Southaven

In the southern half of Pleasant Hill, 19th-century brick buildings sit at the corner of quiet streets, and dense forests surround homes on acre lots. To the north, on the other hand, the neighborhood feels more connected to the suburban feel of the city of Olive Branch, with retail stores and more tightly spaced housing developments. “It’s a community where you can be as involved as you want to be. You can be tight-knit or keep to yourself,” says Nannette Deshazo of Coldwell Banker, an agent who lived in Olive Branch for 18 years and continues to sell homes in the area. “It’s one of those things where a small town grew a lot but kept its small-town charm.” Because Pleasant Hill sits just south of the Tennessee border, it stays connected to the amenities of the Memphis metropolitan area, but it also maintains its own identity as a part of Olive Branch, a Mississippi city known for its high-performing schools. Because the community’s growth is affected by the growth of Memphis, most houses were built in the last 25 years, though there are a few from the 1980s and 1990s. Single-family homes are more typical across Pleasant Hill, with the exception of the Villages of Brambles, a senior community east of Getwell Road with about 100 townhouses ranging from $235,000 to $275,000. Traditional properties closest to Tennessee can sell from $220,000 to $285,000 in homeowners associations like Wedgewood Farms, but a majority of three- and four-bedroom homes in Pleasant Hill cost between $300,000 and $400,000. Houses along the eastern and southern edge of the neighborhood can include larger lot sizes, some around half an acre to an acre, and more square footage. Houses with at least 3,000 square feet start at around $415,000 and reach up to $500,000, while homes with over 5,000 square feet can range from $950,000 to $1.3 million. Some homebuyers are local to Olive Branch, but there is an influx of people moving from out of state. “Due to the school ratings of the whole county, we do have a ton of relocating people that are from Tennessee. They move from out of state to the upper Mississippi area and drive 30 minutes to work in Memphis,” Deshazo says. According to the Mississippi Department of Education, 57% of students in DeSoto County Schools participate in advanced courses, and 55% of graduating students attend post-secondary schools. Because of how many miles the neighborhood spans, students are spread across different schools within the district. Students in the north start at Pleasant Hill Elementary, which receives an A-minus grade from Niche, and transition to DeSoto Central Middle, an A-minus-graded school. From here, students can attend B-plus-graded DeSoto Central High, which has a 94% graduation rate. Students in the southern half of Pleasant Hill attend B-graded Lewisburg Primary and A-minus-graded Lewisburg Elementary before heading to Lewisburg Intermediate. From here, they can attend A-graded Lewisburg Middle and A-graded Lewisburg High, which has a 94% graduation rate and ranks as the third-best high school in Mississippi on Niche. Although Pleasant Hill balances a suburban feel in the north and a rural feel in the south, ramps to Interstate 55 and Highway 78 are within a 10-mile radius from anywhere in the neighborhood. A drive to downtown Memphis requires about a 20-mile ride north up the interstate, but the Memphis International Airport is 11 miles away. For medical care, Baptist Memorial Hospital borders the interstate to the east, only about 4 miles away. Parks and golf courses are within a 5-mile radius of homes in Pleasant Hill. Snowden Grove Park houses three major attractions along the neighborhood's western edge: a youth baseball complex, the BankPlus Amphitheater and the Field of Dreams. Across its 17 fields, the baseball complex holds tournaments and championship youth baseball games from March through October. Just across Snowden Lane, BankPlus Amphitheater keeps a schedule of concerts year-round, with artists like Mudvayne and The Smashing Pumpkins taking center stage. At the southern edge of the park, the Field of Dreams playground incorporates inclusive equipment for children with disabilities — a feature added in 2019. About 3 miles east of Snowden Grove, Wedgewood Golf Course features a public 18-hole course, and near Highway 78, Cherokee Valley Golf Club includes both a full-length driving range and a challenging 18-hole course with 11 lakes bordering its fairways. The most frequented stores in the area line Goodman Road. Centered in the northern section of Pleasant Hill are spots such as Target and Hobby Lobby. A ride 3 miles east or west leads to Walmart Supercenter and The Home Depot, and grocers such as Aldi and Kroger are sprinkled between. Because Southaven borders Pleasant Hill to the west, clothing stores at the Tanger Outlets — like the Nike Factory Store and Under Armor — are less than a 5-mile ride down Church Road. Fast-food restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Burger King are scattered throughout the community, and there are local spots like Georgia Blue, home to live music and southern favorites, and Tekila Modern Mexican, a family-owned establishment known for its sangria and tacos. As part of Olive Branch, Pleasant Hill still feels connected to the events of Old Towne, 5 miles away — especially the Christmas Parade and Independence Day Celebration. “On the day of the Christmas Parade, the whole entire town is there. If you’re in retail, you might as well hang it up that day,” Deshazo says. While FedExForum can be reached in about 20 miles via Interstate 55 in Memphis, there are entertainment venues throughout the Olive Branch area. “For concerts and entertainment, if we’re not going to go into Memphis for the FedExForum, we’re going to go in Mississippi, and it’s going to be BankPlus or Landers Center, which is indoor,” Deshazo says. BankPlus is right in Pleasant Hill, and Landers Center sits just west of Interstate 55, south of Southaven’s Tanger Outlets. Landers Center is best known for its annual events, including the Memphis Tri-State Blues Festival, which has been going on for over 20 years. Minor league professional basketball and soccer are also played there. According to the CAP Index, Pleasant Hill has a Crime Score of 1, which is lower than the national average of 4. The City of Olive Branch has its own police department that hosts educational programming, from women’s self-defense classes to children’s summer camps.