Tell me about Tupelo! :) (Jackson, Greenville: renting, crime, new home)

[nlschr0]

We might be transferred to the area soon and would love more information. What is Tupelo like?

We have two young children and love to be active with them. Are there playgroups, play gyms, parks and rec programs and activities, etc? How is the library? What about preschools?

Is there an area of town where we should focus our search? We prefer older, well-established neighborhoods where we can walk to parks, libraries, etc but are open to any family-friendly areas. How are crime and schools?

We are also somewhat "crunchy" and not conservative. Will we be out of place? Are there good places to buy organic and natural products? How is the farmer's market?

Finally - any resources for finding temporary (six months or so) housing? We'd prefer a house somewhere but are open.

Thanks for your help - I'm excited to get more information about Tupelo!

[brickpatio]

To find the more established neighborhoods of Tupelo, look just north of downtown, i.e. immediately north of Main Steet along streets named after presidents such as Madison, Jefferson, and Jackson. This is the historic neighborhood. While not huge, it's certainly charming.

Just north of that area a mile or two, find on mapquest a street named Lakeshire. It runs near the country club, which is also obvious on Mapquest. This area is quite affluent, with numerous subdivisions and neighborhoods with large homes. This whole area is wooded and slightly rolling terrain and by and large does have that established feeling.

Tupelo has very little crime and has a fairly large number of people from other parts of the country because of its growth in manufacturing over the years. Tupelo views itself as very progressive, frequently winning awards for civic improvements. And last year they won the new Toyota plant, one of the largest economic projects of the year in the U.S. That said, it seems to be more "chamber of commerce" progressive rather than crunchy progressive. Let's just say church is extremely strong in this area and all over Mississippi.

As far as schools, Tupelo is known for good schools. They are almost exactly even in terms of race and ethnicity. The school just north of town, Saltillo, which is in the county school district, scored the highest test scores in the state last year. That said, almost all the most affluent neighborhoods are in Tupelo proper, with new subdivisions for young families starting to pop up on the outskirts of town.

[Andrew79]

I agree with everything the above poster says except for the school system. Tupelo Public School are a pale shadow of what they used to be but they are still excellent compared to most school districts in Mississippi. In my opinion, better nearby choices would be Lee County Schools or Itawamba County Schools if you have children. They may not have as many electives but they'll be in a safer environment. If you don't have children then Tupelo has some great neighborhoods, churches, festivals (Gum Tree) and plenty of good places to eat. If you're moving due to a job then don't hesitate to look for a home in areas just outside of Tupelo such as Saltillo, Guntown, Mooreville, New Albany and Fulton.

[covedweller]

Originally Posted by nlschr0

Are there good places to buy organic and natural products? How is the farmer's market?

You might want to look at purchasing a little acreage or at least a home with a fairly good sized lot and grow your own garden. One of the great but often overlooked benefits to living in MS is the availability of land at a reasonable price. Once you've had your own garden (and deep freezer of course), you'll never want anything else. You can probably find someone in the area to teach you about canning some of the items you can grow, if you aren't familiar with that process now.

[mississippimagnolia]

Tupelo schools are horrible. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's simple to research. The high school was good years ago, but that has changed.

If your husband is going to work in Tupelo, look in Saltillo. The schools are much, much, much better.

[nlschr0]

Thanks for the input - I really appreciate it!

We are now thinking about renting for a year or so, and since our kids won't be in school yet (and we won't be committed to owning a home long term), I'm not quite as worried about the school district.

My husband will actually be working in Blue Springs, but from what I understand, there isn't much there at all. Are there other towns within a reasonable driving distance that we should consider? Is Memphis (or its suburbs) too far away? Google puts it at over an hour - that might be a bit much for a commute.

We actually have a big lot now with room for our garden, but we were hoping to cut back on lawn maintenance since we have a crazy schedule. Plus, since we don't know anyone in the area, we would prefer to live in a more traditional neighborhood near activities, shopping, etc. Actually, we were planning to try to move to a larger city in the northeast, so Tupelo wasn't really on our radar. But I'm excited to learn more about it.

[Andrew79]

Stay away from living in or around Memphis. It's for visiting only! lol If your husband is going to work in Blue Springs then you can't do better than New Albany. It has great schools and is close enough to Tupelo, Memphis and Oxford for entertainment/shopping.

[mississippimagnolia]

Originally Posted by Andrew79

Stay away from living in or around Memphis. It's for visiting only! lol If your husband is going to work in Blue Springs then you can't do better than New Albany. It has great schools and is close enough to Tupelo, Memphis and Oxford for entertainment/shopping.

I agree! I wouldn't live anywhere near Memphis. There used to be some really nice suburbs around the city, but even the further out areas are getting bad.

Look around in Saltillo. It's a community just outside of Tupelo. It's close to the mall, restaurants, shopping...and the schools are MUCH better than Tupelo Schools if you decide to stay.

Pontotoc is another option. Their schools are pretty decent. It wouldn't be my choice...and I was born in Pontotoc. But there are some nice areas in and around the town.

Oxford is a really neat college town! If your husband is willing to make the commute, it's by far the nicest town in North Mississippi. At least visit when you start looking around. If you decide to stay and your kids start school, Oxford schools are considered some of the best in the state.

[brickpatio]

Oxford is beautiful, but it's 50 miles away from Blue Springs. Tupelo is nice and 18 miles away. New Albany is pleasant but too small based on your description.

There are lots of nice neighborhoods all around Tupelo - as I mentioned the historic district just north of Main St (great for walking to Tupelo's small but pleasant downtown main street area). The prettiest area is along Lakeshire Drive (wooded, rolling, big expensive homes), and there are lots of new subdivisions on the west side of town around Tupelo Country Club just west of the airport. This area has the feel of new homes in new subdivisions with moderate to small yards. There are other new subdivisions a little further south roughly in the vicinty of Tupelo High School.

North of the interstate there is a variety of new subvisions off Birmingham Ridge Rd and to the east a few miles, in a hilly, wooded area near Elvis Presley Lake. There aren't really any truly bad areas around town. As far as parks, children's activities, shopping etc - it's all there. You'll find pretty much anything you need for children.

[Andrew79]

Everything you describe might be true if you live in the Delta. But Northeast Mississippi, parts of the coast, and even fast growing areas outside of Jackson like Flowood, and Madison are ideal for anyone that isn't a deadbeat drain on society. Educational opportunities are just as good as anywhere in the nation, people are friendly if not friendlier than anywhere else in the nation, and plenty of good jobs are here if you are educated/skilled in a trade.

Look, it stinks that you had some bad experiences in the South but don't overgeneralize the whole region. I might just be shooting in the dark but it sounds like you might have lived in some craphole like Greenwood, Greenville, Belzoni, or Yazoo City and got a warped perspective on life in MS. There is not a state in the US that doesn't have a few cities that are rotten. All the statistics you see about MS that make it look poor and uneducated are because of the Delta region. Exclude that region and I would bet money we wouldn't look nearly as bad. I have traveled quite a bit and have loved visiting other parts of the country but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else but Mississippi.