Underrated, Properly Rated, & Overrated in Mississippi…
- Thread starter Maroon Eagle
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The Neshoba County Fair has been going on for 126 years in Mississippi…..which is about 125 years longer than it would have lasted in this particular location if “fats and poors” weren’t immensely dedicated to annual attendance.
It's pretty incredible for the people that have cabins and have been going for years. Have friends that have "fair friends" that live half way across the country from each other but spend a week at the fair every year and eventually kids would start taking turns going to one place or the other during the year, and then started doing trips together as families every so often. Take kids and write their cabin number on the arms in sharpie and turn them loose.
But yes, if you just go to the fair thinking it's going to be something incredible, you're going to be severely disappointed. Kind of cool seeing the cabins and taking in the scene (for about 5 minutes to one hour, depending on hot and dusty and/or humid it is), but otherwise it's just a county fair. I think to really love it, you have to be there with a cabin to use in college or earlier. As an adult, if you go and stay at a cabin you can probably understand the appeal, but I don't think it will grab you.
Underrated: The Coast. It's the only desirable place to live in Mississippi that is somewhat unique. People bash it because they are comparing apples and oranges. It's not a blue water tourist destination where you can't get a job that's not tied directly or indirectly to tourism. It's got a pretty decent economy (great for Mississippi), has tons of recreation, good food, good fishing. If you're going to visit a place once, yes, do Florida panhandle for water, Venice for fishing, New Orleans for food, Vegas for gaming, etc. But if you want to go to a place over and over and want to have options, then it's great. Being able to get to the islands does make a world of difference though. Ship Island Ferry is great for what it is, but you are tied to a schedule, which isn't great.
Underrated: Small town/city living. I understand a 10,000 person town isn't going to have what people want, but I think somewhere between that 20k to 100k range, most people are underestimating how happy they would be. I see coworkers daughters come back home that have moved to whatever city, and they're in their 30's and have no serious prospect of having a spouse or family. I don't doubt they had a lot of fun in their twenties and even early thirties, but I really question whether they are as content as the women the same age I know locally who have a family. Certainly family life isn't for everybody, but these are women typically from families with multiple children that at least claimed they wanted to get married and have children "some day". Same goes for the sons to a lesser extent. Maybe this is just me projecting my preferences onto other people, but however much fun they are having when they're younger, it doesn't seem like they're all that thrilled about their life when they are older. And I think people underrate the small town/city living for the wrong reasons. The lack of amenities really aren't that big of a deal. Most people I know even with the means and the access aren't eating particularly nice meals or doing a lot of live entertainment on a regular basis. They are in their routine hitting up the same places and living a lifestyle that they could easily replicate in a town with 40k people in it, except with deeper connections in the community. I think the real drawback is lack of career opportunities and often only having one employer in the area for your type of job, which means you are stuck without being willing to move your family.
Properly rated: Hattiesburg (overrated by the people that live there). Has everything it needs to be a great town/small city. University, some industry, medical complex to provide a lot of income, decent sized population, but just 17ed it up by developing in a straight line and then losing the public schools. Still a fine place to live, just a big missed opportunity for the state.
Properly rated: Starkville (underrated by the people that bash it). Residents of Starkville spent decades viewing the school and its students as a necessary evil rather than something to be embraced, so it's not nearly as nice as it should be. But it's still a nice college town. Small town benefits with extra entertainment and food optiosn b/c of university.
Properly rated: Gas station food. Some really good options out there.
Overrated: Oxford. Really nice college town. But it's still just a small college town.
Properly rated: The Delta. Unfortunately, it's properly rated, if underrated in some respects and overrated in others. I like the Delta and have a lot of friends from there and think it was probably a fine place to grow up (see comment about small town living being underrated), but I'm sort of over people from there pretending it's some jewel because of its eccentricities. No, you have a bunch of crazy people that have probably inhaled too many pesticides; that's not a sign of culture; there are bat **** crazy people other places too, but there are other things to do so they don't treat them like some sort of institution. And growing up hunting and fishing and riding fourwheelers is great also, but it's not like people that live in towns of 50k don't do those things. They just drive a little bit further to hunt and thtey don't ride their four wheeler to the gas station; it's more or less the same otherwise. And I love some of the Delta restaurants and it may have the finest restaurants in the world per capita (Lusco's, the Crystal Grill, and Giardinias being in Greenwood is somewhat insane), but at the end of the day, they aren't better than restaurants you can find elsewhere, they are just restaurants that you can't find in other small population areas.
Underrated. Vicksburg Military park. Not overrated by people elsewhere. Used to go there and see license plates from all over the country. Not sure if that's still the case. Think interest in the civil war and history in general probably has tapered off with younger generations. But people in Mississippi I don't think appreciate it.
Overrated. Madison. It's a nice bedroom community but you have to drive to far to work and then work is likely in Jackson.
Overrated. Clinton. Is there a restaurant in Clinton yet? This may not be fair because it's been a while since I've tried to eat there, but asked somebody from Clinton for a recommendation and they claimed there was not a single non-chain restaurant in Clinton.
Underrated: Golf Options in the State. Waverly, Dancing Rabbit, Grand Bear, The Preserve, Fallen Oak, Mossy Oak, Shell Landing, the Bridges. That's a great lineup of courses you can play that are relatively affordable for the type of courses they are.
Underrated: Small town/city living. I understand a 10,000 person town isn't going to have what people want, but I think somewhere between that 20k to 100k range, most people are underestimating how happy they would be. I see coworkers daughters come back home that have moved to whatever city, and they're in their 30's and have no serious prospect of having a spouse or family. I don't doubt they had a lot of fun in their twenties and even early thirties, but I really question whether they are as content as the women the same age I know locally who have a family. Certainly family life isn't for everybody, but these are women typically from families with multiple children that at least claimed they wanted to get married and have children "some day". Same goes for the sons to a lesser extent. Maybe this is just me projecting my preferences onto other people, but however much fun they are having when they're younger, it doesn't seem like they're all that thrilled about their life when they are older. And I think people underrate the small town/city living for the wrong reasons. The lack of amenities really aren't that big of a deal. Most people I know even with the means and the access aren't eating particularly nice meals or doing a lot of live entertainment on a regular basis. They are in their routine hitting up the same places and living a lifestyle that they could easily replicate in a town with 40k people in it, except with deeper connections in the community. I think the real drawback is lack of career opportunities and often only having one employer in the area for your type of job, which means you are stuck without being willing to move your family.
Properly rated: Hattiesburg (overrated by the people that live there). Has everything it needs to be a great town/small city. University, some industry, medical complex to provide a lot of income, decent sized population, but just 17ed it up by developing in a straight line and then losing the public schools. Still a fine place to live, just a big missed opportunity for the state.
Properly rated: Starkville (underrated by the people that bash it). Residents of Starkville spent decades viewing the school and its students as a necessary evil rather than something to be embraced, so it's not nearly as nice as it should be. But it's still a nice college town. Small town benefits with extra entertainment and food optiosn b/c of university.
Properly rated: Gas station food. Some really good options out there.
Overrated: Oxford. Really nice college town. But it's still just a small college town.
Properly rated: The Delta. Unfortunately, it's properly rated, if underrated in some respects and overrated in others. I like the Delta and have a lot of friends from there and think it was probably a fine place to grow up (see comment about small town living being underrated), but I'm sort of over people from there pretending it's some jewel because of its eccentricities. No, you have a bunch of crazy people that have probably inhaled too many pesticides; that's not a sign of culture; there are bat **** crazy people other places too, but there are other things to do so they don't treat them like some sort of institution. And growing up hunting and fishing and riding fourwheelers is great also, but it's not like people that live in towns of 50k don't do those things. They just drive a little bit further to hunt and thtey don't ride their four wheeler to the gas station; it's more or less the same otherwise. And I love some of the Delta restaurants and it may have the finest restaurants in the world per capita (Lusco's, the Crystal Grill, and Giardinias being in Greenwood is somewhat insane), but at the end of the day, they aren't better than restaurants you can find elsewhere, they are just restaurants that you can't find in other small population areas.
Underrated. Vicksburg Military park. Not overrated by people elsewhere. Used to go there and see license plates from all over the country. Not sure if that's still the case. Think interest in the civil war and history in general probably has tapered off with younger generations. But people in Mississippi I don't think appreciate it.
Overrated. Madison. It's a nice bedroom community but you have to drive to far to work and then work is likely in Jackson.
Overrated. Clinton. Is there a restaurant in Clinton yet? This may not be fair because it's been a while since I've tried to eat there, but asked somebody from Clinton for a recommendation and they claimed there was not a single non-chain restaurant in Clinton.
Underrated: Golf Options in the State. Waverly, Dancing Rabbit, Grand Bear, The Preserve, Fallen Oak, Mossy Oak, Shell Landing, the Bridges. That's a great lineup of courses you can play that are relatively affordable for the type of courses they are.
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Agree on your comments regarding small town/city. I grew up in a large MSA (Tampa), and also have lived in Fort Walton Beach, Starkville and Madison. Outside of missing the beach and salt water fishing, I honestly enjoy the Jackson area as much as I did Tampa. Jackson is large enough to have good restaurants, good concerts roll through but not big enough to have traffic issues. I’ll admit the location of Jackson probably helps a lot. Being close enough to drive to New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, Atlanta, plus nice beaches in Florida make Jackson much easier to live in. Not sure how much I’d enjoy somewhere like Wichita, KS (similar size MSA to Jackson)
You sir have obviously never taken the chamber of commerce tour of town in Doobby's Taxiola..
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Don't know about the others but His take on Lil Butcher Shop was dead on. I can't believe I always avoided it thinking their prices have to be sky high but they are in line. Fantastic choices and very good service.
I agree… I’d say country pleasing is properly rated. I do think polk’s is a little underrated. But one sausage I think is very overrated is conecuh…
We had $17B in unfunded PERS obligations before the recent bear. The only way our state finances are ok is if we just aren't going to pay PERS obligations.
Bay St. Louis is only underrated to Mississippians. It's overrun by New Orleans and Louisiana people. If anything, they overrate it.
Unfortunately Lusco's closed and the Crystal Grill is likely going that same way soon (unless the owner's find someone to buy it). Considering atmosphere, history, wide ranging menu, food quality, price, etc., I consider Crystal Grill to be one of the best restaurants in the 'Sip.
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If I remember right and Pat will correct me if wrong but I believe the Tico's is located at on a old miniature golf course. Also the building was the game room. I seem to remember playing miniature golf in that location. County line road was very isolated back before North Park.
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