Looking to relocate - Hattiesburg/Jackson or in between

[Tama]

I don't have a dog in this fight as they say but a few points of order.

Hattiesburg--your statistics notwithstanding-- is not a crime-ridden area.

There are almost zero cases of random killling or shootings in robbery type operations. There are burglaries on occasion and the culprits are soon picked up. There are some weirdo bank robbers who walk in and smile at the camera and again are picked up in due fashion. We may just have dumber crooks. The awful crimes of rape, kidnap, and murder are not something anyone worries about when going about his daily routine. There may be reasons to live in Jackson over Hburg but crime isn't one of them.

And Hattiesburg is much closer to the beaches.

As for house prices, I live in a residential area that is not an upscale gated community but is near to everything including shops, restaurants, and medical. It is also not a dump. Two doctors, a college prof, and retired engineer live on my street. The house next door is for sale--in great condition, four bdrms, two and a half baths, all brick, two car garage with door, new flooring and updated kitchen. well-maintained attractive fenced yard and custom built covered deck and patio. They are asking $187,000. Homes are quite affordable here.

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by Tama

I don't have a dog in this fight as they say but a few points of order.

Hattiesburg--your statistics notwithstanding-- is not a crime-ridden area.

There are almost zero cases of random killling or shootings in robbery type operations. There are burglaries on occasion and the culprits are soon picked up. There are some weirdo bank robbers who walk in and smile at the camera and again are picked up in due fashion. We may just have dumber crooks. The awful crimes of rape, kidnap, and murder are not something anyone worries about when going about his daily routine. There may be reasons to live in Jackson over Hburg but crime isn't one of them.

And Hattiesburg is much closer to the beaches.

As for house prices, I live in a residential area that is not an upscale gated community but is near to everything including shops, restaurants, and medical. It is also not a dump. Two doctors, a college prof, and retired engineer live on my street. The house next door is for sale--in great condition, four bdrms, two and a half baths, all brick, two car garage with door, new flooring and updated kitchen. well-maintained attractive fenced yard and custom built covered deck and patio. They are asking $187,000. Homes are quite affordable here.

Hmm... funny you mention you have no dog in this hunt, yet you end your comment stating you live in Hattiesburg. It is what it is...

[bornjacksonian]

Check out the Metro Jackson area and I'm sure you will find an area of choice. Smaller city setting while still experiencing and slower "urban" lifestyle. You will find an affordable home with no problem.

[Tama]

I have "no dog in this hunt" because I don't give a rat's patooty about the issue. I have no interest in quarreling about which town to live in. I am only interested in getting facts out so people can make good decisions. My concern is the person asking a question have the proper perspective as best as possible. My concern is not to blow some town's trumpet. Some people on the other hand actually have an emotional or personal investment in exhorting one place over another--or so it sometimes seems.

[jacksonian]

Say what you wish, but I based all my information on facts that anyone here can see online. I'm glad that you have found Hattiesburg to be the perfect place for you to live. I don't have anything against Hattiesburg, in fact, I have a sister that lives there with her husband and two children. Where they live fits their lifestyle perfectly. As for me, I would go insane if I lived the way she did, but that's just how society and lifestyles are. She chooses her lifestyle, just as I choose mine.

But as far as the whole "we are so much better than you are" dialogue, it get's old rather quickly. And a lot of times, people who are like that do not even realize that they act like that b/c they have been in routine for so long. Hattiesburg is a good place, and I agree that the location is prime for a city such as it is. But just as Jackson could be better, Hattiesburg could as well.

[Tama]

I think anecdotal and statistical info suggest Jackson, particulary in random violent crime, is a different animal than the smaller town of H'burg. Be that as it may--an interested individual can sort it out by googling. I merely wanted to alert our inquirers here that what you stated isn't necessarily gospel and is a contrarian view.

IMHO comments that only are subjective and general don't really help someone trying to form a decision. What in the world does your sister's lifestyle have to do with the other 100,000 people living in the Burg, for example. Better to indicate the various aspects of Jackson or Hattisburg that may appeal to different demographics and leave your own preferences out of it or at least as an addendum and not the main thrust of the post.

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by Tama

I think anecdotal and statistical info suggest Jackson, particulary in random violent crime, is a different animal than the smaller town of H'burg. Be that as it may--an interested individual can sort it out by googling. I merely wanted to alert our inquirers here that what you stated isn't necessarily gospel and is a contrarian view.

IMHO comments that only are subjective and general don't really help someone trying to form a decision. What in the world does your sister's lifestyle have to do with the other 100,000 people living in the Burg, for example. Better to indicate the various aspects of Jackson or Hattisburg that may appeal to different demographics and leave your own preferences out of it or at least as an addendum and not the main thrust of the post.

The only reason I brought my sister's lifestyle into the conversation was because her type can be found all over the Hattiesburg area. It is quite common, and mostly comical/annoying to outsiders. But, like I said, once you accept that lifestyle, you become blind to what it really looks like on the outside. Sure, it's fun to watch "Desperate Housewives" for an hour every week, but to see it in person 24/7 is just boring.

Now, the Jackson area is not immune to this lifestyle I speak of, although most of them are densely woven into the suburbs that surround Jackson (ie Madison). I think that is the big difference between Hattiesburg and Jackson though. Jackson acts as a central city, with satellite communities surrounding it, while Hattiesburg seems more like one giant cluster of satellite communities. For instance, when driving west on Hwy 98, it is difficult to know if you are still in Hattiesburg or if you are in Oak Grove. They all kind of blend together, making it all seem like one big suburb. The only areas that stand out from the rest are downtown and of course USM. The suburbs of Jackson suffer from the same bad planning though. Everyone gets excited about growth without really planning how the growth should take place. They just start clearing trees and putting up quick, cheap buildings, because it's "new" and "growing." Then, 20 years later, it's not so new, and the growth is taking place 10 miles down the road, b/c what do people think they want... "new" buildings and "new" growth. In the end, we end up with abandoned buildings, b/c 1) they were cheaply built and are not worth keeping up and 2) they no longer meet the qualifications of what society wants. We, as a society, have become selfish, and our built environment over the last 30 years has scarred the landscapre and proven that it's all about the almighty $ and not about the quality of life.

[Tama]

quote "The suburbs of Jackson suffer from the same bad planning ...our built environment over the last 30 years has scarred the landscapre and proven that it's all about the almighty $ and not about the quality of life."
[b]

I absolutely totally agree. About both cities.