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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Kevin Slark My neighbors, the sort of people who retrieve your trash can in a flash flood and keep a sharp eye out for crime and share their beer on Saturday afternoons.

Brian Hall The many different options for food–from Sal and Mookie’s to Que Sera Sera, its just nice to have options.

Meredith Walker Sullivan The hill on Old Canton! I kind of hate it too. 😉

Emily Braden Knight Pet friendly stores.

Diann Irving Alford Locally owned small businesses. … Social Agenda, Shoe Bar @ Pieces, Walker’s Drive In, Campbell’s Bakery, Babalu Tapas and Tacos, Fondren Cellars, Sal & Mookie’s, The Sun Gallery…

Cory Knowles The uniqueness of it. It’s ol’ skool in a very modern way. … Not to mention my favorite Cups is there.

Leslie Scott Circa!

Caroline Crawford Orange Peel. Hands down.

TheBlast Northmidtown Sneaky Beans & Salsa Mississippi.

Jan Levy Mattiace Sometimes I don’t know until I get there!

Ariss King Lots of performance art, visual arts, lively colors and decorations, and great cuisine everywhere you go! It’s a good contrast of old and new flavors of business and pleasure within walking distance.

Richard Perry Cap’n Ron and the trolley!

Domini Bradford Watching the politics unfold at the abortion clinic.

Jill Conner Browne The Fondrenites!

June Hardwick That’s a tough one. Fondren, how do I love thee … let me count the ways. I do like the pedestrian lifestyle & the convenience of being centrally located in the city.

Ken Stribling Cups Fondren, their great coffee, and their very cool baristas.

Kimberly Boren Fondren Church!

Shanna Carroll Head Food, coffee and yoga!

Sean Cupit Fondren Public.

Melissa Burks Dearman Roosters and Fondren after 5!

Charles Walter Jett That it was revitalized by individuals who decided to invest. Not any organization waiting on the City of Jackson to make a move with taxpayer funds. The ONLY way these positive changes can be made is by private investors that are “community” minded and have the vision to make a community economically viable.

Zira Washington The diversity of the people!

Caitlin McNally Cox Sneaky Beans. Before I worked there and still three years later it’s my favorite hangout.

Tom McWilliams Campbell’s.

Sophie McNeil Wolf All the awesome neighbors. The community here is like nothing else. That, and the roof of Fondren Corner. One of my favorite spots in the city.

Amanda K. Cashman Scoring a sweet album at Morning Bell Records, then eating made table-side Guacamole at Babalu and then seeing a show at the Auditorium!

Leigh Anne Lawson Rainbow Natural Grocery Cooperative and High Noon Cafe.

Bob Soukup All the arts, eateries and architecture.

WakeUpMississippi.org Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

Mark Michalovic I’ve always liked the Fondren Corner building, even long ago, before Fondren was trendy and it housed a state game and wildlife office (I think), I thought it was a pretty building. But above any one building or business, what I like most about Fondren is that it’s walkable, urban in its design and feel. I wish there were more secondary “downtowns” like this scattered throughout the other neighborhoods of the city.

Langston Moore The fact that it is a liquid community. Like water (solid, liquid, gas), Fondren can be several different matters at any given time. And the fact that it is so easy to get involved in the community is always a bonus.

Christina Bach I love being able to run in my neighborhood and see other neighbors out running. It’s also fun to be part of a neighborhood where there is always something to do.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.