Young couple considering relocating to MS Gulf Coast. Advice? (Gulfport: fit in, apartments)

[sammmsto]

My boyfriend is considering accepting a job offer in Saucier, MS. We currently live in a St. Louis, MO suburb. It has a small downtown of its own and a very quaint feel to it. We really love it here.

Neither of us are from MS, but we met in college at Mississippi State, and we both believe we would enjoy heading back down south.

We are in our mid/late-twenties. From some research, I have gathered that we do not want to live in Saucier if we want to have social lives. I have also read that Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis are probably the best places to consider living on the coast.

We enjoy going to downtown diners and grabbing brunch, walking our dog around the area and going to some of the local bars some nights. We aren't too into the city life of St. Louis, so I don't feel like we would miss that. Maybe just the amenities of having a big city so close by.

After much rambling, is the MS Gulf Coast a nice place for a young couple? Are there fun things to do? Also, I am in the field of marketing/communication. I work in the city of STL, so the lack of a city's huge job market does make me nervous in that aspect. How is the job market on the coast?

I have no idea what it's like, besides reading online, so any and all advice would be helpful! We are nervous about making this huge life change from hundreds of miles away. Thanks in advance for your help!

[brickpatio]

Overall the Coast has many assets: great climate; great location with beaches and islands etc, plus New Orleans and Florida nearby; and downtown Biloxi in particular has has a number of major casinos and hotels. Even if that's not your thing, it does bring lots of entertainment to the area (e.g. bands, comedians) and many great restaurants.

As you mentioned there are quaint areas such as the downtowns of Ocean Springs, Pass Christian and Bay St Louis which as post-card beautiful, along with downtown Gulfport which has recently redone several blocks of its downtown area which is now beginning to bustle with new bars and restaurants and has a fun, urban atmosphere.

There are plenty of nice neighborhoods interlaced among all the cities along the Coast. There are many working class areas throughout, along with middle class neighborhoods and some upper class neighborhoods all more or less mixed together fairly harmoniously.

If you're working in Saucier, Bay St Louis would be somewhat of a hike to work but it is beautiful. Ocean Springs is also beautiful, especially downtown and historic district, and the main streets downtown have an impressive array of bars and restaurants over several blocks (i.e. it's bigger than Bay St Louis). On the whole, I'd say downtown Ocean Springs and downtown Gulfport have the largest collections of restaurants and bars in one, walkable spot. Downtown Biloxi has began to amass a neat array of restaurants all close to each other, and this area is walkable in its own way with major destinations (Hard Rock, Beau Rivage, Harrahs Gulf Coast, Golden Nugget, the new minor league baseball stadium, shrimp boat harbor, and new downtown restaurants et al) all on the same strip.

Depending on your price point, Gulfport probably has some of the most upscale neighborhoods. The Bayou Oaks area off Cowan Lorraine Rd (backing up to Bernard Bayou) is very nice and across the bayou along Courthouse Rd is also a very nice, older area of homes from the 1960s that's a very desirable area to live.

Two new, new-urbanism developments north of I-10 that have some adorable smaller homes along with mansions etc are Florence Gardens and a development called Tradition. Florence Gardens is a bit more upscale (although both are) but the smaller homes are the melt in your mouth types (i.e. brand-new but made to look historic and walkable).

For apartments, there are complexes literally right across from the beach, e.g. in Long Beach (Arbor Station) for an enviable lifestyle. And neighboring Pass Christian, although mostly historic mansions lining the beachfront, does have in its small downtown area some cottages etc.

Overall, this area is no Charlotte, NC or Dallas, TX, booming with corporations etc. However, it is a moderately growing area with an enviable location, climate, and lifestyle. And it has its own distinct character, combining deep-sea fishing industry, shipbuilding, numerous military bases, casinos, beaches, tourism, its own Mardi Gras, delectable shrimp and oysters, retirees, and others that combine into a sunny, egalitarian, festive community.

[brownbagg]

saucier nice, a little country but nice

[USERXXXX]

Originally Posted by sammmsto

My boyfriend is considering accepting a job offer in Saucier, MS. We currently live in a St. Louis, MO suburb. It has a small downtown of its own and a very quaint feel to it. We really love it here.

Neither of us are from MS, but we met in college at Mississippi State, and we both believe we would enjoy heading back down south.

We are in our mid/late-twenties. From some research, I have gathered that we do not want to live in Saucier if we want to have social lives. I have also read that Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis are probably the best places to consider living on the coast.

We enjoy going to downtown diners and grabbing brunch, walking our dog around the area and going to some of the local bars some nights. We aren't too into the city life of St. Louis, so I don't feel like we would miss that. Maybe just the amenities of having a big city so close by.

After much rambling, is the MS Gulf Coast a nice place for a young couple? Are there fun things to do? Also, I am in the field of marketing/communication. I work in the city of STL, so the lack of a city's huge job market does make me nervous in that aspect. How is the job market on the coast?

I have no idea what it's like, besides reading online, so any and all advice would be helpful! We are nervous about making this huge life change from hundreds of miles away. Thanks in advance for your help!

Young lady, you are not in 30s, you are just in mid-20s. You should enjoy your time in big city, not here.

[sammmsto]

Originally Posted by brickpatio

Overall the Coast has many assets: great climate; great location with beaches and islands etc, plus New Orleans and Florida nearby; and downtown Biloxi in particular has has a number of major casinos and hotels. Even if that's not your thing, it does bring lots of entertainment to the area (e.g. bands, comedians) and many great restaurants.

As you mentioned there are quaint areas such as the downtowns of Ocean Springs, Pass Christian and Bay St Louis which as post-card beautiful, along with downtown Gulfport which has recently redone several blocks of its downtown area which is now beginning to bustle with new bars and restaurants and has a fun, urban atmosphere.

There are plenty of nice neighborhoods interlaced among all the cities along the Coast. There are many working class areas throughout, along with middle class neighborhoods and some upper class neighborhoods all more or less mixed together fairly harmoniously.

If you're working in Saucier, Bay St Louis would be somewhat of a hike to work but it is beautiful. Ocean Springs is also beautiful, especially downtown and historic district, and the main streets downtown have an impressive array of bars and restaurants over several blocks (i.e. it's bigger than Bay St Louis). On the whole, I'd say downtown Ocean Springs and downtown Gulfport have the largest collections of restaurants and bars in one, walkable spot. Downtown Biloxi has began to amass a neat array of restaurants all close to each other, and this area is walkable in its own way with major destinations (Hard Rock, Beau Rivage, Harrahs Gulf Coast, Golden Nugget, the new minor league baseball stadium, shrimp boat harbor, and new downtown restaurants et al) all on the same strip.

Depending on your price point, Gulfport probably has some of the most upscale neighborhoods. The Bayou Oaks area off Cowan Lorraine Rd (backing up to Bernard Bayou) is very nice and across the bayou along Courthouse Rd is also a very nice, older area of homes from the 1960s that's a very desirable area to live.

Two new, new-urbanism developments north of I-10 that have some adorable smaller homes along with mansions etc are Florence Gardens and a development called Tradition. Florence Gardens is a bit more upscale (although both are) but the smaller homes are the melt in your mouth types (i.e. brand-new but made to look historic and walkable).

For apartments, there are complexes literally right across from the beach, e.g. in Long Beach (Arbor Station) for an enviable lifestyle. And neighboring Pass Christian, although mostly historic mansions lining the beachfront, does have in its small downtown area some cottages etc.

Overall, this area is no Charlotte, NC or Dallas, TX, booming with corporations etc. However, it is a moderately growing area with an enviable location, climate, and lifestyle. And it has its own distinct character, combining deep-sea fishing industry, shipbuilding, numerous military bases, casinos, beaches, tourism, its own Mardi Gras, delectable shrimp and oysters, retirees, and others that combine into a sunny, egalitarian, festive community.

Thank you so much for all of the information! This has been extremely helpful in the decision and planning from so far away.

[katfzl]

I LOVED Ocean Springs, Mississippi! We have lived all over the US, and if you asked my kids where their favorite place was, they will tell you Mississippi.

[aquietpath]

Having lived in on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a few years (until Katrina), the one thing that really made an impression was the huge amount of trash all over the place. After the hurricane, when we had hundred of volunteers cleaning up, the natives were trashing the place again

Oddly, everyone seemed to have at least one broken down/rusty car in their yard and didn't seem to find it trashy in the least. Plus weird things like frogs that cling to windows at night, armies of crabs migrating across your yard, moths that bite and HUMIDITY like you wouldn't believe. Not a fan.

Some things I thought was unique and charming....waterlilies growing in the drainage ditches on the side of the road and trees hung with Spanish moss.

If you plan on moving down there, establish some sort of evacuation plan in case of a hurricane.

[smarino]

Your research is 100% correct. Saucier is not where you want to be. It's the sticks, and very conservative. I grew up in Gulfport, and going up there was like visiting a totally different world. You would fit in MUCH better on the coast, and remember, New Orleans is not far away for day trips on the Interstate. Most of the coastal towns don't have an active downtown per se, so you end up driving around a bit. Lots of neat stuff along the coastal highway, and there is a tradition of arts and crafts on the coast as well. Don't worry about hurricanes (unless you're buying property) because you'll have plenty of warning, and your evacuation route is singular....go north!

[cobolt]

I think moving from the Midwest (St Louis) area to the MS Gulf Coast is going to be a culture shock to you. I grew up in the Midwest and lived in Biloxi for a while. Generally, I enjoyed my time. But I also moved there when I was older and after having lived all over (being in the military---lots of moves). If the Midwest is your only reference point, you may find adjustment difficult.

[Ankhharu]

Trust me when I say, you'd be bored out of your minds. And yes, you'd miss big city amenities and it would be a culture shock. It's easy to romance the south, but the reality is far different. If you move to the gulf coast, i'd bet a years salary you'd regret it. I grew up right outside of Biloxi. I'm in my 40's and even I'm bored when I go back to visit.