The good and the bad
-
12/18/2020
Here is an updated review in 2020. The last review I’ve seen was in 2011. A lot of things have changed. Specifically speaking about Gulfport, the population has grown. Gulfport is still a steadily growing city. The population is now 72,000 and I can see it reaching 100,000 within 10-12 years. Gulfport is a mix of urban and slightly rural. There are lots of parks and walking trails. Great city for fishing. The beach is much prettier now especially around Jones Park. There are many attractions here including an aquarium, malls, beaches, fishing piers, and parks. There is also a casino (there are many casinos around the gulf coast) Gulfport just happens to only have one. Most people into casinos will usually go to Biloxi however island view casino downtown is getting increasingly popular even during Covid. The city is pretty diverse lots of different cultures. Nightlife is a thing here downtown lots of great bars love music and seafood even during Covid. The nightlife here is often overlooked but is still going strong. For children there are arcades and go kart tracks. The housing prices here can be pretty low and 50% of population rents to own. The negative parts about this City is honestly crime in general. It is hard to go to a gas station without getting harassed by tweakers and homeless. Many areas need gentrification bad. Crime has been getting worse the last couple of years. Most of the city is relatively safe. I would not walk around alone around memorial hospital area to the west of downtown. Downtown Gulfport itself is looking much better and is thriving however if you go west or just go a little north you will see that a lot of it needs remodeling and you will also see lots of homeless people. They generally aren’t violent but can be just be careful going into the gas stations downtown or right on highway 49. If you are thinking about moving here don’t look around the southwest towards Long Beach and try to find somewhere either directly close to the beach or more north of I-10. Most of these places are very very safe to visit and live. Best bet is to do the research and find the safest spots to live before finding a home. Even in some of the tougher areas there can be neighborhoods that aren’t all that bad. The other negative part for this review is the weather. During the summer the weather can get very intense. Hurricanes. They can be very very bad usually they aren’t but once in a blue moon they are. It’s not a big problem until summer time just make sure you get insurance. The biggest problem is you usually have to wait months months and months just to get ahold of a reliable person to fix fences roofs and other hurricane damage during this time because the demand is so high after a storm. The weather is really hot and humid down here and sometimes it dosent get very cold until December so get ready for this as well. Overall I think Gulfport is one of the best cities in Mississippi due to all the attractions, the rising population, and beautiful scenic beaches and wetlands but the crime and weather have to deduct 2 stars. I definately recommend this city to people who love to fish, people who love casinos and bars, as well as people who want a cheap beach city to retire.
Andy | Gulfport, MS