Why do people say Whitehaven is bad? (Memphis, Chattanooga: crime rate, homes)

[Bowyer]

I had to laugh at the picture of the welcome center....right above there is a huge "Checks Cashed" billboard.

I have worked and owned businesses in Whitehaven, Elvis Presley @ S. Parkway and Winchester near Elvis Presley. I was constantly burglarized, pan-handled and had customers robbed. It may have nice areas, but I would never live there, and would steer clear if at all possible.

.02

[Cosmicstargoat]

Originally Posted by Bowyer

I had to laugh at the picture of the welcome center....right above there is a huge "Checks Cashed" billboard.

Yeah, me too. Poor Johnny. Hoisted by his own petard.

[weisenheist]

Originally Posted by (901)

Well, if someone gave me a house there I'd rent it out. I suppose we are all entitled to our on opinion though. Makes the world an intresting place

clearly you have no experience with jewish lightning...

oh well...only in Memphis....behind the curve once again

[Kabluey]

Originally Posted by (901)

Well, if someone gave me a house there I'd rent it out. I suppose we are all entitled to our on opinion though. Makes the world an intresting place

Except for optimistic opinions. Those are WRONG!! ROFL

[weisenheist]

The Most Dangerous Neighborhood in Memphis? | Cover Feature | Memphis Flyer

[Johnny Ryall]

Originally Posted by weisenheist

The Most Dangerous Neighborhood in Memphis? | Cover Feature | Memphis Flyer

That's not all of Whitehaven. This piece centers in on the Garden View area (ward 232), definitely a crime hot spot. Whitehaven is huge, with good and bad.

[Tigertate]

Originally Posted by Johnny Ryall

That's not all of Whitehaven. This piece centers in on the Garden View area, definitely a crime hot spot. Whitehaven is huge, with good and bad.

Notice the information given about apartment complexes in the article.

[BIGBANKHANK662]

People say Whitehaven is bad because they don't want to live in a black neighborhood. That is what it comes down to. Memphis is still one of if not the most segregated cities in America. Many of the people on this board and in this city automatically relate black and crime. When in actuality, crime is not a black or white thing it's a poor people thing.

Now make no mistake there are some horrible parts of Whitehaven; just like any other large section of Memphis. Anywhere that there is a concentration of poverty, there's going to be crime. Income based apartment complexes subdivisions that cater to primarily renters and section 8.

However, Whitehaven has some great neighborhoods/subdivisions. Lionsgate, Southern Heights, Twinkleton Rd, Day Estates, Banneker Estates most of these neighhborhoods have home values between a quarter million and $600,000. Do you think these neighbors are gang bangin and breaking into your F150?

Based on TCAP John P. Freeman in Whitehaven is the best k-8 optional school in the MCS. They have several Kids at Whitehaveh high scoring 30+ on ACT's.

Locationwise Whitehaven is 15 minutes from downtown and 10 minutes from Southaven/Hornlake lower price shopping.

Whitehaven does have it's problems, but if Whitehaven, as it is right now without an iota of change, were in any non segregated city there would be alot more whites there.

[Kabluey]

Originally Posted by BIGBANKHANK662

People say Whitehaven is bad because they don't want to live in a black neighborhood. That is what it comes down to. Memphis is still one of if not the most segregated cities in America. Many of the people on this board and in this city automatically relate black and crime. When in actuality, crime is not a black or white thing it's a poor people thing.

Now make no mistake there are some horrible parts of Whitehaven; just like any other large section of Memphis. Anywhere that there is a concentration of poverty, there's going to be crime. Income based apartment complexes subdivisions that cater to primarily renters and section 8.

However, Whitehaven has some great neighborhoods/subdivisions. Lionsgate, Southern Heights, Twinkleton Rd, Day Estates, Banneker Estates most of these neighhborhoods have home values between a quarter million and $600,000. Do you think these neighbors are gang bangin and breaking into your F150?

Based on TCAP John P. Freeman in Whitehaven is the best k-8 optional school in the MCS. They have several Kids at Whitehaveh high scoring 30+ on ACT's.

Locationwise Whitehaven is 15 minutes from downtown and 10 minutes from Southaven/Hornlake lower price shopping.

Whitehaven does have it's problems, but if Whitehaven, as it is right now without an iota of change, were in any non segregated city there would be alot more whites there.

Good points. I think people do rush to label an entire neighborhood or group based on certain portions of them. That said, what do you think would help spread the good behavior and minimize the spread of the criminal acts in that area? There seems to be seeds and pockets where they've been able to perhaps exert peer control in a positive way. Or do they use other methods to keep behavior in check? I'm curious because I think we'd all love to see the good parts begin to define Whitehaven more so than the bad ones, but I probably don't have the personal experience you appear to have to know how to crack down on some, and uplift and sustain others in that area.

That said, there is statistical correlation, not just in Memphis, that connects poverty, inner city with crime. And as long as it's cool to commit crimes, as long as that is a prevailing influence in attaining "street cred" it will continue. And that's something that only the communities affected can change. I doubt they will respect anyone telling them to change. It has to come from within, someone who's able to exert the influence and strength to get the respect of the street. And I believe they are out there in every community, but in some, they are fighting uphill battles, in others, there's a broad support for them to make a tangible difference.

[jayman1981]

You know this really saddens me that people really feel like this. To think because of the color of my skin, you don't want to live near me or I don't want to live near you because of your color. Senor Boogie Woogie. I find it hard to believe that in your world and in your city this may be true. It pisses me off that there are still parts of the country who continue to deal with this crazy mindset. To think that because I'm black my neighborhood is going to hell in a hand basket is discouraging. I'm African American and I understand that there are issues in the African American community that some other races don't deal with on a large scale.

But what I want to say to you Senor Boogie Woogie is to travel and understand that there are far more cities that African Americans will accept you and they are successful on many levels. It's all about education. I don't mean necessarily college but being enlighten to different aspects of life instead of just one way of life. D.C. Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Richmond are just some cities where there is a significant A.A population that is doing well. Man I hope this city can get it together as far as race relations. Maybe you all should have a big forum air out your differences in a respectful manner, shake give each other a hug and move on. This is just silly. Everybody knows the issue is there, but not enough people are doing anything to change. This can seriously stiffle a city. Sorry for my rant, I'm just so tired of this mess.

Originally Posted by Senor Boogie Woogie

Whitehaven used to be an unincorporated area south of what was Memphis. It was built after WWII into the 1960's. My old house on Boeingshire was built in 1962 (just found that out recently because it is up for sale. It went for something like 85K for a 50 year old four bedroom home.

White flight started when Memphis annexed the area around 1970. Most of the whites refused to send their kids to public schools because of bussing and integration, sending them to private or church private schools. In my neighborhood in the 1970's, I would go to one private school, a kid a block away went to another private school, the Catholic kids down the street went to Catholic school and the kid across the street from them went to the public school. Four different sets of kids going to four different schools although we lived within a stone throw of each other.

The whites got tired of paying $1000 USD (which is about $3000 USD in 2010 dollars) a year to send their runt to the third grade and pulled up stakes and left. The African Americans moved in, which sped the process of more whites leaving for Mississippi, Germantown/Collierville, or Hickory Hill, which will be annexed by Memphis in the late 1980's, starting the "white flight" process all over again.

Whitehaven mirrors a lot with Raleigh. Raleigh is basically Whitehaven north. Raleigh was also annexed by Memphis. Whites (the tax base) left. Same with Hickory Hill. Now the Memphis Monster is ruining Cordova. My parents moved to Germantown, partly because it can never be annexed. As a matter of course to anyone wanting to move here, don't live in unincorporated Shelby County because Memphis will grab you too. This means higher property taxes, a crappy school system and a general decline in life.

Section 8 is starting to ghettoize sections of the city and county I never dreamed would ever go rough. The ghetto people are getting houses for cheap defaulted housing. The taxpayers and humans see this, and again...............run away. People have been pushed so far east that they are building housing in Fayette freaking County.

We were one of the last whites out in 1981. There were a few white families living in the old 'hood up to the 1990's and beyond. Most of these people, because of economics just could not move. Some were lucky and were bought out by the city because of the expansion of the airport. My friend's family wanted this, but they lived a bit too far away.

Southland and Southbrook are still there. Southland is and always been a dump, but Southbrook still has its two anchor stores. The last time I set foot in there was in the late 1980's. I just checked and saw that they don't have a website, so there is no way of knowing what is in there or not.

Graceland is very safe, however, I would advise people not to go to any of the businesses around it, or at very least, only buy gas on 51 (Elvis Blvd.) and leave the rest be. To "out of towners" take a tour there, get there, see the ugly house and leave the area.

Brooks Rd. in the daytime is a safe area, full of what I remember as trucking and light industry area. There is a lot of prostitution and sex shops in that area that runs at or under the radar of the vice unit of the Memphis Police Dept. I would not go to Brooks to "party" unless you want VD or a bullet in the head.

Whitehaven is far from the worst area, go to North Memphis, or Southwest Memphis, or the fringes of downtown. But, there really isn't anything else to see or do in Whitehaven. If I was black, there might be certain areas of Whitehaven which would be fine to live in. I am white and do not want to live in a black neighborhood. Crime, violence and drugs are higher in African American neighborhoods. I as a white would never be accepted or wanted in their neighborhoods, and would not have a voice there.

Concerning crime and violence, if you do not find trouble, trouble will not find you. I was once mugged not far from Graceland, but I was looking for drugs and picked up the wrong dude (I was a bit insane in the 1990's, I am much, much better now.) and was robbed. A lot of murders in the city happen either between family/friends/acquaintences or over drugs or debts.

If you want to live "on the wildside", find a club in Midtown, or go to the Tunica boats.