Possible move to Hattiesburg (Biloxi, Madison: hardwood floors, fit in, transplants)

[diva360]

I am contemplating a move to MS for a job with mr. diva, and I'm wondering about how I'll fit in. Here's some more about me:

• Highly educated white woman, liberal to progressive politically, non-religious, no children by choice
• Asian-American partner
• We love cooking, eating out, bbq-ing, swimming (the proximity to the Gulf is a plus), going out for drinks, day trips, shopping (me), general exploring (NOLA is a draw--I've never been!)
• I've lived near Minneapolis; in Madison, WI; in Austin, TX; and in NJ near NYC
• I've traveled pretty extensively in the U.S. and to some extent the world

Obviously Hattiesburg would be the smallest place I've lived in, and I'm curious as to what locals and transplants alike think. I've been open-minded and curious about everywhere I've been, and while I know MS will be different, I don't want to dismiss it because of that. Will our politics and lack of religion be problematic?

[rural chick]

I've been a regular visitor to all parts of Mississippi for about 20 years. That's when my daughter moved to the state and my grandson was born in Biloxi. Never have I been treated with anything but respect by the locals all over the state. The residents of the state seem open minded and have always welcomed us and we are considered northerners. I'm sure you would be welcomed. We like it so much we hope to move there in a few years.

As us northerners say....always laugh with people, but never at people.....that assures a smooth life anywhere.

[diva360]

Thanks for the answer ruralchick--I appreciate the feedback. I hope I didn't alienate anyone else by identifying myself as non-religious and progressive politically. I've lived all over the U.S., and I want to hear about Hattiesburg. I don't have too much time to decide about this job, so I hope to hear from you'll soon. Please help me out by giving me a realistic picture of your community.

[tblackwell99]

Mississippi is a very religious state, no getting around it. When you move down here, people often introduce themselves and ask what church you plan on joining (seriously). That said, there are non-religious, non-church goers down here as well, and those that I know are honest, decent people. If you will have any affiliation with USM, you might have a better chance getting to know some of them. Hattiesburg is fairly open-minded for a smaller, Mississippi town. I don't see why choosing to not have children would be looked down upon here, nor would having an Asian-American partner. As far as politics goes, you don't find a lot of Obama signs in front yards (although there will be one in mine shortly!) around here. You'll be in the minority and it can get annoying if you let it bother you. Find some like-minded people and you'll be fine.

Since you don't have kids and are free to move about at will, you'll probably find trips to nearby New Orleans, Mobile, and the Gulf Coast to be a good way to spend the weekend. Let's be honest, Hattiesburg is a small town and doesn't have the same arts, events, athletic events, museums, etc. that larger cities do. I, too, lived in Minneapolis, and it's a much different place down here. The weather is a huge plus over Mpls, but even the older neighborhoods near downtown Hattiesburg are not "walkable" neighborhoods like Uptown Mpls or Grand Ave St. Paul. Sure, you CAN walk places, but a car will come in handy. Additionally, Hattiesburg has small local businesses, but also lack those really cool, unique places that you find in larger cities. You can't just walk down the street and get a burrito at the local Super Mercado or pick up groceries at the food co-op.

Hattiesburg does have some nice things to offer, though. There are some nice restaurants - all of Robert St. John's restaurants, lots of Mexican food, a couple really good BBQ joints, sushi. There's plenty of shopping to be had - the mall, Target, local clothing boutiques, Home Depot & Lowe's, etc. Plus, if you try, you can find some fun activities on those weekends you don't feel like going to the beach or NOLA. Live at 5 is a great Friday night gathering - local bands play at one of the parks downtown every Friday night in April and October. Families, singles, students, dogs come out and have a good time hanging out, drinking, and listening to some tunes. Right now the city is hosting Festival South, which is a 2-week? event featuring live music at various venues across the city. Plus, USM's school of music has concerts, and USM football, baseball, and basketball games can satisfy the needs of a sports nut.

My wife and I have been here about two years now and we have a similar story (minus the interracial marriage, and we do want kids someday). We've met some great people and that's made all the difference.

[diva360]

Originally Posted by tblackwell99

Mississippi is a very religious state, no getting around it. When you move down here, people often introduce themselves and ask what church you plan on joining (seriously). That said, there are non-religious, non-church goers down here as well, and those that I know are honest, decent people. If you will have any affiliation with USM, you might have a better chance getting to know some of them. Hattiesburg is fairly open-minded for a smaller, Mississippi town. I don't see why choosing to not have children would be looked down upon here, nor would having an Asian-American partner. As far as politics goes, you don't find a lot of Obama signs in front yards (although there will be one in mine shortly!) around here. You'll be in the minority and it can get annoying if you let it bother you. Find some like-minded people and you'll be fine.

Since you don't have kids and are free to move about at will, you'll probably find trips to nearby New Orleans, Mobile, and the Gulf Coast to be a good way to spend the weekend. Let's be honest, Hattiesburg is a small town and doesn't have the same arts, events, athletic events, museums, etc. that larger cities do. I, too, lived in Minneapolis, and it's a much different place down here. The weather is a huge plus over Mpls, but even the older neighborhoods near downtown Hattiesburg are not "walkable" neighborhoods like Uptown Mpls or Grand Ave St. Paul. Sure, you CAN walk places, but a car will come in handy. Additionally, Hattiesburg has small local businesses, but also lack those really cool, unique places that you find in larger cities. You can't just walk down the street and get a burrito at the local Super Mercado or pick up groceries at the food co-op.

Hattiesburg does have some nice things to offer, though. There are some nice restaurants - all of Robert St. John's restaurants, lots of Mexican food, a couple really good BBQ joints, sushi. There's plenty of shopping to be had - the mall, Target, local clothing boutiques, Home Depot & Lowe's, etc. Plus, if you try, you can find some fun activities on those weekends you don't feel like going to the beach or NOLA. Live at 5 is a great Friday night gathering - local bands play at one of the parks downtown every Friday night in April and October. Families, singles, students, dogs come out and have a good time hanging out, drinking, and listening to some tunes. Right now the city is hosting Festival South, which is a 2-week? event featuring live music at various venues across the city. Plus, USM's school of music has concerts, and USM football, baseball, and basketball games can satisfy the needs of a sports nut.

My wife and I have been here about two years now and we have a similar story (minus the interracial marriage, and we do want kids someday). We've met some great people and that's made all the difference.

Thanks for the response. Some of what you mention is what I expected. It looks like "possible" is turning into "probable," so any further responses would be welcome.

TIA!

[brickpatio]

With Hattiesburg, you are getting location (proximity to New Orleans, MS Gulf Coast, and Florida), warm weather, and a college town just big enough to have a rather thriving and somewhat sprawling suburban area with malls and subdivisions, as well as plenty of trees and lakes. Because it's growing and because of the university, there is probably a bit more diversity than a typical town of that size.

[diva360]

Thanks brick, tblack, and ruralchick! Now, I need to find a house! I've been looking on craigslist, and I'd love to find a comfy 3-bedroom with mostly hardwood floors whose owners will accept a small cat--do you all have any house-hunting tips for me? Should I look at other online listings or should I be in contact with a realtor? I love older homes with a bit of character, and mr. diva would love to have a yard again, with space to dig out a garden, the ability to do some composting (we did this in Texas with terrific results), and a bit of a place for raised beds for plants if the landlord would allow it. I'll put in flowers and herbs regardless if given only a teeny amount of space.

While I don't really want to leave the NE, I'm willing to see what MS has to offer. Please help me make the most of it by answering my questions and telling me where best to go.

[jdl38518]

With your background listed, I'd look in the Oak Grove suburb of Hattiesburg. Seems to be the more affluent suburb of Hattiesburg. I know you said that you don't have kids, but Oak Grove has terrific public schools (if you decided to have one!)

And like tblack said, MS is very religious.... just like being anywhere, you have to know your surroundings. My best advice is to just keep religion out of conversations unless they are private convos. You'd risk having many people question your beliefs if you openly touted them... just like a uber-religious person would run the risk of ridicule by doing the same in a majority-non-religious area.

Mississippi is, obviously, a historically conservative state. However, there are many progressives in the state and many progressive areas... Hattiesburg is one of them, thanks to it being the home of an institution of higher learning. Everyone knows how universities tend to attract the progressive thinkers. People in Mississippi won't blink an eye at a progressive as fast as they'll take aim at non-Christians.

But, I will say this, MS has been trending fairly progressive as of late. I think the conservative population as a whole is becoming more moderate.

[diva360]

Thanks, jdl, for the info. I was not planning to play up my not being religious, just thinking about fielding questions about churches and such.

I was kind of looking (on Craigslist) at some houses that seem to be in between the downtown and USM. Does anyone know if that neighborhood has a name? It seems to have the kind of older homes that I prefer. I'll look into Oak Grove too.