on TV.
The life's lesson: If I can't trust Hollywood to portray its own front yard with any accuracy worth speaking of, then how can I trust it to portray with accuracy any other place?
Excuse the off topic, but I had to comment about the subtle power that exposing yourself to thousands of hours of TV before you turn 21 can have on your perception of reality. That includes the reality of the state of Mississippi (or the rest of the world too, for that matter).
Amen to that. Most people's ideas of the south are from watching "Dukes of Hazard". This is the truth: I travel to Boston (I will be there in a couple weeks in fact), as I've traveled to 49 of the states in the US. I've lived in 5 states. I can't much of a difference from one place in the US to another. The people are the same, the culture is the same, you got the same McDonald's down the street, the same TV shows, the same language. Sorry guys, put your illusions and steriotypes and images of the south from TV to rest. Places are the same in the US, with only subtle differences.
I also travel to India frequently - yeah.....you want a difference, there you will find it.
I love a lot of things about Mississippi and have lived in Tupelo, Pontotoc, Oxford, and Greenville. We have family all over the state so I have spent time in every part.
Given the description you provided, the ONLY place you should even consider is Oxford. Oxford itself (not Lafayette County) is fairly progressive and diverse. No one would think twice about you being openly gay. There is a lot to do in that little town. Yes, it is a college town. That means you'll find a lot of the great things associated with being in a more intellectual community. And you are less than an hour from Memphis, so if you are looking to get away to the city for a visit, it's an easy trip.
However, I'm not sure what the real estate market is like these days. We sold our home and moved away years ago. My son lives in Oxford and loves it. He attends a Unitarian Universalist Church and is very liberal, open-minded and progressive. However, step outside of Oxford and you'll find people become much more conservative. Not saying that's a bad thing. But it doesn't sound like that's what you are looking for.
I'm totally fascinated by India. On the one hand, everyone who goes there talks about how crowded it is, i.e. beyond belief. On the other hand, they fall in love with the people and become totally attached.
Occasionally I peruse the Times of India and other Indian newspapers, and it's remarkable how "American" they seem. You would think you are reading about any city in the US, complete with stories about the latest iPhone, vacations to local "hill stations" (i.e. mountain retreats), and things like lists where people vote for their favorite beach in India, etc.
They even have articles that you might see in Cosmopolitan magazine. That's one difference I noted; their mainstream newspapers treat some issues (e.g. marriage, relationships) in a very factual, explicit (yet tasteful) way that usually occurs in America in trashy magazines like Cosmo.
It gives a window into their culture, which in certain ways seems a bit more reasonable than ours. There is something apparently very civilized about the Hindu culture (or maybe it's just the nation of India, not sure), as demonstrated by the fact that, they say, India has the planet's safest slums. Think about that - the world's safest slums. I almost get chills, full of admiration of a society that holds in together as well as they do, with so little economic opportunity (up until now, that is).
It seems that Britain's rule over India passed down all the same institutions that make for a civilized country (parliament, courts, universities, media). I know very little about their current politics, but from what I have read, the new leader Prime Minister Modi is sort of India's Ronald Reagan, (or to localize it, India's Haley Barbour).
They say he's coming out with his first-ever budget this month and depending on how brave he turns out to be, he could be ushering in the greatest rise of humanity out of poverty in history. The key they say is his removing all the barriers imposed by the government (which apparently are enormous) that discourage private investors from risk-taking and business development.
Speaking of risk taking, and bringing this back to Mississippi, I assume everyone has read the legislature's proposal to make Mississippi like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee (eliminating the income tax over 15 years). If the state senate and governor pass this, which they could do by tomorrow morning if they wanted to, Mississippi would in a matter of seconds become one of the best places in the world to make a business investment. And this would result in all the exciting things that everyone on this site loves about places like Nashville and Atlanta (i.e. lots of exciting new developments, seemingly arising on a daily basis). Let's all hope that this is finally Mississippi's golden moment.
Brickpatio I guess this was prompted by my comment? I go to India about once or twice a year and my point is that those that want to point out the difference between MS and MA have no comparison one comparing the cultural shock of those between, for instance, the USA and India. The mere discussion is almost laughable in comparison.
Anyways India is almost overwhelming and it's description of both beauty and ugliness - the filth and garbage strewn cities, the poverty, as well as the earthy colors and smells and variety can only be experienced. It's difficult to describe. "Safe" is only relative. As a man, I am safe in a slum (as long as I watch were I step and don't breath too deeply). A women, not so much. The Hindu culture is amazing, beautiful temples, rich history, but they have elements that are difficult to understand to a westerner. India has all the modern conveniences available, modern malls, smart phones, technology, with a thriving middle class, yet cows and sheep roam the streets, the many homeless sleep in cardboard tents set up on sidewalks, men defecate in the streets, driving is chaos and without rules, trash service appears non-existent, dead bodies float in rivers, an burnt-orange haze lingers over Delhi. That's all part of India, and not part of the US (in either MA or MS).
You can ask more questions in the Asia forum. I know this is off-topic.
Status:
"81 Years, NOT 91 Felonies"
(set 27 days ago)
Location: Dallas, TX
5,790 posts, read 3,598,050 times
Reputation: 5696
Quote:
Originally Posted by ColdAilment
Natchitoches is a hell hole...there is a small historic district to the city, and even a small college, but it is a very small town far from any major highways or interstates with VERY little to do. I was very dismayed at this city. Lafayette has a reputation of high crime, wouldn't count on it either. I'm sure it has its nicer areas though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by XxDrifterJxX
Can't argue with the nothing to do in Natchitoches lol. I drove through it, thought it was very pretty. Living and visiting are 2 diff things though. Just trying to put more options out there if hes still reading.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ColdAilment
It's in a very flat and desolate part of the state. There is extreme poverty in Natchitoches and a serious brain drain on the local population. It's mostly a dying city, though they do have a very impressive summer festival along the river, the city generates some regional tourism and it does have a few historic areas. I could not stand living there though, saw all it had to see in under a day.
I spent a semester in Natchitoches and I completely agree. Miserable, depressing place to go to school. Ruston, a town only somewhat larger but MUCH more wealthy and a much nicer school, is paradise compared to that town (not that Ruston's anything to write home about, and actually just as boring as Natchitoches. Also a classic suitcase college town).
As for the rest, Natchitoches is actually only about five miles from I-49, not horridly far away. Flat? the town itself is in the flat Red River Valley, but it is quite hilly less than 10 miles to the west, ditto for about 15 miles to the east. The town does have a festival of lights 1st weekend in December. Definitely worth a visit IF you can put up with the horrendous traffic.
I know this convo's likely gonna get moved to the La. subforum, so I'll stop here.
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