So what is going on over in West Tenn.?

[Lexy]

Well, lets get this party started!!!

[Bears]

I think this forum should include northern Mississippi since they're now part of CSA Memphis and maybe extreme east Arkansas.

[sleepy]

I don't have a clue what's going on in Memphis other than what I read online. It's 730 miles south of here.

Not sure I like these subforums though. I think I'd read more things about areas of the state outside West Tennessee if everything was just plain "Tennessee".

EDIT: regarding north Mississippi and east Arkansas--perhaps the "West Tennessee" subforum could list "Memphis MSA". There's a good quarter-million people in the Memphis metro who live in those areas. And Bears, there is no Memphis "CSA".

[monsoon]

I think this forum should include northern Mississippi since they're now part of CSA Memphis and maybe extreme east Arkansas.

Maybe we can add that to the description. How would it be worded?

[Bears]

i was thinking putting West Tennessee/North Mississippi as the forums title so if we ever do get some N. Mississippians, they'll know W. TN would be the appropriate forum.

Im not sure what a csa is lol. i always thought it was the area of which people commute to the msa, like some people from areas like Oxford and Tupelo work,play, and shop in the Memphis area. guess i was wrong. as for East Arkansas, i know theres an arkansas forum so that may not be appropriate to put with W. TN.

If you want it to be in the description i guess it would be metro Memphis, tupelo, oxford, senatobia, maybe clarksdale?... and thats all that comes to my mind.

[Rural King]

I think Greater Memphis Area (TN/MS/AR) instead of just Memphis might fit the bill.

[Kyle]

Some bad news for Jackson

It looks like that Davis-Kidd booksellers will close its doors on January 31st 2006. It was the only real urban bookstore in Jackson. Sure we have Bookland and Books-A-Million, but they just don't bring any, what's the word, atmosphere, with their stores. The cafe has already shut down. This closing was because it just wasn't profitable enough around here (kinda like some of the other big-box and retail stuff we've had around here).

[Rural King]

Location I think killed it, plus Books-A-Million sitting at the "Columns" where so many folks shop didn't help. Had Davis-Kidd been at the Columns or along Vann Drive they may have potentially done much better.

What other big box stuff has closed recently? Wasn't Circuit City in trouble (or closing) not long ago, if so I'm sure the Best Buy won't help it.

[sleepy]

I think Greater Memphis Area (TN/MS/AR) instead of just Memphis might fit the bill.

Yeah, that sounds good--"Greater Memphis Area (TN/MS/AR)". I think it ought to include the Arkansas portions of West Memphis/Marion and Forrest City. At least West Memphis/Marion--that area is nearer to downtown Memphis than most of Memphis is.

i was thinking putting West Tennessee/North Mississippi as the forums title so if we ever do get some N. Mississippians, they'll know W. TN would be the appropriate forum.

Im not sure what a csa is lol. i always thought it was the area of which people commute to the msa, like some people from areas like Oxford and Tupelo work,play, and shop in the Memphis area. guess i was wrong. as for East Arkansas, i know theres an arkansas forum so that may not be appropriate to put with W. TN.

If you want it to be in the description i guess it would be metro Memphis, tupelo, oxford, senatobia, maybe clarksdale?... and thats all that comes to my mind.

A CSA is a census-defined combination of either 2 msa's or 1 msa and a micropolitan area. While there are 4 micropolitan areas adjacent to the Memphis msa--Forrest City, Clarksdale, Oxford, and Brownsville, the census didn't create a Memphis CSA, presumably because those micropolitan areas didn't reach some threshold commuting standards.

I kinda suspect that at least Forrest City will be added by 2010. I have cousins there and they tell me that many folks commute to West Memphis/Marion. Since that area is seeing more and more industrial development, I think commuting to West Memphis/Marion will only increase.

You would think, too, that lots of folks in Clarksdale would be working in Tunica, although Clarksdale has its own casino.

I think Oxford is probably too self-contained as a university town to have much commuting anywhere else, although I teach with a guy who lived in Oxford and commuted to Rust College in Holly Springs.

I don't have a clue about what folks in Brownsville do.

[Rural King]

^ Brownsville, TN? Well of course agriculture (lots of cotton in Haywood Co.), the city itself has some small town retail-including strip retail like Wal-Mart, EW James, etc-, it has a Cub Cadet factory (MTD subsidary, mowers), and some other industrial manufacturing, none of which I think pays all that well on the whole.

[sleepy]

^ Brownsville, TN? Well of course agriculture (lots of cotton in Haywood Co.), the city itself has some small town retail-including strip retail like Wal-Mart, EW James, etc-, it has a Cub Cadet factory (MTD subsidary, mowers), and some other industrial manufacturing, none of which I think pays all that well on the whole.

Oh, I knew it was mostly an agricultural community. I was just referring to what they do in terms of commuting, which I assumed wasn't much.

[Kyle]

What other big box stuff has closed recently? Wasn't Circuit City in trouble (or closing) not long ago, if so I'm sure the Best Buy won't help it.

I think CC has been closed for several months now and it is up for lease. We also lost some restaurants in the past few years now, namely McAllister's, which has become some BBQ place. It looks like that 'urban' and 'upscale' restaurants and other retail don't do particularly well in Jackson.

[Rural King]

^ Circuit City nationally is in bad shape, so the Jackson store is not alone in getting shuttered, I think one or two in Nashville got axed not long ago as well.

I've never heard McAllisters, but I usually get BBQ at some "dive" along the road. LOL

Urban chains will come to and succeed Jackson in the years to come, but as of right now I really don't think the city is ready yet for alot of urban amenities. Its adding jobs, housing, and retail very rapidly, but it tends to be in roles that serves the local region's population. In 10-15 years I imagine Jackson should be able to start drawing in a sizable white-collar sector (regional corporate offices, local HQs, etc) to augment is industrial, service, and medical sectors, and other more blue collar sectors which will help change the city's population characteristics (ie add a more high scale and urban element) and urban qualities immensly. Right now sprawl and growth is the name of the game in Jackson, it isn't always the prettiest thing, but it will IMO lay the groundwork for a brighter and better future for the city in the years to come.