Living in Lakeland, TN
Lakeland, TN is a decidedly distinctive community that is seriously suburban. Just a few decades ago Lakeland was a creative entrepreneurial community of free-spirited residents who enjoyed the lifestyle and recreation around one of the larger lakes in Shelby County. Located just north of I-40 approximately ten miles east of Memphis, Lakeland was one of the few neighborhoods in the metropolitan area affording lakefront living. Many of the original homes were built in the 1960’s and 1970’s and reflect the non-traditional, independent mindset of the original owners, with ‘soft contemporary’ style homes being the best descriptive using the design language of today. In its earlier years, perhaps because of the distance from Memphis as well as the mindset of its population, Lakeland seemed a world apart, and the residents perhaps enjoyed their relative isolation.
Lakeland today retains much of that original character. However, as the Memphis population has expanded outward, making Lakeland perceptually ‘closer’, the profile of the residents and housing options has become much broader and more encompassing. Indeed, a resident who prefers luxury lakefront living on a grand scale can find a ‘resort-style’ home here complete with all the desired amenities and built to more current tastes and high quality standards. For those whose tastes and budgets are less demanding, there are also an array of more traditional neighborhoods with homes in a variety of sizes and price ranges and situated on lots of varying sizes.
Interestingly, and in contrast to most of the Memphis suburban communities, Lakeland remains primarily residential. While there are a few businesses that provide the most basic needs for day to day living, other goods and services are located a few miles away in the more heavily developed neighboring suburbs. Perhaps in decades to come that will change. Perhaps it will not. In either event, the population of Lakeland enjoys its distinctly rich and unique characteristics. Also unique in the Memphis area, the lake remains the centerpiece of this affordable, accessible community.
