SperlingViews - Memphis, Tennessee

This review is prompted by Keith in Madison, TN who complains that TN is "retrograde" and "very Red" in politics. The problem is that Keith lives in Madison, TN, and not Memphis, TN. Memphis is a shining example of Progressive politics. We have been led by liberal Democrats since the mid 1980's in both local and national politics. In that time, our previous mayor of 16 years, who was school uperintendant for 12 years, has steered our city to some wonderful Progressive results. He raised the schools budget 1300%, and made diversity the operating benchmark in the Memphis City Schools, and then the Memphis City government. No decision was made unless it benefited minorities directly. Average ACT scores jumped from 24 to 12. H.S. graduation rates made a substantial move from 73% to 33%. Violent crime against teachers has risen 1100%. Of the over 157 schools in the City of Memphis, only 120 are listed as "troubled" and could be taken over by the State of Tennessee. And in an act of genuine magnamity designed to spread their expertise throughout Shelby County, the Memphis City School Board surrendered their charter as a school district, forcing the Shelby County Schools (in top 100 of best school systems in the U.S., avg ACT 25%, H.S. graduation rate of over 90%) to begin the process of merging the two systems. These same progressive politicians have announced plans to run for office for the Shelby County School Board so that they can transform the suburban schools into the carbon copies of their urban counterparts. The population of Memphis is changing along the same trend lines as jobs. Unemployment is improved over the years of the Great Maliase of the late 1970s to only 13%. (July 2011) Crime statistics show that Memphis has moved fron within the top 5 cities in the U.S. to just outside the top 10. (2010) The top private employer in Memphis endevours to employ all job seekers, averaging 300% employee turnover yearly. Since our current city mayor took office last year, FBI and other police agency probes into illegal and corrupt political practices has dropped substancially. However, convictions are still nearly 100%. As for culture, the previous City mayor discontinued the world class Wonders Exibitions (Cathering the Great, Ramesses the Great, Masters of Florence, Art of the Motorcycle) in favor of a more diverse cultural series, Africa in April. In this way, the 100,00 or so yearly Wonders tourists from outside Memphis wouldn't congest the streets, hotels, and resturants of Memphis. Yes indeed, Memphis is a shining example of the results of decades of Progressive politics.[read more...]

I have lived in Memphis all my life and yes it has declined but so have a lot of cities in this economy. Memphis is no more dangerous than any other major city in the US and the cost of living is still low outside of the taxes. Our utilities are cheaper than most. The cost of food and gas is cheaper. Yes we have a criminal element but so does any other major city. The two worse things about Memphis are our govt and educational system and that is major yes but can be changed. Will it? I'm hopeful but Memphis is good for those who like small town living with a hint of the big city.[read more...]

The city is 80% black despite what the Census might say. The blacks still enjoy minority affirmative action status so they have ALL the government jobs. Likewise, if you work for a living, those jobs are hard to come by because the blacks run this city. However, if you are a white collar worker from another city, you will do well here. They educational system is poor at best, so if you are an average educated person, you will excel in Memphis. There are many people who hold degrees here who are still not up to par with the rest of the country. Crime is high! Police are corrupt! City Hall is corrupt! The weather is HOT and muggy, 95 deg. with 90% humidity is normal for summer. The bottom line is that if you are black Memphis is a great place to call home. [read more...]

Hot[read more...]

It is the top ten cities to invest in real estate. It is home to the busiest cargo airport in the world, third largest railroad center in US and major shipping port for barge traffic. The city has great plan to develop into a main medical hub for USA. This is the city full of opportunities.[read more...]

ITS NOT FRIENDLY AT ALL AS PORTRAY; THE FRIENDLY SOUTH A WHO KNOWS WHO SOCIETY EVEN IF YOU ARE BORN AND RAISED HERE IF YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE CLICK OR YOUR PARENTS OR COUSIN YOU ARE LEFT IN THE COLD![read more...]

I am 31 and have lived in Memphis since I was less than a year old. My extended family lives here and I cannot find a comparable job elsewhere. Those are the ONLY reasons I still live here. It is a VERY unsafe place. There are a lot of very racist black people here. I'm sure there are many racists of all colors here, but as I am white and also the minority in this town I'm sure you see why I am not comfortable. I've done nothing to these people and neither have any of my family but I am an outsider here-one to be blamed. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this city so it can finish rotting itself out. I hate to say this as I'm raising a family here, but I don't want to give a false image of what it's like here to people who want to know.[read more...]

Memphis: the most lively and soulful place there is. Yes, it's full of crime, but it's also full of hardworking people trying to make a living. Don't judge off of reports and such. Unless you were born here and [have] lived here your whole life, you don't know Memphis.[read more...]

The worst mistake I have made in my 27 years was leaving Knoxville, Tennessee after graduating and moving to Memphis. I expected a smaller but vibrant version of Atlanta, but I was sadly mistaken. I can't blame anybody for my choosing Memphis over cities like Charlotte, Atlanta and Nashville. However, the lack of leadership in the city is quite shameful and absolutely deplorable. Now, even the nice places like Cordova's Wolfchase area is being run down. In moving to Memphis in 2006, I found a terrible job market, a ridiculous crime rate, and a lot of rude characters. The leadership of the city used divisive and racially charged politics to gain and hold on to power. Former mayor Willie Herenton should have been booted at least 10 years ago, yet he received unconditional support from people blinded by his "gift of gab". Some of his comments after his election in the late 2000's would have been condemned in any other major metropolitan: "Where were the white people when I was being criticized? White people didn't get me elected." I am a black man, and I am offended by that statement. I am deeply saddened that so many good people have to endure such poor leadership. Recently elected Mayor A.C. Wharton needs to answer this one question before Memphis sinks to the murky perils of Detroit and New Orleans: what is Memphis going to be? Will it be a crime ridden cesspool of society? Or will it be a vibrant Mecca of opportunity that I thought it was before I moved to Memphis in 2006? I have been fortunate enough to get a promotion at my job and move to a different city in 2009. I would recommend to anybody who has the opportunity to leave, do your research and make the move. To those out there who are thinking about coming to Memphis, please research the job market and crime rate and weigh your options. I believe that you will find better opportunities out there: Nashville, Little Rock, Jackson, MS, Dallas. To those who have no other choice: May God Be With You. I am not criticizing the people of Memphis. They are good people. I am criticizing the leadership of the city. The city has a ton of potential, but the leadership can't harness that potential.[read more...]

This city was once one of the cleanest and safest. But over time and with the impact of racial unrest in the 60's, Memphis is a city that is constantly struggling. Memphis longs to be a progressive city but there are many who thrive on standing in the way. The education system here has suffered, property taxes are out of hand, there is no sense of community, and people are not as nice as they used to be. It is sad to me since I grew up here.[read more...]

I was born and raised here but my parents (also natives, as have been numerous generations)moved us out west when I was 17. While sheltered mostly, I know they wanted better for us and saw how terrible things were getting back in the mid 1970s. I moved my family here in 2005, leaving behind much success in northern California as a scientist including a newly accepted prestigious training position at Stanford University Hospital. I will take that regret to my grave. I love our property just outside Memphis but cannot get even a job interview much less a minimum wage job. Even when trying to start my own organic produce business, it seems that nepotism and cronyism are the name of the game and newcomers like me are not welcome. Everything you read, sadly, is true about crime, corruption, having to know the right people, even to get into a graduate program here. We have been threatened with "go back to California" and even the mayor of our little town publicly refused to allow me to even volunteer for any community beautification committees. Then there is the issue of trying to teach chemistry at the high school level (I am also licensed to do this in CA, MS, and TN and have experience in CA). I recently tore up my high school diploma, with the honor society seal on it, and next is my birth certificate. We have used up all of our savings on just trying to pay the basic costs of living which are higher (utilities, food) than in northern California. My late parents never came back here while alive and now I know why. It absolutely breaks my heart to see how absolutely hateful, crime-ridden, ignorant, and low-life this area has become. It is like living on the Jerry Springer show every day. The last great museums, the zoo, all of the splendid things that once made this a mecca of good culture, are almost gone now. DO NOT MOVE HERE[read more...]

As a seasoned professional in the accounting and financial sector, I accepted a post here in Memphis, TN > good job, good people, etc, but the city absolutely sucks by comparison to where we have lived before > and it's not just the 'racial makeup or composition', we don't care if the people are majority 'green' or purple ! it's the bifurcation, the undereducation, some are still fighting the civil war even, while others are being 'victims' all over again. Schools are pretty bad, politics is bad, attitudes are backward. After 10 years or so, we know what we're talking about. Do yourself and your family a BIG favor, and do NOT move to Memphis, TN ! Anything is better ! Nashville, maybe Birmingham (maybe), Charlotte, Charleston, San Antonio (really, but not much), Palm Coast, some of central FL, coastal SC/NC[read more...]

A really strange place. Mild weather, torrid summers. Home of the Blues, Beale Street,and Graceland is in need of an upgrade. It has serious problems. It needs more and newer attractions. It has culture but needs more. The parks are boring. The racial divide is enormous. There is a lot of crime concentrated in the poor sections of town. Education is not used by the poor to better their lives. Young people view public assistance as a necessity. The only reason I still live here after 7 years is that we live in a suburb of Memphis. Even so it was annexed by the city so we get to pay city and county taxes. The city put in street lamps here and that's it. The city of Memphis has a new mayor now after 17 years of the same one. That in itself should tell you something. Mayors should have a term limit. After too long they think they're invincible and irreplaceable. Memphis politics has a long history of corruption, nepotism and incompetence. The county mayor has just replaced the city mayor. County politics and everything else run by the county has had a good reputation. If the new city mayor runs the city like he ran the county there is hope.[read more...]

I've lived in Portland for 39 years and recently moved to Memphis. There is no way these statistics are accurate. The crime in Portland isn't the threat it is in places like Memphis where a walk to the park can end with a rape or assult. These stats seem useless the quality of life in Portland is so much better than Memphis in so many ways. Also, East St. Louis has basically the same crime stat as Portland??? GIVE ME A BREAK! Portland is a beautiful place to live and it may have its fare share of petty crime {bike thefts and car burglaries} but in no way is it "unsafe".[read more...]

Ive lived in memphis for 34 years and watched it go from a good city to , a reverse racist, crime ridden dump. The education system in this city is awful, and now that we are having our second child, and private school is becoming too expensive, I think we are considering moving on. Its one thing to live in a city where your own mayor calls the white people "haters" and suppressive racists. Its one thing to live in a city where the crime is top in the country. Its one thing when the preachers in some of the churches, call people like me "white devils". BUT its another thing when i think about how my children are supposed to deal with it. For now , Im here. Self employed , and trying to get by. Currently , anyone looking to move here, I would highly reccomend, STAY AWAY!!!!! In the words of the great Mike Tyson, "I love this town, everyones just like me".[read more...]

Where does one start with this sensitive subject? I was born and raised in Memphis Tennessee.I went to several of the schools in that area,had many friends of both black and white,while I was raised to hate black people or at the very least consider them beneath us.As I grew up and became an adult,I realized that there is good people and bad people of all races of life and that is what we instilled in our children.But the fact is is that this part of the country has so much racial history and anger and hostility, that I do not believe that the people of Memphis,TN. and the surrounding area can or will let it go.I tried moving back there for nine months in 07 through 08, and hated it! Let me explain. Horrible roads in city and county,rude dangerous drivers,racial tension expressed by all races that I encountered,significant count of murders and other severe crimes,high cost of housing and high sales tax.The unemployment rate was also high and has increased to almost if not over 10% since then.They are considering tearing down the Liberty Bowl Stadium,The Mid-South Coliseum is closed, the Pyramid is sitting empty with money still owed on it, the Fairgrounds is closed.The Fed Ex Forum can only be used if the Memphis Tigers or Grizzlies agree to it and it does not conflict with their schedule.Memphis Chicks went to Jackson TN.and River kings are now in SouthHaven,MS.Blacks pretty much control everything due to white flight and now those areas even have a majority of black people.Not idea for an AMERICAN WHITE FAMILY!Jerry Lawler really does need to become Mayor of the city of Memphis and Shelby County and clean that place up and out!Start by eliminating black political trash and it's constitutes and followers!Documentation beats conversation, look at any area of the country where there is prodominately black people and you will find high crime and a non desirable area to live and raise a family.Let the numbers speak for themselves and the chips fall where they may!Somebody or something needs to intervene and get rid of these kind of reasons and statistics once and for all![read more...]

We have lived here for over 5 years now and can't wait to get the heck out of here! I've lived from coast to coast-Burke, VA to Monterey, CA and many places in between and I can first hand tell you this is the worst place I have ever experienced!! EVER! I would never recommend moving here! In fact, when you talk to other people living here about the city, 9 out of 10 will tell you that they too hate this town. From the politics to the crime to the weather to the HATEFUL people, this place is the worst! We now have a 20 month old son and we are trying desperately to do whatever we can to move! Husband and I have great jobs, but that's how they suck people into this city. We make more in our jobs here than we would up in many places up north and east, which is crazy! But many places of employment have to offer more money b/c not many people want to move here and rightfully so! Please think twice before relocating to Memphis! You'll thank me for it later![read more...]

So I've read some postings about Memphis on here. I'd like everyone to know that yes, we are a rough crowd. Yes, quite a few of us are under educated. And yes, a lot of us are crack heads. But hey, but who isnt these days! Some of you may have visited for a week, some of you may have been here for a while. I've been living here for 17 years so if you wanna see the good side of Memphis, hit me up! Please be prepared for the most adventerous night you've ever experienced! PS please note though, while it can be one of the most amazing cities, everyone who was born/raised/lived here over 75% of there life are begging for a chance to get out including myself!!!:)[read more...]

Memphis has its own charm. Crime can be a problem in some areas as in many cities but downtown is generally safe, particularly areas frequented by tourists. Spring here is wonderful, fall is pretty much non-existant, winters are short and mild for the most part and summer can be unbearably hot and humid. Music is a huge part of the culture here and so is food-the city smells like smoke and barbeque a good bit of the time. The greatest asset Memphis has is the Mississippi River, though it is unappreciated by some.[read more...]

Its quit difficult to find a job for any one , now a days in Memphis .[read more...]