Brandon vs Madison/Ridgeland?

[dobos]

Thanks all for the responses to my inquiry. All good points and advice.

I truly don't think there was any slur intended by the "backwoods" comment on either the people or the area of Rankin County. I took it to mean that it might be considered slightly more isolated or remote in comparison to Madison - especially since that person was trying to help think about what we might be used to while living in Boston. I have heard from other family and friends that while both Brandon & Madison are good places to be and growing, that Madison has grown faster and is possibly a little more crowded/populated at present - unless you go further out. Again, that's not a bad thing - just a consideration when thinking about where we want to be and what we are looking for.

I do very much appreciate all the insight. We're still looking and looking forward to the move!

[SashaBlue]

dobos, you are correct about the "backwoods" comment. Madison is more "city" while Brandon is more "country". Nothing wrong with either one -- just depends on preference. Mostly "white collar" workers live in Madison while mostly "blue collar" workers live in Brandon. Again, nothing wrong with either one. Madison consists of mostly business men/women - bankers, lawyers, insurance executives, and the like. Brandon consists of mostly hourly workers. Let me put it this way, the Madison folks enjoy tennis and golf, while the Brandon-ites enjoy huntng and fishing.

[SashaBlue]

dobos, I found this quote from a user on another thread. I wanted to be sure you saw it because it hits the nail on the head.

Madison (City of) - Both the richest and (arguably) the most sprawling suburb of Jackson: $1/2 million houses on 4 or 5 acres, lots of artificial lakes, curving cul-de-sacs, etc. Now this is one of those places you either love or love to hate - not much gray area in the opinion department. Some say it's a good family oriented area, and on paper it is - probably the best in the state. However, it turns off a lot of folks because of its reputation for being image-conscious and pretentions, and even people in Ridgeland (Madison's southern neighbor) often resent the city's blatant materialism and class consciousness. Don't even ask about the faux-classy/tacky gas stations and the faux-classy Wal-Mart there!!! (can't you tell that I can't stand Madison <haha>). On the good side, Madison Central H.S. is one of, if not THE, best high school in the whole state. So if you insist on the best public education in the area, then you might want to spend an extra few hundred dollars on mortgage expenses so your kids can attend Madison Central.

Rankin County - to the east of Jackson. Northern Rankin is quite similar to Madison, though not quite as upscale. If you like tall pine trees, I'd look to North Rankin (many more trees cut down in Madison Co). The schools aren't too bad here either. Personally, I'd say NW Rankin HS offers the best education for the dollar, all cost of living aspects taken into account. Although like most suburban areas, this area is much more conservative than Fondren/Belhaven, at least this area doesn't suffer from Madison's reputation for snotty nouveau-riche elitism.

[auntbee]

Originally Posted by SashaBlue

dobos, you are correct about the "backwoods" comment. Madison is more "city" while Brandon is more "country". Nothing wrong with either one -- just depends on preference. Mostly "white collar" workers live in Madison while mostly "blue collar" workers live in Brandon. Again, nothing wrong with either one. Madison consists of mostly business men/women - bankers, lawyers, insurance executives, and the like. Brandon consists of mostly hourly workers. Let me put it this way, the Madison folks enjoy tennis and golf, while the Brandon-ites enjoy huntng and fishing.

I wasn't referring to the city of Brandon in my posts. I was referring to the Reservoir area of Rankin County where there are mostly "white collar" people living. There are a couple of really nice golf course communities at the Reservoir. I don't know about the city of Brandon. Obviously you were referring to the city of Madison and not Madison County in general.