United States / Tennessee / Memphis Metro Area / Counties / Cities / Zip Codes

Review of Memphis, Tennessee

I am Black and Memphis is a Scary City. The most D
Star Rating - 12/12/2012
I am a black person and I am just going to tell everyone that you should think twice before moving to Memphis, TN. Memphis, TN is the most dangerous city I have ever lived in. I have lived in Black areas of various cities most of my life, but no city has struck fear in my heart like Memphis. The news is just crazy there. Cops finding bones and skeletons of people, drive by shootings and murders evernight. Rapes. People killing their own kids. It is unbelievable.

There is a lot of racism in Memphis and a lot of fraud. Even the ministers in Memphis are slanging drugs on the side. The councilmen and Mayor are all crooked. Lots of side deals being made in Memphis. There is an underworld in Memphis. The poverty there is incredible. People with no running water, no refrigerators, no stoves. People selling everything from what is between their legs to their "mouths" (if you know what I mean) for as little as a hamburger.

You will meet desperate people in Memphis. Very desperate. People who know no other way to make it. You will meet entire families of people who have never worked a day in their lives. The entire family living off the system. Many people in Memphis have been to prison. When I was looking for work there and interviewing the interviewers would ask "Have you ever been to Prison". No Sh!t. It was unreal. And I am a college educated black person.

Blacks distrust blacks in Memphis and whites distrust blacks. Blacks distrust blacks becuase so many poor blacks try to use them and rob them. Get close to them solely to find out what they have. If you have a job, nomatter if you are making minimum wage they will consider you "rich". No joke.

Memphis is HOOD, HOOD, HOOD... In every way. Lots of gang violence and prostitution too. Lots of Aids/Hiv.

Terrible city. Awful in fact. Even the folks going to Graceland leave saying they will never come back. Graceland is surrounded by drug addicts, etc. Most of the Memphis politicians have done time in Prison numerous times for bribery and assault and many like John Ford openly have several families they jump from house to house. As soon as they get out of prison they get re-elected.

and the rest of Tennessee is hicks. Just rednecks who hate blacks but they are afraid of Memphis and for good reason. Tennessee is a whole different ballgame.
Bp | Dallas, TX
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4 Replies

I'm sorry you had to experience that awfulness. Sounds like you got lost in the vortex of some "hood" somewhere. Like Nutbush or another terrible area.
Bca | Memphis, TN | Report Abuse
Agree 19   Disagree 6
I recently accepted a post in the medical research field , moved my family, bought a house in Germantown. I earn a high income relatively speaking. After 9 months of so, I can tell you I MADE A HUGE MISTAKE (not the job, the environment). My headhunter is arranging an interview with another hospital group in Florida. If things go well, I'm out of here as fast as the Movers can load up. This City is backward to say the minimum, and they actually like being backward. It's also like living in a time warp and living in Mississippi. Just don't consider moving to this nightmare.
Dr Jeff | Germantown, TN | Report Abuse
Agree 81   Disagree 85
I am Black and I find Memphis a wonderful place to live. I moved here from Los Angeles because both my parents are from Mississippi and my wife and I both have a lot of family in the Memphis metro area as well as South Mississippi. I went to college in California for undergrad but attended Mississippi State for graduate school. After graduating from there I knew I wanted remain in the South and pursue my career. My choices were Atlanta, Houston, and Memphis. I chose Memphis because it is on the Mississippi border so I would be close to family and Mississippi State University for SEC games. Also if you are Black and educated it is fairly easy to get a decent job because the talent pool here of Black professional is not as overpopulated as say Atlanta or Houston. I found a job with the city as a Librarian. Something I would have never got in Los Angeles because those type of jobs out there are only going hispanics and Asians as African Americans are the forgotten minority on the Westcoast. Also before moving to Memphis I returned home to Los Angeles (Long Beach to be exact) after grad school for about a year. I could hardly find work and was paying $800 a month for a studio apartment with no central air or heat, no stove just a burner, no fridge just a mini fridge, and a single sink. I left Los Angeles went back to Mississippi found a job in one week that I worked at while waiting for all of the pre employment processes with the City of Memphis to go through. Now I have a great job in the field I went to school for and pay $675 a month for two bedroom two bathroom house in predominately Black suburb of Memphis. So compared to Los Angeles Memphis has been great to me. Furthermore the crime here is way over blown. I came from Long Beach, CA right next to Compton. Yes Memphis has some rough areas but those area are no worse than what I saw growing up in Long Beach, Compton, or South Central. I know people who moved down here from Chicago and say the same thing. Also the crime is isolated to only a few areas in Memphis. East Memphis, Hickory Hill, Southwind, Germantown, Colierville, Bartlett, Desoto County Mississippi are all safe. Lastly yes there are rednecks in some places but that is just apart of south and just the way it is. It does not bother me. I have some redneck friends. In my humble opinion Memphis is a great place to live but is not for everybody.
Ra's Al Ghul | Memphis, TN | Report Abuse
Agree 109   Disagree 89
Wow..... I was getting considering to move here
Rochella | Granite City, IL | Report Abuse
Agree 1   Disagree 2
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