Moving to Hattiesburg, MS (Jackson, Pearl: gated, for sale, apartment complex)

[LinaPuraws]

I'm moving to Hattiesburg in the late part of June and am looking for houses either for sale or new constructions and trying to find more information about daily life and things to do in Hattieburg. I'm in my late 20s.

What part of town would be good for young professionals? How much do the houses range? I've heard about the golf communities. Are they worth it? What other golf clubs are there besides Canebrake?

What's fun to do on laid back evenings and weekends? What about gyms? Language institutes to indulge in learning new languages?

What about business/investment opportunities? I know Hattiesburg is a growing town and I would also like to launch a business.

Part answers would be helpful too. Thanks

[byrdjj]

Hello! I believe you will find Hattiesburg to be a great place to live. there is so much growth going on. There are several new subdivisions being developed. new shopping centers, etc. motel chains, restaurant chains, lots of development. I do not know much about the golfing areas except there are several . Canebrake, Timberton, Shadow Ridge, one about 7-8 miles below Hattiesburg at Purvis, MS. ( Pine Creek ) . . Hattiesburg is home to the University of Southern Mississippi and I know there is a Language Institute there. New Orleans is about 1 1/2 hour drive down I-59 . Mobile about 1 1/2 hour drive on Hwy 98. Jackson is about 1 hour drive north on Hwy 49. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is about 45 minutes to 1 hour drive south on 49. It seems to be recovering from the devastation wrought by Katrina.
There are two hospitals - one is somewhat larger than the other . . I have received good care at both of them! I do not know of any gyms other than the Family Y is a big complex and looks to be used by lots of people when I drive by it! Look for housing in the Oak Grove area. . It is the newer part of town. Hope this helps! Have a Great day!

[Tama]

You may want to search the forum--there are some posts on Hattiesburg. You won't want for golf --there are plenty of courses. I don't know if I would agree with Oak Grove for young professionals. It is mainly gated communitues or rural--a little isolated and not with a neighborhood feel. This is a minority opinion, I might add, as realtors tend to steer newcomers in that direction. Just don't dismiss other possibilities like the historical district, the Timberton area (my personal favorite) or Baywood Cove or 40th place developments. Also there is an area--I have no idea what is it called--off of 34th street and Southhaven that is new. If you are not looking strictly at new construction you may be interested in Innswood--just to give you some other ideas. The language institute at USM is for English learners only. There is a foreign language department at the university and they give listener's licenses. There are some happy hour spots--The Martini Spot--the Mahogany Bar--that might be in your age range. There is a wonderful 40 mile bike trail-The Longleaf Trace--there is also the Wellness Center at the Wesly Hospital complex that many of my friends use. It is very, very nice. Also, Forrest General Hospital has a fitness center near the Wal-Mart on 49th-don't remember the name--very up-to-date-- and there are the usual chain places--Curves-Changes--what you might miss are big city type activities--museums, concerts, and exhibitions. However, the universities do have cultural offerings and the USM orchestra has a series you can purchase---Pearlman, Yo-Yo Ma and others have come. The casinos on the coast have pop and country big names--and good eats. Hattiesburg has a great quality of life. Welcome

[fran munschauer]

I guess my answers to some of your questions depend on "where" you are moving from, Alabama? New York? And is this destination final or can you move to other areas? Northerners need to be aware that the context for "best" is different here, so you need to ask for clarification. For example, when I wanted the "best" school system for my daughter, I was thinking "academics". I was told that Lamar County was the "best" school district and did not find out until it was too late that "best" meant "white". Based on curriculum,the "city" of Hattiesburg (Forrest County) High School has better academics. Nice houses in Lamar County run between 2-300,00.00. There is a sheriff not Police. Nightlife= I don't know of any. Food is strictly southern...no good bread, subs or pizza. Golfing is good for those who are use to this climate. We chose to live in Lamar County (suburbs?) but the local government here is awful. Nothing gets done- no leash laws. You either live in the city or the county..no town of, or village of. You will have to help the sick and starving dogs and cats because if you call the sheriff for help, he might respond, "If the animal is destroying your property, you can destroy the animal. I am told that there is a humane society in Forrest County but have been afraid to visit it.There is no respect for personal property. The streets are not paved professionally. Your floors will be covered in asphalt years after the poor street repair; if in fact your street is repaired. Contractors are not required to be licensed and bonded. If you are in the city, you have Mayor, Johnny Dupree, who acually helped me out one time even though I was out of his jurisdiction. Lamar County has part time supervisors. One is said to be a coke truck driver who got tired of driving trucks; so i am told by another supervisor. As a young professional, my daughter left after one year and would never consider returning. When she did live here, she sought entertainment in New Orleans. Oh, the Hattiesburg newspaper states that they have no investigative reporters and don't seem interested in anything, really. Overall, I like the fact that there is a university here and HWY 98 is the center for almost everything..The atmosphere is very nice and clean looking. Nice theaters, nice mall, many great stores. Sorry for the negativity.

[LinaPuraws]

Thank you all for the honest replies. It'll be nice to be part of Hattiesburg. Also trying to figure out a temporary move in to an appartment prior to securing a home as residence. Any one know about appartment complexes that give a house feel? Something for 4-5 months, 1-2 bedrooms, and close to USM ? Do people usually like to travel to Mobile or New Orleans for the weekends?

[fran munschauer]

there are many very Nice apartment complexes on WESTOVER, off highway 98 and it is close to everything, including USM.

[Willy99]

I lived off of Lincoln Rd. for two years, more on the West side going towards Oak Grove. It was a short drive to campus and there are many nice neighborhoods in the area, as well as some newer apartment complexes, although those tend to be further from campus along the newer stretch of Lincoln. The other areas I lived in were more for college students, like myself at that time, and while they were great times, "young-professional" doesn't quite sum up there respective charm. As far as Westover goes, I'm not sure that really fits the "young-professional" mold either, TONS of students living in those complexes(mommy and daddy pay the bills). I was a delivery driver during my college years so I know the city better than most. Just fire away with any specifics and I should be able to help you out.