Jackson’s biggest mistake, in my opinion (Oxford, Forest: transplants, public schools)

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

Is USM the “third wheel” of Mississippi universities?

I may be misremembering this but when I looked hard at the Mississippi schools for college USM actually had the largest total enrollment of the three. Ole Miss was actually pretty small back then (1980ish) and MSU was close to the size of USM, but visiting USM they made hay about being the largest school.

As to the question. I would think Jackson would have certainly moved in the direction of the cities that do have a flagship university/state capital situation. Columbia, SC would maybe be the closest comparison IMO?

That being said, Ole Miss and Oxford are a national treasure. MSU/Starkville has the perfect feel for a small state Ag school and USM reminds you of a teachers college in a nicely sized college town.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

What is Delta State's function?

Educating people in the Delta.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

I may be misremembering this but when I looked hard at the Mississippi schools for college USM actually had the largest total enrollment of the three. Ole Miss was actually pretty small back then (1980ish) and MSU was close to the size of USM, but visiting USM they made hay about being the largest school.

As to the question. I would think Jackson would have certainly moved in the direction of the cities that do have a flagship university/state capital situation. Columbia, SC would maybe be the closest comparison IMO?

That being said, Ole Miss and Oxford are a national treasure. MSU/Starkville has the perfect feel for a small state Ag school and USM reminds you of a teachers college in a nicely sized college town.

Ha!!

[Rock Climber]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Ha!!

There is certainly a population of people who believe so, although I can't say that I understand it. Wife and I looked at it years ago and found it to be a nice small college town, but it basically has everything every other town in the country of its size has. Suburban strip malls, fast food, and a restored town square with a handful of college bars. The red brick campus is handsome. There is very little in the realm of outdoor recreation nearby.

There is a good focus on local eateries there, but I assumed that was because the town is too small to support much other than local places. Demographically-speaking, it is rural, with a county-wide population of 50,000 or so. It is not particularly affluent by any measure.

An example of that "belief" came across my twitter earlier this year. There was an article in Garden & Gun or Southern Living (same diff) about a new "upscale craft cocktail lounge" opening in Oxford. The article included pictures and a description of the exciting new concoctions, soon to change the cocktail experience in Oxford.

The concept of "upscale craft cocktail lounge" in college towns everywhere is at least a decade old, to the point that it is nearly passe. There are probably a half dozen such places in our current college town home. Yet there was an article dedicated to one opening in Oxford, MS. In 2019.

I have to give the local chamber of commerce credit, I suppose. They sell it very well.

[brickpatio2018]

I actually like Jackson's identity now in terms of Millsaps, greater Belhaven, Fondren, Eastover and Highland Village. The city, especially downtown, has a long ways to go, obviously, but I do think that overall in-town set of neighborhoods is unique and has real personality.

That said, I think the addition of the Renaissance area along Highland Colony, Madison and Hwy 463 out to Livingston, the reservoir communities Lost Rabbit and Arbor Landing (night time view with lights across the water is actually neat), and the Natchez Trace bike and walking path are all quite nice also.

Recently I'm liking the upgrades happening in Brandon (amphitheater and nascent downtown improvements) and the natural beauty of that area is pretty. And I think once they landscape the new part of Lakeland out in Flowood, assuming they do so, that area seems pretty nice also as a suburban area.

I have a theory that the next area for growth is going to be Flora. That's because the Germantown school zone is filling up pretty quickly with subdivisions, which leaves the area behind Annandale all the way over to Flora (which has Madison schools except for a the elementary school level) in the path of growth.

Families seeking schools will begin migrating in the direction of Flora behind Annandale and along Hwy 22. When I saw recently an ad about the Providence Hill Farm sporting club, which looks like something out of the Kentucky bluegrass region, and which is just across the line in Hinds County from the Flora school zone, I realized that this area 20 years from now will begin evolving into basically the new Madison.

On the whole, if they can get downtown going eventually and finish the one-lake project, I really think Jackson will end up being kind of a cool area. To really top it off though, I'd like to see another reservoir along the Big Black river in Madison County, designed to have communities kind of like Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs dotting the shoreline throughout.

[sammyreynolds1977]

Originally Posted by Mississippi Alabama Line

Educating people in the Delta.

Most of the people that attend Delta State aren't from the Delta.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by brickpatio2018

I actually like Jackson's identity now in terms of Millsaps, greater Belhaven, Fondren, Eastover and Highland Village. The city, especially downtown, has a long ways to go, obviously, but I do think that overall in-town set of neighborhoods is unique and has real personality.

That said, I think the addition of the Renaissance area along Highland Colony, Madison and Hwy 463 out to Livingston, the reservoir communities Lost Rabbit and Arbor Landing (night time view with lights across the water is actually neat), and the Natchez Trace bike and walking path are all quite nice also.

Recently I'm liking the upgrades happening in Brandon (amphitheater and nascent downtown improvements) and the natural beauty of that area is pretty. And I think once they landscape the new part of Lakeland out in Flowood, assuming they do so, that area seems pretty nice also as a suburban area.

I have a theory that the next area for growth is going to be Flora. That's because the Germantown school zone is filling up pretty quickly with subdivisions, which leaves the area behind Annandale all the way over to Flora (which has Madison schools except for a the elementary school level) in the path of growth.

Families seeking schools will begin migrating in the direction of Flora behind Annandale and along Hwy 22. When I saw recently an ad about the Providence Hill Farm sporting club, which looks like something out of the Kentucky bluegrass region, and which is just across the line in Hinds County from the Flora school zone, I realized that this area 20 years from now will begin evolving into basically the new Madison.

On the whole, if they can get downtown going eventually and finish the one-lake project, I really think Jackson will end up being kind of a cool area. To really top it off though, I'd like to see another reservoir along the Big Black river in Madison County, designed to have communities kind of like Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs dotting the shoreline throughout.

Agree with most all of this. Besides Flora, Brandon Proper and Pelahatchie will continue to grow as well. Rankin County is exploding. Brandon has a unique chance to capture a lot of entertainment dollars and become sort of a different metro because it is wet, and Rankin County is not becoming wet anytime soon, so everyone in the county will drive to Brandon to go out to eat.

I do think Clinton has a 'chance' to continue growing, with Continental, but I think a lot of people will drive into Continental from other areas. Not many people want to live in Bennie Thompson's district.

Pearl River really does seem to divide Jackson into 2 metro areas.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Rock Climber

There is certainly a population of people who believe so, although I can't say that I understand it.

Let me explain then. First, you apparently are from NW Arkansas. And in some ways I can see why you don't see why Ole Miss and Oxford are any big thing because Fayetteville is very similar.

But Oxford is a national treasure due to it's history (civil rights and southern literature) and it's overall ambiance as the truly sleepy small southern elitist social university. While Fayetteville has some of that same element, it has kind of evolved past it's status as a "small college town". And while Oxford is slowly evolving away from that as well, it still is identified that way more so than anyplace else (among state universities).

Had the University been placed in Jackson, it would be a lot different. Much less a residential university and more a commuter university. But I'm sure it would have been a good thing for Jackson.

[kgpremed13]

This is stupid, Ole miss is not the "flagship" university of the state. The state has many different universities and university systems. You would call Ole Miss a "flagship" if majority of the schools in Mississippi were under the "University of Mississippi" system with Ole miss being the largest school .

Also, Ole miss is nothing special, still racist as ever. Miss State too but with slightly less upper middle class bible thumpers. USM is actually a large school 15,000+ students, (a lot larger than Delta State) and the academics are more rigorous than Delta State. I have attended both. USM is the only major school in Mississippi that has a liberal vibe where you can just be yourself. The coastal area of the state is like a different state. The people that come from there are more accepting, it's a nice change.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by kgpremed13

This is stupid, Ole miss is not the "flagship" university of the state. The state has many different universities and university systems. You would call Ole Miss a "flagship" if majority of the schools in Mississippi were under the "University of Mississippi" system with Ole miss being the largest school .

Also, Ole miss is nothing special, still racist as ever. Miss State too but with slightly less upper middle class bible thumpers. USM is actually a large school 15,000+ students, (a lot larger than Delta State) and the academics are more rigorous than Delta State. I have attended both. USM is the only major school in Mississippi that has a liberal vibe where you can just be yourself. The coastal area of the state is like a different state. The people that come from there are more accepting, it's a nice change.

The students from Asia and Africa at Ole Miss don’t appear to be deterred by its “racism”.