The Future of Jackson, MS (Raleigh: real estate, crime, roughest)

[marighand]

Is Jackson considered part of the "new south" like Atlanta, Raleigh/Durham? Is there something in Jackson that is beyond repair? The town just seems like it is 10-15 years behind not just other cities but even other southern cities. I'm from Raleigh, NC and they have done quite a good job of regulating growth and commerce. Is there a future in Jackson for economic growth? I don't know honestly. I think the government should look into growing the economy in this town. That is the only way to turn things around in this small town. So I'd like to know from those who have lived in Jackson for a long time and know about the government, townspeople, economy, etc. Is there any future here....or is there something that is deeply routed in Jackson that just won't make it grow beyond the rut that it is in.

[jacksonian]

Actually, we are already on our way out of the rut and moving forward nicely right now. We just opened our downtown convention complex earlier this year, which has become an instant success. The historic King Edward Hotel is roughly 60% completely renovated with an opening date sometime this fall. There are many other things going on as well, but our main problem is our city and county government. They are not being held accountable enough, so we plan on changing that this year and vote in some experienced and passionate leaders and officials. I could go on and on about this, but i'm on my phone right now.

[bornjacksonian]

Originally Posted by jacksonian

Actually, we are already on our way out of the rut and moving forward nicely right now. We just opened our downtown convention complex earlier this year, which has become an instant success. The historic King Edward Hotel is roughly 60% completely renovated with an opening date sometime this fall. There are many other things going on as well, but our main problem is our city and county government. They are not being held accountable enough, so we plan on changing that this year and vote in some experienced and passionate leaders and officials. I could go on and on about this, but i'm on my phone right now.

I'll finish it up for you jacksonian

We also have several other projects laid out on table downtown. They are in the planning stages of opening 2 new hotels downtown. The King Edward Hotel will be a Hilton property. We have the Old Capital Green project (entertainment district) underway which will add more bars/restaurants/nightlife to the east end of downtown. The Farish Street entertainment district (under construction) will also bring restaurants/nightclubs/bars and one major breakthrough is Wet Willies plan on opening a location on Farish.

All of this credit can be given to Jackson's former Mayor Harvey Johnson who was also responsible to pushing the convention through. Our current Mayor does not have the "passion or experience" for truly running this city. His entire administration and entourage is responsible to completely destroying this city's appearance and reputation ...... but a CHANGE is on the way.

[marighand]

how come a city the size of jackson, ms doesn't even have a single movie theater? that's just ridiculous.

[poptones]

No movie theatre? What Jackson do you live in?

[teachertype]

I'm a big fan of Mississippi and Mississippians but Jackson, MS is one of the scariest, roughest looking places I've ever been in my life. Even in the daytime, IMHO, you're taking your life in your hands on Farish St, which is a desolate area. The streets of Jackson are empty of people, even in daylight, in perfect weather, because it's too dangerous to be out walking - night time, you'd have to be totally insane. I'm sure a lot of great people live there, I'm not putting them down, but it's the wild west in a lot of neighborhoods.

The people talking up Jackson must be real estate speculators or need seeing eye dogs. Very dangerous place.

[marighand]

Originally Posted by poptones

No movie theatre? What Jackson do you live in?

so name me a movie theater that doesn't smell like poop, or have disgustingly poor customer service? those two movie theaters i'm referring to are in ridgeland and clinton, not in the jackson city limits.

[teachertype]

Movie theaters is the least of Jackson's many problems. It's a third world city.

[poptones]

I don't go to movie theatres so I don't know how they smell or how their customer service is. I suspect the last decade has been pretty hard on all movie theatres - people with internet access and 50" tv sets in their homes don't really need theatres. It's especially hard when you have a family - I cannot take my nieces and nephews out without it costing me like a hundred bucks, and that's if we just do mcds or something cheap for dinner.

I've seen more violence in jackson than I did in LA, and I haven't lived in jackson since like 1980. Seems to me this is nothing new. I do know when I lived in the travellodge down off farish street my neighbors were prostitutes and drug dealers and it was not unusual to hear gunshots. That neighborhood looks nothing at all like it did when I lived there.

[joanie55]

Originally Posted by teachertype

I'm a big fan of Mississippi and Mississippians but Jackson, MS is one of the scariest, roughest looking places I've ever been in my life. Even in the daytime, IMHO, you're taking your life in your hands on Farish St, which is a desolate area. The streets of Jackson are empty of people, even in daylight, in perfect weather, because it's too dangerous to be out walking - night time, you'd have to be totally insane. I'm sure a lot of great people live there, I'm not putting them down, but it's the wild west in a lot of neighborhoods.

The people talking up Jackson must be real estate speculators or need seeing eye dogs. Very dangerous place.

I admit the crime in Jackson has gotten much worse than it was years ago. But if you want to talk about the wild west think of Alb NM where I lived for 13 years. Now, I'm not saying there was nothing to like about it, there was actually quite a bit to like. But you're not safe ANYWHERE in Alb. I lived in a middle class suburb and had a friend and her fiance visiting me. He was a medical student in Phili. We were driving down a street in my neighborhood in the middle of the day and saw two policemen walking down the street with their guns drawn. The med student said, "Four years in Phili and I've never seen anything like that!." I saw 2 incidents of road rage in the middle of the day where guns were drawn.

Now, I don't live there (yet - Im moving there) but I have family who have lived there 30 plus years. And from what I gather, the city of Jackson has experienced an upshot in crime due to what we midwesterners used to call "white flight." MOre blacks moved to the city of Jackson from other areas and the whites moved out. That's certainly what has happened in south Jackson. I lived in a suburb of ST. Louis and experienced the same thing. Blacks started moving in - very nice, middle class people with decent jobs and the whites started moving out and selling their homes for a song. WEll, obviously what happens when housing prices plummet is you get less desireable and poorer people moving in and crime goes up. It was strictly a racist phenomenon. And it happens everywhere. Hopefully more people who have something to offer - culturally, educationally, career=wise etc. will be moving into the city. That's what's happened to alot of areas in the city of St. Louis and it's amazing the transformation that has taken place. Anyway, I plan on living in the city - my family lives in Rankin county where you can't even order a glass of wine before dinner in a restaurant - talk about backward! Anyway, just my 2 cents. I just hate to see people give up on cities, not just Jackson, but any city because I know things can be different and improve.