Information about Memphis, TN?

[Pembroke_Corgi]

There is a chance we may be moving here this summer. I was there once, years ago, but I don't remember much. We will know in a few weeks whether we will be moving or not, but since I'm the impatient type, I thought I'd ask about it now.

I did read it's much, much cheaper there, which is good news for us if we can't sell our house... but that's about all I know. Anyone live there who can share some info?

[Freedom]

Wait, didn't you just BUY the house?

Sorry, never been to Memphis.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Well, we've only lived in our house for 2 years, but we are not going to move for the heck of it! Simply put, the bad economy is forcing us to look elsewhere.

I attended a teacher job fair yesterday with 600 people. ALL of them were certified teachers, which means they spent at least 5 years in college. Guess what? All the local districts showed up, and none of them interviewed (except for a small number of candidates who had high-need certifications). They redirected everyone to their websites to apply (for jobs they don't have)! There were several people I met who had come from out of state to attend, luckily I only had to drive 30 minutes....

My husband had an interview this weekend in Memphis that would allow him to make significantly more money (which means I could continue to stay home with Lyra if I wanted to) and there is a good chance I can find employment there too.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

do you have a job lined up? Do you want to live in the city itself? I have lived in the area since the early 80's but not in the city. I lived out in the County for a few years but now have returned to Tipton County, just north. Tipton County is much much cheaper to live in, but it depends on how far you have to commute as to whether or not it's worth the extra distance. I work in downtown Memphis and it's about 35 minutes from me via highway, but both my house and workplace are pretty close to the highway anyway.

Not sure if you like to attend events, concerts, etc but people from other areas have told me that Memphis is "slow" compared to other cities of its size.

I wouldn't live in Shelby county unless I had to, but like I said I have an easy commute from where I am. Downtown is pretty but I wouldn't stray off the beaten path at night. I'm not one for going out at night very much anyway.

The house next door to me is for sale. 12000 sq ft on 2 acres for 95K. I'm a good neighbor

[aTailOf2Kitties]

They are desperate for teachers here, because teachers in Memphis average a 3-year run before they get tired of it and move somewhere else. Education system is suffering because kids here don't care about school and their parents don't either. Gang activity and racism are huge here.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Thanks for the info! We will look into Tipton County if we move. Also, do you know anything about Midtown in Memphis?

I would like to either live in the country or in the city, but not in the suburbs. We live in the suburbs now and I don't really like it because everything is so bland. We used to live in the city and I miss getting to walk to places and I'm tired of having to drive half an hour or more to eat at an interesting restaurant or go to city park or the zoo.

I know the suburbs are probably "safer" but there have to be some nice areas in the city to live, too, right?

[Freedom]

Wow that 2 years went by quickly! I can remember when you moved in; I thought it was in the last 6 months. Goodness, I am losing it!

[aTailOf2Kitties]

Midtown is an older section of the city and very artsy. It's a pretty hip place and I think mostly still a "good" section of town. Been awhile since I've been out that way.

If you live in the city there may be a few places you can walk to, depending on what you're looking for. Downtown has a lot of walking-to spots, especially on Beale Street, but walking at night is "iffy" if you're off the beaten path.

Where I live is on a dead end street. There are probably 20-25 houses on it but the street is hilly and has a curve so I can only see maybe 6-8. Older sections of Tipton County are more spread out, but new houses are practically on top of each other, because it's a growing area. If you live in a town close to the square, you can walk to a few places. I'm in the county but there are a variety of places to eat within 15-20 minutes either direction. Granted I'm right on the highway too.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Wow that 2 years went by quickly! I can remember when you moved in; I thought it was in the last 6 months. Goodness, I am losing it!

It went by really fast for me, too! I love our house and don't really want to leave it, but I guess we'll see what happens.

Midtown is an older section of the city and very artsy. It's a pretty hip place and I think mostly still a "good" section of town. Been awhile since I've been out that way.

If you live in the city there may be a few places you can walk to, depending on what you're looking for. Downtown has a lot of walking-to spots, especially on Beale Street, but walking at night is "iffy" if you're off the beaten path.

I checked out some ads for rental houses in Midtown and they are really nice for the price- it's hard to believe how cheap things are. If we do move, I'm thinking of midtown, close enough to walk to the zoo and overton park so if I decide to stay home with Lyra for another year, we'd only need 1 car. I do remember Overton park from when I visited and I liked it a lot (I think it was in 2001 that I was there).