OT: Hattiesburg

[Maroon Eagle]

People complaining about traffic are crazy. The traffic in Hattiesburg isn't terrible except where there's construction and they've started expanding the Lincoln Rd extension now. Hattiesburg is a nice small city. Lots of things going on with updating the Broadway Dr area and a new bypass there too. The difference in Hattiesburg 30 yrs ago to today is a blueprint for other MS locales IMO. Hattiesburg benefits from 49/59 traffic in a big way! I'm there a couple days a week and I love it! Local eats are great and you can find things to do. Lots of new business projects going on too. If Hattiesburg can get a Costco it's as good as it gets in MS.

Exactly

Most of the so-called negatives mentioned here are just Typical Six Packer Griping™

Next thing you know, folks here will have Sun Belt Envy… **

 

[Car Ramrod.sixpack]

Honestly, you have to look at Hattiesburg before and after Hurricane Katrina. Growing up in South Mississippi, Hattiesburg was the closest big city to us. In the late '90s, it felt like a city on the verge of decline, with not much progress since the 1970s. After Katrina, there was a major population boom as people relocated from New Orleans. I really believe a lot of Hattiesburg’s growth and progress can be attributed to that influx. Now, it’s leaps and bounds better than what I remember growing up.

 

[ETK99]

I can't wait til that Lincoln Rd Extension is done! Will make traffic by the office sooo much better! The red lights and widening they did at Hegwood was a huge fix & the Lamar rework has that area booming now! If MDOT or whoever would put an exit/on ramp at LRE, and also at 4th St it would be perfection!

 

[ETK99]

Honestly, you have to look at Hattiesburg before and after Hurricane Katrina. Growing up in South Mississippi, Hattiesburg was the closest big city to us. In the late '90s, it felt like a city on the verge of decline, with not much progress since the 1970s. After Katrina, there was a major population boom as people relocated from New Orleans. I really believe a lot of Hattiesburg’s growth and progress can be attributed to that influx. Now, it’s leaps and bounds better than what I remember growing up.

Katrina definitely threw a lot of people in there but Hattiesburg started expanding west about 1993-95. The mall, Kmart, Walmart etc all got going about then. Before then, wasn't much past 40th Ave. Lived out there a little while and it really took off about mid-90s. Then OG blew up and now Broadway has moved out there and Bellevue blowing up. Sumrall, Purvis, & Petal are getting it now too, even Dixie to a point. If they eventually get the loop done, the Hattiesburg area will be top shelf in MS.

 

[Mr Todd French]

I’m still defending Midtown. If you go two hundred yards to the east of that Corner Market you’ve got Jones Companies new home office, hotel indigo, midtowner and the commons. It’s no north park mall but pretty impressive by Mississippi standards. You’re right though on 4 sections of the city and the distance between can’t be fixed. Complaining about traffic is funny. 20 min any direction you can go about where ever you want or need to.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I’m still defending Midtown. If you go two hundred yards to the east of that Corner Market you’ve got Jones Companies new home office, hotel indigo, midtowner and the commons.

Exactly

It’s no north park mall but pretty impressive by Mississippi standards.

I laughed out loud when I saw this bon mot…

You’re right though on 4 sections of the city and the distance between can’t be fixed. Complaining about traffic is funny. 20 min any direction you can go about where ever you want or need to.

Yep.

I’m often in Hattiesburg and make extensive use of Lincoln Road Extension and 4th Avenue when needed…

 

[johnson86-1]

It’s because we drive everywhere, we don’t walk.

Yea, we don't have a big population that puts a lot of value on walkability, but we also semi-create that problem with zoning and planning that ensures there's very little to no walkable mixed use areas.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Yea, we don't have a big population that puts a lot of value on walkability, but we also semi-create that problem with zoning and planning that ensures there's very little to no walkable mixed use areas.

Disagree.

You just pay more attention to concrete and pavement.

That area is more walkable than you think.

The Peck House (37th and Pearl) is a place where I typically have parked when I’ve gone to football games at Southern Miss.

Pearl is very walkable all the way (edit to add: from the center of USM’s campus) to 38th and is only a block north of Hardy.

When I was a grad student at USM, I walked via Pearl to Crescent City Cafe more than once.

Remember: Southern Miss’s campus compared to MSU’s is *really* small.

 

[johnson86-1]

I’m still defending Midtown. If you go two hundred yards to the east of that Corner Market you’ve got Jones Companies new home office, hotel indigo, midtowner and the commons. It’s no north park mall but pretty impressive by Mississippi standards. You’re right though on 4 sections of the city and the distance between can’t be fixed. Complaining about traffic is funny. 20 min any direction you can go about where ever you want or need to.

I actually had not paid attention to that. Looking at it just on google maps, I'm not sure how much better you could do for a development on a street like hardy street. It is legitimately hard to create good walkable areas in places without well used public transportation. You generally end up with places that people drive to park and then walk, which it hard because you either have enough parking to kill walkability, or you have a huge parking lot/garage on the perimeter that is not super desirable to walk or shuttle from in the August heat, or your have lots of under building parking or parking garages that are hard to make financially feasible.

 

[Mr Todd French]

I was in a city planning meeting last month and the broad “Midtown Plan” is being implemented slowing but surely. I watched them put the screws to Forrest Gen about trying to add another parking lot. Walkability and green spaces were top of the list. They also did a long discussion on the Broadway revamp. Midtown is a slow process due to properties being grandfathered in. Also the last open space was sold about a year ago. Not sure what’s going there yet. That space will bridge the gap between east and west midtown.

 

[holdout]

Live in Midtown now. Everything is here. Get in my car about once a week