relocating to Memphis from Atlanta (Germantown, Central: for rent, crime, homes)

[atl2mem]

Hi,

I have accepted a job in Memphis and will be relocating probably within the next few weeks. I have still never been so dont have a real feel for the city yet, I will be there next week to start looking at places. Currently it looks like I will be spending several years 4-5 there so looking forward to it. I've read a lot of mixed reviews on Memphis but am really looking forward to it and understand that all cities have crime and you just need to be cautious of what’s going on.
I am a single white male in my mid/late twenties. I work in logistics and will be working near the airport. I would like to be close to some fun restaurants, bars and shopping. I also have a dog who needs a park nearby for some nice long walks. I also would like to be in an area to meet people.

My budget would be anywhere from $800-$1200. I’ve heard a lot about midtown, mud island and cooper young, I am looking forward to checking these areas out. I've heard from some friends Cooper young is similar to where I live now in Atlanta. I've looked on Craigslist and seen some homes for rent around Overton. Any insight into these areas would be great or others that you can recommend would be great.

thanks

stefan

[JoeCartpath]

Sounds like Cooper-Young and you would be a perfect match. I'd put that area at the very top of your list...

[jabogitlu]

VECA (a.k.a. Vollintine-Evergreen) and Evergreen Historic District are two fun midtown neighborhoods. (Disclosure: I live in Evergreen ) The big advantage is that they are within walking distance of Overton Park, a rather large park which also has Overton Bark, a (you guessed it) dog park. These are the better "north midtown" neighborhoods. They both have some neighborhood amenities like a few restaurants (Cafe Eclectic in VECA is really good!), dry cleaners, churches, a martial arts place, etc.

Cooper-Young, Central Gardens, Annesdale Park are more "south midtown" neighborhoods. C-Y definitely has a robust restaurant and nightlife scene. Central Gardens and Annesdale Park are full of beautiful, large old homes.

From my address, Google Maps calculates 11.6 miles and 20 minutes to the airport. I'd say most days it will be a bit more, so 25 minutes, at first give yourself 30. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of great areas closer than this to the airport. You could also live in North Mississippi or out east, around the Germantown area (Google Maps gives 13.5 miles, ~20 minutes from Poplar@Germantown Road to the airport, so about the same as midtown). Neither of these locations has the same "vibe" as midtown, both are rather suburban-y feeling.

Another option is downtown or Mud Island. I moved here about 4 months ago with the same basic rent budget as you (800-1200) and felt priced out of that market. But there are probably some great options there, too. Downtown is more urban feeling, and the southern areas have a lot of residential options.

[My_home_town]

Welcome. I agree that Cooper Young would be ideal for where you'd like to live. There are an abundance of great restaurants and plenty of mid town feel. There's lot's of people and you can basically hop in a car, head straight up Cooper north and you're at Overton Park.

With regards to getting to work near the Airport, that's a straight shot. You take Cooper to Southern to S. Pkwy(which turns in to Airways and within about 15 minutes you're there. Rush hour times may vary.

[atl2mem]

Thanks for all the great feedback - I will deffinetly look up the other areas as well. Very excited to get down there this week and check out the city.

[jmjordan]

I live downtown and always suggest people check it out. It's an easy all interstate drive to the airport that would probably take 15 minutes (reverse commute).

I'm in a similar budget and you can get a lot of nice places in that price range. PM me if you'd want to ask questions.