Marion & West Memphis: good schools? bad area? (Jonesboro, Forrest City: relocating, housing)

[missthesun]

Hello,

Moving to the area from Chicago...anybody have any advice to give about Marion?...I'm particularly interested in hearing experiences about kids in school. I have 3 kids that will be in the school district: 1st grader, 5th grader, & 8th grader.

I'll be working in Memphis and renting a house in Marion... Oh! Also, can anyone comment on daycare for the little one? He's a year old.

Also, I've heard that West Memphis sucks. Is this true?

Thanks!

[pannod]

Choosing between Marion and W. Memphis, I would definitely choose Marion. You'll have to go into W. Memphis for most things, like grocery shopping, but for anything substantial you might need/want, Memphis is a very short commute. The commute from Marion is better than I expected it to be going into the city from I-40. Just my opinion and I haven't been here long, so others who've lived here longer can shed better light. I'm still searching for info as well.

Does anyone here commute from Marion to Jonesboro for work? Just curious if that is a decent commute.

[terrabeth]

Originally Posted by missthesun

Hello,

Moving to the area from Chicago...anybody have any advice to give about Marion?...I'm particularly interested in hearing experiences about kids in school. I have 3 kids that will be in the school district: 1st grader, 5th grader, & 8th grader.

I'll be working in Memphis and renting a house in Marion... Oh! Also, can anyone comment on daycare for the little one? He's a year old.

Also, I've heard that West Memphis sucks. Is this true?

Thanks!

Well, as another poster mentioned in another thread (was it Pannod?).. I'll ditto that West Memphis smells. Isn't it a paper factory or something there that does it? Anyway... driving through W. Memphis to visit Memphis, I almost always smell it. We usually laugh about it smelling like a big f@rt, if that's appropriate to say here! (Well, it's true... one would want to know this if he/she is considering moving there, right? lol)

I know it's much cheaper to live on the Marion/W.Memphis side of Memphis... but you may want to look into the Olive Branch end of town, on the Mississippi side. In fact, I think Olive Branch is technically MS, but it's a metro commuter area of Memphis and neighborhoods and schools are better around there, or so I'm told. It's kinda pretty, too. Also places like Germantown, but of course, rentals will be more pricey. I know that my relatives who work in Memphis all gravitated towards these areas for the better schools and such.

As for Marion and W. Memphis... can't tell you much more, but good luck relocating; I know it can be so hard to get settled, find childcare, etc.

[missthesun]

Thank you both,

I appreciate your insight.

Miss

[GirlieD]

Marion is a great place to live and raise a family. It is true that you will still have to go into W. Memphis or Memphis (I'd rather go to Memphis) for a number of things, but Marion is growing rapidly. The schools in Marion are wonderful and among the top schools in eastern Arkansas. My children began kindergarten in Marion and the youngest just graduated from Marion High School, we have been very pleased with the school district. It is not without its problems, but it continues to improve each year. Many people are locating to Marion and it is becoming more diverse. Overall, housing is a little more expensive in Marion than W. Memphis for the most part, but the quality of life is better in Marion in my opinion. As far as daycare, Countryview Pre-School is wonderful. The Executive Director & Owner is a wonderful person, very kind & caring. Marion United Methodist Church has an excellen Pre-K program. I believe that Marion First Baptist Chuch may have a daycare program as well.

[chemaster]

I have lived in both Marion and Jonesboro and like both. It depends on exactly where you move. There are good and bad places in both locations.

removed

[Crackerjack]

The one main thing I would be concerned about there is the New Madrid fault that is one of the worst in the world and could strike any moment. When it did way back when, it made the Philadelphia Liberty Bell ring in PA and is is supposed to even have made Lake Caddo in TEXAS! It will even shake St. Louis and do you know how far that is, a heck of a long ways! MY brother-in-law's granny lived in Arkansas all of her life and she said she has heard about land all over that area you are talking about opening up huge pits and blowing sand up for hundreds of feet and it was really scary! She said not to live in East Arkansas anywhere east of Batesville. My brother-in-law could never get his granny to ever travel anywhere east of Batesville, that is how concerned she was about it being one of the worst earthquake zones in the world and now scientists are saying the same thing!

[BHEldridge]

We moved to Marion in 2000 from Forrest City. Our son was starting his junior year in high school and our daughter was starting 8th grade. We were very happy with their education. Part of the whole education process is what the student puts into it. My daughter is currently in her second year of college on a full scholarship at HSU. I work in Memphis so I commute everyday. I really don't mind it - my husband has started his own electrical business in Marion so I think we are here to stay for a while.

[pannod]

I've since had a chance to meet with the principal at Marion Jr. High and was very impressed with his attitude as well as philosophy toward education. Meeting him, the office staff, and the guidance staff really gave me a change of heart about Marion schools. My son is now enrolled and I've almost found a house to rent. Good rentals in Marion are very hard to come by unless you can afford high prices, but I think I've found one to meet my budget. I guess I'm here for a while too. It's growing on me and will be better once I get in my own place. The commute into Memphis is not bad at all from Marion. In fact, it's better than commuting from other outlying areas into the city.

[blackrose]

this goes to miss the sun

not all schools in west memphis is bad if u never lived there then do the people that live there a favor & stop saying that it sucks. To amit it is really not that bad i was borned there & moved away & went back 4 years ago & my family still lives down there! tnk u