For triathlons check out this website: (http://www.usat-se.org/regionalClubs.php). We are members of Memphis Thunder (lots of good clubs). Also good biking clubs and routes. Dog parks: Shelby Farms (5000 acres one of the largest urban parks in the U.S. (also good single track). Outdoor stores: Outdoor Inc (3 stores) already mentioned (no REI ). Downtown life: Collierville has a small friendly atmosphere. In the summer the square as live band once a week. Downtown Mempho has Beal St. that's about it, but a lot of 5k's are run downtown and in Harbor Town-- good time . Hiking: Shelby Forest, Shelby Farms and Herb Parson Park come to mind. Easy travel to the Smokies and Ozarks for more adventure. But Mempho summers s*ck. Hot and Humid. This thread as a lot of pros and cons about moving to Mempho. PM me for more specifics .

Cheers

 

There are several bike stores in the MEM area and each one sponsors a road racing team for USCF club type racing. RB's is a high end, performance oriented place, you'll certainly find triathletes hanging out there.

Outdoors Inc. is the one place to go for other types of gear, but be prepared to pay thru the nose. They have a lock on the market for most types of outdoor gear, and charge accordingly. Many in this area grudgingly support them, as they put on several races and other events in this area.

Shelby Farms has a "dog friendly" area where owners are allowed to let them run off leash. It also has a good selection of trails for Mtn. biking or trail running, if you are into that. IMO, Shelby Farms is one of the really cool things about this city.

This city is not pedestrian freindly, nor is it cyclist friendly. If you do a search on this board for other threads about QOL in MEM, you will find that Memphis drivers have quite a reputation for dangerous driving. If you add to that a generally poor, under-educated population, it means that if you get into an accident, there is a strong possibility the other driver is un-insured.

Fine dining can be found in this city, outside of BBQ. Since International Paper moved here in the '90's the city has made some strides to become more cosmopolitan.

If you like professional sports, we do have a AAA baseball team here and a relatively new park for them to play in, downtown. They are affiliated with the Cardinals, and the pitcher that threw the last strike of last year's world series had played here previously. We also have the NBA, in the form of the Grizzlies, but they are up for sale and in serious turmoil this year.

If you are used to East Coast living, you may find Memphis wanting. Howevever, if you can overlook a few things, then a decent way of life is possible here. It will definitely be cheaper than a lot of other places.

If you like, send me a PM and I can give you some leads to the cycling groups around here.

 

In Mempho yes, but muddy. Best crystal clear water 3 hours west in AR. Heber Springs. Or Pickwick lake out east 70 miles. Heber is much better.

 

Yes, Patriot Lake at Shelby Farms is right in the center of the city. I often do kayaking workouts there before going to work. It's muddy, but you cant beat the ease of access. If you are into kayaking, there is a very active group of paddlers here. If you are into power boating, Heber and Pickwick are where most people end up doing that. Of course, the Might Mississippi River also offers some recreational opportunities.

 

Just some helpful links


Memphis Hightailers

Memphis Mountaineers

Memphis Runners

Outdoors Inc

Collierville

Heber Springs

Tishomingo State Park, MS

Memphis Resturant assn.

 

Hey C152

Do you have info for the paddling groups in Shelby Farms? Thanks!

 

I live Downtown, and see a lot of kayaks on the Mississippi and wolf River harbor.

http://www.bluffcitycanoeclub.org/

 

There are two paddling groups here, The Bluff City Canoe Club and Memphis Whitewater. From April to September, the Memphis Whitewater group plays kayak polo on Tuesday evenings, after work at Patriot Lake. We try to make it beginner friendly, so everyone is welcome. There are also a handfull of us that do kayaking workouts at Patriot, as well. Some of the same folks paddle the Mississippi pretty regularly.
http://memphiswhitewater.com/

I dont know much about Bluff City, but you can check them out here:
http://www.bluffcitycanoeclub.org/

 

Collierville has low crime and wonderful schools, great small community. There is a new area www.springcreekranch.org that is being built in Collierville reserve. It is on the Spring Creek Golf course. Neighborhood will have pool and tennis court.

 

I just moved from Southaven MS 2 months ago so heres my 2 cents.
There are a few lakes for recreation...Sardis is the good for boating/jet skiing even bass fishing. Arkabutla for fishing mostly. They put a sportsmans warehouse in Southaven which is nice or a Bass Pro shop in Memphis if you like. Desoto county is nice but growing very fast. That bad thing is (and i'm not sure if it was mentioned or anyone cares) but tags for your car or truck are ridiculous in that county. i bought a new truck in 05 and paid $780 for tags the first year and then $740 last year. Other than the heat its not a bad place to live.