After being born and raised in Detroit, MI (well, born in Detroit, raised in the area), and living here for 40 years, my family and I getting the hell out of Dodge.
I never saw myself living in, or anywhere near the south, but a business opportunity presented itself, and I’m diving in head first.
Technically, we’ve sold our house, just waiting on the short sale to trickle its way through the legal/bank system.
So, I’ve visited the Memphis/Arlington area. It’s nice. My wife & kids are excited for the change, and I’m looking forward to it myself.
If ny Dopers in, or familiar, with thr area want to weigh in on any aspect of moving to or living around this cozy spot on the Bible Belt, This liberal Yankee is all ears.
ETA: Dammit, meant to post in MPSIMS.
My sister lives there. She says Memphis is moving east. (West is the big muddy and Arkansas).
My view has been limited to a few suburbs going east. Germantown (50s-70s), Collierville (used to be horsey set, now McMansions). Housing prices are amazingly low compared to the NW, don’t know how it compares to Detroit 'burbs.
Yeh, my friend and cohort who convinced me to make the move is in Arlington. So I’m sure we’ll be a bit east of Memphis proper.
As for the cost of homes, it looks like we can get a little more bang for our buck out there, but these days it’s harder to compare as the values of homes all around the Detroit area have taken a huge hit from the burst housing bubble (hence us having to short-sale).
Also, can anyone weigh in on the weather? Being from Michigan, I’m used to hot, humid summers 80s-90s, brief but beautiful spring and fall, then a good 5+ months of ugly, gray, bitter cold winter.
Heh. You haven’t seen a hot summer yet. You’re going to feel like you moved to the South side of Hell by August. Summer forecast is pretty much the same, every day from mid-June to late September. High will be 95+, and it might rain in the afternoon.
Do not, under any circumstances, leave children or animals unattended in a closed vehicle in the summertime in this part of the world. Someone does that almost every year. Just to run into a store for 15 minutes. Doesn’t end well.
In a harsh winter, you may see…5-6 days of snow scattered across January and February. Sometimes there’s a lot of snow at one time…maybe 4-5 inches. Happens maybe twice a decade.
You talk funny. People will tell you that you talk funny. Get used to it.
Buy a Zoo Membership…kids will love it, and you may enjoy it, too.
Do not, under any circumstances, insult Elvis or Jerry “The King” Lawler in public. You just might get an ass kicking. Insulting Andy Kaufman is fine, and may help you win friends and influence people.
Memphian here. I live in east Memphis (but within city limits). I love it and my neighborhood is awesome. Low crime, nice neighbors, beautiful tress, and close to everything I want to see. I would advise against moving to Arlington personally, but then I just moved away from the suburbs so I guess I’m biased. It is a lot more Republican and racist out there.
The summers are extremely hot and humid. You will be miserable. We haven’t been having much in the way of winter lately. I joke that we’re moving towards a wet season and a dry season, but I’m only kinda kidding. Right now is the wet season, and it is very soggy. All the better to create the standing water for mosquito breeding!
I love this city though, and I think it’s getting better all the time. People like to talk shit about Memphis, but I don’t feel it’s a bad place to live at all. I hope you enjoy it!
Moving from Florida to Tennesse (I’m in Chatt), one of the first things I noticed is how nice the people are. I went to small diner with counter service and ordered breakfast and a cup of coffee. The older woman behind the counter that took my order handed me my coffee cup, and when I went to fill it, both pots were empty. I let her know they were out of coffee, and she responds with, “Oh hon, could you be a dear and make a pot?” I was stunned. I said sure, and walked behind the counter, filled up the carafe, found everything I needed and made a pot. Filled up my cup and went and sat down. Breakfast came and the little lady brought me a $2 “tip” for making a pot of coffee.
Another Protip: If you don’t already, learn to use “yes ma’am/sir” and “no ma’am/sir” and use it when addressing your elders. Doesn’t matter how old you are, and it goes a long way to earning respect. Even if you are a Yankee.
I love Midtown, and I really wanted to live there, but we fell in love with a house in east Memphis. Oh well.
I always wonder, when I see all the Memphis Dopers, if we know each other somehow and don’t know it, or if I’ve run into any of y’all before. We should all wear a secret sign so we’ll know. Memphis is a pretty small city, really; it always astonishes me how everyone seems to know everyone else (at least, it happens that way among my friend groups).
ETA: the ma’am and sir thing isn’t as prevalent within the city, in my experience, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Also, I don’t think the weather is much like Detroit. I’ve never been there, but it ain’t much like Chicago, so I assume it holds. It is MUCH hotter and more humid here, and the winters are nothing alike.
be sure to visit Mud Island, both the tourist part (with the Memphis Bell B17 and the elevated A-train, and the working model of the locks and dams on the Miss River) - as well as the residential side (which as it own bridge - the only way to access).
I lived there once - its all relatively new (built after a developer paid for the bridge) very high $$$ old southern style home, but you may check into the single gated apartment complex on Mud Island. As I recall it has 5 pools, and the landscaping is like paradise. Move there and enjoy downtown nightlife across the bridge, until you find a house. Go out on a dinner cruise on the Memphis Queen Line ships. And of course Beale St.
See? It’s those small things like, “Yes ma’am/sir”, “Y’all”, southern hospitality, and making fun of Elvis in public that I think will make me feel like an alien visiting another world more than the Right Wing, Tea-Party soaked suburbs.
I assumed the hot and humid summers will be as bad as I fear, but after 40 Detroit winters, I’ll take the trade-off.
Also, very much noted on which parts of town to look to live. I really need some advice there, we’re looking to rent a house (family of four), but I’m going to give Memphis itself a really good look.
Thanks all for the advice (keep it coming!) and thanks for the forum swoosh, Ellen!
Traffic in Memphis can be really bad. Just passing through to get to Nashville is a challenge. I drove to Tupelo Miss and had to get through Memphis on an entirely different set of Interstates (I-55,I-240,US-78). White knuckle time making the right exits. Traffic was just crazy heavy.
We visit often for the music on Beale Street and the fantastic barbeque in Memphis. The Memphis Botanic Garden is a must see in the Spring.
Bumper to bumper traffic is something I’m all too familiar with here in the “D”, although I’m not sure how it compares to Memphis, but during rush hour in the winter, it can take you an hour+ to drive 10 miles on the major highways like I-75, I-696, or I-94.
I was already able to sample some fantastic BBQ when I was out there in Jan. and I can’t wait to check out the places mentioned here so far.
In my personal experience (and I’ve lived here 25 years) the Elvis and ma’am and sir stuff has a basis in reality, but isn’t as bad as you are imagining. It’s mostly just for silliness. I’m not saying there’s no one like that, but it’s a minority.
As far as neighborhoods go, the eastern side of the city is wealthier, and has more amenities. Midtown is the more artsy, young area of town, but suffers from a lack of grocery stores and has a higher crime rate (although I’ve never felt unsafe there).
I don’t think the traffic is especially bad in Memphis. I found it to be MUCH worse in Nashville. And of course Atlanta is just a nightmare. If there’s construction or you’re driving during rush hour it gets bad of course, but generally it’s pretty smooth going. There are certain road you’ll want to avoid (Poplar and Union spring to mind) but that’s true in any city. In my personal opinion, there isn’t a whole lot “wrong” with Memphis that isn’t true of any other mid-size city.
And I would love to have a Memphis dopefest!
eta: forgot the other parts of town! West Memphis (there’s a city over the river in Arkansas by that name too, so it can be confusing) is downtown, which is improving, but also has a lack of grocery stores, etc. The nightlife isn’t that vibrant there, in my opinion; Midtown is where more locals go and downtown is for tourists. South Memphis is fairly run-down, and probably not what you;re looking for. If you have specific houses you are looking at and want to send me a trulia link or something via PM I can tell you my opinion of the area
Watch out for the traffic cameras at the red lights. Thats what really stressed me. I got caught on Lamar Ave (US-78). the darn light went yellow a few feet before I reached the intersection. Slam on the brakes and have everything in the car go flying or risk a ticket?
I nervously watched my mailbox for months afterward. Thankfully no ticket ever came.
You may have those cameras in Detroit and are used to them.
That was my first experience and they freaked me out. Especially on strange roads and heavy traffic. That was just more unneeded stress.
Memphis is a pretty small city, really; it always astonishes me how everyone seems to know everyone else (at least, it happens that way among my friend groups).