OT Memphis

[ckDOG]

Anywhere downtown is accessible to 240 or 55 - so you should be set for your commute depending on your clients. My wife used to live at the Gayoso House (might be Apartments at Peabody Place now?). It's on the corner of Front and Peabody Place. She liked it. You might be able to find something there for that price. You won't get a balcony and it will likely be smaller, but you get a major upgrade in location. You would be much closer to the bars/restaurants on Main and Second, plus you will be much closer to Beale and the Forum. The parking garage is directly across the street on Main. It's very safe and heavily traveled. If I had to pick between those two, I'd pick Gayoso for the location.

Neither of us have lived downtown in 5+ years. It's developed quite a bit even during that short time, so there's likely plenty of viable options a little further South from where you are looking. I lived on Mud Island and enjoyed it. It's not as convenient as downtown, but it gives you easy access to all that without feeling like you are living in an very urban area. You can probably find something there on your budget, but would definitely be able to afford a nicer one with a roommate. Tell your friends they need to quit being lame and live downtown while they are young...

 

[tupelotim]

I inspect boarded up bank repo houses all over Memphis a couple a days a month. You can buy a 3 bed/1bath house minus plumbing, electrical and anything scrapable for around 10K or less. Half the houses on the block may be boarded up or burned but you will have easy access to hookers and blow. Probably won't even have to leave your front porch. Having watched The Wire when I go into to a board up I figure I'm going to find a body. Haven't come across one yet in 10 plus years.

 

[PBRME]

I'd be more concerned about living within walking distance of Flying Saucer than getting mugged or bothered by pan handlers. I go downtown a lot and don't have problems with either.

 

[Yossarian39]

Have not been there in probably 6 years, but it was one of the spots I frequented while living in Memphis.

 

[TheBigBadDawg]

I live on Main StreetbetweenGayoso andBarboro Alley, which is right in the middle of everything. Aldo's Pizza (same owner as Bardog/Slider Inn) is opening right below me, Local Gastropub is right outside my balcony, Blind Bear, Majestic Grill, Bardog, Bluefin, the Saucer, Silly Goose are all within a block and a half, and there are a ton of other things within a 6 minute walk. The problem is, the 1 BRs in my place and the surrounding buildings are all about $1,000 a month plus parking, utilities, etc. The difference between the one and two BRs though is pretty negligible. For example, I was looking at a 1 BR in the Union Alley Lofts for like $1,100, but then I got a roommate and got a much bigger place for only a few hundred more a month, and I get to split it two ways.

There are places like the Renaissance, Claridge House, Number 10 Main, etc. that you can do for the $800ish range though, and honestly, they're only another 5 minutes from all of the stuff I mentioned above.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Small town feel with lots of the "city" features too. Lots of local restaurants (Memphis Street Cafe is going to be on Diners Drive-ins and Dives), an award winning Farmers Market, and lots of activities in town throughout the year. Lately we have been having concerts on the square every week. Great town and like Seinfield and others have said, you can get to just about anywhere in Memphis in less than 40 minutes. I can be out the door and in Downtown Memphis in about 25 minutes.

 

[MaroonedNdaRock]

I lived in Memphis many years. Lived in Little Rock for a while. Spent lots of time in Nashville. If you really have choice, look at LR or Nashville. The money will be there in those places eventually. Memphis is dying. Look at the school district merger mess, high property taxes, on and on. It will be the new Detriot soon (if not already). All this fruit and granola midtown advice is bad too. It isn't a matter of IF but when will you get robbed/broken into/stolen from.

But if you made up your mind and Memphis it is, DEsoto county is your best bet if you plan to have a family. Olive Branch, stay south of Church and west of 305. South of Goodman in 38672 or Hernando is as good as it gets around New Jack City.

 

[6sigmadawg]

When I was 4 my family moved to East Memphis. I went to elementary, junior high & high school here. In over 50 years, I've lived away from here for 4 years in Starkville and spent 4 years in Scottsdale, AZ. I raised a family here, had National Merit Scholars via the public school system and saw great scholarship offers for all my kids. We've been in the same church here for about 35 years. Depending upon your tolerance for "rush hour" driving, I'd suggest East Memphis, some parts of Germantown and Collierville as places to live. If you think you might buy a home, then need to sell it in the next 5 years, I'll suggest East Memphis.<div>
</div><div>Because of the proximity to some of the best schools (public & private), biggest churches and some of the highest income zip codes in a 5 county area, East Memphis property does fine when other areas might struggle. (exceptions up & down exist; your mileage might vary) I live in an area off Shady Grove. Property in this area has (by-and-large) done well through the meltdown.</div><div>
</div><div>I've owned businesses here, traveled out of here for business and built strong networks of friends and associates. Like someone said, it's a big city and has all the pros & cons that big cities have. I don't live in fear. Someone will be stabbed in North Memphis or Orange Mound tonight and it will make the news. However, my lifestyle, the safety of my family, my career and my property value won't be impacted. (A shooting in South Central Los Angeles is not likely to impact property owners in Beverly Hills either. You get the point.)</div><div>
</div><div>Good luck and let us know how we can advise/help.</div>

 

[o_fredgarvin]

I'd live in High Pointe. Close to all the better restaurants and nightlife. When you are ready to start a family move to Germantown or Collierville. Unless you want to send your kids to the best private schools (St. Mary's/MUS), then stay in East Memphis.

 

[rebelpimp]

midtown is a mistake due to crime. you should look at homes in locales in this order lakeland, arlington, fayette county. north ms would be ok but the commute every day to 40/whitten is a *****.

 

[Damn-Dog]

....we bought a house in Germantown a couple of years ago and love it out here. The school system is great and I see no issue with raising a family here. East Memphis is also great as well if you can afford private schools. I loved the area we were in

 

[TheBigBadDawg]

I lived in Memphis many years. Lived in Little Rock for a while. Spent lots of time in Nashville.

I, too, have lived in Memphis many years. And I've also lived in a few other places. And I've also spent a lot of time in Nashville (among other places around the country). So I guess we're equal experts on the matter. And I say you're full of ****.

It will be the new Detriot soon (if not already)

Really? The new Detroit? Soon, if not already? Tell me exactly why that is? Tell me, what industries does Memphis have that will be belly up in a matter of years, shedding a few hundred thousand jobs and leaving a quarter to a half of the city unemployed? Please, I'd love to hear your argument here other than "Uh, well, you know, crime and stuff." Which brings us to the next point...

It isn't a matter of IF but when will you get robbed/broken into/stolen from.

Well, I guess I should probably be scared for my life every time I step outside, if it's inevitable that I'm going to be robbed. There are a handful of places that I've lived for more than a few months, with Memphis being the longest by far. And I've only been robbed once in my life. And, guess where it was? Surprise, not Memphis! That's right, kids, it's just another stupid *** generalization! Yeah, if I go stand around at the corner of Florida Street and Mclemore, I'll probably get robbed. But if I live my life like a normal individual, I expect that I'll be able to continue this streak, however miraculous it may be, of not getting held up.

And before you go firing back at me about how Little Rock is so much better than Memphis, allow me to say this: I like Little Rock. I like Nashville. I fully and completely understand that Memphis has its problems, not the least of which are things like the school merger cluster17 and property taxes. But when somebody gets on here and says they're moving here, and you respond with broad and sweeping generalizations about New Jack City and Detroit, it doesn't actually help anything. And, at least to me, it kind of makes you look like a dumbass.

/Rant over

 

[Fetchinbones]

I would not live close enough to Memphis to watch the local"news"

 

[MaroonedNdaRock]

Memphis city school system? How is that airtropolis or whatever the hell they were going to call it off Brooks and Airways? Anyway, I don't have to name any industry. My job requires me to interact with people all over the city from various backgrounds. Just based on my personal experience, I would say 50% of the population lives off government assistance and has 4+ kids. So that portion of your population will continue to grow. There was an article in the CA not long ago about the migration out of Shelby county. The 17n freaking city school is broke because the tax base is leaving. The answer? ...leach onto another school systems resources.

Live your life in fear or in ignorance. But to each is own and if you want to live in midtown....knock your socks off. But Ive had buddies do the midtown thing out of college. They all have stories of being robbed or stolen from.

I could not care less if some proud Memphian THiNkS I'm a dumbass. Everything I said is true in my opinion. The way people are getting the hell out of the county all together. I would say more than a few people share my opinion.

 

[TheBigBadDawg]

Exactly which part of my post would lead you to believe that I'm living my life in fear or ignorance? I think it demonstrated quite the opposite of that, in fact. I made it clear that I understand the city isn't without more than its fair share of problems, I compared your experience of living in both Memphis and other places to similar experiences of mine, and I offered some personal experiences of my own in regards to this city versus others.

Regardless, I think you missed the point of my post entirely. Making generalizations about a place based on your buddies having stories about being robbed or the interactions with the people you know good and well the OP won't be living next door to does nothing to help. I could get on here and say that based on my personal experience, the average resident of Little Rock has no more than a dozen teeth, relies on urban camo as their main wardrobe choice, and smells like 50% meth lab and 25% Newports and 25% King Cobra. Because that would be true, based on my personal experience. The reason I wouldn't say that in a similar thread about Little Rock is because I'm smart enough to understand that the underbelly and 4-kid-having-welfare-getting portion of a city isn't representative of the entire population of that city.

Anyways, I doubt I'll convince you, or anybody else who loves to do the trendy thing and bash Memphis, otherwise.

So agree to disagree.

 

[MyTime.sixpack]

Ever since Memphis annexed it, it has become Hickory Hood all over again. Stay away

 

[TheCosmoKramer]

Little Rock is about half the size of Memphis, and may be a nice city, but it's not really a fair comparison to Memphis. Also, property taxes in Memphis, while still higher than I'd like,have been decreasing the last few years.

Yes, Memphis has its problems, and you should be aware of them,but it's not nearly as bad as posts like this make it out to be. There are certainly areas to avoid at night, but you probably have no reason to be there anyway, and if you avoid those areas you don't have any serious risk of significant problems. You might have some risk of property theft, particularly in some areas of downtown and mid town, but again, it really depends on where you are.

Finally, there are lots of positives in Memphis and (finally) good leadership in both the city and county. While it's popular to compare to Memphis to Detroit, they arereally not that similar(see this article: http://www.smartcitymemphis.com/2012/03/putting-down-the-detroit-put-downs/, which compares and contrasts Memphis and Detroit), and the last few years have seen a lot of positive things happening in Memphis.

 

[Dubs.sixpack]

Look at midtown, downtown or East Memphis. If you're looking for suburbs, G-town and Collierville are good options but also consider Lakeland and Arlington. Those places are growing fast, have great public schools, and are close enough to the city where the drive isn't that bad. As far as the crime goes, yes, there are random break in's that you can't avoid but all the tv worthy crime happens when "deals" go bad. That won't affect you. Don't let the crime rate affect you. Those happen in isolated parts of town that every other major city has. We just have a higher concentration of it in those parts (Binghampton, Orange Mound, Frayser) so we get a bad stigma. Overall, it's a great place to live.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

[No message]

 

[redbird4state]

Stay the 17 away from Cordova.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

[No message]

 

[MemphisMaroon]

for some people to turn this in to a bash Memphis thread. Notice the original poster wasn't asking what other cities may be nice to live in or if he should even move here. You crotchety ******** never cease to amaze.<div>
</div><div>I agree with almost everything posted other than the love some have for Mid-town I like that area, but I wouldn't live there. Crime is up there and it is more unstable than downtown and East Memphis. If you are young person and you have the option, I'd pick downtown in a heartbeat.</div>