Picayune

Picayune is surrounded by lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and pristine woodlands. The Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans are both less than an hour away. Or if you just need a breath of fresh air, take a short walk into the pines.
    
Great hunting is easily found in south Mississippi, and Picayune is no exception to the rule. The local forests are filled with whitetail deer, turkey, squirrel, dove and other small game. There are plenty of fishing holes to be discovered at Anchor Lake, Hide-Away Lake, Lake David and Old River. Saltwater fishing is less than an hour away on the Gulf of Mexico.
    
Also on the Gulf of Mexico is the Mississippi Gulf Coast and its dockside casinos. Whether or not you feel lucky, the casinos are worth visiting. Their restaurants are home to some of the finest dining around, and the concerts and shows are a sure bet for entertainment.
    
Picayune residents never have to worry about finding a place to stay during Mardi Gras because New Orleans is just 40 miles south across Lake Pontchartrain. A trip across the bridge is all you need to enjoy everything this world-famous city has to offer. The French Quarter, Audubon Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, professional football and the Jazz and Heritage Festival are just a few of the perks of living so close to the "Big Easy."
    
But it's always nice to come back to Picayune. Neighbors socialize on front porches, kids play in the yards, and the streets are quiet. The Crosby Arboretum is perfect for a relaxing outing, and the Picayune on Stage dinner theater holds performances throughout the year.
    
All kinds of festivals celebrate anything and everything - including storytelling, music and blueberries. Each fall and spring the Picayune Street Fair takes over the town with entertainers, vendors and sidewalk shoppers. The annual Christmas parade has taken on a little bit of that New Orleans flavor with participants throwing trinkets and candy. The Pearl River Extravaganza, County Fair and various fundraising events also bring the Picayune community together throughout the year.
    
Pearl River Community College offers a wide array of courses, and senior citizens can take classes for free on a space-available basis. The Stennis Space Center is a NASA testing complex and offers some very interesting educational opportunities. Visitors can take a guided tour of the complex, observe presentations in the museum and theater, or sample some of that tasty dehydrated ice cream from the gift shop.

Read what people like yourself have to say about Picayune:

After making the drive across Lake Ponchartrain from New Orleans, Ed and Sharon Woodmansee now call Picayune home.

Mississippi Living: How did you become interested in Mississippi?

The Woodmansees: Through word of mouth in New Orleans. A lot of our coworkers were commuting and had nothing but good things to say about Picayune. After we'd had our fill of the traffic and hassles in New Orleans, we came here for a breath of fresh air.

Mississippi Living: What are the advantages of living in Picayune?

The Woodmansees: Coming from a huge city, we love the community atmosphere. Total strangers actually have nice things to say instead of just looking the other way. It's like you're friends with everybody here. We really feel that we're a part of the town.

Mississippi Living: What kind of things do you enjoy doing?

The Woodmansees: We like to get outdoors as much as possible. There's the Garden Club, the golf course – and we live in a lakeside neighborhood, so we spend a lot of time on the water boating and fishing. If we're not in the woods, you'll probably find us doing something at church or in the library.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Picayune Retirement Development
815 North Beech Street
P.O. Box 448
Picayune, MS 39466
Phone: 601-798-9079
1-800-791-9188
Fax: 601-799-0607
email: picretdev@bellsouth.net
Website: www.picayune.ms.us