Apartment hunt (Memphis, Central, Midtown: apartments, rentals, townhouse) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

elle310 · 06-27-2011, 08:54 AM

I know ya'll have heard this over and over again but I was just looking for a more up to date response on midtown and downtown area. My husband will be attending SCO and I will be attending U of M for graduate school. We were really hoping for midtown but it just seems like the apartments in that area go from bad to worse. We checked out Gilmore Apts and they were just not practical for us--non existent kitchen etc., though we did like the management and location. Other places we have looked- Midtown Place (not too bad but parking is a mess and I will be coming home late most nights), Townhouse Apartments (I did not feel safe here). Almadura Apartments is one we have yet to check out and hope to soon. Any thoughts on this place?
We have looked at downtown too--our budget is $750 or under. We are considering Gayoso House, but I hear mixed reviews on this place as well as Jefferson Place (older, but budget friendly).
We are also looking at the outskirts at Lynnfield Place Apartments and Butterfield Village. Not great for commuting, but could be worse. Anyone hear anything on these places? It just seems like there are a million reasons not to live at every place we consider but no one place that is good.

Ideally we would love to find a rental in a good neighborhood that feels safe and has a yard (we plan on having a dog someday), but I am struggling to find anything like this when just shopping on the internet. I check padmapper.com and craigslist.com daily and am struggling to find anything besides junky places owned by the bank. Any one know of a 1 bedroom house or duplex/triplex for rent in midtown area?

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my questions. I have been searching for months and am just so frustrated with the results so far. My husband and I will be able to make a trip down to Memphis this weekend so we really want to get our priorities straight as to what we should look at since our time will be limited.

KoskelaofFinland · 06-27-2011, 10:33 AM

My wife and I were in the same boat recently, but stumbled onto a pretty decent duplex.

I would recommend checking out the Memphis Flyer rental page (memphis - rentals classifieds - backpage.com). I haven't looked at it in a while, but that's where we found our place.

You are in a better place then we were if you don't already have a dog as it opens up more options.

elle310 · 06-27-2011, 10:38 AM

thanks! I will definitely check that link out. I hope we can find something soon!

Pearlbob · 06-28-2011, 12:29 PM

I've actually heard some bad things about Lynnfield and Butterfield. I always thought they looked nice, but apparently they are run down inside, or the management is bad (I can't remember quite what I heard about it, but I heard a few negative things). You might be able to find some info on here if you do a search. I wouldn't recommend Jefferson Place for sure, I don't think it's the type of place you're really looking for. I haven't heard anything negative about Gayoso other than they are pretty small inside and possibly over priced. You'd have to pay extra to park monthly in a garage too.

If you want to stay in the UM area or in midtown, I'd really suggest looking online at the Flyer or Craigslist, and also driving the neighborhoods and looking for "For Rent" signs. Many people don't bother advertising online or in the paper since they can get plenty of interest via word of mouth or by using a simple sign in the yard.

Although I understand the situation, you might try to up your price - $750 isn't a lot for a good area of Memphis, especially if you want something that has outdoor space for a dog to walk around in. If you're moving from out of town, I'd suggest going into this thinking short term - you can rent somewhere for 6 months, and then after you have a more personal knowledge of the city you can decide where (if) you'd rather move for the long term. It's so hard to find something you really like when you are talking about a rental for a low price.

Tigertate · 06-28-2011, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elle310

I know ya'll have heard this over and over again but I was just looking for a more up to date response on midtown and downtown area. My husband will be attending SCO and I will be attending U of M for graduate school. We were really hoping for midtown but it just seems like the apartments in that area go from bad to worse. We checked out Gilmore Apts and they were just not practical for us--non existent kitchen etc., though we did like the management and location. Other places we have looked- Midtown Place (not too bad but parking is a mess and I will be coming home late most nights), Townhouse Apartments (I did not feel safe here). Almadura Apartments is one we have yet to check out and hope to soon. Any thoughts on this place?
We have looked at downtown too--our budget is $750 or under. We are considering Gayoso House, but I hear mixed reviews on this place as well as Jefferson Place (older, but budget friendly).
We are also looking at the outskirts at Lynnfield Place Apartments and Butterfield Village. Not great for commuting, but could be worse. Anyone hear anything on these places? It just seems like there are a million reasons not to live at every place we consider but no one place that is good.

Ideally we would love to find a rental in a good neighborhood that feels safe and has a yard (we plan on having a dog someday), but I am struggling to find anything like this when just shopping on the internet. I check padmapper.com and craigslist.com daily and am struggling to find anything besides junky places owned by the bank. Any one know of a 1 bedroom house or duplex/triplex for rent in midtown area?

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my questions. I have been searching for months and am just so frustrated with the results so far. My husband and I will be able to make a trip down to Memphis this weekend so we really want to get our priorities straight as to what we should look at since our time will be limited.

I actually lived in Lynnfield Place for about 5 years after I graduated from the U of M. The area was very convenient and safe, but the apartments are old and not very energy efficient. When I was there the units were all electric (i.e. no gas furnace or water heater) and the utility bill could get little high (compared to other apartments, but not ridiculous; Maybe $150.00 for a 1 BR). The management was average; not horrible, but nothing to get excited about either. They fixed things in a reasonable time frame and were generally pretty nice so I had no major complaints. Overall, I enjoyed my time there, but I probably would have preferred a newer complex. However, the location to me was the most important thing.

I would also check out Park Estate, which is in the same general area.

Pearlbob · 06-28-2011, 01:48 PM

Have you looked into the Kimbrough Apt building in Central Gardens? I can't remember if I"ve suggested that to you before. It has a 'backyard' area with grills...although I don't think it's pet-friendly. Great area though.

strumpeace · 06-28-2011, 03:01 PM

Good advice from all. I'll add one more piece that I've added to several other threads in the past:

The best way to find rentals in Memphis is to drive around. Midtown rentals tend to go quickly, and there's really not much reason for landlords to spend the money to advertise. They throw a sign in the yard, and within a day or two, the place is rented. I stumbled upon my favorite apartment in Midtown (on Hawthorne -- great street, by the way) by just driving by. A few hours later, I had moved into the apartment.

I'm a big fan of the Evergreen area and surrounding neighborhoods. It's quiet, safe, and convenient (imo). If you're just looking for a 1-BR and have a $750 budget, you should be able to find something decent in that area. When you visit this weekend, drive through the area bounded by North Parkway on the north, McLean on the east, Poplar on the south, and Stonewall on the west. Go down all of the little side streets. If you don't find anything in that area, cross Poplar and look for things south of Poplar.

I know it's not ideal, but it works for Midtown.

Best wishes.

elle310 · 06-28-2011, 04:46 PM

Thanks all for the help! I think we are going to forgo checking out some apartments and look more at places for rent in nice neighborhoods. Crossing my fingers!!

ladybug35 · 06-28-2011, 10:26 PM

Definitely check out the flyer. We found our apartment through a friend, but it's in midtown, right across from the park, and it's only $700 a month. No yard, but it's pretty big. I also replied to your DM. Good luck!

Pearlbob · 06-29-2011, 07:24 AM

If you want midtown or near UM, I'd suggest driving thru Evergreen as suggested above. Also in Central Gardens (maybe start at Cooper/Peabody and spread to the west and south), and some of Cooper/Young area is okay as well - Cooper Young definitely has more iffy areas though. Near UM, you can drive directly west of the campus, and then also NW of the Highland/Central intersection. I would not suggest getting anything south of campus.

It's harder to find smaller rentals in east Memphis, just because the houses are bigger - but not really big enough to be split into duplexes or triplexes. But if you drive east along Poplar, you will find plenty of neighborhoods on either side of the street. Not sure how many rentals, but if you have spare time it wouldn't hurt to look. Poplar starts to get safe around the Evergreen area and then go east. It goes for miles.