Next 'up & coming' neighborhoods? (Memphis, Germantown: custom home, landscaping, construction)

[CristenS]

There are sections of Raleigh and Whitehaven that seem very nice, older homes, big trees, good people, etc. I can see neighborhoods like that staying steady and attracting a certain subset of people. To me, the difference with Hickory Hill and Cordova is that a large portion of those areas appear to have been thrown together, built quickly, and are not "quality" old areas like you see in Whitehaven and Raleigh. There will always be people who want to live in a nice, quiet, steady neighborhood of older homes that don't cost an arm and a leg. There are neighborhoods and homes in Raleigh and Whitehaven that look exactly like the ones in east Memphis. You don't find that in Cordova or Hickory Hill.

[tigerphan]

If we were to have an influx of young people investing in these older neighborhoods, where exactly would they be working? Without a significant improvement in the local economy, Memphis's older areas will decay at the expensive of established areas in east Memphis or in the suburbs. Guessing the next "up and coming" areas without an honest discussion of the local economy would be putting the wagon before the horse IMO.

Places like Houston that has experienced large scale privatized urban renewal also have major growth in employment.

What is the plan to attract major white collar employers to the Memphis metro and more blue collar work in the upper Delta (Tunica, Helena, West Memphis, etc.)? It just seems like Memphis is stuck in a rut and has been for a long time. It would be far easier and probably more productive to discuss the next areas to turn into Parkway Village or Hickory Hill.

[jabogitlu]

You're right, in that Memphis is flush with housing, land, and urbanized areas of development... our metro-wide vacancy rate has to be double digits. I also think you're right that development of neighborhoods like Crosstown will come somewhat at the expense of other areas. I'm not sure what the overall answer is. I had this "feeling" of the area when I lived there that new folks primarily go one of two ways - to Collierville/Lakeland/Arlington, or to midtown/downtown. As we (Memphis) experience turnover in the population and whatever natural growth we manage to scrape together, I wonder what type of folks we're attracting - those most interested in good public schools, or those most interested in urban-ish-type living?

I don't think the economy of Helena is even on the radar of economic development folks in Memphis, though it should be.

[85rx-7gsl-se]

Memphis suffers from the same issue that many areas have. A history of unnecessary new construction due to in part this idea that building a house to your specs is part of the American dream.

[Comingtomemphis]

One option that doesn't require employers is to court retirees. Memphis has many attributes they could find attractive: low cost of living, good climate, excellent medical and cultural opportunities. Schools aren't an issue.

Another option would be for Memphis to join the shrinking cities movement; i.e., eliminate the sprawl by abandoning certain areas. Other cities have removed blighted housing, torn up (old) infrastructure, closed schools, fire houses, etc. and returned the land to farmland, parks, whatever. Some of these places never should have been developed to start, as they are prone to flooding. With a declining population, that can be the most sensible option. Rather than try to revitalize a number of marginal neighborhoods, choose the ones that have the best housing stock, geography, etc. and focus on those.

[CristenS]

Very good point. Memphis is continually on lists as one of the top places to retire, for those exact reasons. People who don't care about schools, don't need a "walkable" neighborhood, and don't need a ton of nearby attractions could live just about anywhere. There are many areas of Memphis that are cheap but still safe that would attract older people.

[quote=Comingtomemphis;36977727]One option that doesn't require employers is to court retirees. Memphis has many attributes they could find attractive: low cost of living, good climate, excellent medical and cultural opportunities. Schools aren't an issue.
quote]

[tigerphan]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

You're right, in that Memphis is flush with housing, land, and urbanized areas of development... our metro-wide vacancy rate has to be double digits. I also think you're right that development of neighborhoods like Crosstown will come somewhat at the expense of other areas. I'm not sure what the overall answer is. I had this "feeling" of the area when I lived there that new folks primarily go one of two ways - to Collierville/Lakeland/Arlington, or to midtown/downtown. As we (Memphis) experience turnover in the population and whatever natural growth we manage to scrape together, I wonder what type of folks we're attracting - those most interested in good public schools, or those most interested in urban-ish-type living?

I don't think the economy of Helena is even on the radar of economic development folks in Memphis, though it should be.

That's basically my concern. Established areas do okay, but a lot of middle and lower income neighborhoods in the city decay into bad neighborhoods, while bad neighborhoods empty out.

Without a constant and growing influx of young professionals, large scale privatized urban renewal will not happen. Those people won't come unless the jobs are here.

Until then, mid town and east Memphis will grow at the expense of south Memphis or Raleigh, downtown will compete with mid town for the younger professionals that do move here, and the older and middle aged upper middle class and wealthy people keep following Poplar east into the suburbs at the expense of Memphis. We are pretty much shuffling people around and concentrating wealth and spending power in a few zip codes rather than attracting more people.

[tigerphan]

Originally Posted by 85rx-7gsl-se

Memphis suffers from the same issue that many areas have. A history of unnecessary new construction due to in part this idea that building a house to your specs is part of the American dream.

Who are you to decide what's necessary for other people?

Those houses in the suburbs were made necessary through decades of terrible leadership, pathetic schools, and cultural decay in Memphis. Hundreds of thousands of people all made independent decisions to move away from Memphis and into very pleasant suburban municipalities. Dismissing those decisions as "unnecessary" will not get you any closer to understanding and thus addressing the reasons why they are made in the first place.

[85rx-7gsl-se]

Originally Posted by tigerphan

Who are you to decide what's necessary for other people?

Those houses in the suburbs were made necessary through decades of terrible leadership, pathetic schools, and cultural decay in Memphis. Hundreds of thousands of people all made independent decisions to move away from Memphis and into very pleasant suburban municipalities. Dismissing those decisions as "unnecessary" will not get you any closer to understanding and thus addressing the reasons why they are made in the first place.

I am not to decide for others. Just stating that personally, I think many Americans (both in Memphis and elsewhere) are too obsessed with new construction.

[tigerphan]

Originally Posted by 85rx-7gsl-se

I am not to decide for others. Just stating that personally, I think many Americans (both in Memphis and elsewhere) are too obsessed with new construction.

Everyone wants better quality housing with modern conveniences, but location will always be the leading driver in the desirability of real estate. It would be a huge mistake to conclude that diversity of housing stock is the only reason or even the primary reason suburbs are attracting wealthier, more educated residents than Memphis.