Help! We may relocate to Jackson, MS area.

[Dirty South]

Hello, I hope you and your family have not moved to Mississippi yet. It is one of the porest states to live within. I was born and raised there and I could not wait till I was done with school to move away. There are no high paying jobs there, and someone was right when they spoke on the lack of education that is given to the children there, so sad. I would never ever consider moving back there, never. best wishes and good luck

[Claude Wilson]

Originally Posted by TennesseeBoy

I don't know anything about the racial diversity in the schools in the different areas. I will say though, in the last week we have seen a lot of asians in the stores and shopping areas we've been at in Madison, Flowood and Ridgland. My wife being asian (and my grandfather), it really stands out to us when we see anyone with an asian look. All of you will be fine here.

Hi Tennessee Boy.

Can you find out for me if there's anyone in the Jackson Metro
area who "tutors" or teaches Japanese?

I have a sister that I want to move out here, but she's studying
Japanese in California at school and said she wouldn't come to
Missy unless she can keep taking Japanese.

[Claude Wilson]

Originally Posted by Senor Boogie Woogie

Howdy!

I am from Memphis, but lived in Jackson, Mississippi for several years from about 1997 to 2000.

First, look at a map of Jackson, Mississippi. Notice I-55 going through the middle of the city (this is the same highway you will come from Chicago. (I will note that you should buy your gas in West Memphis Ark and not in Memphis because of the price) Anything that is east of I-55 is a "good area" to move in.

The bad areas of Jackson are west and south of downtown. I will say that unless you are looking for trouble, Jackson is a pretty safe place to be. Jackson is a poor city, the capital of the poorest state in the nation. There are still shotgun shacks here (really.) Most of the people here do not make a lot of money, due to the lack of good jobs, and reliance on the service industries. Compared to Chicago, one might find Jackson to be a hum-drum type of place. Not very exciting, quite boring actually.

The Jackson area consists of three counties, Hinds, Madison and Rankin. Rankin to the east of Hinds is probably much more rural than the other two, and it will probably be a much longer commute to the downtown, via Lakeland, which is a congested avenue with numerous traffic lights, however this is the main artery from Rankin Co. and Pearl into Jackson. Then there is Madison County. I lived in Ridgeland for a bit. Ridgeland is OK, with probably more cops per square mile than Jackson. There is good shopping on County Line Rd including a shopping mall and other things, but County Line Rd is also a congested mess at rush hour. There is another shopping mall on the westside of the city, but in a somewhat sketchy neighborhood.

Clinton is a decent place, it's west of Jackson and the home of Mississippi College, a small old Christian school. They have a football team and a small stadium if you enjoy such things. I dunno about Raymond.

There are a million churches here. You could hit a church throwing a rock blindfolded. Even atheists go to church on Sundays there.

The Ross Barnett Resvoir (sp.) is good if you like boating, fishing or water skiiing. I don't know about camping there, but it may be possible. That area is actually quite pretty for a Sunday drive. I never much cared for anything having to do with boats or water, but it is huge and something that Jackson has for mostly public use.

Lastly, I am an American living in China married to a Chinese woman (but with no kids sadly). I remember living in Jackson off of State Street and Northside (don't move there!) that there was a Chinese carry out place manned by several "off the boat" Chinese nationals, who slaved in that place 7 days a week. They had these wonderful huge chicken wings and fried rice. Also, Mississippi has a lot of Chinese American people whose families came here in the 19th Century, folk with southern accents. So yes, there is an Asian community here if one seeks them out.

Mississippi is kind of backward ass, and I say this very lovingly, so be forwarned.

Senor

Great post.

I came here from Southern California.

I do have to say that I live in Raymond which is BEAUTIFUL where I
am. Sort of country and undeveloped in spots.

And I've met 3 friends all of whom live in SW Jackson and their homes
and neighborhoods are very, very beautiful.

One of them lives by a pretty lake and the other is over by
Old Spanish Trail.

Is this the area you mean when you say "south" of downtown Jackson
or do you mean like Terry Road and where all the highways join up????

I do agree that WEST Jackson is very ghetto and run-down looking.

But I can't honestly say that JACKSON has a "slummy" or "bad areas"
look. It just looks country "townish" in some parts and attempts to
to look "big city" in some parts to me.

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by Claude Wilson

Hi Tennessee Boy.

Can you find out for me if there's anyone in the Jackson Metro
area who "tutors" or teaches Japanese?

I have a sister that I want to move out here, but she's studying
Japanese in California at school and said she wouldn't come to
Missy unless she can keep taking Japanese.

My father-in-law took a Japanese class at Holmes Community College in Ridgeland in preparation for his 3 month work-related trip to Japan last year. He enjoyed it very much.