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Old 12-07-2018, 05:38 AM
 
Location: Hampton Cove, AL
692 posts, read 1,494,615 times
Reputation: 245

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Hi!
It looks like we will be coming to Memphis for the first of the year(if you are curious, I always am, my husband is a materials engineer & will be working for smith & nephew)

I am looking for advice on what suburb would be the best fit for our family :-)

We have 5 children(18, 15, 7, 5, & 4), we are a white couple in our 40s with multiracial children(black, white, & native American)-i didn't even truly consider this would be an issue in Memphis until reading further back on the forum-YIKES!! I was raised in an upper middle class Chicago suburb and have lived all over the country(LA, Philly, Houston, upstate NY, etc), we will be coming directly from Huntsville, AL where all of our neighbors are literally rocket scientists-no real racism here(a few questions from curious children, satisfied when my kids say theyre different from us because they were born with a tan)...we did spend a year in a Shreveport suburb where my son was horrifically bullied for being multiracial, ending with 3 bruised ribs & a concussion when a group of 4 black children ganged up on him during recess while no adult noticed :-( my youngest 3 daughters have never experienced this type of treatment & I would like to keep it that way if possible!!

My oldest 2 children are homeschooled(see Shreveport incident), the oldest going to SD(SDSMT) for college next year. However I would like my 3 younger children to be able to go to school(&without fear), we are thinking Lamplighter Montessori in Cordova(does anyone know about this school?). I am a huge fan of Montessori schooling methods in general, but it becomes even more important when my kids are coming from an unstructured homeschool environment.

With such a large family, we are thinking cordova is the right fit, seems like we would be able to get a lot of house for our money. Plus many things seem to be in/around this area(gymnastics, dance, etc). However we are willing to consider other suburbs/locations to get the best fit.

The 7yr old is a serious gymnast(she is involved with a team & leveled gymnastics-I believe she will go to Wimbleton in Bartlett??), the 5yr old dances & wants to begin piano lessons, & my 4yr old swims & just began playing hockey(&yes, she's a girl). Since my husband will be in Asia more than in Memphis, proximity is important so I can juggle them all.

Our budget is somewhat fluid, there is the can & the want budget...we WANT to stay under 300, closer to 200/250k would be better(we all want to spend less, right?). However we CAN go up to 450k & not make my daughter stay home from college ;-)

When we we're in town for my husband's interview, I took the kids to Shelby farms park, they were in love & can't wait to move closer to the "buffalo park" They are also excited for a local zoo!!!

Just to throw this out there as it is part of me, i have MS & have for 12yrs(I also suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in 2016 & was dead 8-1/2min). I will likely be going to many regular medical appointments. This plays a small part in where we live as proximity to decent medical facilities is a factor, although not a huge factor. i currently drive 90min to my neurologist every 3mos, but it is there in the background of most decisions we make.

Thanks for any & all help & advice!!!
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Old 12-07-2018, 06:11 AM
 
Location: Hampton Cove, AL
692 posts, read 1,494,615 times
Reputation: 245
Oh, if it matters, my kids LOOK racially ambiguous...they have been mistaken for Greek, Hispanic, South American, Puerto Rican, Italian, Cajun/Creole, Indian(India & native), Israeli/Jewish, Asian mix, & pretty much every combination thereof.

It seems that every tan person in the world has a family member that looks just like one of them & therefore it is assumed that they are that ;-) I actually find it quite interesting & love our melting pot of a nation where they COULD be any one or any mix of those things!!!

I just wanted to give the additional information if it mattered. All of my kids know what they are & will tell people if asked(hence my son had issues previously). Race is not an issue in our house & I never experienced it being an issue around me until I began moving around the country & into the south.

At the end of the day i just want to do what is right for my kids & protect them from ignorance as much as possible!!!
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Old 12-07-2018, 07:10 AM
 
Location: Cookeville/Crossville
320 posts, read 534,193 times
Reputation: 272
I used to visit the Memphis area quite often during college. I think you will find the a safe neighborhood you're looking for in any of these three areas, however your budget may stretch farther (further?) in Cordova. On the other hand, due to your medical conditions and the fact that your husband travels often, it may be beneficial to choose Germantown, which would be closer to the airport and medical care.


Congrats on the move! I believe Memphis is really beginning to turn around towards prosperity.
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Old 12-08-2018, 08:04 AM
 
191 posts, read 299,130 times
Reputation: 223
Have you considered Midtown, near the zoo? That area is more politically progressive. There are several good public schools, all racially mixed: Idlewild, Peabody and Snowden come to mind. It is also near Methodist Hospital and many doctors.

Baptist Hospital is in Germantown, and both that and Collierville have excellent municipal public schools. Cordova has City schools (now called County).

You really need to visit the residential neighborhoods. The problem is they go from “good” to “hood” in just a couple of blocks.
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Old 12-08-2018, 11:37 AM
 
1 posts, read 3,311 times
Reputation: 10
Hmm I would say Bartlett. But maybe I’m biased because I love there. It’s diverse and you can get more house for your money (as well as Cordova). There are 2 hospitals within 15 mins or you could get downtown in 20-30 mins to go to the bigger hospitals. Bartlett is not as congested as Cordova but Cordova does have more restaurants/things to do.
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Old 12-08-2018, 12:15 PM
 
1,292 posts, read 4,973,768 times
Reputation: 1204
Much of what you mention would lead me to suggest Cordova. I'm just a couple of blocks from Lamplighter and only about 15 minutes to Shelby Farms, all the medical offices along Wolf River Parkway and at Baptist Hospital. Your budget would certainly work better here than Germantown. I don't think you'll have any racial issues here. Cordova is pretty diverse....

Sorry, but I can't tell you about the schools....maybe someone else can chime in about the current state of the public schools in this area. Being an old guy, I don't have young kids. My granddaughter lives nearby, but is home schooled. My grandson attends private school in the area - St. Francis Academy.
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Old 12-08-2018, 05:08 PM
 
672 posts, read 687,546 times
Reputation: 843
From the info in your post it sounds like South Cordova (zip code 38018) or Germantown will be your best bet. Collierville is relatively isolated in comparsion. Keep in mind that most of Cordova is actually in the Memphis city limits while some parts are in the unincorporated county.

If there is a chance that your kids will at some point go to public schools, go with Germantown or Collierville. Germantown's school sytem has the highest average ACT scores in the state and Collierville is not far behind. Keep in mind, as I stated earlier, that Collierville is isolated in comparison to Cordova and Germantown.If you choose Cordova, I suggest you stay private. Shelby County Schools (Memphis City Schools) aren't really good. Although Germantown High, which is not apart of Germantown public school system, seems to be decent. I can't comment on the elementary schools in Cordova, as I don't have kids. That usually requires more personal experiences since you don't have readily available information.

If you plan on staying with private schools, Cordova will give you the best bang for your $$ when considering housing, amenities and overall location. I also consider it the melting pot area of the city. With that in mind, Germantown and Collierville are also overall safer communities, which I assume is an important factor, since your husband will be away for a majority of the overall year.

Also you have 3 nearby hospitals if you're in Cordova or the Northwest part of Germantown. Also a lot of medical practices are located in the Germantown, and East Memphis areas.

As far as the racial issues in Memphis, in my opinion, as a native, the current racial issues in the area are more socioeconomic and political in nature, than actual racism in it purest definition. I also think its more of an adult thing. The kids should have no problems being mixed. I'll state part of my opinion bellow on this.

Black people hold the numeric power on a county (54%), and city (63%) level and on the surface hold the political advantage, in the largest city of Shelby County. This advantage is diluted on the county level when it comes to governmental issues effecting the overall county, being that the a large portion of the white population stays outside of the city limits. Black people tend to lean democratic and roughly 80% of the black population for the county stays within Memphis city limits. In contrast roughly 54% of the white population in Shelby County stay in the Memphis City limits and 46% outside the limits and they lean heavily republican. The individual suburban cities themselves are 90% + percent white. This dynamic, often causes a tug of war concerning governmental issues and has ultimately held this area back on progress along with other issues. This is partially why Nashville has KO'd us in growth and has moved on to the next match.

Socioeconomically the majority population (black) is also the overall poorer population and has all the problems associated with it with crime being the biggest side affect. The white population of the county overall is not poor at all and holds the overall economic power in Memphis. In my opinion this builds underneath the surface resentment between blacks and whites since on a neighborhood level the demographic of most will lean toward being 90%+ black or white. Cordova is one of the exceptions of this, in my opinion. It has a sizable black population, although majority white, that is mostly middle class to upper middle class. Your neighborhoods are more racially mixed throughout the Cordova area v being 90% black/white and it affordable.This tends to soften the racially tension that can plague this area. That why I like the area.

Memphis is the poorest large metro are in the country.
New data finds Memphis is poorest large metro in America



Excuse the long explanation but it's recurring and polarizing issue for the area and I just wanted add some perspective. Don't let threads on here scare you. From a personal perspective Memphis, has progressed on race since I've grown up. I'm a black male in my early 30's fwiw.

It seems to me, that people often look at things from a 'half empty glass' perspective in the Memphis area. This is on full display in many of the older post in this forum. This negative mindset holds back progress. We need more people with a 'half full glass' perspective.

I wish you well in your relocation and hope you can make the best of it! Unfortunately I don't think there are any rocket scientist around these parts.
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Old 12-09-2018, 02:01 PM
 
1,899 posts, read 3,930,852 times
Reputation: 2722
Quote:
Originally Posted by dc1538 View Post
From the info in your post it sounds like South Cordova (zip code 38018) or Germantown will be your best bet. Collierville is relatively isolated in comparsion. Keep in mind that most of Cordova is actually in the Memphis city limits while some parts are in the unincorporated county.

If there is a chance that your kids will at some point go to public schools, go with Germantown or Collierville. Germantown's school sytem has the highest average ACT scores in the state and Collierville is not far behind. Keep in mind, as I stated earlier, that Collierville is isolated in comparison to Cordova and Germantown.If you choose Cordova, I suggest you stay private. Shelby County Schools (Memphis City Schools) aren't really good. Although Germantown High, which is not apart of Germantown public school system, seems to be decent. I can't comment on the elementary schools in Cordova, as I don't have kids. That usually requires more personal experiences since you don't have readily available information.

If you plan on staying with private schools, Cordova will give you the best bang for your $$ when considering housing, amenities and overall location. I also consider it the melting pot area of the city. With that in mind, Germantown and Collierville are also overall safer communities, which I assume is an important factor, since your husband will be away for a majority of the overall year.

Also you have 3 nearby hospitals if you're in Cordova or the Northwest part of Germantown. Also a lot of medical practices are located in the Germantown, and East Memphis areas.

As far as the racial issues in Memphis, in my opinion, as a native, the current racial issues in the area are more socioeconomic and political in nature, than actual racism in it purest definition. I also think its more of an adult thing. The kids should have no problems being mixed. I'll state part of my opinion bellow on this.

Black people hold the numeric power on a county (54%), and city (63%) level and on the surface hold the political advantage, in the largest city of Shelby County. This advantage is diluted on the county level when it comes to governmental issues effecting the overall county, being that the a large portion of the white population stays outside of the city limits. Black people tend to lean democratic and roughly 80% of the black population for the county stays within Memphis city limits. In contrast roughly 54% of the white population in Shelby County stay in the Memphis City limits and 46% outside the limits and they lean heavily republican. The individual suburban cities themselves are 90% + percent white. This dynamic, often causes a tug of war concerning governmental issues and has ultimately held this area back on progress along with other issues. This is partially why Nashville has KO'd us in growth and has moved on to the next match.

Socioeconomically the majority population (black) is also the overall poorer population and has all the problems associated with it with crime being the biggest side affect. The white population of the county overall is not poor at all and holds the overall economic power in Memphis. In my opinion this builds underneath the surface resentment between blacks and whites since on a neighborhood level the demographic of most will lean toward being 90%+ black or white. Cordova is one of the exceptions of this, in my opinion. It has a sizable black population, although majority white, that is mostly middle class to upper middle class. Your neighborhoods are more racially mixed throughout the Cordova area v being 90% black/white and it affordable.This tends to soften the racially tension that can plague this area. That why I like the area.

Memphis is the poorest large metro are in the country.
New data finds Memphis is poorest large metro in America



Excuse the long explanation but it's recurring and polarizing issue for the area and I just wanted add some perspective. Don't let threads on here scare you. From a personal perspective Memphis, has progressed on race since I've grown up. I'm a black male in my early 30's fwiw.

It seems to me, that people often look at things from a 'half empty glass' perspective in the Memphis area. This is on full display in many of the older post in this forum. This negative mindset holds back progress. We need more people with a 'half full glass' perspective.

I wish you well in your relocation and hope you can make the best of it! Unfortunately I don't think there are any rocket scientist around these parts.
What an intelligent, unbiased, and accurate description of Shelby County. Great post! I agree that you probably won't see any blatant racism, but all races seem to segregate themselves a little bit when it comes to housing, politics, etc. I think part of it is, "we like to be around people like us". I used to live in Cordova, and it was like a melting pot. I got along with my neighbors just fine.

To the OP,
Your kids will be fine growing up in Shelby County. I know plenty of mixed kids and interracial couples in the suburbs, and I've never heard them complain of being treated differently. I agree with previous posts that say living near Germantown (either South Cordova, in Germantown, or in Collierville) is your best bet, if you need many doctor appointments. Germantown is promoting itself as a medical corridor, and there will be more additional facilities in the future. Some medical facilities are about to expand. Some South Cordova kids are allowed to transfer into Germantown schools, but I wouldn't buy a house in South Cordova with the expectation that it will continue forever. Your best bet on public schools is living in Germantown or Collierville. Good luck.
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Old 01-01-2019, 06:32 PM
 
Location: Hampton Cove, AL
692 posts, read 1,494,615 times
Reputation: 245
I truly appreciate all of this information & best wishes!! Moving with kiddos is so hard!! We are trying to balance opportunity for my husband(that ultimately benefits all of us)& the needs of our family!!

I will say that the area the company is located(smith & nephew)seemed a bit sketchy-razor wire fencing around hotels/motels across the street & the business itself, but the suburbs seemed nice! Growing up in the Chicago area I am somewhat accustomed to some of that, but I won't lie, it doesn't alleviate all fears. Those were areas of the city i didn't visit(&still don't when i go home), but with hubs working there it will be hard to avoid completely.

My kiddos will never go to public school, it will always be private or homeschooled for us...it is a me problem, I take issue with compulsory attendance laws that ultimately have children going to school sick to comply with laws created to ensure daily funding & has my kiddos bringing illnesses home for me to help my MS progress-no thanks!!...i also grew up taking a Friday or Monday off here or there for weekend trips or taking a "mental health day" to visit a museum or just having fun playing "fooey"(my kids version of hookey)-not allowed in today's public school environment, but great for kids development!! Although I know that for resale it is important to be in a decent school system, even if we will never use it.

This is why we are looking to spend a bit less on housing if possible(obviously without sacrificing safety & security), to ensure we can pay for the 3 younger kids to go to private school & still send the 2 older kiddos college...while not giving up my MS medications to make it all possible :-)
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Old 01-02-2019, 12:14 AM
 
563 posts, read 532,529 times
Reputation: 1662
Cordova is okay but I get the feeling that home values don't hold up as well there. in Bartlett or Germantown you get much better police protection, city services, and stability in general and both are less congested than Cordova.

Also, Olive Branch, Southaven, and Hernando also would probably be a great fit for you and also offer great stability, safety, etc. Those communities are quite diverse and all groups are virtually identical in terms of income levels. This area is thriving and extremely safe.
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