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| Negative Reviews about Jackson Laughable! - 7/17/2011
Struggling hard not to titter at some of the negative views on here. Moved to Jackson MS for college about 15 years ago and loved the place so much I stayed on and have been here ever since. I'm black first of all, and coming from a city that was 3 million strong, loved the fact that Jackson was very relaxed paced, had loads of Southern Hospitality where strangers still smile and say hello to each other as they walk by (try that up North or in L.A!), no endless lines everywhere to access services, plenty of wide open spaces, greenery and large yards in homes, not traffic jams!, amazing Southern food and ah just the fact that its the capital city of the State that's birthplace of the Blues!! Yes we're segregated but whose fault is that :)? Long standing institutional racism perchance? The big change for the better came when Kane Ditto was kicked out in the upper '90s and Harvey Johnson began to clean up all messes and rectify hundreds of years of neglect in the "black" neighborhoods. Prior to that I remember the area around JSU looking like Beirut with caved in burnt out homes - some vacant for decades, still standing while then then all white areas of the city had their streets washed and polished daily and public curbs trimmed impeccably. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against white people - many of my friends are white Jacksonians, I just abhor all this racism stupidity that has held back not just Jackson but this great country for so long. But I've digressed. I bought a nice little bargain basement cookie cutter ranch style home in South Jackson (probably from one of the departing 'peeps' on this page :P) all cash for a song and it's been the best thing I've ever done. I have a modest business here that has been doing really well and that keeps the bills paid and allows for vacations from time to time. I've traveled the world and all over the USA especially over the past few years and trust me there is no place I love to come back to than Mississippi and Jackson in particular. I love the fact that the Beach (and the casinos!) are only a two hour drive away, I love the festivals like the Natchez Balloon fest, Riverfest and the Blues fests in Clarksdale. I enjoy road trips to Tunica and to Golden Moon. Driving the Natchez trace is a fantastic experience I recommend to my none MS friends all the time. Maybe only one or two drives in the Union eg the Pacific Hwy in California may be better. Ive been to Elvis's and Oprah's homes, gone fishin' on the Rez and on the Coast, the list of amazing experiences and memories I have of this place are too many to enumerate. Anyone who says there is no arts or entertainment in and around Jackson might need to get their head examined! I miss the now gone Subway Lounge and Schimmels (gone too) but there is always The Frank Jones Corner and the 930 blues cafe! When it comes to my favorite hobby - food - I love the variety available..did someone on this thread say Keifers!! From the hole in the walls to the tony upscale restaurants Jackson has it all. Of course there is crime (where on earth isn't there any?)so unless you are looking for an utopia that does not exist, Jackson is just like any other city - its has some bad and lots of good too. When do I plan to ever leave this city? Never! Hopefully as the negative people move out some of us can get to buy more cheap property (nice huge homes going for a pittance) so it's not such a bad thing that the "scared and paranoid" element move out after all :)! God bless.
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| retirement - 2/6/2011
I have lived all my life in Jackson. I have watched my city go from an upcoming city to a city of urban decay, simply, more and more dependent upon federal dollars. Crime is horrific, the city government is ineffective, no pride is left in this town , the soul has left, retiree beware !
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| Mississippi Ain't All Bad - 8/13/2010
The climate is the one thing that makes Mississippi great.
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| Living in the Jackson area @ a glance - 3/20/2010
The city of Jackson and its surrounding areas has its pros and cons. I grew up in the city of Jackson and it's not such a bad place depending on where you live. All major cities have there share of crime problems. The hugest obstacle to face in my opinion is the segragation of races. We all realize that this factor won't disappear overnight realizing Mississippi's racial history. If you are looking to move to the Jackson area, this issue shouldn't be a huge shock. The weather is very mild except for the summer. It's very hot and humid. When it snows in the winter (not too often), schools and many jobs shut down. Speaking of jobs, there are plenty in the medical and educational fields. Over the past 20 years, the families with high incomes left the city of Jackson and have built homes and businesses in the surrounding small towns. Most still work in Jackson, but live outside of it. Jackson's tax payer's pool has substNtially dropped. This has effected the quality of living negatively in many ways. Instead of streets being fixed, they are patched up every 5 months. Traffic is not a problem at all. The downtown area currently has no entertainment. There are a few projects but they are slowly being developed. Overall, if you are looking for a small major city to live in and high levels of racial segragation don't bother you, Jackson or it's surrounding areas may be the place for you.
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| slop - 11/27/2009
Jackson,a good place to be from 50 years ago. The best way to view Jackson is in your rear view mirror. A bad joke.
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| In comparison - 10/19/2009
In my search on this website, I have found the "Cost of Living" in Jackson MS is better than in most other places. Of course in the grand scheme of it all, the income level is much lower; this probably balances out the comparison to other areas.
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| living in jackson - 8/10/2009
Not a good place to live. Poor pay and cost of living higher for the pay.
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| It is what you make of it - 5/6/2009
I went through the public high school system and enjoyed it. I got a good education, and had some great teachers. My sister, on the other hand, is now at a private school and is doing very well there as well. As long as you have a good idea of what kind of person your kid is, and if they can ignore distractions, they'll be fine whether they're in private or public school.
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| Mostly Warm - 4/5/2009
Jackson, MS is a fair weathered place that's pretty enjoyable climate wise. I can get pretty hot in the summer, but for people who face harsh temperatures in the winter months, it can be very nice place to retreat.
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| Worst city I've ever been in - 3/2/2008
Not enough culture or entertainment. The libraries are a disgrace. Barely any sidewalks or public transportation.Groceries are very expensive for a city with poor economy.Jobs are scarce, I was lucky to find a good one but it took some time. Nothing beautiful to look at except trees and muddy lakes. Had problems understanding people when they speak .I could write a book about all the things that are wrong with this city.
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| SCHOOLS????? - 5/17/2007
WHAT schools? A school is where you go to learn the 3 Rs. Not how to wear your baggy jeans around your ankles, sport a nasty cap on backwards, or grow a beard in the 8th grade. And, last but not least, steal everything you can get your hands on to buy more dope!!! Schools....what a laugh! But, it's not really funny. In fact, it's very sad. What a beautiful place it was when I was growing up. I'm very thankful that I got an education before it turned into what it is today. I'm also very thankful that my family and I escaped to the Ozarks. I don't have to worry about the people still there moving in here and spoiling this place. They wouldn't have the slightest idea where the Ozarks are. How could they? Geography hasn't been taught there for years!
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| Crime is a way of life here! - 5/17/2007
I grew up in Jackson and considered it a very nice place to raise my family................37 years ago! I've lost 3 nice houses in, what used to be, respectable neighborhoods. Crime moved in and I moved out. The last move got me $70,000 for a house that was worth $125,000, and was glad to get that! All of my family have finally escaped that cesspool and believe me, WE WON'T BE BACK!!!.
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| classes of people - 1/10/2007
There are only 2 classes of people in Jackson...the have and the have nots. You either have money or you don't. It's always been that way and it's not going to change anytime soon.
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| City view - 1/10/2007
Move to Jackson and lose your shirt and anything else you've worked your entire life for. If the City doesn't screw you the thugs will. RUN, RUN fast
as you can...away from this City that so many were once proud to call home.
Red
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| Going down the drain - 1/10/2007
Just like my home in Jackson of 28 years. Due to poor and crumbling infastructure/maintenance, my family lost almost everything we owned due to a City sewer
backup that left my home floating in ankle deep sewer water and feces. Not to mention all of our belongings in reach were soaked in this crap as well as the damage to our home. The City of Jackson denied all responsibilty. 2yrs from being debt free I almost had to pay someone to take this crap hole off my hands, with no equity coming back to me. Jackson broke my family physically and in my pocket book. This loss we will never fully recover from.
After living my entire life in Jackson (50yrs) I ran as fast as I could from Jackson over to Rankin County, a place I said I'd never live. After settling here, I wish I had left Jackson 20yrs ago...maybe I wouldn't be broke now.
Run,run,run and don't look back...the Jackson of 20yrs ago is gone and will never be the same again.
Red
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| Jackson, MS - 7/17/2006
As with any city, there are good and bad parts of Jackson. Be sure to find the good areas and don't venture to the bad.
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| regarding class and money.... - 6/27/2006
I noticed while living in Jackson that the class structure is east to fit into. There is the underclass, lower class, and middle class, that is all. That is, compared to other cities. People think that they very powerful and wealthy when they have mediocre incomes here. Old money just means that their family has lived in the south for a long time and someone in the family tree held down a full time job. The state universities are a great example of this. It is a place where "elites"* go to meet other "elites"* (graduated from one). Granted there have been some, but it is more like "blowing out all the credit cards to appear rich, in hopes of furthering the allusion, attracting a spouse, etc.." My University had 65% females at it, yet a fraction of them make to their senior year. They came to meet their spouses and that is it. It is somewhat ridiculous, but, if you are middle class and want to take an easy step up, move to Jackson.
* elite in Mississippi terms
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| Outside looking in - Former resident- there for 3 - 6/20/2006
Jackson is still very segregated. Locals can't seem to realize that. Blacks rarely hang out with whites and vice versa. The public school system is horrible (I went to the "best one" the city had to offer) and segregated as well. The textbooks were outdated, gang fights a lot, teachers passing out drunk at their desks (several, not one). I even graduated a year early to go ahead and go to college because I felt I was wasting my time. Even our real estate agent told us upon moving to the city that I should go to a private school, because that is where the whites go. I soon learned that that is how they keep African Americans out of the private schools was by extortionate tuitions. A lot of people simply can't afford them, but there is hardly any white kids in public schools. From my private school experience there (two years), the education was good. But nothing compared to regular public schools in the midwest and mid Atlantic. The outer suburb schools are better but very white and inner city Jackson was very black. The town is seperated into where the "whites live" and where the "blacks live". Rare occasion is it to see both colors in the same place. If you are white, you get to know the other whites pretty fast because Jackson is predominantly black. The community leaders are corrupt and caught all the time doing something illegal. Crime is completely out of control. I have lived in Chicago, DC and Miami. I have never once have been robbed till I moved to Jackson (3x).
I noticed why a lot of natives like it there: They have never lived anywhere else to compare it to and don't know that it is weird to see this community separation, poverty, etc... I am from the midwest, east coast and Florida and I am a causacian. However, some of my family members from South America refused to some back after some negative incidents that have happened. Most everyone I associated with in school there has left the state.
Sorry to be so negative, but it really is not that great.
Some positive things. Lemuria is a great bookstore and Keifers is a decent Greek restaurant. Reservoir is nice. Good good, people are friendly. Awesome fishing.
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| New and Improved Jackson???? - 11/18/2005
I am an educated young black woman and although to some Jackson may be "new and improved" there are still no jobs there other than in education and nursing for many MINORITIES. Amazing. I lived in Atlanta for 8 years (where I went to college and graduated) and have met so many foreigners who have heard not just about Jackson, MS but Mississippi as a whole. They look at you "If you are a minority" and from MS like they can't believe Minorities still "willingly" live there. It is still very segregated and unfortunately many of the same perceptions and ideals that were prevalent "BEFORE" the civil war still exist there. My first 2 years in ATL I was "ashamed" to tell people I was even from MS especially after hearing so many sarcastic remarks from my professors and students from other cities. Mississippi by many is still considered to be such a backward place. You know when news about a state's history becomes a teaching lesson on values in other countries classrooms around the world then something is amiss. Anyway, Jackson is not as improved as it should be. Just look at the super high incarceration, jobless and pregnancy rate of its inhabitants.
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| The New and Improved Jackson - 11/14/2005
Even with its problems, I love living in the Jackson Metro area! Most crime is limited within the Jackson city limits which is why I, and the majority of Jacksonians, have moved to the suburbs leaving inner Jackson to fend for itself.
The New Jackson consist of the suburbs: Flowood, Madison, Brandon, Byram and Clinton. Because most of these areas are in neighboring counties, taxes are cheaper and services are higher quality. Good shopping environments and many businesses have also moved to Flowood and Madison which is where you will find a higher cost of living including higher restaurant and sales taxes.
What you will find in Jackson Metro: A tight sense of community along with good and hardworking people who will give you the shirt off their back even if they don't like you.
What you will not find in Jackson Metro: Major outdoor activity. Because of the muggy summers, most people spend time indoors. You learn to be very thankful for the beautiful spring and fall weather. The exception to this rule... High School Football and Hunting.
Looking to move here for a job? You must educate yourself when living here. I have many friends who love Jackson, but the long and short... education is key to enjoying your time in Jackson. Unlike most cities where middle class is the majority population, Jackson seems to be a city of those that are wealthy and those that are not. Most of the people who dislike living here are usually lazy or not willing to work for the high paying jobs. Unemployment is high and competition for jobs is great. I think this makes you a better person in the long run, but I tend to be an optimist as well.
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