Oxford - Pros & Cons - Let Me Have It ! ! !

[emd93]

Born and raised in Oxford, family still lives there, and I will say this...it WAS a wonderful town. It HAD a great music scene, it HAD an great arts scene, and it HAD a lot of charm.

Then it got way too much publicity, many former UM/NFL players and uber-rich alumni decided to come back with their trophy wives and "invest," and the city has just now realized this is actually NOT progress. Filling in Mistilis Pond so Dickie Scruggs would have enough runway for his Gulfstream was the last straw.

Maybe, just MAYBE, if we can just get people to STOP MOVING THERE, call a moratorium, and let the city catch up to the "progress" there can be something to salvage. Until then, I've turned traitor and moved to Starkville.

I will say the public schools were excellent when I was there and are still considered to be VERY good. Wonder how long THAT will last.

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by emd93

Born and raised in Oxford, family still lives there, and I will say this...it WAS a wonderful town. It HAD a great music scene, it HAD an great arts scene, and it HAD a lot of charm.

Then it got way too much publicity, many former UM/NFL players and uber-rich alumni decided to come back with their trophy wives and "invest," and the city has just now realized this is actually NOT progress. Filling in Mistilis Pond so Dickie Scruggs would have enough runway for his Gulfstream was the last straw.

Maybe, just MAYBE, if we can just get people to STOP MOVING THERE, call a moratorium, and let the city catch up to the "progress" there can be something to salvage. Until then, I've turned traitor and moved to Starkville.

I will say the public schools were excellent when I was there and are still considered to be VERY good. Wonder how long THAT will last.

You sound like someone who was forced out of Oxford because the real estate values are skyrocketing and the central town is becoming more expensive. For better or for worse, that is true. However, the music scene and arts scene in Oxford is better than ever. That is a fact. There is far more to do in Oxford than there was 10 years ago. Oxford is better than ever, though much more expensive.

[djerome]

I would give Oxford a couple of years. It is growing, and should get better.

[sad delta]

Oxford thinks waaaaaaay too highly of their soil.....real estate is ridiculously over priced! Ole Miss is GREAT, and if you're young, you'll enjoy the square and the rest of Oxford...but, only if you're young...and RICH...but it is a nice place to visit!!

[spinrider2000]

Going back to the original question asked, how is oxford to live in? All depends on what you want. Raised 3 children, all in the city schools. ok, here goes.
The economy is supported by UM. This is a fact which is not going to change. A higher living cost follows this fact. College students? They are all here and yes, with the greek system, there is a certain life style. Schools? Oxford and Lafayette Co. are both rated high. Arts & music? It is there for those who want it. Recreation? Not the most diverse area, but things are available. Growth? this is really a tough issue. There is a lot of growth attempting to support the university and returning UM alumni. True, this is not the Oxford of 15 years ago. What will be the end result, I wish I knew. With all said, if moving to Mississippi, there is nothing wrong with Oxford. Sometimes an area is what you decide to make of it.

[blueridgemama]

I lived in Oxford for 10 years, including 6 as a student and 4 as a "civilian" worker in the community. I moved away 3 years ago but have visited a few times.

Pros:
Oxford definitely has the most going on of any town it's size that I've ever seen. Double Decker Festival, Thacker Mountain live weekly radio show on the Square, drinking iced tea on the balcony of Square books, great variety of independent stores and restaurants, the grounds of Rowan Oak, theater, music, art shows, speakers, community classes on art or music or dancing or yoga, free outdoor summer concerts in the Grove, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting...
The inner part of the town itself is easy to walk around and this town still has an abundance of shops to buy actual local items or unique items.
Traffic isn't great for a small town, but it is wonderful compared to most other places in the southeast.
Lots of smaller towns surrounding Oxford have great prices on real estate and you get nice, large pieces of land.
Great schools in town or in the county.
Nice library with activities for kids.
Memphis is an hour away.

Cons:
The University definitely runs the town and things basically shut down for football weekends.
Oxford real estate is more expensive than it should be, but still quite reasonable when compared to other places in the U.S.
Development is running amok and it's a little hard to say what it will be like in 10 years.
Some of the shopping can be pricey.

You should visit and stay near the square to get a real feel for the town. Also check out Taylor, Water Valley, and Holly Springs while you are there.

[HarlequhnBoy]

Oxford DOES have great culture and is definitely better in the arts scene than Hattiesburg or Starkville. It's a gorgeous little town with a ton of history and maintains at least some prestige. The first Pres debate is going to be there this fall too. There are some really cool places there too and Ole Miss has a pretty campus.

But, I'd say the cons are - snobby preppy kids who doesn't seem to care about the world and some isolation. Everyone says "well Memphis is close." Yeah, it's close but it's also a drive. I lived only a county outside of Memphis all my life and even I thought it was too far to go there more than a few times a month. Also Oxford is pretty conservative which is okay I guess.. until you run into the occasional bigot. Sometimes I worry the population there is just too underinformed of what's going in the world. If you're female then it can be a bit difficult if you aren't considered "pretty." I think guys have it easier in Oxford.

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by HarlequhnBoy

Oxford DOES have great culture and is definitely better in the arts scene than Hattiesburg or Starkville. It's a gorgeous little town with a ton of history and maintains at least some prestige. The first Pres debate is going to be there this fall too. There are some really cool places there too and Ole Miss has a pretty campus.

But, I'd say the cons are - snobby preppy kids who doesn't seem to care about the world and some isolation. Everyone says "well Memphis is close." Yeah, it's close but it's also a drive. I lived only a county outside of Memphis all my life and even I thought it was too far to go there more than a few times a month. Also Oxford is pretty conservative which is okay I guess.. until you run into the occasional bigot. Sometimes I worry the population there is just too underinformed of what's going in the world. If you're female then it can be a bit difficult if you aren't considered "pretty." I think guys have it easier in Oxford.

I would agree with the female comment. Girls that aren't attractive tend to be dismissed, an unfortunate consequence of living in a town with beautiful people. Then again, I've known a few girls that are less than attractive that still loved Oxford.