# Starkville - A Progressive Mississippi Town



## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

So I finally got around to taking some photos of the town I live in, Starkville. If all goes as planned this will come in 3 installments, downtown, Cotton District, & Mississippi State U. Campus. This first installment will take you through Downtown Starkville. You will find that this is a quintessential, laid back Southern town with little activity on a Tuesday evening. (I took these today)

If you have any questions about anything I would be happy to answer.

Hope you enjoy this 1st installment :cheers:

My Flickr Page


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)




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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)




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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)




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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)




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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)




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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)




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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

End of First Installment


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## Assemblage23 (Jan 6, 2008)

First time that I see pictures of Stakville and it looks like a rather nice Town with lots of Mom And Pop businesses, which reveals a strong sense of community.

Thanks for sharing.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

^^

Thanks for the comment! :cheers:


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## tpe (Aug 10, 2005)

Nice to see the small main street stores. People should support them against the big box competition.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Well we do have a Walmart and they survived that, one thing that helps Starkville is it's high educated populace. Many hate Walmart


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

First time browsing your collection, and welcome to Urban Showcase, my friend! I understand that Starkville is a college town, but observing your downtown area, it makes me feel like I'm in a different world, a world wherein not every college town deserves tall structures or sprawling town centers just to make a statement. It's like me comparing Starkville to say, Palo Alto or Berkeley or even Austin!

Starkville, judging by the storefronts, sidewalks, and the number of cars on the roadways, is a quaint and charming community, with a lot of old structures preserved over a long time (especially State Theater, The Loft Building, and Hotel Chester, to name a few), and I suspect that the Oktibbeha County Building is the County Center, true? Because if it says County, then I immediately associate it with the county government, meaning I would say that Starkville is the county seat of Oktibbeha County. I wonder if you have any pics of your City Hall so that I could compare it to the Greek colossal planks that grace the County Administrative Building... and by the way, I wonder how come there are not a lot of pedestrians walking along your Main Street at the time you took those photos? It's like, yes, it may be a suburb, but for a college town, it looks pretty strange to me...

Great first impressions, my friend! Looking forward to even more from your community! Perhaps you can also show us the rest of Oktibbeha County too if you get a chance as well...  :hug:


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Starkville isn't a suburb but a small, relatively isolated town in East Mississippi. The building you see is the County Courthouse and Starkville is the only populated place in Oktibbeha County outside a few rural communities.

To answer your question about lack of activity, I actually don't know why there isn't more bustle. :dunno: I did take these pictures on a Tuesday evening though, there are a lot more people out and about on the weekends.

Also, the City Hall really isn't much, nothing grand 

Thanks for commenting FOD!


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

musiccity said:


> Starkville isn't a suburb but a small, relatively isolated town in East Mississippi. The building you see is the County Courthouse and Starkville is the only populated place in Oktibbeha County outside a few rural communities.
> 
> To answer your question about lack of activity, I actually don't know why there isn't more bustle. :dunno: I did take these pictures on a Tuesday evening though, there are a lot more people out and about on the weekends.
> 
> ...


That could explain it... take pics on a weekend and I can make a better sense of what truly makes the town interesting. And oh, really, Starkville is like the only incorporated community among all the other towns (or hamlets, as it may be called) in Oktibbeha County? That is fairly interesting... how many people live in the town, and compare that to the number of students who go to your university?

On top of that, I can make a good guess that Starkville is the county center of your county since you said the County Building I saw is the courthouse... and I wonder how many commercial centers are there in your town aside from the Old Main Square. And I sense that Greyhound would be one of the only ways to get in and out of that town, isn't it?


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Ive never seen a Greyhound Bus here, so I think the only ways to get into town are by road or by air (Golden Triangle Regional Airport). There is no town square  just a strip. The main shopping venues are Walmart and Starkville Crossing Shopping Center.

The population of Oktibbeha County is about 45,000. That includes both Starkville and the roughly 21,000 students that attend Mississippi State.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

The pics are very well taken. 

Do some trees out there blossom in flowers later on Spring?

University small towns, relatively far from big cities and where the university population (students + staff) dominate the demographics, usually have a different dynamic than similar towns on the area/state. They have a peculiar demographic and income pyramid and thus they have this sort of retail and dining scenario shown there: the 30+ population is much more educated than your average small town and earn more than their counterparts next county, thus they can spend more on upscale-ish things. However, being a small town rents are not that high and the pool of student-workers large, thus many business can operate with a lower patronage than they'd have to get on a bigger city to be viable.

I lived in such a town elsewhere for a while and it was the same.

Does Starkville "die down" during summer, as in few students + scorching humid heat?

This all being said, I think this "oh the city has small stores thus it must be a nice community in terms or people" controversy is silly. Small stores that don't depend on volume and discounts (where they can't compete with Wal Mart) thrive when they have the proper demographics (people and business scenario) to sustain them. In countries with few restrictions on private enterprise like USA, they are more a by-product of disposable income, rents, lack of overall market strength to sustain bigger chains than of the goodness of character of its inhabitants.

Why don't you show us the university campus musiccity?


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Suburbanist said:


> The pics are very well taken.
> 
> Do some trees out there blossom in flowers later on Spring?


The trees have already blossomed actually, most trees are just green now.





> Does Starkville "die down" during summer, as in few students + scorching humid heat?


Yes! Big time, the only people in Starkville over the summer are old people. (Starkville is a popular retirement destination for Mississippians). Also, summer are horrible in Starkville. You can get temps up to 40c with 90% humidity.





> Why don't you show us the university campus musiccity?


I will soon, that will be the third installment :yes:


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Any other questions? comments?


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Are there open container laws in Starkville?'

Also, a comment: I don't like the way wires are all messed up on this pic. They should fix it. I know American cities don't have money to put it underground because they are wide and large, but at least use bundled wiring to avoid the messy look of it.


shops by rronriver, on Flickr


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

musiccity said:


> Ive never seen a Greyhound Bus here, so I think the only ways to get into town are by road or by air (Golden Triangle Regional Airport). There is no town square  just a strip. The main shopping venues are Walmart and Starkville Crossing Shopping Center.
> 
> The population of Oktibbeha County is about 45,000. That includes both Starkville and the roughly 21,000 students that attend Mississippi State.


Oh really? That's quite a tough place to be in, especially with potentially a very limited public transit network within town, and without Greyhound, it looks like the best way to get there is by car from Memphis. But, let me tell you: Starkville being a popular retirement place for seniors is something I have not heard of before, and with summer temps reaching 40C (104F) and 90% humidity, that clearly reminds me of Manila, the city I used to live, in which daily temperatures never fall below 25C (77F) and humidity levels above 50% are common (but that's because the city is close to the Equator, thus those are normal! ).

I'm surprised though at how much car traffic Starkville gets: as a college town, indeed, there will be a lot of cars that go through the city. But, combine that as a retirement community, and I find the town fascinating in that your town center is similar to many thriving communities around the country, not just here in CA where I am now.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Suburbanist said:


> Are there open container laws in Starkville?'
> 
> Also, a comment: I don't like the way wires are all messed up on this pic. They should fix it. I know American cities don't have money to put it underground because they are wide and large, but at least use bundled wiring to avoid the messy look of it.


Starkville actually did a pretty good job keeping the overhead wires away from Main Street but it's at the expense of the downtown side streets like that picture you quoted.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

fieldsofdreams said:


> Oh really? That's quite a tough place to be in, especially with potentially a very limited public transit network within town, and without Greyhound, it looks like the best way to get there is by car from Memphis. But, let me tell you: Starkville being a popular retirement place for seniors is something I have not heard of before, and with summer temps reaching 40C (104F) and 90% humidity, that clearly reminds me of Manila, the city I used to live, in which daily temperatures never fall below 25C (77F) and humidity levels above 50% are common (but that's because the city is close to the Equator, thus those are normal! ).
> 
> I'm surprised though at how much car traffic Starkville gets: as a college town, indeed, there will be a lot of cars that go through the city. But, combine that as a retirement community, and I find the town fascinating in that your town center is similar to many thriving communities around the country, not just here in CA where I am now.


Old people actually like hot climates, that's why Arizona and Florida have so many old people. :lol: Mississippi has a hot climate but it really doesn't attract a lot of retirees for obvious reasons.. except Starkville because it is a college town and more progressive.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

musiccity said:


> Old people actually like hot climates, that's why Arizona and Florida have so many old people. :lol: Mississippi has a hot climate but it really doesn't attract a lot of retirees for obvious reasons.. except Starkville because it is a college town and more progressive.


I figured... same as my uncle who will retire soon to the Philippines.

But I wonder: with a lot of seniors living in Starkville, as well as a lot of students, what kind of public transportation is available to get around town, as well as getting to and from nearby larger cities in the area? I see so many cars, but no buses, that's why.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Starkville is actually implementing a BRT that will begin service in August :cheers:

http://www.reflector-online.com/new...o-starkville-community-1.2814385#.UWX8YbWsiSo


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

musiccity said:


> Starkville is actually implementing a BRT that will begin service in August :cheers:
> 
> http://www.reflector-online.com/new...o-starkville-community-1.2814385#.UWX8YbWsiSo


Awesome! I am all for BRT, and I will check that out when I get to visit your place. I hope that the BRT over there will be similar to what I get here, which would be:

• frequent service
• fare similar to local buses
• limited stops (also include shopping malls)
• traffic signal priority

And I wonder if it will operate weekdays only, if not also weekends and holidays, and more when you've got events at the university?


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## Rumors (Jul 1, 2007)

It looks like a wonderful place musiccity.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

fieldsofdreams said:


> Awesome! I am all for BRT, and I will check that out when I get to visit your place. I hope that the BRT over there will be similar to what I get here, which would be:
> 
> • frequent service
> • fare similar to local buses
> ...


It will probably be more active during the weekdays, unless it's a game weekend. I'm pretty sure it will include all those other things though.

And we have some Filipinos here by the way, :cheers: I believe there is a Filipino Student Association



Rumors said:


> It looks like a wonderful place musiccity.


Thanks Rumors! :cheers:


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## bozenBDJ (Jul 18, 2012)

looka like a small college town :cheers: .


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Did something important happened in the context of Civil War near Starkville?


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## Cal_Escapee (Jul 30, 2010)

Looks like a typical small college town. Most of the things that probably make it pleasant--the restaurants, the arts venues, the bookstores--are likely due to the presence of the school and its students.


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## Cal_Escapee (Jul 30, 2010)

Suburbanist said:


> Also, a comment: I don't like the way wires are all messed up on this pic. They should fix it. I know American cities don't have money to put it underground because they are wide and large, but at least use bundled wiring to avoid the messy look of it.


Your understanding of America isn't quite as you suppose. First of all, putting the wires underground would be a cost to the utility company, not the town. A few American towns and cities have municipally owned power companies but not many. Most are investor-owned businesses. Some are co-operatives, "owned" by the rate payers.

Those that are investor-owned or rate-payer owned are usually regulated by a state utility regulator who allows them to make a certain percentage of profit. So any increased costs for something like putting the wires underground would probably be passed directly to electricity users in higher rates. And they may have judged that the aesthetics aren't worth it to them.

The city could probably require undergrounding of the wires--and then listen to all the complaints about the higher electric bills. They've chosen not to which is democracy in action.

There is also an argument to be made that underground isn't better in every way. It's harder and more expensive to repair among other things.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Agreed, but bundling the wires on a single mesh instead of having many different ones already improves the appearance greatly.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks for the pics, it's nice to see this side of the US. Starkville looks nice


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

Thanks for the tour and look forward to more photos. It's much smaller/more deserted than I expected.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ He made pics on a quiet hour.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Hey guys thanks for the comments, I will have more pics next weekend (Cotton District Art Festival)


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

So me and my friend went out to the nearby Waverly Plantation this morning for an extra credit assignment. Took pics

The exterior was a little worn but the grounds and interior were gorgeous!


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)




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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)




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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

Waverly Plantation to me looks like a botanical garden than an old agricultural area, with all those wonderful flowers and trees blooming - definitely a sign that spring is already right there! And that house shows its grace and charm over time: I'll tell you, that mansion looks gorgeous!

Keep taking wonderful photos, my friend! :hug:


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Thanks FOD  


Actually spring has mostly passed, all trees are green


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## Hia-leah JDM (May 7, 2007)

whoops...sorry, wrong thread


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## k% (May 23, 2007)

it seems like a nice place to live


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## Somnifor (Sep 6, 2005)

Thank you for showing this side of Mississippi. It is important for people to know that you can't judge places from afar just on broad stereotypes. Also, Waverly Plantation is gorgeous.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Somnifor said:


> Thank you for showing this side of Mississippi. It is important for people to know that you can't judge places from afar just on broad stereotypes. Also, Waverly Plantation is gorgeous.


Agreed!


And what is so frustrating is that the battery died on my camera before I went to the most beautiful part of the plantation gardens. There were paths lined with large, brightly colored azaleas on both sides. :I


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Starkville is looking great, very nice; thansk for those photos


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

What did they grow at that plantation and how old is it?


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

isaidso said:


> What did they grow at that plantation and how old is it?


Sorry for the late reply isaidso,


The Plantation house was completed in 1852 and it was a Cotton plantation.


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## triodegradable (Apr 11, 2009)

In what part of mississippi is this city ? I went las year to mississippi from argentina .. and I was in Jackson , gulfport , pass christians but i never heard about this city , greetings from Buenos Aires ,Argentina !


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Starkville is a 2 hour drive northeast of Jackson in East Mississippi.

How did you like Mississippi?


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## TshabalalaGH (Aug 10, 2010)

Wverly plantation is haunted did you know?


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

TshabalalaGH said:


> Wverly plantation is haunted did you know?


LoL yes. But the curator said he has never seen ghost activity


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## TshabalalaGH (Aug 10, 2010)

musiccity said:


> LoL yes. But the curator said he has never seen ghost activity


Yea they probably say that to keep people visiting. You seen Ghost Adventures? Yea they did an episode there. But it looks beautiful tho!


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

I don't know it before! Thanks for sharing your photos. :hug:


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## Cerises (Apr 17, 2005)

Great photos! Although I've never been to Starkville it is kind of what I imagined it. Has a nice small town feel and southern charm to it. And since you have the campus located there must be busting with students and people. Being a historic town must make for nice cultural atmosphere too.


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