Cooper-Young is known for entertainment and walkability; Downtown is a hot spot for young professionals; and Central Gardens in Midtown and East Memphis are popular for couples starting a family.

Throughout Memphis, renters can find neighborhoods that suit their lifestyle and needs.

Downtown is becoming a higher-density area for apartments, businesses and entertainment with the increasing pipeline of new developments, such as 100 N. Main, The Oliver apartments and the Sterick Building.

Memphis rent market finding balance after COVID hike

Central Gardens and White Station/East Memphis provide a suburban feeling, with more houses than apartments. Cooper-Young combines Downtown and suburban, with a mix of houses and duplexes for rent and a steady mix of retail and other businesses. 

“We have a lot of local developers that understand the market, know where to build and where that demand is needed and wanted,” said Jeremy Chism, CBRE vice president of multi-family investment properties.

He said there are pros and cons in each “bubble,” or neighborhood, but based on CBRE occupancy data, he hasn’t noticed any big jumps in occupancy in any particular neighborhood. 

Cooper-Young 

The historic Midtown district of Cooper-Young has a variety of local shops and restaurants that can attract younger residents to the area for its arts and culture. 

Nina Vongchampa, who lived in Cooper-Young in her 20s with her partner, said the area is “hip” and perfect for a young adult lifestyle. 

“This is a good spot for people our age who are a little bit more open to things,” Vongchampa said. “We didn’t have kids at the time; neither of us had partners. That was our time to live our best life but also not be like Downtown in the middle of danger.” 

Do renters need roommates to afford Memphis apartment rates?

Rebecca Yarbrough said her favorite place during the past six years has been Cooper-Young due to its convenience and walkability. 

“I work in Midtown, so I want to be able to be close to where I work,” Yabrough said. “If I’m craving something and it’s late at night, I have so many restaurants that are right there.” 

She said she’s enjoyed living in other areas, but this one felt safest while still enjoying the “vibe of living in Memphis.” 

Tamara Cook with the Cooper-Young Business Administration said the area also caters to families and those looking for a friend. 

“There’s a real family attitude around here,” Cook said. “It’s the place to be, to party, to visit, to live. Nobody’s ever not found a friend in Cooper-Young.” 

What to Order: Breakfast Sushi — and more — at Kitchen Laurel

She said plenty of businesses are in the area for children, such as the Cooper Cottage Child Enrichment Center and Just For Little People Learning Center. She also said there are places to take your pets: Dogs Rule Daycare and School, Memphis Animal Clinic and Central Animal Hospital. 

For those worried about crime, Cook said crime in the area had been cut in half since last year after 44 businesses banded together to hire security patrol on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. 

“We barely have any crime,” Cook said. “The first six months last year, we had 90 incidents, and they were mostly car theft and breaking into cars, but this year, there was only 45,” based on published reports. 

Cook said the neighborhood bands together to “fight different things that can’t be tolerated” — and she doesn’t just mean crime, but also trash clean-up and helping stray dogs.

The market rental rate for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Cooper-Young ranges from $1,200 to $1,500, depending on size and location. 

New spot to get juice squeezes into Cooper-Young

But there aren’t that many apartments. 

Madison Lofts Developer Taylor Caruthers plans to build two apartment buildings on Cooper-Young sometime this year, both with ground-floor retail. 

Caruthers said he wanted to build along Cooper-Young since there is a high demand for apartments in that area.

He said that the Cooper-Young apartments would be offered at market rates. His Madison Lofts apartments cost $1,900 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit and $1,500 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit.

Another apartment complex coming to the area is The Cooper, a recent development announced by Carlisle Development Corp., which includes 250 multi-family units and 27-unit townhomes. 

“We think it’s a prime piece of real estate in the heart of Midtown,” CEO Chance Carlisle said previously. “We think it’s a highly desirable area to live.” 

The Cooper will be the first multi-family apartment Carlisle built outside Downtown, where he built The Oliver and The Landing Residences. The Oliver has a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment starting at $1,780, and The Landing’s starts at $1,650. 

Plans released for former Central Yards site

Downtown Memphis — South and Central District

Downtown is at the heart of many entertainment, sports, arts, music and more, with South Main Street’s nightlife and retail opportunities, historic Beale Street and sports arenas FedExForum and AutoZone Park. 

It is also home to many company headquarters, making it easy for residents to travel to work. 

However, Downtown only has small grocery stores, such as Southpoint Grocery Store and City Market on South Main, and parking is a challenge. 

Although Downtown touts a variety of apartment complexes, it also has houses and townhomes, often in the same price range. 

A two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment at Fielder’s Square on South Fourth Street is $1,800 per month, while a two-bedroom, three-bathroom townhome at South Bluffs on the south end of Downtown is $1,999 monthly.

St. Jude purchases Intrator property in Pinch District

Aidan Sutcliffe said when he saves enough money, he would prefer to live Downtown, close to his job as a barista at Arrive Hotel. 

Sutcliffe said South Main's proximity to work and walkability would make it a great place for him and his friends to hang out. 

White Station/East Memphis

White Station is a suburbanesque neighborhood bordered by Memorial Park Cemetery, South White Station Road and Poplar Avenue.

Crossing over part of Poplar Avenue, the neighborhood residents have quick access to many restaurants, shops, retail, coffee and entertainment venues, such as Memphis Escape Rooms and Malco Paradiso movie theater. 

The neighborhood offers a few apartment complexes on the borders, like 240 Flats and Century Apartments, where the market rate is $1,100 to $1,300 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. 

What to Order: Southern Hands’ veggies, pork chops and cornbread

However, most available are houses and townhomes for sale or rent. According to different listings on apartment websites, the average rental rate for a three-bedroom house is about $2,200. 

Public schools include White Station Elementary, Middle and High. There are many options for elementary schools, including Richland and Shady Grove. 

The neighborhood is also home to the Margolin Hebrew Academy and Young Israel of Memphis. 

Central Gardens 

Midtown’s historic Central Gardens, bordered by Union Avenue, South Cleveland Street, the railroad tracks and South Rembert Street, has more than 1,350 residences and churches on the National Historic Register. 

The neighborhood has quick access to Union Avenue, where Kroger, The Home Depot and other retail spots are across the road. It's also a short drive to the Memphis Zoo, the Brooks Museum of Art, Simmons Bank Liberty Bowl Stadium and more. 

Independence Day celebrations bring Memphis community together

Inside its borders are houses, cluster homes and a couple of apartment complexes, including Bonsai at Central Gardens and Central Gardens Apartments. 

Bonsai at Central Gardens is a newer apartment complex offering one-bedroom, one-bathroom units for $1,350 monthly. Central Gardens Apartments, built in 1963, has a one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit between $775 and $875. 

Kathy Ferguson, a member of the Central Gardens Association, has lived in the neighborhood for 16 years. She was first attracted to the historic homes. 

“When you walk into a home that is 120 years old, and it’s got all of the ornate and original, unpainted, beautiful millwork and stained glass and hardwood floors,” Ferguson said. “People are taken aback by how beautiful these historic homes are and how well they’ve been maintained.” 

A key characteristic of most homes is their front porches, which she said deems Central Gardens a “front-porch neighborhood." 

“We have all these great porches,” Ferguson said. “If people hear you out on the porch, they stop by and say hello while walking their dogs. It’s very, very neighbor-friendly.”

Central Gardens tour gives visitors a glimpse inside historic homes

She said the neighborhood association contributes to the beautification of Central Gardens, hosts events and maintains the level three Arboretum, creating a canopy of more than 100 species of trees. 

“There is an overwhelming sense of community here,” Ferguson said. “I think that’s why it’s hard to extract people out of Central Gardens.” 

Ferguson describes Central Gardens as a family neighborhood, a great place for raising kids.

“I love the social aspect of (the neighborhood), kids playing in the front yard, people walking their dogs in the mornings and evenings,” Ferguson said. 

The schools the neighborhood is zoned for are Central High School, Bellevue Middle, Idlewild Elementary, Bruce Elementary, Peabody Elementary and the private Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School. 

As Memphis flips on LEDs, residents really see the light

For crime, Ferguson said it’s not anything abnormal compared to what most Memphis neighborhoods experience. However, she said they have a security patrol that has helped curb some low-level crimes. 

“It’s not nonexistent, and Central Gardens would be naive to say that,” Ferguson said. “We do have the occasional cars being broken into and things being stolen, but it’s not more than any other community that you would find in the middle of a city.” 

She said all neighbors need to do is lock their cars, move items out of view and keep an eye out for suspicious activity. At the end of the day, she said, Central Gardens is a great place to live. 

“You kind of get that suburban feeling without being out in the suburbs,” Ferguson said. “People like to stay here,” Ferguson said. “You kind of get that suburban feeling without being out in the suburbs.”