Memphis bound, I must be crazy!

[brooksjr]

After living within 40 miles of my current home my whole life, I am moving to the Memphis area. I've received a job offer that I couldn't refuse. It comes with an almost 30% pay raise, relocation, temp. living, as well as several other good benefits. I must say that Memphis has always been way down on my list of places to live, but the area I plan on staying in seemed really nice. The job is in Gallaway and I hope to find a permanent home that's within 30 miles or so but outside of Shelby County. If any of y'all Memphis area folks have any ideas or advice please let me know. It would be nice to get to meet a few of you as well since I only know 2 people in the area.

[G27]

I'm right down the road from Gallaway - you won't want to live there, but most anywhere around there is fine.

Let me know when you get here.

[brooksjr]

I'm right down the road from Gallaway - you won't want to live there, but most anywhere around there is fine.

Let me know when you get here.

My wife's best friend and her family live in Lakeland about 10 miles from where I will be working. That area is a little out of my price range though. Why not Gallaway? I didn't see much of it, but it didn't look bad.

[Guest db99wj]

Be ready to be murdered raped and robbed, maybe in that order....maybe not.

[Guest TresOsos]

Best wishes on the new job and best of luck to you, better you than me.

Remember always carry and there is no such thing as a safe place in the BM. (Big Memphis) but when you look at a map it is in the right place. Yeah I'm a Memphis hater, born there and mostly raised there, got out and with parents passed away, I don't ever plan on going back.

[brooksjr]

Be ready to be murdered raped and robbed, maybe in that order....maybe not.

Thanks!!!

[BrasilNuts]

I've never "lived" in Memphis, but I've spent enough time there (months at a time working) that I can honestly say all of the perks you mentioned wouldn't be worth moving my family there.

[Links2k]

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Edited August 11, 2011 by LINKS2K

[G27]

My wife's best friend and her family live in Lakeland about 10 miles from where I will be working. That area is a little out of my price range though. Why not Gallaway? I didn't see much of it, but it didn't look bad.

Lakeland and Arlington are both nice. Nothing wrong with Gallaway wrt crime or anything, just pretty run down overall. There's actually a little gun shop there I've been meaning to drop in and check out...

(ETA - no matter what, in the Gallaway area you're far enough from Memphidishu you won't have ANY issues. The reality is unless you visit one or two zip codes you're fine in Memphis, but don't tell anyone as most seem to think it's Somalia there...)

Edited August 12, 2011 by crimsonaudio

[brooksjr]

.

Why delete what you typed? I didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

[brooksjr]

Lakeland and Arlington are both nice. Nothing wrong with Gallaway wrt crime or anything, just pretty run down overall. There's actually a little gun shop there I've been meaning to drop in and check out...

If we stay in Shelby County we are leaning toward the Arlington area. It's supposed to have some of the best public schools in the state.

[G27]

If we stay in Shelby County we are leaning toward the Arlington area. It's supposed to have some of the best public schools in the state.

It does, no question. We live in Arlington, it's one of the reasons we moved out here.

It's a great town.

[brooksjr]

It does, no question. We live in Arlington, it's one of the reasons we moved out here.

It's a great town.

What's the property tax like?

[G27]

What's the property tax like?

Very low. We kept our old house in Memphis as a rental, it's ~1/3rd the size of our house in Arlington and the property taxes are roughly the same.

[Links2k]

Why delete what you typed? I didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

It gets old confronting people about crapping on my city. You can't convince a ignorant people that he or she is ignorant. Obama is doing his part to hurt the country, but so are old stale attitudes.

[Guest TresOsos]

If we stay in Shelby County we are leaning toward the Arlington area. It's supposed to have some of the best public schools in the state.

Go a little further up the road to Atoka in Tipton County, seriously, stay out of Shelby County.

[jay1313g]

If we stay in Shelby County we are leaning toward the Arlington area. It's supposed to have some of the best public schools in the state.

I live in Arlington and have a kid in Elementary, Middle, and High School out here. We have been in Arlington for 9 years and love it. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Jay

[hardknox00001]

Don't impede traffic there in the left lane, they'll shoot you...........

[Guest TresOsos]

It gets old confronting people about crapping on my city. You can't convince a ignorant people that he or she is ignorant. Obama is doing his part to hurt the country, but so are old stale attitudes.

LINKS2K, sorry if your butthurt over people crapping on your city.

I grew up in Memphis Graduated HS in Memphis, did 4 years in the USAF

and returned to Memphis. Worked for a couple of years there and thankfully

got offered a transfer to Nashville, that was in 1981, I saw the writing on the wall back then.

What has happened to Memphis is a crying shame.

It is truly one of the prettiest citys in the south, esspecially the older areas of town but

that cannot make up for 18 years of King Willie and his mismanagement and attitudes.

I continued visiting Memphis as my parents lived there and traveled there quite frequently

for my job. Since late 2003 I've made monthly and at times bi-monthly trips until this Febuary

to help elderly parents. My parents have passed and I still have a brother living there

but it will be to soon if I ever go back there.

Under Herentom Memphis became a crime ridden, dirty, etitlement minded, corrupt excuse for city,

much like Detroit.

Whole areas of the city that use to be nice areas are just rundown shells of what they once were.

Examples would be Parkway Village and Fox Meadows,, Ridgeway and I could name more.

I mean they even had to close the(I may not have the name right)Mall of Memphis between Getwell and Perkins. See what did it get nicknamed" the Mall of Murder".

I could go into personal experiences with crimes, break ins, stolen cars, broken into cars etc.

But i don't think there is need for that, but I sure will not sugar coat Memphis to spare someones feeling.

If someone is moving there they need to know just what they are getting into. And memphis is unlike any

other city in this state and I have spent time in most of them.

When Memphis under Herenton tore down the housing projects and moved the residents all over

Memphis under section 8 housing they moved crime all over the city instead of it being localized in certain

areas. Thus why I say there is no safe area in Memphis, crime is rampant and no nieghborhood is exempt from it.

No LINKS2K I'm not ignorant, nor do I take pleasure in crapping on your city. Hopefully the new Mayor can turn

things around and get Memphis back on track. But the only people that have been crapping on Memphis are

the residents of Memphis who allowed King Willie to work his magic. Hopefully he is done and gone for good

from the Memphis polital scene.

[JC57]

I've lived in and near Memphis for about 50 years. Like any large city there are areas to avoid and areas that are just fine. I live in East Memphis and have never been the victim of violent crime. A couple of property crimes in the last 20 years, sure. Cars broken into once, two home break ins with not a lot stolen.

I have good neighbors, live on a pleasant street, and can get to pretty much anywhere I need to go in under 30 minutes. Since we don't have any kids, the fact that the public schools are lousy isn't a big issue to me, but I can see how it would be for someone raising a family.

Now if you were moving here and were going to be working out near Gallaway, then I'd definitely suggest living out in that part of the county. Arlington, Lakeland, Bartlett, or the unincorporated county in that area is fine. Or even just over the county line in Fayette County. Easier commute, less traffic, and in general I think it's nice to live more out in the country than in a large city.

My only real gripe with Memphis is the dysfunctional and embarrassing government here, and I wish there were more large companies with their headquarters here. The job market isn't that great, but there are always opportunities like the one you found.

Anyway, it's not as bad as the "rep" it seems to get on this forum. I lived in Nashville for 4 years when I was in college and I ran across a lot more of what I considered to be bad neighborhoods there. But that's probably because I didn't know what areas to avoid like I do in Memphis, having grown up here.

I think you'll like it just fine here.

[dlm37015]

well i grew up in goodlettsville before rivergate and i think it is bad now it was a great place to grow up before rivergate

[Guest fastbilly1]

another Arlington resident speaking here. we moved from the city of Memphis 7 years ago to Arlington and we really like the small town feeling here. it is as close as you can get to Gallaway without living there. good schools and low city property tax.

[Punisher84]

Like I told ya last week man, when you get here and settled give me a call. We can get a bunch of the Memphis crew together for lunch and give you the rundown. Memphis does have it's problems for sure, but it's home to me and I've met some of the best people I know here.

[Guest WyattEarp]

congrats on the job! best of luck!

[tnhawk]

The bright side of Memphis is, you never need to explain why you need another gun.