Lack of Culture and Diversity - 11/17/2019
I lived here for two years for work. I’m from the North, and I was looking forward to milder winters. Well, that is all Memphis had to offer me. Generational, systemic poverty and its ramifications are real to everyone except the ones who are enmeshed in it.

The lack of cultural diversity and activity were overwhelming. The number of locally educated adults who cannot write a coherent, grammatically-correct sentence was mind blowing. This includes teachers which explains the low-performing students. The Shelby County School District is made up mostly of teachers who were educated in the district or neighboring poor-performing school districts in Mississippi or Arkansas.

How many times did I receive correspondence from a Principal which contained incoherent jibberish? However, her written communication did match her oral communication. My children also told me stories about children fighting in class. No wonder the surrounding jurisdictions created Read More

Not for me - 10/27/2019
Didn't like it. People are not very friendly, which is surprising, since it's a Southern city. Sorta. There were signs everywhere that said "Be Nice, Or Leave". Great idea, but apparently most people never read them. LOTS of crime. Wow. Beale St's not so much. Very small. You can always go to some hotel and watch a bunch of ducks walk on a red carpet if that's your idea of entertainment. The river is right downtown, which is cool. Good music scene. Not like New Orleans, but there's live music to be heard. After you leave downtown, it's either the hood or the 'burbs. If you like BBQ, you'll like the food. Grits!  Read More

Not Home - 5/24/2019
I was brought here by a wife who left me. I stay here because of my kids. There are also many good people I have met here, but on the whole I’d rather be back in my own home state: Washington. Read More

Total Pit! - 10/8/2018
I have lived here for 2.5 gruelingly long years. It is difficult to say just how bad the city and the entire metro area is. The city is known for its crime and the recognition is well deserved. The people here lack civility. Trash is everywhere. The streets and other infrastructure are in terrible disrepair. Potholes abound and are never fixed. Our car insurance went up 300% when we moved here from a much larger urban area on the East Coast. This was due to the uninsured drivers and the amazing amount of accidents. People drive poorly here - they tailgate and speed like no other place I've lived and I have lived in big cities and small towns around the world. A member of the chamber of commerce was murdered in his car in downtown the other day. That should tell you something. I suppose St. Louis and Detroit are worse, but its kind of hard to imagine Read More

A place to call home - 10/11/2017
Greetings,

I find Memphis to be one of my top pics for a place to retire. I love the price of the homes in the area. One would not have to settle for less in this great city. The weather is good and the cost of meals, entertainment, dinning all fits in my budget. Looking over the employment salary rates are fairly reasonable and some career jobs are even higher than those of some on the east coast. I like what I see thus far but I do recommend you visit the area first before making your final decision.
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death ! - 7/27/2017
land of entitlement . no place is safe in shelby county (even the suburbs are deadly) rape, robbery, carjackings, gangs and murder have made memphis one of the top deadliest cities (per capita) in the US . this is a place where 90yr old senior citizens get beat down or sprayed with mace and robbed, yeah it's HELL ! if for some strange reason you move here, get a gun permit, its the wild west . you can become a victim or die in a NY second . Iraq is safer than memphis ! Read More

Memphis: A City of Hidden Gems - 8/30/2016
I have lived many places, from out West to the Deep South to the Northeast. I am writing from the perspective of a middle-aged white male with a family. I have now lived in East Memphis for about 5 years.

Crime: Memphis has a very bad rep because of the crime rate. When I first moved here, I was paranoid as a result. Since moving here, I have never been the victim of a crime, property or otherwise. As many others have said before me, crime tends to be localized to some rough neighborhoods, as is the case with any city.

Exercise and Outdoors For people who are active, we have several of award-winning trails and parks, including the Shelby Farms Greenline. There is a very active runner's community and a number of local triathlon clubs. Races and events are plentiful here.

Restaurants The local food scene here is outstanding. We have a great many hot-shot chefs that prepare interesting cuisine from a variety of culinary perspectives.
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Not as bad as it sounds - 7/9/2016
I can understand the criticism, but honestly, I love Memphis. It is a city with personality, the place itself and the people. Crime is worse in many other cities than it is in Memphis. Many parts of it appear old and there are buildings downtown which look run down and abandoned, so combined with the crime (which takes place mostly in poor areas, you will know which ones to avoid by the sight of them), Memphis can give a poor impression to the uninitiated.

One reason to like Memphis is that shopping and other amenities of a large city are here, but the traffic is easy, depending on the construction taking place. Getting around never feels like a chore. The crime reputation gives the impression that all people are bad, but I have found a lot of genuine, sociable people in Memphis. They are aware of the shortcomings of the city, and as so are generally not pretentious and they are self-aware, and more down to earth than most cities. I have two siblings who are very Read More

Home - 1/9/2015
Where I live is a family community with park pool and walking Read More

crime - 12/30/2014
Crime and racism is awful here. I have lived here more than 40 years and still looking forward to re-locating when I Read More