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Just wondering if there's anyone out there who's very familiar with both cities (preferably lived in both) and can compare the two. Looks like we're going to have to make a decision soon, so I'm trying to list the advantages and disadvantage of both. What do you like/dislike about Columbia and Memphis? Thanks.
(We're a married couple with two young children, so schools are important.)
Well, I know nothing of Columbia, but you can't get worse schools than here in Memphis. You have to send your children to private schools here, unless you live in one of a few suburbs. Even then, the public schools are pretty bad compared to most other cities. I can't imagine Columbia is even near us in that regard.
Again, just speaking of Memphis - it's a fine city for younger folk with no kids, people who like to go out, do things, have a good time. But if your main concern is your children, this is about the worst place to come. You can have a great life here, of course, but if you had a complete choice, nothing weighing you to either city... you can do better than Memphis.
.... And I say all that as one of the main proponents of our city on here!
And to live by the beach in SC....ahhhhh. How nice!
Thanks, Pearlbob. I used to follow your posts on TripAdvisor and I've always respected your opinions and advice. I also know you're a big proponent of Memphis, and I count myself as one, too.
Perhaps I should have been more clear. We're considering relocating from Memphis to Columbia. My husband was laid off from his job a couple of months ago, and he's having trouble finding any other openings in Memphis. A firm in Columbia is flying him there in a couple of weeks for a second interview, and we think there's 75 percent or better chance they're going to offer him the job. He's got an interview in Memphis next week for a job that will pay about $20,000 less than the Columbia position.
It might not be such a tough call if we weren't both Memphis natives with most of our family here. I was opposed to moving initially, but neither of us is having luck finding work here, and with FedEx laying off 500 people today, it looks like it's going to get worse before it gets better. While the state of South Carolina is having its own economic woes, Columbia seems to be doing fairly well and there are jobs available. So long term, I'm thinking Columbia may be growing while Memphis is declining.
But I also want to pass along that while many city schools are in bad shape, we're found a hidden gem in Sea Isle Elementary. It's a wonderful, diverse school that meets or exceeds all state and NCLB goals. It also has a hearing-impaired program and allows "typical" and HIP children to get to know and understand one another. I couldn't be happier with the start my kindergartener has received on her education while attending Sea Isle, and that's one more reason it's going to be very difficult to pack up and leave our hometown.
In Columbia, you're not only near the beach, but only a couple of hours form the mountains as well. Both are a draw for our nature-loving family.
Thanks again for replying.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pearlbob
Well, I know nothing of Columbia, but you can't get worse schools than here in Memphis. You have to send your children to private schools here, unless you live in one of a few suburbs. Even then, the public schools are pretty bad compared to most other cities. I can't imagine Columbia is even near us in that regard.
Again, just speaking of Memphis - it's a fine city for younger folk with no kids, people who like to go out, do things, have a good time. But if your main concern is your children, this is about the worst place to come. You can have a great life here, of course, but if you had a complete choice, nothing weighing you to either city... you can do better than Memphis.
.... And I say all that as one of the main proponents of our city on here!
And to live by the beach in SC....ahhhhh. How nice!
Oh, that completely makes a difference then! You already know about all things Memphis I don't know about Columbia, other than I have known a couple people who have lived in state and love everything, and of course so many people who have vacationed around there and love it as well. Good luck to you!!
And yes, there are some good public schools here, no doubt. But, if someone was to come into Memphis "blind" and not know a thing of the neighborhoods, school systems, etc...it's so much easier to give a general "don't do it." It's hard enough to move to an unknown city, try to find a good home in a safe area, and also worry about getting into a neighborhood that is close to a good school.
And yes, there are some good public schools here, no doubt. But, if someone was to come into Memphis "blind" and not know a thing of the neighborhoods, school systems, etc...it's so much easier to give a general "don't do it." It's hard enough to move to an unknown city, try to find a good home in a safe area, and also worry about getting into a neighborhood that is close to a good school.
You're right about coming here blind and finding the right school. I spent 1-1/2 years checking into elementary schools in our area and longer than that worrying about it. Ultimately, we settled on our neighborhood public school and I've been very pleased. People in other neighborhoods aren't so fortunate, though, and MCS as a whole has a terrible reputation. I really hope Kriner Cash can straighten things out. At least he's open to trying new ideas instead of sticking with the tried and untrue.
Just wondering if there's anyone out there who's very familiar with both cities (preferably lived in both) and can compare the two. Looks like we're going to have to make a decision soon, so I'm trying to list the advantages and disadvantage of both. What do you like/dislike about Columbia and Memphis? Thanks.
(We're a married couple with two young children, so schools are important.)
hope your move will be easy. columbia, the capital of sc, wonderful food, smell of the unmistakeable camillias, and fairly hot and humid weather. i have not lived there; however, i have visited many times---one time a few days prior to christmas---hot as blazes. public schools (most) similar to sc. some of ours are pretty decent. many prep schools...extremely well respected in academic circles. many are religious institutions---st. david, st. mary's for girls, st. george's, st. agnes academy, cathedral school, christian brothers, harding academy, idylwell day school, to name a few...many, many more...jewish day school. university prep, hutchison school, several other exclusive private college prep schools, and of course homeschooling and its networking. something is available, public or private, in any of the areas you would choose...downtown, midtown, extreme south memphis (this will be olive branch, southaven, hornlake, herando ms), east memphis. memphis is considerably larger and it has several amenities to offer to its citizens (art galleries, public libraries, parks, zoo, playhouses, theaters, etc.) the local economy, though sluggish now, currently surpasses that of the carolinas. i know you all have been hit pretty hard. of course, crime can be somewhat in the forefront in memphis, seemingly, because the local news leads off w/ these stories---often sensationalizing it. by and large, being aware of your surroundings and certainly staying out of areas that invite victimization will go far in protecting you and yours. as indicated earlier, weather-weather patterns pretty similar, perhaps a bit hotter in columbia. the people, in a general sense, are very gregerious, warm, and engaging. personal faith, religion, moral compass, and personal view of life is important in this area. i, being reared in chicago and being roman catholic, have always been treated w/ respect and courtesy, if i receive an invitation to a revival, dinner-on-the-ground, singing, potluck, baptism, confirmation, gospel meeting, bar or bahmitz, etc. a very polite adknowledge, a simple and polite answer, and everyone is on his appointed way. probably, as w/ me, they might direct you to the closest parish---perhaps their own. the city proper is about 47-48% black, the balance is predominately white. several latinos, hispanics, asians, and indo-euro's. most likely, you are familiar w/ some of the issues concerning racial barriers. i know sc has existed more many years with the two races side by side. remember, everyone wants and deserves respect. remember the rule, and you will be fine. median household income for this area will be higher than in you area. cost of living will be similar; however, local taxes and housing may be slightly higher. this is predominately a democratic region. shelby county has both a city and county mayor. both are dems. currently, i know that your gov, is a repub and opposed to stim money: not so here: give me, give me, give me entitlement...and yet it does not get much better---e.g. public schools. we have no state income tax; however, property taxes, gas, wheel, and personal taxes can be stiff. car registration, city sticker, inspection, etc. are not tremendous, but they are there. be careful coming into town. sc is forgiving w/ speeders: tn troopers are not---particularly, my brother...just ask me! hope this gives you some direction as you make your decision. good luck to you in your endeavors. i hope you decide to come here, if you do, again, i say welcome.
sorry, do not judge the people here by my apparent inability to spell and compose intelligent communiques. lying down and typing while viewing screen vertically.
sorry, do not judge the people here by my apparent inability to spell and compose intelligent communiques. lying down and typing while viewing screen vertically.
Hee hee. No worries. Thanks for taking the time to reply and for offering your input.
If Memphis is your home, then I understand sticking around but given the choice I would move out of that place- I think it's horrible compared to just about anywhere- Columbia is closer to places like Atlanta, Charlotte, and coastal SC which is like another world compared to Memphis-get out
So long term, I'm thinking Columbia may be growing while Memphis is declining.
If the job in Columbia pays significantly more and looks like a better decision for your family, I think that's a good enough reason to go there. I wouldn't worry too much about the macroeconomic factors unless you were planning on starting a business or had reason to believe that either job being looked at might be in danger in the near-term (1-5 years). All the same, I'd challenge the prevailing view on Memphis.
I don't live in Memphis, but I think people underestimate Memphis's long-term economic prospects. In truth, Memphis has been in decline for several decades now; just like Detroit, St. Louis, New Orleans, Baltimore (until this decade) and many of the Rust Belt cities. But people often forget about how macroeconomic cycles change and I'm willing to bet we're on the precipice on another shift right now. In fact, we're already seeing signs that some of the "old industry" cities are turning around (Baltimore and Pittsburgh in particular).
Baltimore was an early American boomtown that grew rapidly as a result of its strategic position and proximity to commodity producers. It actually suffered through a brutal economic stretch in the early-to-mid 19th Century, before re-emerging as an economic behemoth. I believe it was the 5th largest city in America in 1950. Then for four decades, as we entered the age of suburbanization and a service-oriented economy, Baltimore drifted into an abandoned haven for crime, where no one in their right mind seemed to want to live. Five decades later, its slowly re-emerging.
Memphis has a lot of good things going for it long-term. It's close to a major body of water ("The Mighty Mississippi"), it has a dependable energy supply (the TVA), it has built-up infrastructure, its in a strategic location for transportation purposes, its both a railroad hub and a port city, it hasn't sprawled out quite as badly as the rest of the major Southern cities, and it has a dense urban core with ample (and cheap) housing. Not saying it will be the economic growth story of the next decade or anything. Just that I think it's fully possible that Memphis is very close to "bottoming out".
Of course, Columbia, SC has some good things going for it, as well. In particular, given the orientation of our economy, cities with major, respected universities in them can benefit. South Carolina is also a very desirable location to many people.
All that said, I'm not trying to pursuade you one way or another on this. I just wanted to challenge the belief that Memphis is on a downhill track for the future. Of course, it could take several decades before people notice.
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I don't know about Columbia, other than I have known a couple people who have lived in state and love everything, and of course so many people who have vacationed around there and love it as well. Good luck to you!!
easy choice
