Is Mount Vernon "just" another small town? (Springfield: city hall, houses)

[Serminator]

We currently live in a small Missouri town -- 1000 people -- very little business; our kids are taken to a county school by bus (about a 40 minute ride); the city is declining in population and many here struggle financially. It is a pleasant place to live, but trend seems downward.

We are considering a move to Mount Vernon -- but are wondering, as the title suggests: is it "just" another small town? I understand that there's approximately 4000 people there... but what about business? Are there good Grocery stores or would one have to drive all the way to Springfield? How is I-44 to Springfield? Safe?

What about the schools?

Is the city growing? Is poverty a big concern there?

I've heard it described as a "truck stop" town. While better than here, that doesn't sound that much more appealing.

Thank you in advance for any insight / opinion.

[Serminator]

Bumpety-bump-bump... Surely Someone can offer an opinion...

[mrsgenealogy]

I wish I was the "someone" you were hoping for. My husband and I stopped there for gas one time and only saw what most people will see...the part of town that's at the freeway...and it LOOKS like a great place to pull off since there are great gas prices and food options, as I recall.

Later, I learned that there was a whole town beyond. I wish, for your sake, that we had gone there.

Have you already been to their Chamber of Commerce' website? They have a lot of business members and a whole bunch of information! Here's a link, just in case:
Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce - Mt. Vernon, Missouri

Another great site seems to belong to their City Hall:
Welcome to the City of Mt. Vernon Missouri - Home Page

Of course, you've probably already seen this site's page on Mt. Vernon but for others reading here, I'll link to that:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Mount-...-Missouri.html

Well, I hope I've helped in some small way. If nothing else, know that others are finally reading your post (well, at least ONE person is). Smart move, by the way, to bump your post. Otherwise, I probably never would have seen it.

So, where do you live now?

[helen1]

We live just outside of Mount Vernon. It is a quaint little town, but is growing. It has the old time town square with the courthouse in the middle. A new bond is allowing for a building of a new one. There are 2 grocery stores - one is just a regular grocery store with everything in it that you would need and the other is a discount grocery store with a lot of off brand merchandise but has a GREAT meat counter.

Aurora, which is a town about 20 minutes away, has a super center Wal-Mart that has groceries and a Price Cutter grocery store. Those are the only two that comes to mind but there may be more.

The schools are really good. My two grandsons attend Mount Vernon elementary and the oldest one starts in the Mount Vernon middle school this fall. They are building a new middle school.

I am sure the term "truck stop town" comes from the fact that there is a large truck stop right after you get off of 44 highway. You would pass it on your right if you were going west. Other than that, there aren't any other truck stops. There was another one years ago but that one hasn't been in operation for a long time.

The city has a Park where the children can play organized baseball, t-ball, and other activities. They also have a swimming pool. During the summer they offer a parks program where the kids can go a half day and do crafts, or some other activity and they also learn to swim.

[Lake Junkie]

...and while you're in Aurora, you can sample soma that mmmmmmgood Hawg Wild BBQ...

Mt. Vernon is in an area that IS growing...as the expansion of Springfield causes ripples down the line. That's a good thing.

And...drum roll...it's only about a 40 minute drive to two different lakes, for recreation!

[DocGSD]

I think Mt. Vernon is kind of a dirty truck stop town. It does have a cool old time square and Apple Butter Days in October is neat. They make the BEST apple butter in the world!!! Its about 30 min from Joplin and 30 min from Springfield. Mostly a little farm town. Not bad but certainly not my first pick. If I was looking for a small town in SWMO, I would pick Ozark, Webb City, Nixa, Carl Junction or something like that that is really growing and has a lot of community support.

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by Serminator

We currently live in a small Missouri town -- 1000 people -- very little business; our kids are taken to a county school by bus (about a 40 minute ride); the city is declining in population and many here struggle financially. It is a pleasant place to live, but trend seems downward.

We are considering a move to Mount Vernon -- but are wondering, as the title suggests: is it "just" another small town? I understand that there's approximately 4000 people there... but what about business? Are there good Grocery stores or would one have to drive all the way to Springfield? How is I-44 to Springfield? Safe?

What about the schools?

Is the city growing? Is poverty a big concern there?

I've heard it described as a "truck stop" town. While better than here, that doesn't sound that much more appealing.

Thank you in advance for any insight / opinion.

Serminator...after re-reading your original post, have you been there?
Have you been to the area?
Or...if not, why has Mt. Vernon shown up on the radar?
Your questions beg more questions...is I-44 safe? It's a freeway...

[nroden]

As far as businesses Mt. Vernon does pretty well cover the basics. It has Summer Fresh, ALPS, Pamida (like ALCO if you know what that is or its like a small town K-Mart), Family Dollar, Dollar General, O' Reilly Auto Parts, True Value hardware, lumberyard, and a pharmacy. There is a few restaurants that are good on a regular basis but at times you will get bored and head out of town!

If you're expecting a small town with a feeling of community this isn't it. I think perhaps its because so many people have moved here. Maybe it never had that community feel. Of course there and some friendly people here just like anywhere else you go. Most people won't just introduce themselves if they know you're new like some small towns I have visited. There doesn't seem to be a lot of community pride and it reflects in how houses and buildings are taken care of.

From what I understand the schools are OK but again... they don't have a feeling of community where parents are involved and the teachers really get involved with the students. Again, there are exceptions.

The biggest plus to Mt. Vernon is that it is between Springfield and Joplin. If one spouse works in Springfield and the other in Joplin this is this place. Republic, Aurora, & Monett are also nearby.

For Missouri towns with populations of 2000-5000 I'd give Mt. Vernon a C.

Are you wanting Southwest Missouri or are you willing to venture elsewhere into the state?

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by nroden

As far as businesses Mt. Vernon does pretty well cover the basics. It has Summer Fresh, ALPS, Pamida (like ALCO if you know what that is or its like a small town K-Mart), Family Dollar, Dollar General, O' Reilly Auto Parts, True Value hardware, lumberyard, and a pharmacy. There is a few restaurants that are good on a regular basis but at times you will get bored and head out of town!

If you're expecting a small town with a feeling of community this isn't it. I think perhaps its because so many people have moved here. Maybe it never had that community feel. Of course there and some friendly people here just like anywhere else you go. Most people won't just introduce themselves if they know you're new like some small towns I have visited. There doesn't seem to be a lot of community pride and it reflects in how houses and buildings are taken care of.

From what I understand the schools are OK but again... they don't have a feeling of community where parents are involved and the teachers really get involved with the students. Again, there are exceptions.

The biggest plus to Mt. Vernon is that it is between Springfield and Joplin. If one spouse works in Springfield and the other in Joplin this is this place. Republic, Aurora, & Monett are also nearby.

For Missouri towns with populations of 2000-5000 I'd give Mt. Vernon a C.

Are you wanting Southwest Missouri or are you willing to venture elsewhere into the state?

Good Post...nroden! I have the same questions for Serminator...has anybody seen him/her?
Where do these people go....aska question and "poof"...????????????????????????????

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by Lake Junkie

Good Post...nroden! I have the same questions for Serminator...has anybody seen him/her?
Where do these people go....aska question and "poof"...????????????????????????????

Funny you should say that, L J. When I first found this forum and posted, I later worried that I wouldn't be able to find my way back. I've done that with other sites before...not forums, necessarily, but all sorts of sites...blogs and other websites. So, I think it's easy to get lost in this big ol' world wide web! I just checked and Serminator only made two posts so it sounds like that may have been the case!