What can you tell me about the Fondren area of Jackson? (Pearl: co-op, buying a house)

[hrtofdixiechk]

I'm moving this summer and trying to find a older home with some charm in the Jackson area. Any ideas?

[brickpatio]

Yes, the Belhaven neighborhood which surrounds Belhaven University is beautiful and loaded with charm. Fondren is similar, and also has its own little main street area. The nicer part of Fondren is definitely east of State Street just north of downtown Fondren, over to Old Canton Rd and from there over to I-55. Also, depending on what you consider older and charming, the Eastover area is also beautiful. It was developed in 1960s and is considered the wealthiest neighborhood in Jackson. However in the vicinity are an endless supply of mid-century homes, huge trees, and hills. This area is bordered roughly by I-55, Lakeland Dr, the Pearl River, and Sheffield Drive. The center of this area is Ridgewood Rd. You also shouldn't rule out some newer areas. The area near the Jackson Yacht Club on the Reservoir is really nice. Depending on your price points, new-urbanism developments such as Township at Highland Colony and Lost Rabbit in Madison County are very, very nice and different.

[jacksonian]

Fondren and Belhaven both have a great stock of older, chariming homes - and you can find small homes for $100k all the way up to $1+ million homes. My house, which is in Fondren, was originally built in 1938 and we love living here. The details in our home can't be found in any cookie cutter house, and the neighborhood is full of old growth trees which makes for a very pleasant scenery. However, older homes can come with older home issues, such as pipe corrosion/damage due to age and tree roots. Also, many older homes (and even some newer homes) in the Jackson area have foundation issues because of the expansive clays that are well known here in central Mississippi. Most older homes are built on conventionial foundations, which are easier to repair. Our house has minimal shifting, so we have not had to do any work to our foundation. I would never suggest building/buying a house with a concrete slab on grade unless I knew for sure that the dirt work was properly done to minimize any movement beneath the foundation. You would be surprised how many builders are continuing to build slab on grade without properly excavating and infilling.

As for local amenities, there are groceries, restaurants, coffee shops, churches, and retail shops all within walking distance from most homes in Fondren. There is also a trolley that runs almost every day. There are festivals and events that occur in Fondren every month, including concerts, cooking shows, comedy shows, wine tastings, beer tastings, art shows, and much more. The people of Fondren are great and look out for one another. You will see people walking their dogs at all hours of the day. The mail man/woman drops your mail through your mail slot in the door, which is not common in Mississippi anymore.

There's much more that I could say about Fondren, but the best way to sum it up is to say that Fondren offers a great alternative to suburban living by enhancing the charm and character of older houses with nearby modern amenities within the community.

[vanburen81]

Fondren is nice, but not THAT nice. It's got four or five restaurants. They're pretty good, a little overpriced by Jackson standards. There's a shopping plaza that has a coffeeshop, a co-op grocery, and a hardware store. I have heard there is a trolley, but I think it's just a rumor. You definitely need a car. To sum up, there are a few things to do but let's not pretend that it's like living in the Garden District of New Orleans. There are some nice homes there. I'm not really sure about prices and saftey. I think the area is nicer than Madison/ Pearl.

[jacksonian]

Here's a list of restaurants in Fondren:
Auditorium - $$
Nick's - $$$
Que Sera Sera - $$
Rooster's - $
Basil's - $
Walker's - $$$
Brent's - $
Sal & Mookies - $$
Schimmel's - $$
Mimi's - $
High Noon Cafe - $$
Alladin Mediterranean Grill - $$
Jerusalem Cafe - $$
Lenny's Sub Shop - $
Quizno's - $


Fondren Trolley:
http://www.fondrenexpress.com/

[vanburen81]

I was joking a bit about the trolley just being a rumor, but really no one takes it. Jackson is very much a city where you need a car.

A pizza costs $20 at Sal and Mookie's -- definitely high by Jackson standards (and mine, but I guess I'm cheap). I guess there are more restaurants than I remembered. Anyway, as I said, it's generally a nice area.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

There was an old (movie?) theater in Woodland Hills/Fondren - has anyone done anything with that? Could be a great anchor for the area - you know, dinner & a show kind of thing. Could definitely see jazz clubs or other small performing arts venues in the area as well.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

Originally Posted by jacksonian

Here's a list of restaurants in Fondren:
Auditorium - $$
Nick's - $$$
Que Sera Sera - $$
Rooster's - $
Basil's - $
Walker's - $$$
Brent's - $
Sal & Mookies - $$
Schimmel's - $$
Mimi's - $
High Noon Cafe - $$
Alladin Mediterranean Grill - $$
Jerusalem Cafe - $$
Lenny's Sub Shop - $
Quizno's - $


Fondren Trolley:
Fondren Express Trolley:::Jackson, MS

WOW..... That's certainly a much longer list than when I lived there! There used to be a diner-ish type of place just up and across the street from Que Sera Sera - is it on this list (can't remember the name)?

[jacksonian]

There's also two bakeries - Campbell's Bakery & Crazy Cat Bakers - and two coffee shops - Cups & Sneaky Beans.