Any transplant Big 3 from SE Mich or NE Ohio? (Jackson: apartments, rentals)

[exit18b]

As you can guess, possible job offer from an auto company located near Jackson. Salaried mgr level job. I have worked in 4 different locations for a Big 3 company, but I have never lived down south. No school aged kids so schools are not a big deal. How was the transition to a small city? Is it different working for a Japanesse Co.? Do you miss Pro Sports? What is Shopping like (Please do not say Walmart). Any place like West Bloomfield, MI or Solon, Ohio?

[brickpatio]

Assuming that you are working for Nissan in Canton, yes there are very nice residential areas nearby in the city of Madison. The shopping is very upscale along Highland Colony Parkway in Madison and e.g. Brooks Brothers. There are many neighborhoods in Madison County with homes on lakes, golf courses and large wooded lots. Hwy 463 is a nice drive with about 10 miles of woods, rolling hills and residential areas. Two very unique areas are the community of Lost Rabbit located over the reservoir which is 3 miles wide and a out 10 miles long. Also the neighborhoods around Jackson Yacht Club are very nice. Madison has strict zoning, architectural, signage and landscaping ordinances and there are no apartments.

[GrandviewGloria]

Mississippi's equivalent of Solon is Madison. It's also frequently compared to Overland Park, Kansas. We moved here from Madison. Richest town, in the richest county. Great place for people who know how to behave.

Loud mufflers and thumpin' sound systems will get you pulled over and searched for drugs. And then there are the private individuals keeping lists of license plates associated with noise, etc. Even barking dog complaints are answered lightening-fast. Step out of line, and you're lucky if the police get to you before the neighbors do. Lots of elite retired military/government agents/law enforcement... Expect to have private individuals run not just your license plate, but also the VIN number of your car. If the VIN's hidden or doesn't match data base in some way, expect blue lights to descend upon your vehicle from all directions. Expect to have somebody sniff at your cracked car window for 'weed' or meth odors.

As with the metro's other leading enclaves, you can go for weeks without seeing anyone taking a drink or smoking a cigarette. Mississippi is sharply divided: winners vs losers; righteous vs damned. Madison and Brandon are the most wholesome and prosperous communities. If you want to live among the damned, I'd suggest Canton, or most of Jackson-proper. Not saying nobody smokes of drinks in Madison: but it's easy there to avoid the people who do.

Madison residents typically have moved there because they're fed-up with crime elsewhere. Every crime is investigated until the perps are punished. Most iffy types, for that reason, don't even like to drive through the town. They get nervous just going past Madison on the interstate. But all that will be over, and the town will turn into just another crime-infested hellhole within a couple of years, if the incumbent mayor is defeated. If not for her there would not BE a 'large auto plant' nearby. That's because she went to Sweden, and brought back Volvo, who were about to build a plant, when the company was eaten by Ford (and that other company which shall remain nameless). Anyway, the research had been done, the numbers had been run, and the companies that tag-teamed Volvo had the data for the site already prepared. And that's why there's a job there for you. Madison has its own chapter of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce, and Swedish businesses/residents. In recognition of the Sister City relationship between Madison and a town in Sweden, the King of Sweden awarded Madison's Mayor with this 'order'... apparently a huge deal, and rarely awarded: The Order of the Polar Star - Sveriges Kungahus [NS4 version]

It's a classy town, where the top attorneys/physicians/power brokers live. Most residents are workaholics/superachievers who prefer to keep to themselves. There is no 'scene'... no 'nightlife'... and that's how most people like it. If you plan to keep to yourself, and to buy a home, that's the town to choose.

Madison, the county, is the richest county in the state. Most of the county offers a pretty luxe lifestyle. Just don't expect to make friends, unless you're a big churchey type, or a swinger (like I said, either righteous or damned...). Except for hands-on areas like religion and swinging and Habitat House projects, there's really no reason for people to get to know anybody new. They were born into networks of friends and family and frats and sororities, and just don't have time for extra people in their lives. However, Mississippi people are sports-crazy, and probably actually care about professional teams and all that. There are some classy bars where people go and 'watch games' or whatever. And then there are the hooteresque kinda 'sports bars'. I'm not sure what people get out of things like that, but if you want to watch 'pro sports' in an actual giant stadium, there's always New Orleans, three and a half hours away.

Executive-level rentals in Madison County will either be at Lost Rabbit, or at 'The Township' in Ridgeland.

At Lost Rabbit (an 'Indian legend' name), you'll find million-Dollar condominiums overlooking the Reservoir. The Reservoir is not a water tank or sewage lagoon, as the name would suggest. Actually, it's a large, beautiful man-made lake. Most Mississippians cannot pronounce 'Reservoir' in a pleasant-sounding way. I mean, the local pronunciation of 'Roark' is "row-ark" (really... the movie people wrote that into 'A Time to Kill', after a couple of crew members 'encountered' a female by that name in a Canton, Mississippi bar, during filming), so you can imagine what locals can do with a hard word, lak ray-iz-uhrrr-vaw-uhrrr. Why they didn't just name the thing Lake Barnett, I'll never know.

Your other best option would be at 'The Township' in Ridgeland. The Township at Colony Park - Ridgeland, Mississippi - Live Work Shop The Township has two main advantages. First, the fanciest gym in the region is a short walk from your apartments. The Club | Fitness Club in Mississippi. The Renaissance mixed-used/mostly shopping & dining development is nearby http://www.renaissanceatcolonypark.com/, as are the metro's most popular hotels for executives. So, the second advantage is that the most desirable hookups in the metro are a minute's drive from your door. Just access them via the internet social networking venue of your choice... Also, they'll be at that gym or in the nearby bars. Upper middle class women in Mississippi are aerobics-toned, flawlessly groomed, and dressed to the nines. The guys tend to have bama bangs and big muscles, and so are just as hot as the gals. Sooooo either/or, or both (separately, or at the same time...). Pickins are great, as long as you have plenty of money, a good body, and a nice car (and, most importantly, like sports).

[exit18b]

WOW! Thanks for the details. It sounds like you know the area.

[exit18b]

Originally Posted by brickpatio

Assuming that you are working for Nissan in Canton, yes there are very nice residential areas nearby in the city of Madison. The shopping is very upscale along Highland Colony Parkway in Madison and e.g. Brooks Brothers. There are many neighborhoods in Madison County with homes on lakes, golf courses and large wooded lots. Hwy 463 is a nice drive with about 10 miles of woods, rolling hills and residential areas. Two very unique areas are the community of Lost Rabbit located over the reservoir which is 3 miles wide and a out 10 miles long. Also the neighborhoods around Jackson Yacht Club are very nice. Madison has strict zoning, architectural, signage and landscaping ordinances and there are no apartments.

I was able to see that the are does offer much more than I thought, thanks.

[exit18b]

The area looks to be great. However, I have never lived in a "smaller" city. This site really helped me to make my mind up. Thanks City-Data.

[brickpatio]

So what did you decide?

[exit18b]

Decided to stay a Yankee. I have never lived in a small city and the lure of the weather could not win us over. I enjoy pro sports (alot), theatre and stuff bigger cities offer. I tell you this, the lack of activity on this board helped us decide. We realized that Jackson was a very small city. Thanks folks............