Best town in Mississippi? (Jackson, Gulfport: for rent, house prices, find a job)

[jsherman9901]

Originally Posted by tennreb

People that ***** about not being close to Target are not the kind of people that should be living in Oxford anyway...... Suburbanites need not apply.

Hehehe.

Actually, I fear for Oxford, that it will eventually be a victim of its own success. When word gets out about any place that is nice to live, and the "crowd" moves there en masse, it has a tendency to destroy much of what made the town attractive in the first place.

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by jsherman9901

Hehehe.

Actually, I fear for Oxford, that it will eventually be a victim of its own success. When word gets out about any place that is nice to live, and the "crowd" moves there en masse, it has a tendency to destroy much of what made the town attractive in the first place.

Exactly. That is why the town needs to aggressively work to keep out large developments, including Target and Starbucks, that attract people that belong in the suburbs. They will ruin Oxford. They've already started.

[Mr.Renaissance]

Originally Posted by TN-rox

Hello, what town do yall like the most in Mississippi? Based on crime, outdoor recreation, things to do, and schools? I'm considering moving there instead of LA or AR. I'm am really leaning toward the Northeast/east central parts of the state. Should I? Are there better places across the state? I really want an area with great state parks/outdoor recreation areas and low crime. The best state parks in Mississippi? Thanks so much!!!

Hello TN-rox. I for one tend to like the suburbs of Jackson but out of all the suburbs my favorite is Brandon. The City of Brandon has approximately 25,000 people ( And about 7 more people every day). Large shopping centers such as Dogwood Festival Market & Promenade and coming soon Market Street at Flowood Town Center in Flowood. It will have stores such as JCPenneys, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed,Bath& Beyond, Circuit City and DSW shoes. In Pearl we might get ANOTHER TARGET. The Premiere Outlets at Bloomfield in Pearl is another big development within 10 minutes of Brandon. Also, if you like eating out, we have a modest variety right here in Brandon like C'Paws Steak , Applebees, McAlisters Deli, El Potrillo Mexican Grill, Shang Hai, Penn's Fishhouse, Kiefers, and coming soon Newk's. Other really NICE suburbs are Madison, Ridgeland, Clinton , Byram and Flowood . In Madison they are building a Galleria which will have stores such as Cost Plus World Market, Old Navy, Books-A-Million, TGI Fridays, and yet ANOTHER TARGET. In Ridgeland, they are building Renaissance at Colony Park which will feature stores such as Barnes&Noble, Fresh Market, J.Crew, Ethan Allen, J.Jill and White House/Black Market. It will also include three new nice restaurants and two of which are already open ( P.F Changs & Biaggis ) the Ruth Chris Steakhouse will open some time this Spring. There is one State Park in Jackson called LeFleurs State Park. It has a lot of outdoor activities and features our Natural Science Museum & coming soon the Miss.Children's Museum . Jackson, on the other hand though, is not the best place to live, but it has a lot of museums, parks and attractions Sure hope I could help and glad to hear you're moving to the great state of Mississippi. Good bye.

[AppalachianAngler]

Originally Posted by tennreb

Supposedly, they are building a Target in Oxford at Hwy 6 and Jackson in another new strip mall. I hope it falls through as it will ruin a beautiful forest. People that ***** about not being close to Target are not the kind of people that should be living in Oxford anyway. Oxford is a special place. Suburbanites need not apply.

I went to school at Ole Miss and still currently live in Oxford and I also wish that the Target doesn't happen. The majority of Oxford could care less about a forest being torn down, however. Maybe you have forgotten this is the land of BMWs, brand new SUVs, etc. At the end of the day, it is all about money and their image, unfortunately.

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by AppalachianAngler

I went to school at Ole Miss and still currently live in Oxford and I also wish that the Target doesn't happen. The majority of Oxford could care less about a forest being torn down, however. Maybe you have forgotten this is the land of BMWs, brand new SUVs, etc. At the end of the day, it is all about money and their image, unfortunately.

It was only five years ago that this was not the case. Oxford has been a money town for a long time, but the most people residing there strongly valued its small-town life. The previous mayor got voted out because she allowed Super Wal-Mart to come. The current mayor seems to have forgotten what put him in office.

[Bluz]

Oxford is wonderful (but real estate prices are very, very high. Nearby town have much better real estate prices and you're near enough to good shopping and cultural areas (Oxford, Memphis, Tupelo) in Batesville, Water Valley, Pontotoc, New Albany.

As far as the current Mayor having forgotten why he was elected, I don't think so for a minute. You have to understand that he only has so much power. If people in Oxford want to stop the massive growth (which I doubt), they'll vote in city aldermen who will put the brakes on it.

Best bet is one of the outlying areas (Water Valley is a good place to buy a reasonably-priced nice home, particularly if you like beautiful older homes and are willing to work on the renovation, and the city is starting a progressive phase of renewal). There is a lot of good stuff going on in Oxford, mainly connected with the University, and Water Valley is only 18 miles away - retaining that small town charm.

[Yoru]

My vote goes to Hattiesburg. Having been raised in Greenville, I find the planter mentality that predominates in Oxford odious. Hattiesburg is far from perfect, but it doesn't have a stiflingly oppressive caste system and there are many outdoor and intellectual pursuits available.

[winkatme]

The Hattiesburg area is an excellent location for a move. Right through the center of town is the Longleaf bike trail which is great for biking or walking. Hattiesburg is also in a great location as far as getting to other cities. Jackson, the Gulf Coast, Mobile, and New Orleans are all within 1 1/2 hours from Hattiesburg. There are also several other camping sites around including the Paul B. Johnson State Park. The downtown area in HB has also been up and coming over the past few years.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by jsherman9901

Hehehe.

Actually, I fear for Oxford, that it will eventually be a victim of its own success. When word gets out about any place that is nice to live, and the "crowd" moves there en masse, it has a tendency to destroy much of what made the town attractive in the first place.

I agree...it's already being touted as a retirement haven (at least, that's the buzz in Atlanta) and you might have the next Sun City and major outlet mall parked on your doorstep before you know it.
I hope TPTB in Oxford know what they have there and take an aggressive stance against development.

[delusianne]

Originally Posted by jsherman9901

Actually, I fear for Oxford, that it will eventually be a victim of its own success. When word gets out about any place that is nice to live, and the "crowd" moves there en masse, it has a tendency to destroy much of what made the town attractive in the first place.

Charlottesville, VA comes to mind. Absolutely ruined.