From Mid-Market city to Oxford or Grenada?

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by ck.mecha

Had a long post written, then it crashed. Oh well.

Kind of what I was expecting to hear. Could you realistically drive from Memphis everyday? Google tells me its a little further than I would like. How are the southern suburbs of Memphis along 55?

Sure! The I-55 Memphis suburbs are just fine.

[viverlibre]

Although I know a person who drove from Greenwood to Jackson to work, and person who currently drives from Vaiden to the Nissan Plant, i wouldn't recommend it. Southaven to Grenada is 90 miles one way and, if you are going to work for the "large manufacturing plant" in town, you will be putting in some loooonnngg hours.

Oxford to Grenada is about 50 miles.

[GrandviewGloria]

It's actually rather foolish to live more than ten minutes from work, if you live in a place like Grenada. There is no significant dangerous underclass there, from which one would need to distance oneself. There will be plenty of "Fine Brick Dream Homes" under two hundred thousand, and between five and ten minutes from work.

With a salary like that, you will find plenty of young females who will sleep with you. But be aware that if you date ethnicities considered 'undesirable', then the only white girls who will sleep with you will be the sort who have tattoos and piercings. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, except that it may keep you from blending in with whatever corporate culture is in place there.

You can look at back issues of Jackson's VIP Magazine and the The Northside Sun (both society glossies), and at back issues of Mississippi Magazine's Wedding Issue, to see who's good enough for whom. Actually, there are, among physicians, a good many inter-ethnic marriages (White/Asian, mostly). Two big incomes mean they'll have the biggest house in their gated community. Success relative to others is more important to that personality type than anything else.

We're brown, and one of my children has married a blond, while the other two will surely do the same (and by blond, I mean the hair comes out of the scalp that color, and the eyebrows and eyelashes are blond, too). But we're in Oregon, now - so I suppose we don't really count, anymore. And considering that one reason we're out here is because the boys are repulsed by the way Southern girls wear mascara and pluck/dye their eyebrows - and wanted to move to where there are more wholesome natural 'Granolas' - we really, REALLY, don't count...

And whatever you do, be sure to get an extremely heavy car, with the absolute top safety rating. Mississippi is one of the most dangerous states for driving. And be sure you have at least half-a-million in Uninsured Motorist Coverage. A few days in ICU can totally eat up the fifty thousand in liability that most incompetent Mississippi drivers will be carrying (assuming they're insured at all...). The driving is another reason it's smart to live close to work.

Another strategy one picks up with age is that it's good to live near the gym, as well as near work. Ideally, the gym would be five minutes from the plant, and the house would be five minutes farther out. A long daily commute to the gym (all, besides 'dating', there is to do in a town like that) can cost thousands of dollars a year.

Anyway, with the money you save living near work, you will be able to afford weekends at nice hotels. Ridgeland/Madison, New Orleans, Birmingham, Pensacola... all are easy weekend destinations. And, of course, you could always fly to someplace really worthwhile. Bora Bora seems to be the destination of choice for the younger set in Jackson.... although it's just so easy to fly to LAX and weekend in nearby Malibu Luxury Oceanfront Hotel in Malibu: Welcome to the Malibu Beach Inn on Carbon Beach - Malibu Beach Inn, Carbon Beach, Malibu, CA. An extra half-hour's commute to work will cost about that much, over a couple of months. And then, you can meet girls in a whole rainbow of Southern California colors. (Tip: Budget, Beverly Hills has the best car selection, unless you actually want a Chrysler Product, and will meet you at LAX... or used to, when we'd fly in from Jackson)

And, if you're color-compatible with one of the local big Baptist churches (each has its own color range - and some even have all the colors of the Crayola Multicultural Markers box), then all your dating worries will be over. The Young Adults classes tend to be very, VERY rewarding. The bigger churches in Mississippi tend to have their own gyms, Activities Coordinators, and Food Service Directors.

I will add that there are plenty of nonwhites from other countries, scattered about - even in Grenada. Whether or not they will feel free to date you, however, is another matter.

Oh, and if your job offers a fast track into the local Country Club, then join: but remember that 'corporate culture' thing I mentioned. There may or may not be one, depending on the company.

[Listener2307]

Yeah. What Gloria said. Mostly. Usually...... Some of it.

If it was me...
I'd pick up a rock and throw it as hard as I could away from work. And that's where I would live.
But I ain't skeerd of anyone. And no one ever tries to beat me up. So if I had to live in less than the best part of town it is not a problem for me. And, long term, it will do incredible wonders for your wallet. Burn out comes in many forms, and one of them is commute time. Just ask someone you know who has to go to Atlanta every day.

But I am offended with this statement: "With a salary like that, you will find plenty of young females who will sleep with you."
That statement should read, "With a salary you will find plenty of young females who will sleep with you", because I'm telling you there are a-plenty dudes in Granada who don't have one. A salary. Fact is, when you get off the bus you are already in the top 10% in Granada.

I have found the worst people in the best part of town, the best people in the worst part of town, and every combination in between. The poor guy who was killed at the mall in New Jersey lived in the best part of town and was picked out because he drove a Land Rover. So don't do that. Learn from your dog, and keep a low profile. Do a lot of listening, and not much disagreeing.

You won't find much in Granada that will remind you of Alpharetta, but you will find people with experiences, attitudes and limitations that will make you feel lucky to be who you are. You can go sailing right on Lake Granada, and if you're a real aficionado (I am) you'll be out every single month. Unless you live too far away.
Hiking is really not that bad. North Georgia is better, but The Berkshires is even better than that, and you don't live there, either. So get yourself a pair of close focus binoculars in enjoy the stuff that is under foot. I recommend Pentax (Focus limit; 3 feet).

Work hard and live intelligently. That way you can quit when you get tired of it.

[peregrina]

HI! Coming from a young (ish) person (30) who moved to Grenada with my husband (a business professional) a few years ago, I feel qualified to answer your questions....

My husband is from Mexico, so we are a "mixed-race" couple. No one around here thinks anything of it, although a few little old ladies (African American) have commented on my "beautiful" children and asked what they were "mixed with". They were asking out of curiosity, not mean-ness. There is prejudice here, just like in any other town in the U.S. But I haven't found there to be any more than I found in West Palm Beach, Fl (our last location). There isn't a lot of diversity here, that's true. But that's just part of small town living.

Grenada has a pretty large group of young and middle-aged professionals. I doubt you'd feel out of place about your income. We also have a pretty fantastic golf course, annual golf tournament/charity, country club (if you're into that). We don't golf, but we do hike, and Grenada Lake has some excellent hiking trails with rises and dips, river views, winding creeks, bluffs, etc.

Oxford and Starkville aren't too far, if football is your thing. And there are plenty of bars and clubs in Memphis, if you want to get away or meet someone special (meeting someone in Grenada, unless you do it at church, probably is a long shot). Southaven is 1 hour 15-30 min away. Memphis 1 1/2 -1 hr 45 min away.
Kind-of a long commute, imho. But the traffic is never a problem, so I guess you could commute without too much problem.

Good luck with your choice! Bottom line, it IS a small town. And it's Mississippi, so it's a red state (shocker, I know). We've made some good friends here, but it wasn't as easy as in bigger places. As long as you know what small-town living is like, though, you'll be fine.