who done it in greenville,ms? (West: real estate, crime rate, townhouse)

[goala2]

I will never move back to Greenville. It makes me sick to have to go there anymore the town has changed so much to the bad. If you get robbed and know who done it, don't bother calling G'ville PD. You may have to fill out your own complaint. Then again why bother, the person who robbed you is probably one of the PD's snitches so they can't be arrested, it would be bad for business. I do know this first hand so I do know what I am saying. Being robbed 3 times in a month is bad enough,but at least I wasn't shot. Greenville used to be a great place to live when I was a child.The Christmas parades were something everyone looked forward to. Concerts on the levee front, along with the fireworks on fourth of July was also a family thing there. It doesn't happen anymore because the crime rate is very bad. Alot of the problems is where is the revenue going from the casinos? The sewage system down town is awlful and backs up from debris and I could just keep on but I won't. Just before anyone moves here, no matter what race, ask alot of different people what you might be getting yourself into.

[Mississippi Mamma]

I agree that the town is really turning into a major dump from when I grew up there, but people act as if they are moving to a war zone or Haiti. People act like this about Pine Bluff, Arkansas and Albany, Georgia too. If all people have is a negative attitude and we give up on Greenville, then it can only get worse! While I do not live there anymore, I still donate and do community service there sometimes. The downtown is getting revitalized, which is good.... But Greenville really needs to take a big step and stop the local government and police corruption, focus on CLEANING up the city, pave and repair roads, and keep businesses in town. Even though I do not see Greenville doing any of these, all I can do is hope! Greenville is a dump, but it's my hometown!

I am curious to know, what years did you grow up in Greenville, and, if you mind answering, are you black or white? (Not trying to offend, just wondering).

[green_mariner]

It depends on what decade you lived in, what race you are,etc. If I was Black(and I am) and lived in Greenville,MS in the 1950's, it most definitely wouldn't be a good place to live. My grandparents left Mississippi in the 1940's and my father was born in Wisconsin in the 1950's, so what I know of Mississippi came from what was passed down by my grandparents to my father to me.
If you were White in lived in Greenville during that time, it might have been alright.

[david3616]

I am white but have never been to Greenville MS; I was researching it because I'd like to visit there someday; I grew up in So.Cal. But now that I've read these posts I'm having second thoughts of visiting; I think I will go to another town instead; and by the way, I lived in Duarte California and had my townhouse robbed twice, my car and purse stolen another time, and then a car broke into; so, is California much better? I doubt it. I live in North Texas now and feel safer here.

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by david3616

I am white but have never been to Greenville MS; I was researching it because I'd like to visit there someday; I grew up in So.Cal. But now that I've read these posts I'm having second thoughts of visiting; I think I will go to another town instead; and by the way, I lived in Duarte California and had my townhouse robbed twice, my car and purse stolen another time, and then a car broke into; so, is California much better? I doubt it. I live in North Texas now and feel safer here.

We loved North Texas when we lived there. Most of Texas is safe and sane, though.

Greenville? Been there many times, and no one ever bothered me. Still, I think it depends on what you look like and who people think you are. If you look like you could be an easy target - and it's not your fault if you do! - then you may be wise to just keep away.

Greenville's only chance at respectability is to make itself smaller. Its population declined from 48,000 to 42,000 between 2000 and 2009, so it is well on the way to becoming smaller. The mistake made by cities whose past is greater than their future is they try to maintain - or tolerate - areas of the city that have been abandoned. I think if they would tear down the abandoned real estate and pull their city limits back in then they would do a lot better.

It's wonderful that the old eyesore of a bridge across the river has been replaced. It looks a lot better, but the fact remains that US82 heading West across the Mississippi River doesn't really go anywhere. Head into Arkansas and there is not a significant town in sight, and the river itself provides almost no economic benefit it terms of employers and the like.

For that matter US82 has become insignificant. Take a map and trace US82 east and west and you'll see what I mean. I-20 to the south and I-40 to the north have taken the traffic away from US82 and have taken the wind out of Greenville's sail in the process.

But I don't hate Greenville. Those people are victims. Their city is dying and there is not a single thing anyone can do about it. People are mad, scared, sad, confused, whatever. And, ironically, I feel pretty sure that the way the city can be harmed the most is to be hopeful. Hoping that Greenville will 'come back' someday will cause city leaders to make wrong decisions.

We'll see..