A Tennessee Community On The Edge Of Memphis' Metro Is Family-Friendly And Full Of Rural Charm

If you're looking for a peaceful, country lifestyle without giving up the conveniences of a major city, you can find it just outside Memphis. The community of Eads is a place with a different pace of life, where you'll discover a quiet, semi-rural setting. The area's appearance comes from its fairly spacious properties, with sprawling estates and custom-built homes on large, private lots that are often one to five acres or more. These homes are usually surrounded by beautiful trees and natural areas, adding to the area's rural atmosphere. Eads is about 29 miles from downtown Memphis, which will take about 40 minutes driving, so you're never too far from the metro center of this part of Tennessee.

The area is a great fit if you're looking for a family-friendly place that blends community living with easy access to everything you need. You'll find the open space and privacy people look for are built right into the area's layout. Instead of seeing a dense suburban grid, you'll see a neighborhood where a home feels like its own separate world, away from the main attractions of Memphis. Since Eads is set up like this, you'll notice that you might depend on your car a tad more to get to the nearby towns of Collierville, Arlington, and Germantown for most shopping at places like Carriage Crossing and Wolfchase Galleria, as well as eating and entertainment, like catching a show at the Orpheum Theatre or Playhouse on the Square. This trade-off is a key part of the Eads lifestyle, giving the community a peaceful, residential, and quiet vibe.

You'll also find plenty to do around Eads. You can head over to Herb Parsons Lake, which is a 177-acre stocked lake that's a great spot for a day of fishing. You can also check out the Wolf River Wildlife Management Area for some kayaking, hiking, and woodsy scenery. Since you're a short drive from some of the top family attractions in the Memphis area, you can take the family to the Memphis Zoo. When you're there, be ready to see over 3,500 animals for around $25.95 for adults and $20.95 for children between ages two to 11 years old. You can also spend a day at the Children's Museum of Memphis, which has fun, interactive exhibits, an old-timey carousel, and a seasonal water park. You can also check out Tennessee's "Vertical Urban Village," which is a vibrant, artsy Memphis neighborhood that's about 30 minutes away.

If you're interested in the area's history, you can visit the Davies Manor Historic Site in the nearby Bartlett neighborhood. It's one of Shelby County's oldest homes that's open to the public, with designs from the early 1800s. You can tour the period-furnished home, check out the outbuildings, and see exhibits on the property's past. If you're looking for some more types of family fun, you can head to the Putt-Putt Golf and Games family park or the indoor trampoline park, Jumping World Memphis, both in the wider Memphis area. You'll also find beautiful parks in the towns next door, like the International Harvester Managerial Park in Lakeland, which has a fishing lake and nearly 3 miles of trails. For free, head over to Mud Island River Park, which is Tennessee's overlooked park that offers scenic walks with Memphis skyline views.

When you get hungry, you'll find the dining scene in Eads is limited, which fits its quiet, residential vibe. You can grab a slice at Milano's Pizza or a bite from the deli inside the Hickory Center Market & Cafe convenience store, which is attached to the Shell gas station. You can also stop at the Cairo Gyro food truck off of U.S. Route 64. For a bigger selection, you'll want to head to the nearby towns of Arlington, Collierville, Germantown, and Cooper-Young, which is a trendy neighborhood in Memphis with artsy vibes, cuisine, and culture. These places have a ton of options, from Asian, like Pho Boba Tea, Mediterranean to Mexican, and classic American barbecue. If you're looking for a coffee fix, Ethnos Coffee Roasters and Belltower Coffee in Arlington, and Café Eclectic in Memphis are two great local spots.

From what we could find online, there appears to be no large chain hotels directly in Eads. The main place to stay inside the neighborhood is the Tennessee Modern Manor, which is a higher-end, estate house. When you stay there, you'll feel like you're at a retreat, with an outdoor pool, private pools that are included with some rooms, and kitchens for a homestyle feel. If you're looking for a more standard hotel stay, you'll find plenty of options in the nearby suburbs. In Collierville and Germantown, you can check into classics like the Fairfield Inn & Suites Memphis Collierville or the Hyatt Place Memphis/Germantown. If a boutique hotel is more your style, you can head to downtown Memphis and stay at places like the chic Hu. Hotel that has a rooftop bar and views of the Mississippi River, or The Central Station Memphis, which is a cool spot inside a converted art deco train station.