Moving to Starkville... HELP!!! (Columbus: apartments, rental, month to)

[laura.daniels]

We are moving to Starkville next week to do some research on a church plant in the area. We only know one person in Starkville (a college student) and a few people in Columbus.

We are coming in town Monday and Tuesday to look for housing and hope to find a place to live by Wednesday. We will have to sign a month to month or short term lease until we know for sure that the church plan is approved. Does anyone know a place that would be a good short term rental option?

Also, we have a 3 year old and 5 year old... what areas of town are safe for families (walking with the girls, etc.)? Are there any areas we should stay away from? We obviously want to meet lots of people once we get in town and get settled... any suggestions for places to go where people tend to gather? Do you have any suggestions for fun things to do with the kids? My husband will be working during the day and we might go "exploring" the new city.

Any other tips and hints are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[jacksonian]

It's been a while since I've been in Starkville, but being that you have kids, I would tend to steer clear of any apartments that are majority college students. It's not that it's not safe, it's just usually louder than usual, especially at night. There are some great neighborhoods with houses for rent, but I have no clue if/which ones would be available for a short term lease. The cotton district is great for walking/exploring, but it also is majority college students. I would look at houses just south of downtown, around Montgomery St and just west of there first. It is centrally located, and there are some beautiful homes there. Another place to look would be down S. Montgomery St, south of Hwy 12. There are neighborhoods starting at Hwy 12, and they go on for miles down S. Montgomery. There are some neighborhoods further down Hwy 12, near Kroger that are ok as well, and will be cheaper. Just be sure to let your realtor know that you're looking for a centrally located house in an area that is safe and good for kids and walking, and they should know where to take you to look. The closer you are to downtown/main street, the better experience you will have, in my opinion. There's lots of shopping and restaurants there, and festivals occur quite often as well.