Why Do Mississippi State Students Love The Cotton District?

     As many Starkville residents know, The Cotton District is one of the most highly sought after places to live for the college students of Mississippi State University. From my own experience, it is a competitive race to get an apartment or house in the most "lively" area in Starkville. In this post, I am going to outline some of the reasons that The Cotton District stands out, and answer why it is that it is so loved and revered. 

        Before I do that, you must know about the guy who really started it all. Dan Camp was the founder of The Cotton District and transformed the neighborhood from tenant houses surrounding the cotton mill, to arguably one of the most desirable areas for college students to live. Hence the name, The Cotton District. Many of the living areas in The Cotton District are modeled after historic building styles, for example, the iconic style of New Orleans, Louisiana.  

Fountain Bar in The Cotton District.

Walkability

    As someone who lives in The Cotton District, (I might be a little bit biased) The Cotton District is extremely walkable in comparison to places I have lived in the past. In just 5 short minutes, I can walk to several coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. In 15 minutes, I can walk to campus or get all the way to the end of Main Street. For college students who are wanting to save money on gas, or not have to find a ride to the bars, this is a major plus. Beyond this, it encourages exercise and allows for less car pollution. This level of walkability has students walking to and from classes and to the bars, even in the hottest summer months.     

Dog on the porch of a Cotton District apartment.

Aesthetics 

    No one can deny that The Cotton District has some cool looking buildings and houses (they could but I would disagree.) The New Orleans Style buildings, as well as the variety of architectural style in the single-family houses makes the neighborhood very aesthetically interesting. The colorful buildings and crosswalks are a refreshing change from typical beige suburban sprawl. 

Amenities

       As I mentioned previously, The Cotton District has walkable access to many different coffee shops, restaurants and bars. Beyond this, The Cotton District also has a community pool. One of the major lackings; however, is that there is not a grocery store in walkable distance. If there was, I wouldn't need to get in my car almost ever.  

    These three points of walkability, aesthetics, and amenities have created a community that draws in students every single year. From the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. While I won't argue that The Cotton District is perfect, if definitely gives us a taste of how humans are supposed to be living. Access, social interaction, and time walking outdoors are things that even if we can't identify immediately, we need for our communities to thrive. When you've spent time living in traditional American neighborhoods, The Cotton District truly is a breath of fresh air.