Today I found myself in the historic Fondren district around lunchtime and decided to stop in at Walker's Drive In for lunch. Walker's Drive In, a popular Jackson eatery, is located between Fondren Place and Duling Drive at 3016 North State Street. Business is brisk with it's lunch clientele and the Blue Plate Special is popular with the locals, as are the fried green tomatoes, fried portabello mushrooms, and burgers and po-boys. Walker's is mentioned in the Top Ten Jackson Restaurants by 10Best. The decor is intriguing art-deco, complete with glass block windows, black and white checkerboard floors, and white linen tablecloths. You can dine at the counter or sit at one of their booths. Today a number of people were enjoying the open air patio overlooking North State Street. If you want... 04/14/2009

Last week I attended an informative presentation about all the growth and renovation throughout the entire downtown Jackson area. I wanted to see for myself what the buzz was about. There are currently 16 projects, large ones, in "the works", and several already in progress. A few days later I took a walk through the Historic Fondren District and took the following photos along Duling Avenue.               These two photos depict the newly constructed Fondren Place, set to open in mid-November. The building will house BankPlus and have other office spaces, some retailers, and a restaurant. There are also loft apartments and rooftop decks.    The newly refurbished Duling School, which is adjacent to the new Fondren Place building, is set to open as a mixed-use property. The School will c... 10/19/2008

   Yesterday was a beautiful, crisp fall day in the Jackson Metro area, a perfect day for visiting the historic Fondren district. We loaded up the "little girls" and took them to the downtown area so they could play and the "big girls" could shop. St. Luke's Fundraiser was for the benefit of both St. Luke's Church and the Methodist Children Home.   There is a lot to see and do in the Fondren area. Good food, including Walker's Drive Inn, Rooster's Restaurant, Basil's, quaint shops, multiple area churches, and a community grocery store to name a few. Take some time and take a leisurely stroll through the area and enjoy some good local cuisine. We did!       Written and Published by Pat Starnes, McIntosh and Assoc., LLC                 10/19/2008