Does "Home Town" sugar coat Laurel?? (Jackson, Hattiesburg: real estate, high crime)

[badger74]

High crime
Poverty
Flat population growth
Limited economic base

I'm not getting it.

[brickpatio2018]

The entire premise of the show is how they are working to revive Laurel as a previously dying town. That's exactly what they are doing for Laurel and so far the results are stunning.

Laurel has always been gorgeous but economically they have been dependent on agriculture-related industries (timber, poultry) and some low-wage manufacturing.

A big positive feature of Laurel is that the historic residential district was developed for timber executives in the early 1900s, giving the town a remarkably sophisticated collection of archictural styles.

Also the town is situated in a spot with picturesque rolling terrain, along with being in the part of Mississippi where the coastal climate begins to transition to a more standard southern climate. As a result the trees and landscaping in Laurel is quite lush, with giant Live Oaks typical of coastal areas along with huge magnolias, azaleas, camellias, and towering pines.

The rolling terrain and landscaping together also help make the newer neighborhoods (from the 1950s onward) a pretty setting for the newer ranch and colonial-style homes of the 1960s and 1970s. The Laurel area also enjoyed money from oil during this era, furthering adding to the ambiance of a town of this size.

As far as income and crime statistics, from a statistical standpoint the county-level income and crime statistics are probably the most accurate reflection of the community as a whole, since nearly 50,000 of the 66,000 people in the county live outside of official city boundaries. Also, Laurel is commutable to neighboring Hattiesburg and as an overall region the area is quite prosperous, far moreso than when looking at Jones County in a vacuum.

Jones County needs a good 25 years of economic growth to reach a status of being truly prosperous, but the ingredients are all there. They have a fabulous location midway between New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to the south and Birmingham and Jackson and points to the north such as Atlanta, Memphis, and Nashville.

Laurel is an easy 25-30 minute drive to growing Hattiesburg. They have natural beauty along with gorgeous architecture and a newly vibrant downtown. And they have a nice collection of local companies, especially in combination with Hattiesburg, that provide opportunities for the future.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by badger74

High crime
Poverty
Flat population growth
Limited economic base

I'm not getting it.

Originally Posted by brickpatio2018

The entire premise of the show is how they are working to revive Laurel as a previously dying town. That's exactly what they are doing for Laurel and so far the results are stunning.

That is exactly the premise and a model that has shown success not only in Laurel but where they have taken the show on the road last year to Wahumpka AL and this year in Fort Morgan CO. Revitalization begins with the downtown area and as seen in about every neighborhood, a new paint job/remodel sparks improvement from other neighbors.

[viverlibre]

I've never seen the show, but been to Laurel many times over the years. There has been a lot of revitalization and more is currently underway in the downtown area. There are a few streets of redone houses, but the next street over is the hood.

Like everything, this is good and bad. Locals are paying more for real estate, due to interest from wealthy "out of towners." Eventually this fad will pass and some may end up in a negative equity situation.

You will see car tags from all over the country when you visit Laurel.

[badger74]

Well known TV shows were set and did some filming at two towns near me in WA.(WA was a standin for AK in one). Tourists flocked to the towns while the shows ran and they had special events. New businesses opened to cater to tourists. A few years after the shows ended the tourists stopped coming and the events died out. Today little remains. Laurel appears to have god awful weather, little real economic growth, little to do, and crime issues. https://homesprig.com/most-dangerous...n-mississippi/

[eddie gein]

I just wish that big 'ole bear wasn't always pawing his wife. LOL.

[viverlibre]

Originally Posted by badger74

Well known TV shows were set and did some filming at two towns near me in WA.(WA was a standin for AK in one). Tourists flocked to the towns while the shows ran and they had special events. New businesses opened to cater to tourists. A few years after the shows ended the tourists stopped coming and the events died out. Today little remains. Laurel appears to have god awful weather, little real economic growth, little to do, and crime issues. https://homesprig.com/most-dangerous...n-mississippi/

Other than the first and fourth, put absolutely no faith in that list whatsoever. Every town in the Delta has more crime than Laurel. It's the same weather as everywhere in the South.

[An Einnseanair]

Yes, the show Home Town sugar coats Laurel.

"Reality" TV shows are not unscripted real life. They are semi-scripted set-pieces that are directed and carefully edited to produce a story designed to appeal to a target audience. They have multiple takes for key scenes to get the best camera angles, and they splice footage and audio from unrelated scenes to create the desired narrative.

Like most other renovation-type shows, Home Town sugar coats everything about the process including the town itself. For the genre, every episode endures drama and setbacks, then ultimately makes a profit and has a happy ending. My wife watches Home Town, along with lots of other "reality" shows. I have not seen much of the show other than bits and pieces so my exact characterization may be off, but I stand by what I said in general.

Please don't take anything out of a "reality" show and try to apply it to real life, either good or bad.

Back to actual reality. Laurel doesn't have better or worse crime or weather than any other similar sized town in the south-east. It was created during a timber boom, then a short oil boom, and continues based on timber and chickens. It was once a crossroads for shipping (timber), but that shifted to Hattiesburg with the expansion of Hwy 49. It does have good "bones" (well-constructed old homes and downtown buildings), the renovation of which is the premise of the show. The town could grow after the show, but events would have to fall into place perfectly for that to happen.

The best hope for Laurel is the funding and construction of Interstate 14. The current planned route of that new interstate will take it through Laurel, and suddenly Laurel is at a crossroads again.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

I just wish that big 'ole bear wasn't always pawing his wife. LOL.

Yeah, it's a real downer having to watch two people obviously very much in love with one another.

[Suesbal]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

That is exactly the premise and a model that has shown success not only in Laurel but where they have taken the show on the road last year to Wahumpka AL and this year in Fort Morgan CO. Revitalization begins with the downtown area and as seen in about every neighborhood, a new paint job/remodel sparks improvement from other neighbors.

You mean “Wetumpka”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetump...ma#2020_census