Is Memphis progressive? - 1/12/2007

Is there ANY place nice/safe to live IN Memphis? We're a mid 40s couple with no kids and having read all the info on Memphis, some of you write about it sounds as if it were a third world country. We know about Collierville, Bartlett, Germantown, Arlington, and Lakeland and that there "nice" but we really don't want to live in the "burbs" as we generally find it far too conformist, sterile, and boring--not to mention the cost/aggravation/stupidty of a daily "commute" to the "city". Actually we would prefer a "walkable community." We are both professionals (she is a public school secondary teacher)and we think of ourselves as "progressive" and the kind of people that NEVER shop (on principle, and thank goodness income) at Wal-Mart. We eat organic and go to see indie movies. We're telling you this so you can get a picture of what we like and the place, if any, that might be best suited for us to live. Any info would be VERY appreciated. Thank you.

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Crime in Memphis - 12/18/2006

Does anyone know whether or not the crime in Memphis is mainly an inner city problem or has it spilled into the suburbs? I know that crime can happen anywhere but I'm just trying to get a feel on whether Shelby County has a problem or Memphis proper is the main culprit.

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Discreet Racism and Lack of Employment - 10/28/2006

Memphis would not be my first choice for a city but I say the same thing about Atlanta, GA where I lived for 8 years. Unlike Atlanta, Memphis lacks the diversity and job growth, clubs and restaurants, but that is about it. Many areas look just like many areas in Atlanta. However, Memphis has a down home feel. There is a low cost of living and hey everyone, crime is everywhere. I know. I moved to Atlanta on a Wednesday from Jackson, MS and on Thursday morning I awoke to find my car window smashed and everything stolen. Needless to say, this happened several times since then while living in GA. There is a lot of racism in Memphis, however, (I can't believe I'm saying this because I am black) I can somewhat understand it. Many of the African Americans don't even try which is so puzzling. Many times I am driving to work and I pass so many just standing on the street corners or sitting on their porches. THe mentality in Memphis of many young African Americans is really bad. I know several young women that refuse to buy a home to raise their kids in (usually several) because they don't want Uncle Sam to find out about their side income and cut their welfare benefits. "Unbelievable". That is what hurts the most in Memphis, Many young blacks don't even try to work and better themselves. They are comfortable at the bottom. Their is a lot of racial tension and very few jobs which lead to a lot of crime. I hope Memphis changes for the better in the future.

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Wonder to rough draft - 10/22/2006

i've lived in louisiana all my lige. i'm COGIC.rough draft of a place that is not the worst but don't have to be the best compare to Louisiana. I need a place with a more survivable income, entertainment that is of gospel interest and national interest, and more diverse of civilized people,African American is good for that. How is the racial tension being compared from louisiana? i read in the acadiana magazine that voodoo is 2nd headquarters of that and relocating as main. i've not research that from people that have been there or live there. i want to know some ratio views if it may have migrated there during the hurricane. I do not Practice that at all. I'm just researching ratio and statiscal view of people. it seem from these posting that it's a mediocre place and has a standing to survive. me, being from louisiana --state how it may be of better standard and options. what is y'all laws like, job environments, get a basic,well mamaged apt, and the education opportunity for scholarships and financial aid?

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living in memphis - 10/9/2006

I've been a resident of Memphis for 3 years, having lived in Brooklyn NY; Madison, WI; suburban Detroit, MI; Atlanta, GA; and Fort Lauderdale FL. Memphis has it's good and bad. Mostly everything in this town is drawn along racial lines - politics, cultural events, etc. Having not experienced this kind of divisiveness before, it's very amazing to observe. I happen to live in the city of Memphis, in a very nice middle to upper-middle class neighborhood. I feel safe here, but I get a little nervous in other parts of town. The Memphis suburbs are supposedly wonderful. Memphis has it's own school system. Some of the schools are pretty good, but most are fair to poor. The County surrounding Memphis has it's own school district. Most of it's schools are exemplary. There are also numerous private schools. The cost of living in Memphis is very inexpensive. The taxes are very reasonable - sorry to my friends in Tennessee who think they are paying too much in taxes. I've paid 2 to 3 times more in Florida and Michigan. Utility costs are practically free. My monthly water bill in Florida was more than my combined electic, gas, water, sewer bill in Memphis. Tennessee does not have a state income tax. However, I strongly hate the state sales tax on food. That's ridiculous and unfair to the poor. Memphis has the same poverty rate as Detroit, but, unlike the latter, Memphis has a sizable middle and upper middle class population within the city limits. There is a lot of retail business in the city - you don't have to go to the suburbs to find discount or upscale merchants. This is also an easy city to get around. However, drivers are notoriously bad. They run red lights, drive recklessly and a lot do not carry insurance. If you bicycle ride, be careful. Sharing of the road is not the rule. Memphis would not be on my list of the 10 cities in the USA that I would like to live - not even the top 25. If schools are a major issue, I recommend living in the suburbs - COllierville, Bartlett, germantown, Arlington, Lakeland (all in TN), or Southaven, Hernando, Olive Branch (across the state line in Mississippi).

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Memphis is spiraling downard... - 10/1/2006

I live in Collierville which is nice. Unfortunately Memphis is not nice so whether you live in a safer, nicer city like Collierville does not matter as much. The crime is awful. It is not very safe to go to many places in Memphis. The racial tension is so disappointing. The mayor is a joke and a disgrace to African Americans. There seems to be a lot of investment in the downtown area which would imply a good future. I am afraid however that the gangs, crime and politics will do the city in. I will be leaving as soon as I find a good job elsewhere.

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Comfortable Living with not a lot - 8/29/2006

Living in Memphis is like living in a small town. We are a large community with lots to do, and the beautiful part is if you make around 60K-75K you can live lavishly. YOu can also live very well in the 40K range.

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Memphis Considerations - 8/28/2006

If you are thinking of relocating to Memphis consider the following: We live in a city with one of the worst crime rates in the nation, with one of the worst public school systems and where race seems to become the topic when the real issue, political, criminal or social, is about to be uncovered. With all of this Memphis feels it can govern the surrounding areas more efficiently, so it annexes them. The truth -- the tax base is erroding because the people have had enough. This had made the surrounding counties some of the fastest growing in the nation.

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climate - 8/25/2006

Very hot. Summer never ends.

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Crime - 8/24/2006

Crime is REALLY bad here. Every time you watch the news, you hear about homicides, robberies, shootings, etc. It's crazy, and it is not getting any better.

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If you are considering moving to Memphis, read thi - 7/26/2006

MEMPHIS SUCKS! There is nothing good and pure about this city anymore. I have lived here my whole life and there used to be something about it that was good and I see that no longer. Crime is HIGH here and violent crime is through the roof; there have been 100+ murders this year and it is only July. In the last four years my home has been broken into 3 times, my son's bike has been stolen twice, my patio furniture was stolen in broad daylight, my lawnmower was taken on another occasion and I live in an nice-enough neighborhood, it is not a high end neighborhood, but it is not a "bad" neighborhood either. This city is in terrible shape and I would recommend anyone re-consider if they are coming to this city because people here just don't care about the city or their surroundings anymore.

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religion - 7/17/2006

one good thing about memphis is that people here seems to give more importance in christianity, lots of churches and you can tell where most people are on sundays.

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great community! - 7/14/2006

i live in the suburbs of memphis and it is a wonderful place to live in. the neighborhoods are very beautiful and crime level is pretty low.

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Seriously research before moving to Memphis - 7/8/2006

If you are considering moving to Memphis, please give it serious thought first. Research extensively, so you know what you are getting in to. Positives:lovely place to visit, much to see and do, beautiful sunsets, low cost of living, housing is very cheap. You get a lot for your money. Decent weather, while it does get hot, it's not as humid as other places I've lived in. Winters are decent, it gets cold, but it doesn't last long. The food is great. I've made some pretty good friends here. Negatives: Crime, truly the worst I've ever seen. Almost a murder a day (o.k every other day), and I've lived all over the US - including big cities like Los Angelos, CA. Gang violence, house break-in's, car theft, etc. Political scene is pretty bad, corrupt, etc. Clearly visible divided reacial lines. The school system is the worst I've ever seen. I would recommend private school, but even then you pay for an education that you would receive in most public schools in other states. If your single I guess it's o.k, but if you are female, the quality of men here is not that great. If you have children, well like I said, research, research, research. My family and I have lived here for almost 4 yrs, at first we just thought we needed to give it time, get use to it. We still dislike it very much. Why do we stay??? Good question, I guess it is mostly our jobs. My husband works for major company here and I work for a world wide known hospital. We both absolutely LOVE our jobs and that is definitely a plus. I don't know how long this will keep us here though. If you are still considering moving here, I would move to the suburbs. Germantown, Collierville are nice, but a bit pricey. Cordova is still an o.k. area, but I dont know how long that will last. Arlington, Bartlett or Lakeland are also nice.

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Great place to relocate or retire - 6/25/2006

Tennessee has one of the lowest tax rates in the country. Memphis has the lowest cost of living of any big city in the country; has abundant aquafier water and is adjacent to some of the best remaining fertile farm land in the nation. Memphis has a symphony, opera, ballet, an NBA team, amateur and professional theatre, several major universities and colleges, and excellent hospitals. It has public transportations, good sanitation service, parks and playgrounds and a low commute time as well as some of the most affordably priced housing in the country. If you are seeking an excellent real estate agent to assist you in relocating, please call Judith Johnson with Crey-Leike Realtors at (901)603-0054 no matter if you want a downtown condo, a historic bungalow or suburban property.

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Hmmm memphis... - 6/23/2006

I have lived here for twelve years. The area is generally going downhill. Damned shame, too - because Memphis has some potentially beautiful areas in it's historic districts. Politically, the majority of active voters are low income inner city blacks, who vote strictly along lines of race (and if not race, party affiliation) - no matter how incompetent or corrupt the candidate. Elected officials, the power brokers that is, from city hall to the governor's office, represent the most self-serving bunch of nincompoops you will ever see in one place. They skirt the issues by promising the poor the world, and keeping them paranoid of anyone but a black politician. And the ones who stay elected (heaven bless them) are some of the most shrewd - but stupid - people I have ever encountered. The Ford family of politicians from Memphis, Tennessee?... well, just Google it. A more petty but singular example, W.W. Herenton, our mayor, was fired from the school superintendancy, can barely speak in complete sentences, and is on his third (or fourth?) term in the mayor's office. A few of his accomplishments: After her drug-related release from prison for cocaine possession, he appointed his girlfriend (and former head of his security detachment) as the Memphis drug czar... The mayor's office sports a desk which cost the taxpayers $10,000... The mayor and friends are under scrutiny for misappropriation of funds from Memphis Light Gas and Water... The mayor fires his police chief annually (could this have something to do with our growing crime rate?) The recently constructed Memphis Grizzlies' stadium (the FedEx forum) has come under fire because the city submitted plans to the federal government which included an on-site mass transit facility as part of its parking garage, in order to receive a federal grant. The grant was granted. The stadium was built (overbudget)without the mass transit facility. Now the feds (rightly so) want the $23 Million of grant money back. The mayor's response? "I have far too many responsibilities to be keeping track of things like this..." When recently confronted by a TV reporter with the fact that his annexations of unincorporated areas and increases in property taxes were driving people with money out of the memphis area, our mayor's response was "let them leave." You get the idea - he is an idiot. And the list goes on and on and on. A few Memphis "community" Accomplishments of note: We hav

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Memphis is great...Just not for everyone - 6/21/2006

I have lived in Memphis for 6 months and am a single, young male. There is alot to do here, and I would recommend living on Mud Island if possible. It has a very young, vibrant, almost college campus-like feel to it. Beale St. has some great bars and downtown in general is great. Memphis is, at last glance, the 18th largest city in the US based on city limit population but traffic is easy to navigate. However, if you enjoy the more trendy, white collar downtown bar scene of other southern cities (i.e. Charlotte or Atlanta) this is NOT your place. This is a city that has a distinct, blue collar, "Home of the Blues" identity. I have heard that Beale St. is comparable to Bourbon St. except cleaner, and it really is a very clean street to be so highly traveled and party-oriented. However, crime is very high here and you have to develop the ability to say no to panhandlers quickly or else you will get harassed. Watching the news is a bad idea, because it's full of crime reports and there are certainly parts of the city you just don't go. That being said, the suburban areas are essentially as "Everytown, USA" as you can get. The seasons are distinct, as the winters are cold and the summers hot but it's typically very sunny and not as humid as other areas in the south (at least not the Carolinas). The areas around Memphis (West Memphis, AR and Southaven/Olive Branch, MS) are nothing to write home about, and Memphis is basically the only thing around except for a 30 min. drive to Tunica,MS.

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Are you moving to the ghetto or what? - 6/6/2006

Homicides in Memphis for 2006 are skyrocketing to more than DOUBLE the killings that were recorded for 2005. Hopefully, it will improve. But as a born and raised Memphian, I see it increasing, as it always has. Political corruption and scandals plague the City's Administration, the Police Department, and even the electric, gas, and water company as the City's low budget has been used to give yearly raises to city officials and employees while cutting critical programs such as those used for children, libraries, schools, parks, and other educational and recreational needs. There are things to do, but you need be prepared for purse-snatchers, panhandlers, perverts, homeless wanderers, and mentally strange persons...at least within most of the city limits. Also, beware of an increased property tax in all of Shelby County, whether it be city limits or not. However, taxes and insurance are naturally higher within the limits. I have a couple of suggestions, like a previous comment made, about what are the neighborhoods to stay AWAY from and the neighborhoods which are decent. First, my list of some Memphis neighborhoods/intersections that are risky. Some may dub them ghetto. Others call them simply run-down, poor, unkept, crime-filled areas. My opinion...SAME THING! -Frayser -Midtown U of M area**(Some nice places, however your street could be good and the street next to you bad) -Orange Mound -Mphs Int'l Airport area -Hollywood St & Chelsea Ave -Raleigh (not AS bad as the others listed, but becoming poorly maintained) -Lamar Ave (between I55 and Shelby Dr) -Binghampton Good/Better Areas -Poplar Ave (closest to Germantown) -Walnut Grove Rd -Millington -Bartlett -Lakeland -Arlington -Downtown (careful with this area.) -River Oaks -Cordova -Germantown -Collierville Hope this helps

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Good and Bad, but I want to move - 6/4/2006

I've lived in Memphis since 1985, and have lived in different parts: midtown, U of M area, Cordova (before it got so congested and its crime went up) and East Memphis. In the past 21 years, I've seen good and bad changes. Good: better shopping, restaurants, bars, and race relations. Bad: crime continues to escalate and once good neighborhoods have gone down, so people are constantly moving neighborhoods unless you buy in nearby Germantown. Positives: it's very green, almost year round. (Pansies (the flowers) survive the winters here.) Housing is low compared to many cities, but it's expensive if you want to live in a safe neighborhood with a short commute. There are several higher ed. institutions that serve a range of needs: two research universities, at least three liberal arts colleges, and a few junior colleges; higher ed. enhances any community. Some great public radio stations (WEVL and WKNO), great live music of all kinds, sometimes even free. Mild winters. Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Botanic Garden, Brooks Museum, Orpheum Theatre, Tunica about an hour a way if you're into gambling or live music, Lichterman Nature Center. Road trips: Hot Springs, AR is about 3 hours away, as is Nashville. St. Louis is about 5 hours away, as is Eureka Springs. (I mention this because of a previous poster commenting that there are no good road trips nearby.) Bookstores such as Davis-Kidd and Borders, but now with Amazon, that’s not as big of a benefit as it used to be. Some truly wonderful ethnic restaurants due to different minority populations coming in. Oh, and barbecue; skip the Rendezvous and head for Corky’s. Community theater is great with several in midtown and one out East. Negatives: public schools, both county and city are a mess. I've taught in both. The county schools are a better alternative to most city schools, but they are no prize either. If I had children, they would be in private schools out of concern for safety and academic quality. Long, hot and humid summers, which makes it difficult to be outdoors and active. Obesity is a major problem here, partly, I think, because of the horrible summers. The population is for the most part, undereducated, which may be why the crime is so bad. Jobs don't pay what they should unless you're connected. It's very much a who-you-know-gets-you-the job town. It is very hard to make friends unless you're involved in a church, which I am not. Even through volunteer activities, I found

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Jobs and Crime - 5/21/2006

recently moved to Memphis,TN from IL. Love this place. The crime though is out of hand. Since I have been here there has been a murder everyday. I think that if they give these people JOBS that would cut down on the robberies/murders in this city. Most companies go back as far as 18 years of age for felonies, which I think is wrong. Some people do change. If they go to prison, that is their debt to society, they shouldn't be punished for the rest of their lives. But overall, there is so much to do here and I love it.

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