SperlingViews - Ocean_Springs, Mississippi

To anyone thinking about moving here. The traffic on highway 90 from BILOXI,OCEAN SPRINGS, and to PASCAGOULA is bad. There are 13 traffic lights in 20 miles from OCEAN SPRINGS to PASCAGOULA. You either have to travel on highway 90 or travel north to the interstate 10 to go east/west and then back down again. They are building a brand new high school which I am told will be 50 million dollars [ that maybe high ] but just think about the property taxes. The high school is located way away from the center of town so the transportation costs are going to go up. The mayor seems to like locating bars in the middle of the city where all the shops are located. Eventually the tourists and snow birds that are family oriented will pass over Ocean Springs as a place to visit and spend their money. [read more...]

I lived in Ocean Springs for over 20 years. We raised a family and now that they've grown, we quickly moved as far away from that place as we could. The CONs are too many to list them all. The people are snobs and rude to each other and everyone. There is NO Southern Hospitality to speak of on the Gulf Coast especially in OS. The season is extremely Hot & Humid and last almost year round. And unless you Drink excessively, Fish, Boating, Gamble next door at Biloxi or wait for one of the every other month, street fairs that closedown the town from Porter to Washington then there is NOTHING to do in OS or on the Coast of Mississippi. The coast only has one minor league Hockey Team for sports, some pretty good concerts but for a very unenthusiastic & unappreciative crowd most of the time. But the worst part of Ocean Springs is that it’s divided into two different cities. There’s the Artist crowd who gets all the attention from City Hall and that mafia style group called the OS Chamber and then there’s the “Other Ocean Springs” people who don’t amount to anything in their eyes. HWY90 is almost a parking lot every day to get anywhere. Downtown is far from historic it’s just old and you’re lucky to catch one of the quaint little overpriced artsy-fartsy shops actually OPEN during working hours downtown and if Mayor Moran has her way then all of Downtown OS will be one bar after another. It’s like a freak view of Bourbon Street down there with drunks staggering out into the streets breaking bottles all hours of the night. PROS: Really nice boardwalk down on Front-beach, Beautiful Bridge going to Biloxi, Festivals are fun but pricy, National Seashore Park is nice, but that’s really about it.[read more...]

Quality of life post-Katrina.[read more...]

I have lived here since 1991 and the climate is very hot and humid for 6 months from may and on into november.I work for us navy civil service and we ran out of work in wisconsin in 1991.This was the only choice i had to move to vs early retirement[ which i couldnt afford].The people who grew up here may think this climate is normal but i like the 4 seasons that you get up north[and i dont mind snow].I can stand high temps like in the 90s but with low humidity.I have seen comments about humidity in the midwest but that is not much compared to here[solid humidity for 6 months of the year].You also may have to run your a/c unit some in the winter. The friendliness is overated you will find friendly folks almost any where. The people here have their circle of friends, relatives from here, and people they grew up with.I visit my daughter who still lives in wisconsin in the appleton area and i find the people there just as friendly. Hurricane katrina destroyed 50,000 homes and there are still a lot of people living in fema trailers.The gulf coast is still a mess to look at from gulfport to the west with debris in a lot of places.Sperlings says the median price of a house is 219,000 dollars[ maybe a little high but the housing has gone way up].Home insurance in areas that got flooded is 5000 dollars a year and up in some places.This has caused many people to get rejected for a mortgage. My house received no flood or wind damage and i am hoping to get a good price for it next year so i can move back up to the appleton wisconsin area when i retire[be near my grand children]. DON K [read more...]

The climate here is very hot and humid.The summers last from may on into november which for me is too long.If you were brought up here maybe you would think this is normal but i lived in new england and wisconsin before i came here on a job move in 1991[only choice vs early retirement which i couldnt afford- US NAVY civil service]. The friendliness of the people is over rated.Yes the people will say hello but there are families related and people who grew up in this area that make up their social circle. The cost of housing has shot up dramatically since hurricane katrina.Sperlings says median house is 219,000 dollars and maybe thats a little high but it is very high. The home insurance has sky rocketed especially if you live near the water or in an area that was flooded by katrina.Some people are paying 5000,6000 dollars a year and more.There was 50,000 homes destroyed by katrina and there are still quite a few living in fema trailers.People are getting rejected for mortgages here because of the higher cost of the house put together with the home insurance costs. I have owned a home here since 1994 and i hope its value goes up so next year when i retire i can get a good price and move back to wisconsin to be near my grand children[appleton area].I had no flooding or storm damage. By the way i see comments about humidity in the mid west in the summer.I visit my daughter in the appleton area a lot at different times of the year. The humidity in the deep south is much worse than any humidity in the midwest.The humidity in wisconsin comes and goes.The humidity here is solid for 6 months with no let up plus the hurricane season to sweat out. DON KUMPUNEN 11/25/2007[read more...]

Crime is increasing[read more...]

Hot and humid during summer and quite mild during winter.[read more...]

Lived in O.S. for the past 25 years. Had lived in numerous places in the U.S. prior to that. This is a great, affordable coastal town. Housing has gone up since Katrina hit, but food, utilities, etc are still cheap compared to the rest of the country. Love the fact that it is only a short drive to FL, AL, GA, LA, TX, AR. Just moved to northern TX with my husband's job, but plan to move back in a year when my husband retires.[read more...]

I like living in a smaller town on the coast, but near everything. I've lived here over 10 years and love it. Bad: property taxes a bit high[read more...]

Went to Univeristy of S. Miss, used to live in S. Florida, Alabama, and Jackson, MS. While I went to college, the people from Ocean Springs, MS that went to college with me, use to brag about being from this place. They just could not wait to tell people that they were from here. Dunno why. Upon visiting there allow me to verify there is nothing to brag about. The water is ridiculously shallow, too close to industrial yards (where everyone works) with a poor education system, seriously outdated, etc....most people at our school gave people from this area the nickname "coast trash". Seriously, they did. Make you own judgement. There are some friendly people there. I guess it is relative to your experiences.[read more...]

I live in southern mississippi and i think its boast as the friendliest in the country is over rated.People here tend to stick within a circle of relatives,friends from growing up,etc.I have been here for 15 years and lived in northeastern wisconsin for 18 years[originally from mass.].I made a few life time friends in wisconsin and other friends.This is not the case here.I am sure i will get a lot of arguements from southerners. Another thing is the obssession with the civil war which i think is strange since the north won and the south was decimated.What makes me sick is that they hold a confederate memorial day and place it on the same level as the national memorial day.The civil war divided this country and probably set it back at least 25 years.In the north you see a monument to the union soldiers who served and died but thats it.They dont obssess about the civil war and recognize that it was a step backwards for our country.Its only purpose was to do away with slavery. [read more...]