All these states complaining about Californians moving there..... (Clinton, West: transplants, gated)

[JacksonPanther]

Given your listed amenities, you'll be happier close to Memphis. You will get closer to a "big city" cultural experience from Memphis than you will in Jackson. Memphis will give you more live music, more medium and big name acts, more shows, more museums.

[SciFiNerd1]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

Given your listed amenities, you'll be happier close to Memphis. You will get closer to a "big city" cultural experience from Memphis than you will in Jackson. Memphis will give you more live music, more medium and big name acts, more shows, more museums.

I was also given the recommendation of MS Gulf Coast due to its close proximity to New Orleans for culture. What do you think unless you still think Memphis is better?

When you said Memphis, you must mean DeSoto County and perhaps Senatobia and Oxford if I do not mind driving further into the city for amenities, is that correct?

[Timaea]

Originally Posted by Southern man

133 opinions of how they did it better in Calif. That is enough to ruin a county.

I definitely don't think California does anything better. I'm here in MS since late May, and I keep pinching myself how beautiful the state is and how polite and down-to-earth everyone is. Every single government office I've had to deal with has been nothing short of a delight (it's been three now, for car registration, driver's license, utilities). I walked into the driver's license office with my full, triple titanium layered emotional armor on, only to have it fall right off (in absolute shock) when, three-quarters of the visit in, I realized that I won't be dealing with a 3-hour wait, yelling, a giant box space filled with two hundred people, and overall cold, robotic, at-times inhumane treatment. (Yes, some DMV workers yell at you in CA. Why? Maybe you stepped over a floor strip, or you didn't make an online appointment, or they're having a bad day...).

I've noticed a tendency in native Mississippians to be critical of their state. Some get really down on it, which saddens me. Maybe it's their natural modesty -- I don't know. I'm always so surprised when I encounter it, though, because I feel like I'm detoxifying from a quarter century of massive stress, human overcrowding, heavy pollution, outrageous commute times in thick traffic, and crazy-making progressivist values imposed with an iron fist. MS is my detox spa. I'm not leaving, and I will say MS does it better.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by Timaea

I definitely don't think California does anything better. I'm here in MS since late May, and I keep pinching myself how beautiful the state is and how polite and down-to-earth everyone is. Every single government office I've had to deal with has been nothing short of a delight (it's been three now, for car registration, driver's license, utilities). I walked into the driver's license office with my full, triple titanium layered emotional armor on, only to have it fall right off (in absolute shock) when, three-quarters of the visit in, I realized that I won't be dealing with a 3-hour wait, yelling, a giant box space filled with two hundred people, and overall cold, robotic, at-times inhumane treatment. (Yes, some DMV workers yell at you in CA. Why? Maybe you stepped over a floor strip, or you didn't make an online appointment, or they're having a bad day...).

I've noticed a tendency in native Mississippians to be critical of their state. Some get really down on it, which saddens me. Maybe it's their natural modesty -- I don't know. I'm always so surprised when I encounter it, though, because I feel like I'm detoxifying from a quarter century of massive stress, human overcrowding, heavy pollution, outrageous commute times in thick traffic, and crazy-making progressivist values imposed with an iron fist. MS is my detox spa. I'm not leaving, and I will say MS does it better.

You are a rare bird. Normally the species that comes South is the Northerner Migratorius. They come here for the milder winters and better economy. Typically indistinguishable from their Southern counterparts, as soon as they begin nesting they are easily identified by distinctive calls that go like these:

"WediditmuchbetterinMassaCHEWsets," or "WhyisitsoHOTdownhere," or "WeneedtoraiseTAXes.

These calls will go on for weeks and weeks, being ignored by others until a member of their species answers. Then they meet at the pool and begin pair bonding with the following:

"WhyisntaNORDstromshere" and "IgetsotiredofhearingaboutfootballIcouldjustsc ream ."

There's really no measures you can take. Just smile nicely. 50% mutate into a more benign species, while the other 50% migrate back to where they came.
I take no credit, I found it on the web.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

I was also given the recommendation of MS Gulf Coast due to its close proximity to New Orleans for culture. What do you think unless you still think Memphis is better?

When you said Memphis, you must mean DeSoto County and perhaps Senatobia and Oxford if I do not mind driving further into the city for amenities, is that correct?

I definitely meant DeSoto county near to Memphis. Southaven, etc.

Bay St Louis to New Orleans is a 60 mile drive. Ocean Springs would be even worse - about 2 hours. That isn't convenient or close proximity in my mind. If that's acceptable to you, that's you're decision. My experience says that kind of distance means you will over time rarely make the trip.

[Seadory]

Originally Posted by Timaea

I definitely don't think California does anything better. I'm here in MS since late May, and I keep pinching myself how beautiful the state is and how polite and down-to-earth everyone is. Every single government office I've had to deal with has been nothing short of a delight (it's been three now, for car registration, driver's license, utilities). I walked into the driver's license office with my full, triple titanium layered emotional armor on, only to have it fall right off (in absolute shock) when, three-quarters of the visit in, I realized that I won't be dealing with a 3-hour wait, yelling, a giant box space filled with two hundred people, and overall cold, robotic, at-times inhumane treatment. (Yes, some DMV workers yell at you in CA. Why? Maybe you stepped over a floor strip, or you didn't make an online appointment, or they're having a bad day...).

I've noticed a tendency in native Mississippians to be critical of their state. Some get really down on it, which saddens me. Maybe it's their natural modesty -- I don't know. I'm always so surprised when I encounter it, though, because I feel like I'm detoxifying from a quarter century of massive stress, human overcrowding, heavy pollution, outrageous commute times in thick traffic, and crazy-making progressivist values imposed with an iron fist. MS is my detox spa. I'm not leaving, and I will say MS does it better.

Thank you Timaea for this beautiful post. Your bits about the California DMV were spot-on. I have an almost irrational fear of the place. Truly a horror show. So awful, in fact, that it has all the earmarks of a hit sit-com. Your remarks about your DMV experience in MS are reassuring.

Every time I revisit Natchez, MS I fall in love with the place all over again. The people are interesting, unpretentious, and kind. It's like stumbling into a treasure trove of history where people are actually pleased to answer my questions. And I stop grinding my teeth during my stays.

You are going to be very happy there! Just know it.

[brickpatio2018]

Based on your description, I'd say Belhaven, Fondren, and Eastover would be wonderful options. These are the historic neighborhoods of Jackson with moderate to liberal residents and loads of access to the cultural amenities which you referenced.

These neighborhoods have struggled in recent years due to the city of Jackson's problems with crime, water, and roads. However, the newly formed state police have taken over this entire area including downtown; the feds have taken over the water systems and Jackson is said to now have the nation's best water; and a special tax was created to rebuild the roads. Also newly formed neighborhood improvement districts were created to allow a special neighborhood tax, which is designed to fund additional neighborhood security and aesthetic improvements such as landscaping.

In January the feds are expected to approve the project to create a 10-mile lake through Jackson which will run directly adjacent to Belhaven and Eastover and the huge areas parks (LeFleur's Bluff; Fannie Cook Natural Area soon to open). There are major hospitals, museums, shopping, theaters, bookstores, and restaurants all within this district.

If you prefer the safety and security of suburbs, Madison and Flowood/Brandon are within 5 to 10 minutes of Belhaven/Fondren and are modern and lovely. Madison regularly makes those lists of 10 best places to live in the U.S. Brandon recently joined Madison on a list of the nation's 30 safest cities. The suburbs are conservative politically but they are also affluent and educated.

DeSoto County is a thriving suburban area of about 200,000 people, and yes, driving into Memphis for restaurants and arts amenities is a straight shot up I-55, just 20 minutes or so. Many people move to DeSoto County to build new houses on multi-acre lots (e.g. 2 to 5 acres, etc, or in some cases small farms) which is not prevalent anywhere else in the Memphis area. DeSoto is conservative politically also but it's increasingly racially diverse (57% white, 34% black, 5% Hispanic) and the household incomes for each group are virtually identical and overwhelmingly middle class.

As you said Oxford, Starkville and Hattiesburg are cute, vibrant, tolerant college towns. Hattiesburg feels like a metro area whereas the other two are quaint small college towns. Tupelo is also quite prosperous and a nice-sized small city. As others have noted, Ocean Springs is amazing, particularly the historic district, as is trendy Bay St. Louis.

Natchez is pretty and although tiny and quiet, my understanding is that the social life, if you're able to plug into the social world there, is quite vibrant, including for gays, presumably due to the pretty architecture there.

[viverlibre]

Originally Posted by brickpatio2018

In January the feds are expected to approve the project to create a 10-mile lake through Jackson which will run directly adjacent to Belhaven and Eastover and the huge areas parks (LeFleur's Bluff; Fannie Cook Natural Area soon to open).

I hope so, but when I moved to Jxn in 1995, they were talking like this was imminent. It was called "Two Lakes" back then.

Originally Posted by brickpatio2018

Natchez is pretty and although tiny and quiet, my understanding is that the social life, if you're able to plug into the social world there, is quite vibrant, including for gays, presumably due to the pretty architecture there.

I've heard the same about Natchez having a higher than expected gay population.

[viverlibre]

Originally Posted by brickpatio2018

Based on your description, I'd say Belhaven, Fondren

I'm hearing the Capitol Police have made a huge positive impact on Belhaven and Fondren, also with the water and sewer now under the control of a third party, those issues will hopefully eventually get straightened out. The city is still in charge of garbage collection so that will likely remain iffy.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by Suesbal

In California, a city of 100,000 is probably considered a small town.

There are 333 cities in the U.S. with a population of 100,000 or more....71 of them are in California.