Southern Living: Starkville is THE college town in Mississippi

[onewoof]

This Mississippi College Town Is Worth A Trip—Even When It's Not Game Day

Starkville, Mississippi, is home to Mississippi State University, but this college town offers more than just campus spirit. Here are the best ways to enjoy food and culture in Starkville.

www.southernliving.com

 

[dorndawg]

Damn. This is going to hurt the Velvet Ditch far more than any Egg Bowl loss.

 

[aTotal360]

The check didn't bounce. **

 

[The Peeper]

Yoknapatawpha County residents cancelling their subscriptions by the thousands now

 

[Shane of Pisgah]

Hmm, let's see. A pic of a deserted downtown, says Starkville is located "just 40 minutes from the eastern border of Alabama," a pic of some cheese fries, says the best restaurants are a place that opened last year and Dave's Dark Horse Tavern, a pic of a block of cheese, says the best things to do are walk around campus and look at the "buildings from the 17th century" (17th century, lol), or, uh, maybe go buy some cheese. Not sure how much y'all know about Southern Living's ownership group, but this smells like an OM troll job.

 

[Mr. Cook]

The check didn't bounce. **

....yet

 

[SchrodingersDawg]

I haven't been to Starkville in >20 years. I was with some folks this weekend and a few were USM fans. One kept going on to me about how much Starkville has changed since I was last there last and how great a college town it is now.

 

[3407Dewey]

Hmm, let's see. A pic of a deserted downtown, says Starkville is located "just 40 minutes from the eastern border of Alabama," a pic of some cheese fries, says the best restaurants are a place that opened last year and Dave's Dark Horse Tavern, a pic of a block of cheese, says the best things to do are walk around campus and look at the "buildings from the 17th century" (17th century, lol), or, uh, maybe go buy some cheese. Not sure how much y'all know about Southern Living's ownership group, but this smells like an OM troll job.

Sure some of the buildings are dated, but 17th century?

 

[Mr. Cook]

I haven't been to Starkville in >20 years. I was with some folks this weekend and a few were USM fans. One kept going on to me about how much Starkville has changed since I was last there last and how great a college town it is now.

Sure it’s changed. But not in the ways one might expect.

 

[Dawgbite]

Starkville has improved leaps and bounds in the last 20 years. We frequent both Starkville and Oxford regularly and any restaurant or bar that Oxford has, Starkville has an equal or better. The difference is that Oxford has a 20-30 year head start. Oxford and OM are one and the same while Starkville and MSU are neighbors that haven’t always gotten along. The food and bar scene in Oxford is concentrated in and around the Square while everything is spread out in Starkville.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Starkville has improved leaps and bounds in the last 20 years. We frequent both Starkville and Oxford regularly and any restaurant or bar that Oxford has, Starkville has an equal or better. The difference is that Oxford has a 20-30 year head start. Oxford and OM are one and the same while Starkville and MSU are neighbors that haven’t always gotten along. The food and bar scene in Oxford is concentrated in and around the Square while everything is spread out in Starkville.

Concur with this. Also, no one ***** on MSU and Starkville like MSU fans. It's crazy.

 

[Dawgbite]

I think that the food is better in Starkville but the atmosphere, “scene” , is better in Oxford. The one that I can’t understand is Big Bad Breakfast. We’ve tried it multiple times because that’s THE place for breakfast in Oxford but I’ve yet to have a good meal there much less a memorable meal. Their bacon isn’t even good and saying bacon isn’t good is really saying something.

 

[Mjoelner]

I think that the food is better in Starkville but the atmosphere, “scene” , is better in Oxford. The one that I can’t understand is Big Bad Breakfast. We’ve tried it multiple times because that’s THE place for breakfast in Oxford but I’ve yet to have a good meal there much less a memorable meal. Their bacon isn’t even good and saying bacon isn’t good is really saying something.

I ate there once and the food tasted like burned plastic. Not a fan.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

Damn. This is going to hurt the Velvet Ditch far more than any Egg Bowl loss.

Strongly written letters to the editor and canceled subscriptions going down right now.

 

[Maroon13]

Speaking of the bar scene in Oxford, on busy nights, they charge $50-100 cover charge. Yes, no typo. The kids can tell you first hand. So what's happening is most local kids can't and won't pay that. Square night life, on the weekends, is becoming a place for only the rich and out of state kids (whose parents are all caught up in keeping up).

Kids say, MSU/Starkville is fun. But the cotton district bars are small. You have to use a DD or Uber because police and ABC don't play there. Hobies and Ricks are great but again... be careful.

If you want to see what downtown Starkville could be, check out downtown Auburn this weekend. They have a mini-Target, more than a few nice sports bars and casual affordable restaurants. Downtown Starkville needs these things. Especially that interesting Target.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

Starkville is really underrated. The graveyard really screws the District. Downtown is solid. It's all really close to be really great but just can't quite get there.

 

[rynodawg]

Sure some of the buildings are dated, but 17th century?

It’s not commonly known, but Dorman Hall was a far-western trading post established by the first Virginia colonists for trade with the Native Americans. It’s a national historic landmark, that’s why it can’t be torn down.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Starkville is really underrated. The graveyard really screws the District. Downtown is solid. It's all really close to be really great but just can't quite get there.

This is correct. And it's due to all this bassackward planning all these years. I still cannot figure out who pumped high speed controlled access roadway right between Starkville and MSU. Just shows more of the idiocy I alluded to in the thread the other day.

Highway 12 from Spring/Blackjack up to 182 needs to be completely repurposed. It's a huge hindrance. Of course the idiots will say MuH tRaFfIc!!1 17 that, get there earlier. I'm very surprised someone hasn't been killed yet.

 

[AstroDog]

This Mississippi College Town Is Worth A Trip—Even When It's Not Game Day

Starkville, Mississippi, is home to Mississippi State University, but this college town offers more than just campus spirit. Here are the best ways to enjoy food and culture in Starkville.

www.southernliving.com

"Well, isn't that special"

 

[Maroon13]

If you've ever been to Charlottesville, there is a city street that splits the campus of UVA. It looked to me, one side of the road was old campus, the other new. Really odd and fragments their campus. But that place wasn't anything nice to me, regardless.

I always liked the way MSU campus was set apart and distinctively its own place. Not swallowed by the town, like UAT, Vandy... Anways. The pedestrian additions were nice adds to the University Dr bridge and all we really need. (Kids drive down there). But another pedestrian bridge from the Frats to Cotton Mill would be nice.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

If you've ever been to Charlottesville, there is a city street that splits the campus of UVA. It looked to me, one side of the road was old campus, the other new. Really odd and fragments their campus. But that place wasn't anything nice to me, regardless.

I always liked the way MSU campus was set apart and distinctively its own place. Not swallowed by the town, like UAT, Vandy... Anways. The pedestrian additions were nice adds to the University Dr bridge and all we really need. (Kids drive down there). But another pedestrian bridge from the Frats to Cotton Mill would be nice.

I agree that at this point, barring some influx of money, we aren't changing that layout. I disagree with you though, I hate it. I've gotten used to it, and if it ever changed I'd bltch about it taking me longer to get to baseball games, but still. And yes I'd add another pedestrian bridge at Russell Street.

The sidewalk from Spring/Blackjack is a huge improvement, but the speed is still a killer right there as 12 exits and heads north. They need some barrier rails or something between the road and the sidewalk, it's literally FEET between the sidewalk and 2-lane 1-way traffic. I don't know what the speed limit is right there but it's too fast.

This is not just me talking either, I work with a traffic engineer and says it's really bad design for any type of walkability.

 

[Mr. Cook]

Starkville is really underrated. The graveyard really screws the District. Downtown is solid. It's all really close to be really great but just can't quite get there.

I disagree...Everyone is dying to get in the graveyard.