quote:
Natchez is a great town with a lot of untapped potential. There were three large factories that all went belly up (Johns Manville, International Paper, and Armstrong Tires).It has a solid tourism base but not one strong enough to power the town by itself.

It needs a factory of some sort in the worst kind of way.

It had all of those things and the reason they went belly up was because of pressure from the Garden Club (lotta old money) because they thought the commerce was getting in the way of tourism $$, and if Natchez continued to grow they would lose control of the town. Fast forward 20 years to now. Tourism is FAR lower than they thought even though they spent MILLIONS filling in the big gully and putting a visitors center there, building a humongous conference center, building huge hotels that only stay 1/8 full, and screwing up more the only intersection that I ever thought could not get screwed up more than it was. So now, especially with the oil industry laying everyone off, Natchez is mostly really rich folks or bottom middle class to full-out crack thug poor. The Garden Club shut down IP cuz they swore the smell was affecting tourism, they were key to driving Armstrong and the other factories out. So, the people who needed jobs moved or went to the oil field. Also, the ones who did not want to pay private tuition moved to Vidalia cuz we have the top pub school around. And Vidalia's nothing like Natchez. It's growing, businesses are coming in, and real estate is through the roof. My house I just bought for $210k in Vidalia would have only sold for around $160k or so across the river. So, scenery-wise Natchez is great to visit. But until those old money blue-hairs get ousted from control, I don't want to live there. I mean, they blocked both the Nissan Plant and the WalMart distribution center from coming here. So, those were built in Canton and Brookhaven. Then they turn around and let some other state store their toxic sludge just inside the city limits. How screwed up is that?

This post was edited on 3/22/17 at 11:57 pm

8 ...

Report Post

Posted by TexasTiger08

Member since Oct 2006

25572 posts

Posted on 3/23/17 at 12:06 am to sumtimeitbeslikedat

I went to Fredericksburg over Spring Break last week. That place was ridiculously crowded. When places get like that, all of the intrigue is gone.

What's fun about overpriced shops and crowded sidewalks when the whole point was for a getaway?

I know I know, there is a lot of wine there. A drive down US 290 will take you right by 30 or so of them. If you want some great BBQ, you can go east to Salt Lick and wait for 45 minutes.

All stated, there's nothing wrong with that. Tourism is booming. But for a getaway/B & B atmosphere, it's sort of lost.

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by white perch

the bright, happy side of hell

Member since Apr 2012

7174 posts

Posted on 3/23/17 at 6:52 am to sumtimeitbeslikedat

another problem in Natchez is that the historical society (I think its them) wont let people who own the old houses downtown do what they want with them. According to the historical society, everything about the outside of the house must be historically appropriate for the time the house was built.

That turns many people off, so instead of buying the old house and fixing it up/maintaining it, the houses go unsold and the recent owners move out or die and the houses deteriorate.

so youll drive downtown and see a street with beautiful houses and one crumbling house.

I think that if you are trying to revitalize the tourism industry, let someone buy these old houses and make them as eclectic and funky as they want, that would add more character to downtown and might bring more young people.

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by Jack Daniel

In the bottle

Member since Feb 2013

25702 posts

Posted on 3/23/17 at 7:39 am to sumtimeitbeslikedat

Where are these jobs in Vidalia at? Other than BASF

1 ...

Report Post

Posted by mikelbr

Baton Rouge

Member since Apr 2008

47593 posts

Posted on 3/23/17 at 7:41 am to sumtimeitbeslikedat

quote:
and screwing up more the only intersection that I ever thought could not get screwed up more than it was.

Hey that intersection is fricking entertaining to watch any given day.

However. Natchez has a fricking flyover at 61. Lets see Pville get that where they have 10x's the number of vehicles per day at 61@73.

A God Damned flyover for 61 in Natchez

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by Tear It Up

The Deadening

Member since May 2005

13495 posts

Posted on 3/23/17 at 7:57 am to sumtimeitbeslikedat

quote:
Also, the ones who did not want to pay private tuition moved to Vidalia cuz we have the top pub school around. And Vidalia's nothing like Natchez. It's growing, businesses are coming in, and real estate is through the roof.

By "top pub school around" do you mean "less black in Concordia Parish?" Yes, Monterey is whiter, but it is "less growing."

They build a Johnny's Pizza in Vidalia and all of the residents cum in their pants thinking they have a booming town.

2 ...

Report Post

Posted by Chuker

St George, Louisiana

Member since Nov 2015

7544 posts

Posted on 3/23/17 at 8:01 am to sumtimeitbeslikedat

quote:
went belly up was because of pressure from the Garden Club (lotta old money)

This is bull shite. People like to talk out their arse and claim the the bluehairs did all sorts of stuff. It just makes for a good story--thats it. The blue hair's husbands have family wealth tied up in real estate which has also suffered.