Considering a move to Starkville....advice needed (Jackson, Biloxi: homes, transfer)

[CuriousInFlorida]

My wife was recently offered a job at Mississippi State and we are therefore considering a move to Starkville. We currently live in Florida and are curious to find out more about Starkville. Any information we can get about life in Starkville would be great. We are in our upper 20s and recently married.

We both realize that Starkville is obviously a small community and we have a lot of questions related to that. Here are some questions to get started:

- How would you rate quality of life in Starkville? Are people generally happy living there?

- What is there to do? With such a small city and not a lot nearby it seems this may be a major issue. What do most young couples do in the area?

- Where do you go to get away for a weekend? What cities are nearby with much to do?

- How would you rate Starkville for raising a family? We have no kids yet but they would be in the relatively near future. Is it a good place for kids? How are the schools?

- Is it easy to get away from the college students for a night out on the town or do they pretty much dominate the night-life? Being in our upper 20s we would want to be able to live a nice cultured life where the night-life isn't all about partying anymore.

- How would you describe the weather?

Any other general thoughts about the city would be great. I'll post more questions if we think of any.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

[brickpatio]

Starkville is very liveable, in terms of having nice, modern subdivisions with gently rolling terrain, trees, and nice homes. Traffic is low, with everything being within 5 minutes. They of course have cultural amenities affiliated with Mississippi State and SEC college sports. Starkville is very safe. The downtown and adjacent cotton district is cute. They have a main commercial strip with grocery stores, Wal-Mart etc.

As far as schools, there are two private schools in Starkville. The public schools are okay, with some groups scoring very high and others very low. There are rural counties about 15 minutes away that offer a safe, rural setting and okay schools.

Starkville doesn't really seem overrun by bars or other college venues. It feels like a family town that happens to have a university next to it. The weather is moderate, with average daily high temps around 50 degrees from December through February, and around 90 degrees from June through early September, with fall and spring in between.

In terms of other things to do, Oxford, Tupelo, Columbus and Tuscaloosa are nearby, with Birmingham, Jackson, and Memphis a little further.

[peppermint]

Please know that I have a different view of Starkville than brick. I grew up in a small town outside Starkville and attended one of the private schools. I moved away 10 years ago, but my parents still live there.

Originally Posted by CuriousInFlorida

- How would you rate quality of life in Starkville? Are people generally happy living there?

Most people who live in Oktibbeha County, especially Starkville, love it. They are proud Bulldog fans too. Most people there, in my experience, are MS born and bred. Very proud of their town and their state.

Originally Posted by CuriousInFlorida

- What is there to do? With such a small city and not a lot nearby it seems this may be a major issue. What do most young couples do in the area?

Most people attend State sporting events on the weekends. There is also a decent movie theater and a bowling alley. Honestly, I don't know what people do - work and go home, I guess. I have friends who play Bunko (or something). Also, church life is pretty big for a lot of people.

Originally Posted by CuriousInFlorida

- Where do you go to get away for a weekend? What cities are nearby with much to do?

Most of my friends travel to New Orleans (5+ hours) or Memphis (3 hours). For shopping Birmingham is a favorite for some folks or Jackson. The Gulf coast is about 5 hours away also.

Nearby, Tupelo or Tuscaloosa are decent.

Originally Posted by CuriousInFlorida

- How would you rate Starkville for raising a family? We have no kids yet but they would be in the relatively near future. Is it a good place for kids? How are the schools?

Personally, I wouldn't go back to Starkville. I was a county kid. My parents didn't have a lot of money. They sacrificed to put me through 12 years at the only private school in Starkville at the time. I was lucky. In my class there were several of us county kids who hung together. We were teased, ridiculed and left out of loop when the town kids got together.

I wished I could be in the high school. My friends there were very happy. Before No Child Left Behind, SHS was a good school. I don't know now. They had profs that also taught at the university.

So, from personal experience, I'm burned on Starkville and private schools. Objectively, Starkville is fairly quiet and a more insulated place to raise kids. That said, there are drugs and violence everywhere, even Oktibbeha Co.

Originally Posted by CuriousInFlorida

- Is it easy to get away from the college students for a night out on the town or do they pretty much dominate the night-life? Being in our upper 20s we would want to be able to live a nice cultured life where the night-life isn't all about partying anymore.

I'd have to say that when the university is in session, Starkville is flooded with college kids. They will be everywhere, but not necessarily in large numbers. Just depends on the event and the time of year.

Originally Posted by CuriousInFlorida

- How would you describe the weather?

Hot and humid in the summer. Coming from Florida, though, I doubt this will be a problem.

One final note, be aware that the medical services in Starkville are not too good. The hospital there is awful. They left my father on a bed in the ER for over 3 hours after a major heart attack. When he was finally transferred to Tupelo, the doctor said if they had waited another hour, my father would have died. There are plenty of other horror stories from that place. If you move there and you need medical assistance, drive to Columbus or Tupelo. OCH has a terrible reputation.

In addition to the hospital, other medical services are lacking, though they have improved in recent years. Finding a good dentist, optometrist, or eye surgeon can be difficult or impossible. My mom goes to a different county for the former and latter. My father goes out of state (to Tuscaloosa) for all of the above.

My experience and opinions are not everyone's. Just offering up my view.

[brickpatio]

Since you're in your upper 20s, you will appreciate that Mississippi State has a beautiful, huge rec center. There is also a huge, gorgeous campus bookstore that is also a Barnes and Noble. There are packed SEC football, basketball, and baseball games year-round and of course tennis courts and golf courses. Starkville also has a symphony affiliated with the university and yes, there are a number of nicer restaurants in town that are not all college students.

Neighboring Columbus also has a charming downtown and is loaded with historic homes if that's your thing. For a change of scenery, Jackson has tons of restaurants and is a straight shot 2 hours down Hwy 25. Same for Birmingham. Oxford and Tuscaloosa are both great, full of culture and about 1.5 hours.

For outdoors, fishing is big along with Tombigee River, up at Pickwick Lake and Grenada Lake. In neighboring Tombigbee National Forest they've added a number of bike trails through the hills. And as she said, road trips to New Orleans, Biloxi, Nashville, and Atlanta would be 4 to 5 hours. What Starkville and Mississipi State are best known for are extremely courteous and genuine people.