Young professional female moving to Memphis - where to live with no car? (Germantown: apartment complexes, for rent)

[cleo1681]

Hello all,

I'm a young female and will be moving from UK to Memphis in the next few months. I'll be working at University of Tennessee Health Science Center but unfortunately I can't drive so surely it limits my choices. I would like to live within 20mins walking/cycling distance from work and most of all somewhere safe.
I've read plenty of forum posts and bad reviews of Memphis for its crime levels and racial tensions: areas with plenty of Afroamericans=crime, robberies, abuse, not safe especially after dark whereas safe areas are where majority of people are Caucasian white. I don't mind how "diverse" will the area be but I would like to feel safe as a young woman moving to the area on her own.

I would like to live in a place close to work, close to some bars and restaurants, gym somewhere where I could meet people and make some friends. I have never lived in US before but lived in 3 different countries in Europe so I know common sense is the key but I would like some advice from you.
I'm going to be looking for a 1-bedroom apartment with proximity to University of Tennessee Health Science Center. I've looked up on craigslists but it's hard for somebody who has never been in Memphis to know what is great/good/awful.

My budget would be max $800. I think living in Midtown could be a good option for me. Would you recommend living in apartment complexes such as Blair Tower or Edison? Although they seem to be more expensive than other 1-bed apartments in more residential part of Midtown, possibly it could be a good option for 6 months or a year until I get to know the area and feel comfortable and safe enough to venture elsewhere? Or until I get a driving license. Plus the apartments are furnishes which sounds nice for somebody who is in Memphis for 2 - max 3 years.
Renting somewhere in Midtown looks around $100-200 cheaper and I found some nice places off Poplar Av on Garland Street and North McNeil Street before the intersection with Overton Park Av. But they come unfurnished too.
I would appreciate some help and advice. Thank you in advance!!

[jabogitlu]

Those complexes on Garland and McNeil are generally sorta rough, nothing dangerous but I had a friend that lived there that had a mega dick as an upstairs neighbor. They also mostly haven't been updated in a very long time.

If I were you, I'd find something downtown and ride the trolley or the bus to the medical center. The trolley is the best option, but they're offline right now being restored, and I'm not sure when they'll be back online.

Living Memphis without a car is not easy. Commuting to the medical center via bike isn't easy and isn't the safest option in the world. Stick to public transportation is my opinion.

[CristenS]

Agreed...a car is pretty mandatory here.

The problem you will face is that UT has no (safe) housing around it. Nothing walkable. It's in a pretty rough area of town, and also a commercial area. If you did live around it, you certainly wouldn't be in walking distance of anywhere else, like a grocery store or restaurants.

You could live downtown and take a bus. I would guess there is a bus route that runs down Poplar, Madison, or Union that would take you right to UT. The trolleys are not running anymore...the Madison line has been closed even longer than the rest of the downtown line. They are supposed to be putting 4 trolleys back into service this fall, however I don't think any will be on the Madison line. So I would not count on the trolleys at all for transportation.

Poplar at Garland and McNeil is rather rough. I wouldn't live there. Let alone as a single female newcomer to Memphis. Plus, you wouldn't be within walking distance of UT. And it wouldn't be a safe walk either.

Blair Tower is right across from LeBonheur and is pretty rough. The Edison is down Jefferson and is pretty rough too.

There is a newer complex on Union at I-240 called The Bristol on Union. It is much safer, much better people living there. It would be a safer walk to UT, albeit down a major busy road (Union) but since it's so busy, the liklihood of something dangerous happening to you while walking is slim. I wouldn't walk at night though, no way. The area is not within walking distance of any restaurants or shopping though. It's pretty much a place you live and then drive away from.

There is a complex on Union, right at the baseball park. I don't know what they are called now, they've gone thru some name changes over the years. It's right on Union, again, not very walkable to UT (you could IF you were in a jam I suppose) but there is probably a bus that runs down Union or Madison to take you there. It's next to a gym and also downtown, so it's walkable to all bars and restaurants. That might be your best bet. Fielder Square Apartments maybe?

[CristenS]

Check out this map of the bus system downtown. There are lines going down Poplar, Madison, Jefferson, and Union. The latter 3 especially take you right to UT campus. If you lived in those apartments at the ballpark (Fielder Square) you could walk to a bus stop and get to UT.

http://www.matatransit.com/uploadedF...his%201(1).pdf

Looks like the Bellvue line (20) goes down Union as does Lamar (56). As to where exactly the bus stops are located that you'd walk to....I can't tell from this map. They seem to have bus stops practically every block, so I'm sure one for the correct route wouldn't be too far.

Keep in mind though, there is no grocery store downtown. Not sure how'd you buy anything. There is a Walgreens though (drugstore) to buy things like toilet paper, etc.

Also keep in mind that middle class people don't tend to use the buses here. Everyone has cars. So the people riding the buses may not be the best of the best, you know? Not saying they are dangerous, but it might be a bit of a shock to the system for a young single female from Europe.

[jabogitlu]

Yes, Fielder Square is a good option. I had a friend in grad school that lived there. Very nice place. Looks like their studios are $650:

Studio, One, Two & Three Bedroom Apartments for Rent | Fielder Square

There are other options downtown as well. Walking in downtown is safe, so if you stayed a few blocks off Union, you'd be fine walking to catch the bus. I would do a double check on this forum for any potential apartments. Some people advertise "downtown" apartments that are not really geographically downtown -- just in nearby sketchy neighborhoods.

[Salmonista]

I agree that it's really tough to live in Memphis without driving. It's hard to explain this if you've never been to Memphis before. The city is just really spread out and not designed for walkability.

Maybe your employer has an internal message board where you could post about your need for housing? If you could find a shared housing situation temporarily, you could then tag along with a roommate to go shopping at least while you get your bearings.

[CristenS]

Oh good point, you'll be working at UT. They have an online board for housing, a whole department for it. Check the website.

http://www.uthscoffcampus.com/

http://www.uthsc.edu/hr/ - I would say you can also just call HR and ask them about this too.

[cleo1681]

@ jabogitlu, Cristen S and salmonista:

Yes I know that living in Memphis or rather in US without a car is quite difficult. Up until now I've lived in Leipzig (Germany), Paris & Lille (France) , London & Cardiff (UK) and there was never a real necessity for a car like in many european cities. I've taken over 20 driving lessons but that was when I was 17 so I'll need to practise a bit before I attempt to pass driving test in Memphis.

Thank you for your opinions about the area of UT and your suggestions regarding distances.

Bristol on Union complex looks nice, Fielder Square too. I will look at those two closely.

To be honest, as the opinions about living in Memphis as in NOT in Cordova, Germantown or Mud Island are pretty discouraging in overal I think my best option would be to find some place for first 6 months - do my driving license, get a car and move away from UT immediate proximity. Hopefully this would allow me to get more comfortable with the UT campus as my workplace however rough the surroundings are.

I will get a driving license and a car but meanwhile I need somewhere quite close to UT to live...I've been in US before but in Florida and I've used buses few times over there and I know what did you mean Cristen S. but again as a temporary mean and necessity I won't have much choice!

Cristen S - thank you for the UT housing website - although the search gave me Blair Towers which you said are pretty rough. Adams Place is very close to Blair Towers so I guess quite rough too.

Otherwise there is The Renaissance in Downtown - any opinions? And The Venue and Town House both near theintersection of Central Ave and Lamar Ave. Any thoughts on those choices?

Thank you for all your help!

[CristenS]

Who on earth said not to live on mud island if you are a young professional female? That would actually be one of my top choices for you, if you had a car.

The Venue might be okay to live in (not good, but okay), however again you are in a rough...nearing some REALLY rough areas. You could walk down Central to the west, but that's it. I wouldn't set foot anywhere on Lamar/Crump. Not safe. You'd have to have a car. The buses wouldn't be great out that way, not safe for you to be standing alone on Lamar waiting on a bus. Poplar, Union, Madison, etc downtown would be 10x safer for you.

It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced the crime and poverty that encompasses a lot of Memphis. You WILL get accosted by bums, vagrants, thugs, etc. That will happen everywhere you go in town, midtown and downtown. So, you want to be somewhere that is at least safe and populated, not somewhere that you'd have no one to help you out when it happens. Out of necessity, I would wait along Poplar or Union to catch a bus. I would NEVER stand out by the street on Lamar.

[cleo1681]

Thank you very much for your reply and kind comments Cristen S.

I do realize not driving is a huge obstacle. But I will have to deal with it for first few months when I move down to Memphis.

Receiving a reputation comment saying "Such prejudice in your post. Black = crime, white = safe is so wrong. You can't move here and not drive. Your bike will be stolen the first week. The school is in a very unsafe area. I would apply somewhere else or learn to drive." from whoever it is hurted me.

I have said in my initial post that on this and other forums I have read many posts how crime-ridden Memphis is and many people made comparisons between safe and unsafe areas indicating differences in populations inhabiting them. I have never myself indicated that neighbourhoods with predominantly black population are always unsafe and "white areas" are better and safer. I received a comment which is now deleted saying "don't come to Memphis if you white European female and can't drive - get a gun - you'll get killed etc" so it speaks for itself. I have no comments on Memphis as town or it safety. All I can know comes from posts of other people so I'm not prejudiced myself.

I'm planning to learn driving as soon as I can but it won't be possible in UK as I don't feel comfortable driving on the other side of the road (I've previously briefly learnt driving).

Until I can drive I appreciate all help I can get from locals. thank you!