Memphis is great...Just not for everyone
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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.
Daniel | Greenville, SC