Most of MS. is poor. Madison and the Gulfcoast are much more affluent. The culture of the Coast is closer to that of NOLA and you do not see tons of abject poverty. The accent is even different.

quote:

Originally posted by clang:
I don’t want to offend any Mississippi natives, but here goes:

It’s not Jackson, but I have a buddy that moved from Germantown, TN to just over the border in Olive Branch, MS and instantly regretted it. He summarized it as Mississippi is a “poor” state and all services were subpar compared to Tennessee. So don’t expect it to be like home.

I assure you I'm not offended by your friend's statement, but living in close proximity to both these areas, I assure you that virtually ANY place you move in the Midsouth from Germantown is a step down. That said, your taxes in G'town are NUTS compared to anywhere else, also.

As to OP's question, Madison, Ridgeland, and maybe Brandon are areas I would live. I would not choose to live anywhere else in the area unless it was fairly far out of the city limits.

Thanks, everyone, for all the info. I knew Mississippi was one of the poorer states and am looking forward to the lower cost of living. I hadn't considered that this might affect quality of service.

Skull, having visited Montana and traveled across your beautiful (and rugged) state, I can say I don't think it'll be as bad as some folks think, services-wise. Most of us have 'lectricity, and indoor plumbing.

You may find it surprisingly modern in most areas, and the statistics are generally strongly impacted by several of our delta counties, which have staggering poverty and illiteracy rates. Adjusted for those areas, MS would be around national average in many statistics. But then again, if pigs could fly... If you get here and like it, please don't tell anyone back home, m'kay?

Everytime my Mom goes to Mississippi now when she crosses the border she says "Welcome to hell!". She grew up visiting Carrollton where her grandparents lived. She did not enjoy those experiences.

I remember going to my great-grandfather's funeral in Carrolton. It was the first funeral I had been to where the family was responsible for filling in the grave. Or, perhaps, they did it to save money. But it's a distinct memory of my uncles filling it in. My uncle made the journey in his new '87 Buick Grand National and I got to ride in it.

So I visited Jackson on my most recent trip home to TN and I really liked the Ridgeland and Flowood areas. We ate an early dinner at Shaggy's which had excellent $4 margaritas. I could see myself liking it there.

But now I've been made aware that Montgomery, AL might now be in the cards. Can anybody tell me about Montgomery? If you've visited both, which did you like more?

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Neither. State capitol is about only thing going for it. Never seen it on a list of desirable places to live. Huntsville yes.

It is called Jackastan for a reason. Montgomery is not as bad but not far behind. You can live in good places outside of the city.

Back in the day I spent a lot of time in MS. Really didn't care for it. Run down and nasty areas everywhere.
I've only visited Montgomery and other AL areas and they seemed quite a bit better.

I live just North of Montgomery. MGM itself has the well-earned name "The Gump". Parts are fine, parts are not. Over all, it is better than Jackson today, but who knows about tomorrow.

If you choose to live outside the city, there are nice areas, Wetumpka, Pike Road, Prattville, Tallassee. In town, no.

RMD

My office would be in the area of Perry Hill Rd and I-85 and I don't like long commutes. 20 minutes tops.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
My office would be in the area of Perry Hill Rd and I-85 and I don't like long commutes. 20 minutes tops.

I would consider Prattville or Milbrook. Both are just north on I-65 North. Both should be within your commute parameters. You could always look in the area around Huntingdon College which is in MGM, but a gentile area of older homes near the college. It is a beautiful area of town and the Governor's mansion is not far away.

RMD

Looking at homes, it seems I can get more for my money in Montgomery compared to Jackson. I would have thought it would be the other way around. Anybody have an idea about why that might be?

I have a sister who has lived in Montgomery her entire adult life, I was born there while living in nearby Tuskegee, and we own a cabin 45 minutes from there.

It's not quite as bad as Jackson from infrastructure and political upheaval standpoint, but you can see it from there.

The housing market is worse since at least in Jackson I can live 15 minutes north in a decent area. Well, worse in terms of nice and available,, better in terms of cheaper but for a reason in the MGM metro area.

That is further out if starting in Montgomery, and that circle is growing. I've turned down two jobs in past in MGM solely due to how unattractive it is, and yet here I am in Jackson area!

It's interesting that the two sites that have come up for you are so similar in so many bad ways. Someone must not like you there....

You've not mentioned if you have school age kids, but if you do, probably better off in Jackson if you can swing the private tuition cost. That would be only option in MGM as well, but not as many and as good options there.

I'm a white, single guy in my early 40s, no kids. Looking at census data, my dating pool would be twice the size in Montgomery.

How many of these women are suitable candidates for dating? Are there any nice locations available?

quote:

Originally posted by clang:
I don’t want to offend any Mississippi natives, but here goes:

It’s not Jackson, but I have a buddy that moved from Germantown, TN to just over the border in Olive Branch, MS and instantly regretted it. He summarized it as Mississippi is a “poor” state and all services were subpar compared to Tennessee. So don’t expect it to be like home.

I'm sure it was quite an adjustment for your buddy. If you drive into Desoto County (where Olive Brach is located), you'll see miles of double-wide trailers in every direction. Most homes didn't have electricity or indoor plumbing until the late 1980s. Internet options are very limited. Dial-up is the only option in Olive Branch at this time. DSL is rolling out sometime next year. Telephone service is pretty good however. We have a 2 party line so I'm able to make a call without too much of a wait.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jupiter,

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
I'm a white, single guy in my early 40s, no kids. Looking at census data, my dating pool would be twice the size in Montgomery.

Sounds like you need to visit Oxford and come on in for the big win.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
I'm a white, single guy in my early 40s, no kids. Looking at census data, my dating pool would be twice the size in Montgomery.

You're not counting teeth, or brain cells.

Just, no. I've deferred to the polite for reasons I can't explain. But unless it is a MASSIVE career upgrade with comp to match and a clear pathway out, there is zero chance I'd recommend to anyone I like to move to MGM.