There are a lot of places in midtown that would be a good fit, especially the cooper-young area, but some blocks are really nice, and others are not (it is like that all over Memphis). East Memphis is safer the further east you go, but the city schools are not good. The south main area downtown is also nice. My uncle is Buddhist and he is in cooper-young and loves it there. Overall, the Memphis area is very conservative (think bible belt, straight laced, closed minded), but there are also a lot of great open-minded people here too. There are a ton of active farmers markets, artists, local music, movies, and great food too - even for vegans. As long as you find your scene here, you will like it. It does get very humid and hot in the summer. I live in Germantown (suburb east of memphis), because I feel safe here and the schools are good. There is a TON of cool stuff to do here all over town, and the cost of living here is very low, so you get a lot for your money. If you want a great view of living in memphis, go to WWW.ILOVEMEMPHISBLOG.COM or https://www.facebook.com/ilovememphis. That would be my FIRST STOP on research, since you can get a feel for the vibe and people here on her blog.
Also some others to check out:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/memphisfarmersmarket
https://www.facebook.com/EastMemphisMoms
https://www.facebook.com/memphisparent
https://www.facebook.com/pages/City-of-Germantown-Tennessee/106596269393114
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