Posted on 06/14/2005 1:05:28 PM PDT by sandiegocouple
Hello to one and all. My wife and I are accountants in San Diego, CA and she's been offered a position with a company in Memphis, TN. We've done some initial research on probable places to live and we really like the Germantown area - the homes in our desired price range (250k-310k) seem lovely, the published statistics for the town seem right-on, and the public schools are highly-rated. Our question is: What's the political climate of the town? Thanks in advance.
Welcome to Free Republic.
Presidential politics: Germantown is in Shelby County, which voted Democratic in the last two presidential elections. According to unofficial vote totals for 2004, Bush received 157,591 votes and John Kerry received 215,810 votes.
In the November 2000 election, Shelby County supported Al Gore. Countywide, 141,756 people voted for Bush and 190,404 voted for Gore. Nader received 2,860 votes.
Welcome to Free Republic. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the stats, So Cal Rocket. The only glitch I can see is that they're county-wide, and that would mean that they would include the ballots cast in Memphis, which, as a large city and given its demograhics, would collectively vote for whomever is on the Democratic card.
Thank you; Glad to be here.
I'm writing from Germantown now. I live in Desoto County Mississippi, just below the state line. Property taxes are constantly being raised in Shelby county, so that is why I am in Desoto county. Google Olive Branch Mississippi. Desoto county went 72% Bush in the last election!
check out Desoto county MS
Here's some good news... the three closest Tennessee State Legislature House Districts to Germantown are Districts 83, 95, and 96... and all have elected Republicans.
Shelby Co is GOP terroity but we only have about 250,000 population vs Memphis 600,000 population which means Shelby Co is always listed as voting majority RAT.
Shelby Co gov't is seperate from Memphis' it has it's own mayor (RAT) and County Commission, slim 1 vote GOP majority.
We have NO INCOME TAX, which is a plus, while MS and AR have state IT's. You could choose Tipton Co which is just about 25 miles from Memphis if a drive is not a problem. Or Millington, which is 20 miles and has some nice homes from 150,000 and up (new construction). Or Fayette Co, again there is the 30 min drive to get into Memphis but property taxes are lower.
The nice shops are in Germantown, along with the biggest mall Wolf Chase.
Cost of Living is much lower in TN than where you are at of course. Conceal Carry permits are a breeze to obtain 8 hr safety course plus the fee and cost of the class..coming in at about $200 in total. It's a 4 year permit with a $50 renewal for 4 years. Car tags are about $101 if you live in the county. No inspection if you live in the county, but there is an inspection and fee if you live in Memphis.
Keep in mind that the same $$ you live on in Kali will go many times further in TN especially your housing $$'s. Utilities aren't bad either. I have to assume you are use to a 30 min drive to work given you live in Kali so a drive that length would not be a problem would it? Memphis drivers are horrible when we have winter storms...usually ice, a inch of snow and there are tons and tons of wrecks and the drivers are inexperienced as we don't get them but every couple of years.
I live in what we call "entry level Germantown" and really like it, but we moved here from central Jersey (with a 2 hour commute into NYC to boot), so go figure. Be advised, this area is not even on the same arm of the galaxy with San Diego.
Germantown is part of the Republican gerrymandered district that basically winds its way from eastern Shelby County up to Nashville along I-40. Pretty good rep. Though I don't like his politics, the Congressman for the neighboring district, which includes the rest of Shelby and almost all of Memphis, is Harold Ford, Jr., and he is one of the best in Congress at constituent representation.
Germantown's local politics is just that, local. The city council is pretty lame. A few years ago one city council member made the bizarre claim that we didn't need to widen some of our narrow streets because we were smarter than other people and knew how to drive. There has also been a recent controversy about a proposed law to ban cars parked in the driveway or garage doors left open. Not the sharpest knives in the drawer.
The schools have been good and Germantown Elementary is still excellent. Germantown Middle has been suffering through a complete clown of a principle who knows nothing about educating and even less about imposing discipline. Germantown High School is still excellent academically, but mandatory bussing is introducing a new element of violence that is a concern. My daughter has only one year left and I'm really glad we'll be out of there (hopefully) before anything really serious happens. She's heavily involved in the world class theater and TV production department. If you have children interested in a career in entertainment, either performing or behind the scenes, that alone could be a reason for having them attend GHS.
Were we moving here now I might be more likely to look at Collierville further east in Shelby County or the very northern tier of Mississippi. Amazing growth in Mississippi and the infusion of economic development from the casinos in Tunica is really astounding.
Also, do everything you can to avoid the area up north of Germantown, particularly up Germantown Parkway. Worse than any commute in CA. I know that's hard to believe, but it's true. Ugly.
Final advice. When you move here learn Poplar Avenue, because everything is somewhere in relation to Poplar. Then spend the rest of your life in Memphis learning to AVOID Poplar Avenue.
Come guys, even Dick Hackett moved to Desoto county lol.
Excellent commentary and feedback by you and "GailA." Very insightful stuff... I hope more continues to flow in from other readers.
My wife and I are originally from upstate NY (near West Point) but I was stationed out here at Camp Pendleton after joining the Marine Corps. To make a long story short, I remained in San Diego after my EAS back in '94. San Diego has changed dramtically since then. So many more people. So much more traffic. You find significant garbage alonside the freeways now, and I'm talking about big stuff like old chairs, and other misc. furniture. The schools have gotten worse. There's plenty of John Kerry stickers on car bumbers here. It's turning into Los Angeles. And through all of this, the cost-of-living has skyrocketed out of site. It's always struck me as funny how something that's in an obvious state of decline somehow manages to increase it's cost of admission and/or value...and people still line up to pay it! The only people who tend to still be "hot" on San Diego are those new to it. For those who've been here a while and can recall the way it was, well, we're basically jumping ship; this is no way to live. Enough of the rant. Again, my "thanks" goes out to those who've taken the time to comment.
You do have humidity there right? If not prepare yourself.
We had it back in upstate NY during the summers, although it really couldn't compare to the 6 months I spent as part of a Marine Detachment at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. It was 95 degrees with 90% humidity daily during the summer time in Huntsville. Germantown should be about the same, give or take.
Here in San Diego, it's pretty dry unless you're within 2 miles of the coast.
We had it back in upstate NY during the summers, although it really couldn't compare to the 6 months I spent as part of a Marine Detachment at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. It was 95 degrees with 90% humidity daily during the summer time in Huntsville. Germantown should be about the same, give or take.
Here in San Diego, it's pretty dry unless you're within 2 miles of the coast.
Memphis is a dirty city, plenty of dumping of items like you described along the road ways. This must be a thing that goes with larger cities. Millington is clean I'll say that. We have pick up of those items if you put them out on trash day. Millington is a Navy base town, still is a small town pop is about 10,000. It is set to grow because the base is getting about 1,000 new personel according to the BRAC findings.
The only sound advice I will give is DO NOT live inside the Memphis city limits, you get socked with Memphis & Shelby Co property taxes and they are WHOPPERS nearly $9 for the 2. 25% per $100 of assessed value if I remember correctly. Memphis schools are the PITS, avoid them. Shelby Co schools are better, but still not the quality of a good private school. Get a CCW permit ASAP if you intend to spend much time in Memphis, carjackings are all to common. Drive with locked doors. Regardless the cost of living is much, much lower here than any where in Kali.
If you choose AR or MS you get stuck with a 30 min drive and a State IT. If you choose one of the neighboring TN counties to Memphis you get the 30 min drive MINUS the State IT, which would mean a 3-6% increase in salary for your family depending on what you currently pay out for a state IT.
The Regional Medical Center (The Med) has a first class trauma center which the MS & AR send their critical patients to.
You will find more BUSH stickers than SKerry stickers in Germantown. GOP campaign HQ was in G'town.
Our grocery stores double coupons up to 60 cents.
When you arrive I'll be pleased to show you the best places for Barbecue, as well as a few places to avoid. For real, important, info about Memphis I'll stear you to my wife, who is truly plugged in (g).
Down through the years, I've made it a point when talking to those who aren't familiar with New York State, geographically speaking, to tell them I'm from "upstate NY" else they immediately assume anyone from NY is from NYC. What you said though with respect to me growing up in the Hudson Valley (Cornwall and New Windsor actually) is correct. Only people from NYC would actually consider that area to be "upstate." As for Westchester County, my grandfather & grandmother (now deceased) lived in Briarcliff Manor, and my former dentist, who was a family friend, practiced in your home town of Scarsdale. My mother and father are still back East, living in the lower village of Cornwall; my father continuing to practice criminal law in Newburgh to this day. Newburgh, as anyone who is familiar with Orange County knows, is a bona-fide ghetto with high crime, so business for him remains strong - LOL. As for your eldest son at OCS, I can only say that I never saw the place - I dropped out of college and enlisted in the Corps so I went down to Parris Island, South Carolina as non-rate, no-rank cannon fodder. I do, however, wish him success and the best of luck over at Quantico this summer. Personally speaking, after I got out, I immediately went back to college and got my degree, seeing how I quickly found out that it was far better to be directing the working party rather then being on it. It was a good experience and I now see the merit in having done my time pulling my fair share of sh_t detail. You never truly realize how good you had it until you have been made to live, work, and been treated like, a total dog. Hell, after that, I considered practically everything else to be positively uphill! On a more serious note, I'd like to thank you for your invitation to help my wife and me get better acquainted with the Memphis/Germantown area; when we pull into town, we'll be sure to drop you a line.
GailA, what's your take on the differences, if any, between Germantown and Collierville?
When noting Kerry's vote in Shelby County, I think it's important to note a few things
Last time I checked, there were 950,000 people in Shelby County, and 650,000 of them are in Memphis proper.
Memphis proper is 55% black, so I would assume that accounts for the bulk of the Kerry vote in that county.
Compared to what we get on the coast, Huntsville is practically Arizona (humidity wise, anyway)
Cost of homes, C'ville is smaller more urban/rural, where as G'town is more city. If you prefer smaller town living vs city living C'ville would be the better bet. Shelby Forest in Millington has lots of growth and big homes being built. Just be sure you choose an area that king willie will not be annexing as that is how he grows his tax base and delutes his crime stats. Memphis can't provide the essential services for more areas but that does not stop king willie from annexing them.
Hey! I know I'm a late-comer here, but thought you might still want some input.
We live in unincorporated Shelby County, near Collierville. Not too bad, but like they have all said, Memphis gets a lot of our tax dollars and WASTES them. And guess what? We get no vote. Except for the occasioanl letter to the editor, there is nothing we can do.
Race is an all-consuming issue here. Some city councilman is now waging an effort to re-name all the city parks named after Confederate heros or memorials.
About half the people in my upscale Collierville neighborhood are black, and I'm happy with them. On the other hand, it only takes a few self-styled "leaders" to poison the whole atmosphere, and that's exactly our situation in Memphis and Shelby County.
The violence spoken of at Germantown High School in one of the previous posts is a direct result of busing in kids whose parents don't or can't give them a good example to live by. Some of those kids will be moving to Houston High School in the next couple of years - Because the Germantown High parents pitched a fit. Houston is a good school right now. My oldest son is near graduation, and he will stay, but we've made arrangements for my youngest to go to private school, at much expense.
We are looking at moving east to Fayette County. Since our youngest will be going to private school, that's OK, but if you are depending on public school, Fayette is not the place to be.
I think you'll find that if you get in a good neighborhood in Shelby County, or even in Memphis, that there are a LOT of nice, hospitible people, but the problem is, that so many of us are so tired of putting up with all the crap, that the good neighborhoods are often disappearing.
I know most about the South and East sections of the county, which includes Germantown and Collierville. Germantown isn't bad, but be prepared for high city and county taxes, compared to surrounding areas. Collierville is the same way, but it's a little more "country". Germantown is more "city". Collierville has more farms and open space left - but not for long.
When you move, find a good group of friends and a good church, and you'll find you might be able to ignore some of the more irritating things, because you will enjoy the nice folks so much.
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