Need convincing to move to Starkville (Columbus, Oxford: apartment, rent, homes)

[jvb0687]

Hello Mississippians. I am a recent college grad living in Baton Rouge who is contemplating a move to Starkville for work/educational purposes, also my family lives there. I am a bit hesitant to take the plunge, mainly for culture shock reasons. I grew up in Oxford, so I'm well acquainted with the Mississippi culture, but since then I've grown accustomed to fairly liberal, cosmopolitan places. I guess my question is, would a young single woman be completely miserable in Starkville for a period of a few years? Or do you think I'll find myself loving it after a period of adjustment? A few details for clarity, I love Mississippi, especially the Oxford area, so I'm well aware that the people are kind and wonderful. And I love college towns too. I think the opportunities I have in Starkville would be good for me but I don't want to make the wrong decision and end up lonely and bored in a small town! I'm hoping that some people who live in the area can encourage me and give me some insight for my decision making process.

[peppermint]

If you are largely affiliated with the University, I think you would be happy. If not, I couldn't say. My husband & I attended MSU, and I grew up just south of Starkville. We would never, ever go back after living in PA for six years. Of course, we aren't in the education arena. Many profs and students are a-religious and / or more liberal, but much of the staff is predominately Christian and / or conservative.

I really wish I could give you a ringing endorsement, but I just can't do that in good conscience. Many of my high school classmates still live in the area, and 90% of them are heavily religious and beyond conservative (as evidenced by their many facebook postings). Even those who are less religious just keep quiet about their views and opinions to avoid conflict. I think if you are working on campus, you have a much better chance of finding like minded people.

I'm sure there are people out there who will disagree with me. This is simply my experience as a nonreligious person having grown up in the area. Good luck to you.

[brickpatio]

Starkville does have an increasing number of interesting bars and restaurants in the downtown and Cotton District areas. With such a diverse group of students, including graduate students, there are definitely opportunities to meet people.

Also, have you considered Columbus? It's loaded with gorgeous antebellum and Victorian homes and in all likelihood those neighborhoods are full of cultured people of all ages. And there is a university there also (MUW) which means some professors living in the community, etc.

[jvb0687]

Thanks both of you, I would be working at the University and taking some classes- hopefully working towards a graduate degree, so apparently that would put me in the best possible scenario. Brickpatio, how far away is Columbus? Do many people live there and commute to Starkville? Would you recommend that?

[poptones]

I really can't see living in Columbus and working in Starkville - it's about twenty miles and you'd be putting yourself in an even MORE conservative living area. All Columbus has is "the W" and that's not exactly the height of liberal education.

A very good friend of mine is a professor in Starkville and he and his family seem to do alright. It is a bit difficult finding what he considers an appropriate school (virtually all private academies around here tout christian affiliation of some sort and the public schools generally aren't that great) but they've been living here for years and so far haven't been miserable enough to move on.

I'd suggest planning to live in Starkville while you work there. If you want to go to Columbus it's a short drive away - with Tuscaloosa about another hour away and Birmingham just beyond that.

[peppermint]

Depending upon exactly where in Columbus, you'd be roughly 20-30 minutes. I don't think it's a bad commute. My family did it for +/- 2 years when I was small. Housing is more affordable in Columbus; however, Americans will someday have to face the music about gas prices. Just wanted to throw that out there. I'd rent an apartment in one of the towns for six months to a year to see what works for you.

I got my B.S. in one of the hard sciences and my husband is an engineer. The strict sciences have lots of less religious people. Engineering was about 50/50 or 40/60 (60 religious). That was our experience 10+ years ago.

[brickpatio]

If you don't mind a 20 minute commute (all 4 lane highway, no traffic), Columbus (population about 25,000) is something to consider. The neighborhoods adjacent to downtown (especially immediately south of downtown just as you enter town from the highway...but also just north of downtown) are every bit as sophisticated as the historic neighborhoods of Baton Rouge. I believe Columbus at one time made a lot of money from cotton, and one result was gorgeous architecture. The main street is charming and well maintained. And MUW (Miss. Univ for Women) is a nice little campus. While it's certainly not liberal, I do think it's fair to say it's quite cultured.

In Starkville, you should look at the Cotton District, which they say was the original "new urbanism" neighborhood (mixed use, eclectic, historic styles of architecture) starting back in the 80s, where you can walk to restaurants etc. In that location, you could ride your bike to your job on campus in probably two minutes.

[Gill O'Blarney]

Also better shopping opportunities in Columbus. They have the only mall in the area. If it were me, I'd choose Columbus to live in while working in Starkville..

[Breeland]

Hi,

I also grew up in MS,(have lived all over the state) but have lived on the Northshore in LA for 10 years. We moved from Starkville, and I lived in Columbus before that. After the move, I continued working and commuting to Columbus for several years. My parents also live there now. (Columbus)

Speaking from experience, I will tell you that when you move to either place you are going to feel like a "fish out of water" for a while. Although we will eventually move back to MS because it is our home, I realize after being a way for a while just how truly conservative it is.

Columbus, although absolutely beautiful, will never really see much progression. It's how the locals like it, and some days it can be a mind-numbing experience. I was completely involved there (lived there 7 years) but in comparison to LA, and all of Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas, you will remember really quick just how narrow minded things are.

Starkville at least has things going on throughout the week and things happening at campus. It's really just a toss up, but my suggestion would be Starkville. (That's also my husbands hometown)

I'm not sure this helps, but nobody loves MS any more than I do. I just know after living in LA for a while,I realize things really ARE like night and day between the two. However, we will still move back when my husband retires because you just can't substitute the kindness of Mississippians.

Let me know if you have any other questions and I will try to help you as much as possible! Good luck in your search!

[jvb0687]

Thanks everybody for your input. I would definitely be living in Starkville to be close to the University, but I was thinking Columbus had potential as a slightly more cosmopolitan place I could go to frequently for entertainment (20 minutes is nothing, it takes me that long to drive across Baton Rouge!) But it seems that its even more conservative than Starkville. I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the area, nobody appreciates MS more than I do, but I think in the years since I've lived away my mindset has grown to be quite different than that of the locals. And the main thing I see on all of these boards is that the best way to get involved and make friends is to join a church, and I just don't think that would be the way for me. But since I would be so closely associated with the University I'm likely to find a niche there I suppose.