Coast cities ‘under appreciated’ AND ‘artsy,’ according to lists

Add another two to the list of lists featuring Coast cities as ideal destinations.

On Tuesday, Thrillist Travel released its list of “Under appreciated American cities you should totally move to,” and Gulfport appeared.

And a week earlier, the travel website Expedia included Ocean Springs on its list of “America’s most artistic towns.”

Calling Gulfport “America’s most affordable, under-the-radar beach city,” Thrillist notes its low cost of living, the downtown area near the beach and the beach itself. It specifically mentions Fishbone Alley and Chandeleur Brewing Company in downtown Gulfport and says Keesler Air Force Base, along with other military installations in the area, ensure a constantly changing crowd.

Though the list specifically names Gulfport, it really includes the entire Gulf Coast.

“The entire Mississippi Gulf Coast is nothing like the Mississippi you’ve stereotyped in your head,” the article reads. It goes on to say, “Just to the west is Bay St. Louis, a funky artists colony set right on the sea with a main street full of cafes and art galleries. To the east is Ocean Springs, a young beach town boasting a strip of bars along Government Street with the densest concentration of live music outside New Orleans.”

Speaking of Ocean Springs, Expedia, in its list, notes the city is “the perfect place to slow down and notice the finer things...and to create them.”

Expedia mentions the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center, the Peter Anderson Arts and Crafts Festival and the Ocean Springs Artwalk as examples of arts in the city.

This story was originally published February 21, 2017 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Coast cities ‘under appreciated’ AND ‘artsy,’ according to lists."