Meridian - what's it like? (Jackson, Starkville: crime, homes, landscaping)

[binaryphoenix]

My family and I are getting ready to Meridian, MS, and I'm just looking for some information on what it's like there. We're used to small town living, so we understand that won't be much of a change. Just looking for some information on the area, etc. Are there any large homeschooling groups in the area (preferably secular )?

[greyrussell94]

Secular homeschooling groups may be hard to find, can't confirm that though. Your location reads Jonesboro, AR and Meridian would be very similar.

Well lets see... Meridian has a lot of older, quaint homes. Shopping is decent, there is a nice, mid sized mall called Bonita Lakes. There is a nice park near the mall called Bonita Lake with some nice walking trails. Also to the north of Meridian is Oktibbee Lake which is also pretty. Meridian is only a few hours from the coast which is nice. Some negatives, Meridian the city itself has seen better days, the downtown.. though seeing some revitalization is still very worn with lots of vacancies. The roads are in poor shape too.

Hope this information helps

[binaryphoenix]

Thanks for the reply. How difficult will it be to integrate into the community?

[greyrussell94]

I'm not sure. I've spent time in Meridian but never lived there. Since you're already Southern (I'm assuming) it'll be easier for you than if you were moving from another region. If you really want to integrate, as with any Mississippi city or town join a local church.

Also, one more thing Central Mississippi is actually a lot more humid in the summer than Eastern Arkansas so be prepared for that.

[ColdAilment]

Inspiring Pictures of Meridian Mississippi (photo album)

Above is a picture thread I made of Meridian including some of its finer sides!

I will be honest, one of the first things you will notice about Mississippi and Meridian is its high black population. Meridian is roughly 35% white and 54% black, not quite sure what Jonesboro is, but be prepared for that shift. Meridian is a very segregated city with most of the blacks living in their own neighborhoods in the inner city, the outskirts and suburbs are where all the whites live.

Lauderdale county, outside of Meridian, is overwhelmingly white and country. One thing Mississippi ranks first in is churches per capita, and Meridian is no exception. You'll see churches everywhere, if you're Baptist you won't have a problem finding a church, I belive there are two catholic churches in Meridian, and a few Presbyterian Churches.

Late last year Meridian suffered a massive crime wave, with shooting, burglaries, car theft, and murders shocking the city, it became really bad and had a lot of citizens afraid to go out to public places. The police department has really upped the ante though and the crime seems to have taken a serious drop. Combine this with the open carry law that goes into effect in July and a lot of Meridian citizens will be carrying their guns with them wherever they go, should reduce the thug crime that once was plaguing the city.

Shopping is decent, it has a long way to go, and there is plenty of land that can be zoned for commercial development, but there a lots of vacant lots, and downtown Meridian has a good number of vacant buildings.

The nicer side of of town is the east and north side, it's where most of the new construction and newer homes are being built. There are efforts to revive downtown Meridian, and the local community college continues to expand, but outside of that central Meridian has been pretty stagnant. The west and south west sides are pretty industrial based, not much out there, except for the airport.

Hope this information helps! Let us know if you need to know anything else!

[Listener2307]

Got a great little Amtrak train station! Small, clean, free parking. Take the 11 AM train to Atlanta for 50$ and be there at 7PM.
Or go the other way and end up in New Orleans - right downtown. We've gone both ways, and even went to Washington DC for an overnight ride in a sleeper.

[brickpatio]

The best thing about Meridian to me is the rolling hills and trees. Some of the residential areas are really beautiful, as well as some areas outside town. The downside is the downtown has a long way to go towards being revitalized, although it has lots of potential and does have a beautiful performing arts center with some excellent performances. Also, the highways around town are unsightly as they have very low standards as far as landscaping, signage, and architecture for strip malls etc. (although most cities do also).

The location is actually fairly good in terms of access to New Orleans, the Gulf Coast, Florida, Birmingham, Atlanta, Jackson, Starkville and Oxford. My guess is that Meridian will start getting truly nice in about 30 years, because that's when their average household income will reach the level of places like Boston and New York were at around 10 years ago, when those cities began truly thriving at an amazing level.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by brickpatio

My guess is that Meridian will start getting truly nice in about 30 years, because that's when their average household income will reach the level of places like Boston and New York were at around 10 years ago, when those cities began truly thriving at an amazing level.

You have to give me something more than your "guess," to believe that Meridian will be any better than it is now, in 30 years. The only way that town gets better is a serious influx of well-paying jobs. No other well-meaning input will make any significant lasting difference if people can't pay for nice housing, good schools, and entertainment options other than hunting.

[brickpatio]

I'm guessing based on historical data that shows average income has doubled about every 35 years both in Mississippi and nationally. That pattern obviously has stopped in the past 5 years but definitely held true from around 1982 to 2008 and also the 50s, 60s, and 70s. So whether we return to that pattern will depend on the voters.

[ColdAilment]

The best thing Meridian can hope for is to become an average American city with average wages. Right now it's lingering just below the line of average, it's a city that could get a lot worse or could hold onto what it has and possibly improve.

Mississippi in general is seeing near stagnant population growth and not much in new incoming jobs. Luckily Meridian stopped its population loss in 2000-2010, but it has a long way to go before it can attain the mantle of an average city.