America's best coastal towns are in Mississippi (Hattiesburg, Meridian: best neighborhood, transplants)

[brickpatio2018]

Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis were just named this week "America's best coastal towns" (#5 and #6) by USA Today. (Several years ago USA Today also named Ship Island the best beach in the nation.)

Oxford also was named "America's best college town" last month by ESPN.

Other accolades for Mississippi towns in recent years:

Madison and Hernando were each named the best place to live in the nation by Family Circle magazine.

Olive Branch was named best place to live in America (#5) by Money Magazine.

Laurel and Natchez were each named one of 15 best small towns to visit in America for 2020 and 2021.

New Albany was named "best Southern small town" by USA Today.

Belhaven was named by American Planning Association as the best neighborhood in America (one of 10). (Fondren seems destined for something similar but I haven't come across big accolades yet for Fondren).

Columbus and Corinth were named best Main Streets in America (#22 and #49).

Tupelo has been studied extensively by the Aspen Institute and Vanderbilt University as a model city for economic development.

Columbus was highlighted by 60 Minutes recently also as a model for attracting industrial plants (steel, tires, truck engines, helicopters).

Starkville (Mississippi State baseball stadium) has been described as among the best atmospheres in all of baseball, both college and pro, by ESPN baseball announcers.

Starkville's Cotton District is the nation's original new-urbanism model that is now sweeping the nation. Starkville just announced that it has hired a firm to completely upgrade the downtown, including connecting the downtown and Cotton District into a single, walkable, urbanized district. I foresee Starkville beginning to gain accolades in the near future.

Hattiesburg has gotten numerous accolades for best place college graduates, careers, and retirement.

Meridian is one about which I'm suddenly very excited. The Art Deco Threefoot Hotel (resembling a mini-Empire State Building) has just been totally renovated and opened this month under the Marriott flag. Their theme is "the golden age of travel") harkening back to the era of train travel and the elegant hotels and train stations of the time. That theme is absolutely perfect for Meridian's massive railroad-era downtown historic district which in a couple of decades may be a veritable showplace. What a turn-around that would be for that city.

Cleveland is surprisingly charming and got the Grammy Museum. Vicksburg is loaded with history and character but is also a poster child for a place needing gentrification. (If only MIT or Harvard would decide to built a branch there!).

Interestingly, I haven't come across big accolades for three of the prettiest towns in the state: Brookhaven, Pass Christian, and Greenwood.

Also, Brandon and Clinton are two places that are already nice and on the rise, but I haven't seen accolades for those two either. Something tells me they are coming soon. There is Iuka/Pickwick, which could hardly be any more quaint and picturesque.

Under the radar there is Leland, MS (home of Jim Henson), with elegant homes along Deer Creek and a downtown Main Street, that could be adorable if fixed up. And there is exquisite Port Gibson ("too beautiful to burn") just waiting to become a showplace (but probably not in my lifetime).

Diamondhead is now building its own downtown, riverwalk and waterfront amphitheater, and I predict they will start showing up in Southern Living articles a few years from now.

There is Picayune which is another one with a bright future due to location near NASA and outside New Orleans. Their best feature appears to be the Crosby Arboretum which was listed as the premier native plant conservatory in the southeast.

[brickpatio2018]

We need to talk about Tupelo. I drove through there today and somebody needs to say it. It's a mini-Nashville.

Hip hotels going up downtown, it's clean, has sleek neighborhood restaurants, charming neighborhoods just off downtown, schools, the Trace for biking, surrounded by sports areas Oxford, Starkville, and Pickwick... and situated midway between Memphis, Birmingham, and Nashville.

Maybe when it crosses over into an official metropolitan area, it will start making those lists for best places to live. But it's already got everything it needs, in place and happening now.

[viverlibre]

Additionally Starkville has an abandoned rail line running through the center of town. They've been in talks with the owner of the line (who doesn't want to give it up) and will eventually develop it into something special.

Hernando has a lot going on and will become the next "hot" town in the 'Sip.

[Sharif662]

Originally Posted by brickpatio2018

We need to talk about Tupelo. I drove through there today and somebody needs to say it. It's a mini-Nashville.

Hip hotels going up downtown, it's clean, has sleek neighborhood restaurants, charming neighborhoods just off downtown, schools, the Trace for biking, surrounded by sports areas Oxford, Starkville, and Pickwick... and situated midway between Memphis, Birmingham, and Nashville.

Maybe when it crosses over into an official metropolitan area, it will start making those lists for best places to live. But it's already got everything it needs, in place and happening now.

Mini-Nashville? Naw and I'm been here 4 years now.

[MOforthewin]

Are there still any scars left over from Hurricane Camille? Just wondering. Would be interesting after over 50 years.

[viverlibre]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Are there still any scars left over from Hurricane Camille? Just wondering. Would be interesting after over 50 years.

Don't think so, Katrina was worse by every metric, there are still scars from Katrina. However, the coast is in good shape.

[SkyperTyper]

I've got a ton of friends and some relatives all around Pass C, and Ocean Spgs, love the character of the area albeit disaster prone to some degree.

[SkyperTyper]

Originally Posted by viverlibre

Additionally Starkville has an abandoned rail line running through the center of town. They've been in talks with the owner of the line (who doesn't want to give it up) and will eventually develop it into something special.

Hernando has a lot going on and will become the next "hot" town in the 'Sip.

That's understandable because people are absolutely running out of Memphis and Hernando has become essentially a suburb of Memphis. Olive Branch is also the recipient of the exodus.


I prefer south/coastal MS. It's nothing like central MS or around MemphisTN. Coastal MS is another world by comparison.


Parts of MS are certainly under-rated. I just hope it doesn't get over-run with transplants. I like it because it's not dealing with the attraction of folks from NY, NJ, CT and CA like Florida is. FL is losing its character in lots of towns and cities over the past 2 years. For instance, Nancy Pelosi just bought a house in Jupiter. Scary.

[Country Roads]

I agree if the Great Lakes are out of the question.