Possible Relocation to TN

[+Wolf Grrl]

Hi there,

 

I'm a cacher from California. My husband and I have been kicking around the idea of relocating to Memphis area of TN (his work is HQ'd there). We're not sure. We don't know if it would be the right place for us. If we do it might happen within 5 years. Can anyone share positive/negative aspects of TN? Any information/suggestions/opinions is welcomed and appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Wolf Grrl

[+Spencersb]

Memphis. Hmmmm. Called it home most of my life. The city itself is fine, and the caching is good, lots of variety and some great people. IMHO, the city government is a disaster. Most suburbs are pretty good, though. Arlington, to the east along I-40, may be the nicest place I've ever lived. Depending on where you are in CA, you'll find real estate prices compare VERY favorably!

 

You can get some more opinions in the West TN forums at Gowt.org. Good luck with the move!

[+Trucker Lee]

Nice thing about that area is the diversity, I miss not traveling through there like I used to.

 

As far as living there, check the various tax rates and costs of living not just in Tennessee, but also Mississippi and Arkansas. This would greatly open your housing opportunities as both are very short distances. Memphis, like all other cities of any size, does have some traffic problems to keep in mind.

 

Climate will vary from cold and icy a couple times each winter to sticky humid and hot as Hades for most of the summer. You won't get any ocean breezes there! Plenty of recreational opportunites nearby, but a considerable bit of travel is required to see any snow if you ski. Graceland, Elvis Presley's home, is on the south side, Beall St for the blues music, is near downtown. If you have children or work in the medical field, St Judes is on I-40 just a mile from the Mississippi River.

 

Basically, Memphis is like any other town in America, there is something there for everyone. You may just have to look a bit harder.

[+Rick618]

One of the nick names is Mogadishu on the Mississippi. There are some bad spots in Memphis it self. I get through there several times a year.

 

I've seen it change a lot. Sleepy little towns like Collierville, Olivebranch, and Germantown have experienced huge growth with the typical traffic mess. Lots of commute communities in the surrounding areas.

I find it a nice place to visit with lots of good places to eat, things to do and see but, not a place that I would choose to live. Big city life and the associated problems just aren't for me.

 

It would be worth taking a weekend or several day trip to make your own opinion. There are casinos about 30 minutes south in Tunica, MS that would be a good place to base from.

[+Wolf Grrl]

BIG THANKS to you all for replying! I really appreciate it. Unfortunetly it's not a weekend trip from Cali but maybe some day we can make it out there. My husband (The Hubby~caching name) has been there but he only went as far as Beale Street. Being a huge BB King fan he was in heaven.

 

We're not big city people. We grew up in the Bay Area and if you know Cali you know it as either San Francisco or San Jose both big cities. We grew up in surrounding suburbans. We moved to the Central Valley to a small town of 21,000. I know, sounds big but compared to where we lived this is small farming country. Everything is spread out here. Our daughter (Super Grrl) doesn't want us to move. She didn't want us to move out here to the Central Valley. However, the thought of my husband making more money or staying the same and cheaper mortgage has peaked our interest. I'm hesitant because I am a 100% Native Cali girl. I love the weather here and the beaches are within 2 hours. There I'm land-locked. We're campers/hikers/cyclists. However all my years here I've never run into a rattler. There the rattlers are more common and more venemous, right? I'm a big chicken, I know!

 

I just really appreciate the replies! Maybe I will see you all out there some time.

 

Wolf Grrl

[miles_vagar]

Memphis is made awesome by the presence of Prince Mongo. He runs for mayor every year, and sadly he's not elected. He claims he's from a different planet, and I think that's part of the reason. Racism in the South extends even to the royalty of other planets. Tragic.

[+Trucker Lee]

Rattlers in Memphis would be no problem. That is more the range of the Copperheads (fallen leafs in wooded areas) and Cottonmouth (near still water, ponds and sloughs). Not knowing your husband's employer, it would be hard to say which area you would prefer. Nor could we guess how far he would want to commute, but east and south are my favorite directions from there. Unfortunately, also the most congested.

[+cgrunrun]

From a native Tennesseean: I have worked in Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. Memphis gives me the creeps. The people I worked with were great, but that's a place where I'm content to stay on I-40 and keep on driving. Couldn't give you lots of specifics, just a gut feeling. I've lived in CA also- Monterey area. Huge difference between there and Tn. Would recommend, before you make a permanent move, that he try to just get a temporary transfer. Nothing like relocating and wishing you hadn't.

[+Cav Scout]

I live in Lexington Kentucky,but I do frequent the TN area often.

 

So here goes,

 

You will love TN if you,

 

Are a cyclist

Love to geocache

Like finding earth caches

You hike and camp

Like Elvis

Like courteous folks

Like mountains

Like low cost of living

 

The list can go on and on

[+DavidMac]

I live in Lexington Kentucky,but I do frequent the TN area often.

 

So here goes,

 

You will love TN if you,

 

Like mountains

 

 

Yes, but not if you live in Memphis If you think Kansas is flat, drive across the river into Arkansas to the Mississippi River delta. I agree with all your other points, though. Especially the earthcaches. Taxes are pretty good, too.

[+PrincessBTigress]

I live just north of Nashville. I've lived in 5 different states moved around 20 times (I'm currently 24) but Tennessee is definatly the place I've spent the most amount of time in. (My husband was born and raised in Tennessee also, he has vacationed many places but never lived outside of TN)

I love my current town, I really love the eastern side of Tn, beautiful areas.

Chattanooga has great vacationing but no jobs, Nashville not much tourist stuff (other than buildings) but more jobs than Chattanooga.

 

Now for Memphis, eck... I go there Labor day weekend every year since 2005 for a convention I work for (working on a charity auction that benifits a no kill big cat shelter out near Knoxville) If the convention was not held there in Memphis near the airport I would never go to Memphis, ever.

Some friends from Baton Rouge, Luisiana came up for the convention, their neighborhood in LA is pretty bad, lots of crime yet they were shocked at Memphis. After the convention they drove up here to stay with us a couple days then looked for a different way of returning because they did not even want to have to drive through Memphis.

There are many stories of theft, breaking and entering, attacks, etc that happened in Memphis durring the convention. Many attendies refuse to leave the motel out of fear of the town.

Last year a buddy hurt his knee and had to be rushed to the hospital (do not get me started on how horrible the hospital was!!) while waiting for his release my husband, another friend and I were standing outside, keep in mind I am a 5ft 11, heavy girl, many have been afraid of me just because of how I look, the friend with us was substantially taller and heavier than me yet multiple hospital workers and even the cops told us it is not safe to be outside at night! The tree of us stayed together at all times, right outside a waiting room window in view of many yet natives still said it was dangerous to our living abilities to be outside at night.

 

Try settling a bit more east, it gets prettier the farther you go and you're still within driving distance to the company base if needed to go there.

[zorakk]

I know you say that you were looking to relocate to Memphis and this is kinda off topic ,but if you have any choice then middle or east TN. would be the place to be.I have lived here my entire life.I have only been a few other places but i think one would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful place to call home.The winters here are just long enough to make you long for springtime.I agree with the general opinion about Memphis being rough.I have a lot of friends and coworkers and even my wife who came from up north and none of them want to go back.You would just have to get used to us rednecks.