Advice for Mom w/2 Kids relocating to Midtown Memphis,TN (Central: 2013, affordable apartment)

[Bigmover878]

Hello all!

I'll be moving to Midtown Memphis,TN. Well back to it lol. I grew up there. Anywho, I'll be relocating along with my two kids, plus my brother. We are looking for a 2 bed/1 bath affordable apartment in Midtown, especially in the school districts of Idelwild, Peabody, or Snowden. Starting out our budget will be pretty tight, so Max rent couldn't top 675.00.

I've seen some apartments along the Union Ave corridor, behind the main street. Especially the ones behind Chick Fil A and behind Overton Square. Does anyone happen to know the names of those apartments and/or how much they rent for? These are just an example. Really anything in the school districts of Snowden, Peabody, and Idelwild will be fine.

Thanks in advance!

[CristenS]

If I had to pick, I would pick the Idlewild Elementary district. Idlewild is an all-optional school. Meaning every kid in it has to qualify test-wise for the program and therefore it boosts the entire school up a notch. At Peabody and Snowden, there are 2 separate programs - optional vs regular. I personally don't agree with schools like that, it creates a pretty segregated system. Plus you'd have to hope the optional program has a space for your kids, the application date is later this month.

$675 for a safe place that you'd want kids to be in is going to be hard to find, anywhere in Memphis. If you've lived in midtown, you know - there are some really bad cheap places. I don't see anything that inexpensive online. Here are some that come close, although not necessarily in the district for any of those schools:

https://memphis.craigslist.org/apa/5404026722.html

https://memphis.craigslist.org/apa/5401703781.html

https://memphis.craigslist.org/apa/5367107882.html

https://memphis.craigslist.org/apa/5409222109.html

1512 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104 | Zillow

176 Clark Pl, Memphis, TN 38104 | Zillow

31 N Evergreen, Memphis, TN 38104 - HotPads

56 N Willett Street, Memphis, TN 38104 - HotPads

2 bed, 710 sqft, $725, Memphis, TN 38104 - HotPads

2 bed, 1.0 bath, 797 sqft, $795, Memphis, TN 38104 - HotPads

[Bigmover878]

Ugh that's what I was afraid of lol. I grew up in the Snowden district, so I never knew too much about Peabody or Idelwild. It sounds like maybe the brother and I should raise our max budget by a little to get a more affordable, but safer place. We will be splitting housing expenses equally.

I agree, I was fortunate to get into the optional program at Snowden in first grade. It is very segregated. Your advice confirmed what I was thinking-Idelwild district would be better.

[dc1538]

That area of Midtown is a hot market now. a 2bed 1 bath can go for $1200. Honestly in general rent in Memphis, for a halfway decent area isn't as cheap people assume. I would say to get an apartment in a just 'ok' you're looking to start out at the low $600s for a one bedroom and mid $700s for a 2 bedroom.

For a decent to nice status apartment, you're looking at starting out at the low $700s up to around $850 for a one bedroom. For a two bedroom you're looking at low $800 and up to $1200 for a nice apartment. Plenty in the mid $850 to $950 range though.

OP you're going to struggle to find a decent 2 bedroom in that area without raising your budget significantly. Your budget is more inline with Raleigh rental rates. There are a couple of apartment complexes assigned to White Station school district in the southern part of Raleigh if you're not opposed to that. It seems that you want your kids to go to a pretty decent school.

Off topic...I went to was in Snowden's optional program in middle school. It didn't feel segregated to me. It didn't seem to really cause any tension between us and the traditional students. I think the optional program is a good program that gives some students, who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity,a more challenging learning environment. It can also give those who make it in from a lower performing a school a good reality check early on. It puts them in an environment were they won't necessarily be the top performing student(s) that they may have been at their previous school. This can help them strive to be better and make adjustment before they get a reality check in post secondary education.

[Bigmover878]

It is? Good grief a lot has changed. It looks like for decent housing, we will just have to up our budget to stay in that district.

As for Snowden, there wasn't a lot of tension. But, at the time, it seemed like the traditional kids who really deserved to be in the optional program were delayed entrance-most likely because of space. But that's the only tension I observed. I just prefer my son to be in a more all-inclusive program, like Idelwild.

But thanks for your advice! We'll just have to raise our budget to stay where we want.

[CristenS]

Is there a reason you want midtown? All of the White Station schools are fine and I don't think any of the elementaries are optional. Also the Sea Isle Elem district is okay and would have much cheaper housing. As mentioned Midtown is pretty expensive - there is a widening gap between "awesome" and "stay away" in midtown housing.

Grahamwood Elem also has a very popular optional program, and is located in a more lower income area thus would have cheaper housing. Near midtown, on Summer at Graham. But like everywhere in Memphis, usually cheap=unsafe.

Snowden and Peabody include some lower income areas, so you'd be able to get cheaper housing in those areas. Overall Idlewild's district is pretty middle to upper class (Central Gardens, Idlewild, Overton Square area).

3 bed house for $950 near Sea Isle:
1010 S White Station Rd, Memphis, TN 38117 | Zillow

3 bed house for $850 in WS district:
500 Mcdermitt Rd, Memphis, TN 38120 | Zillow

[jabogitlu]

$675 isn't gonna happen for a two bedroom. I paid $695 for a shotgun in Cooper-Young and thought I got a great deal.

No idea if this is still available, but it's probably the cheapest two bedroom you'd find in the Peabody district. Just as an example.

Midtown


Also, here's the Shelby County Schools "zone finder" (no idea why they can't just put up a GIS map of the districts ... but whatever):

Edulog WebQuery

[DubbleT]

Have they changed the optional requirements?
As far as I know you don't have to live in a zone to go to an optional program, the only thing is that students living in the school zone get first shot at whatever spaces are available IF they are qualified applicants. Living out of the schools zone is not generally a problem unless you are a last/late applicant

[CristenS]

You do not have to live in a zone to attend an optional school. You can live anywhere and apply to get into any optional school in the district as long as you are willing to drive your kid to it - but yes, I believe they do give first dibs to kids that are within the regular zone for the specific school, as well as siblings of current students. So that is one benefit of living within the zone of an optional program. Kids still have to meet the testing requirements to get in - but those are pretty low to begin with. Peabody is 60%, Grahamwood is 85%, Snowden is 70%, and Idlewild doesn't list their's in the brochure.