Downtown Living in Memphis. (Midtown: apartments, lofts, mover)
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Im planning on moving here from Chicago and I was wondering how it was living downtown here. I walked around the whole area and have concluded that It is Very Walkable and kinda European,But that was a 2 wk trip.I wondered how it was for day to day life.
Groceries-
Deli's-
Entertainment ( I had lots of fun)
Apartments,Condos,Lofts-
Crime-
Free Activities-
Groceries- There are a few convenience stores where you can pick up last-minute items if you need to, but the only large grocery stores are Kroger & Schnucks in midtown, about 10 or 12 minutes away. The lack of a major grocery store is really the biggest downside to living downtown, in my opinion.
Deli's- There are a couple. Frank's in S. Main (at Main & Vance) is awesome, there's a Lenny's, and probably a few more.
Entertainment ( I had lots of fun) You pretty much already know this. There are endless entertainment options downtown. Most of the stuff that happens in Memphis that's worth doing is downtown.
Apartments,Condos,Lofts- Take your pick! There are a zillion.
Crime- Don't leave expensive stuff visible in your car and you'll be fine. The only crimes I ever hear about down here are car break-ins. Every incident I know of has involved either a GPS sitting on the dash or a laptop on the floor. Just use common sense.
Free Activities- There are various festivals going on all the time down here. They're mostly free. The Farmer's Market is in S. Main on Saturday mornings til 1pm and it's a lot of fun.
Lots of good opportunity downtown right now. Many great properties and much better prices than the Chicago area. Memphis has many of the same things Chicago has to offer, just on a much smaller scale. If you were here for two weeks (in a car?), you likely saw just about everything downtown has to offer. There are some great places to live; many have water views of the Mississippi, are within walking distance to the blues clubs and tourist areas of Beal st, close to the "arts" district of south Main, and near the small marina at Mud Island. Also, trolley access means you are just a few minutes from the Pinch district on north Main, and a short ride to midtown. There was talk of extending the trolley all the way to Overton Square and Overton Park, but that is still in the works.
Have you already settled on Downtown? You may want to consider midtown just a few miles east. You can find some great old homes with some of the character you are used to seeing north of downtown Chicago. Once again, Memphis is much smaller, so there aren't as many choices as Chicago. But, if you are willing to search around, you will certainly find one thing downtown Chicago no longer has to offer, an amazing home at an affordable price!
Moved to Memphis from Chicago about nine months ago and settled in the South Bluffs neighborhood here. We were in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago.
I'd echo the idea that Memphis really is nothing like Chicago, but that's not meant as an insult. There are some upsides and some downsides. The biggest difference is that people just do NOT walk here. We were used to walking everywhere we went, and when we do that here there is absolutely no one else on the streets. It's very strange and still disconcerting to me.
On the other hand, while there are not nearly as many bars, restaurants, etc., there are enough to get by and not get very bored (particularly if you pop out to Midtown instead sometimes). An odd thing to get used to here is how many thing are closed on Sundays!
The absence of a nearby grocery is definitely a pain, as is the fact that the only Walgreen's closes at 6 on weekdays!
On the positive side, as has been pointed out, your money goes muuuuuuuuch farther here. We were able to get a house twice as big, with river views, for the same price as the one we sold. It's incredible. Also, the number of outdoor festivals, parties, events, etc., while many fewer than Chicago, is very good considering they are compacted into a much smaller space. So it seems like there is always something fun going on (most of it free or at most $5), at least in the spring through the fall.
Of course I needn't tell you how much better the weather will be. Or how incredibly friendly people are.
As for crime, I haven't experienced or seen any, nor heard of anything though I'm sure there are car break-ins. I never feel unsafe even though the streets are somewhat deserted.
Downtown definitely seems on the upswing; hope you'll decide to settle here!
For those who mistakenly thought I wrote, "Memphis and Chicago are exactly the same", or that I somehow portrayed them as carbon copies, or even insinuated Memphis is a "mini-me" of Chicago, please re-read my original post for actual content and leave out your "reading between the lines". The similar offerings are stated in my original post; great places to live, water views, blues clubs and tourist areas, the "arts" district, and marina. Some others not mentioned: a history of political corruption, ethnic diversity, crappy basketball teams...
Another similarity between Chicago and Memphis is that they both have their share of haters. There will always be those people who see life through their "glass half empty" eyes. It would be futile to try and get them out of their small box they live in and out into the world around them.
Are you set on not owning a car? Just because they are expensive, almost impossible to find parking for, and pretty much useless in downtown Chicago, don't rule out owning one when you get to Memphis. Its a very driver friendly city. And, with all the money you save on your housing, you'll still have money to blow, even after paying for car expenses!
As far as walking downtown, you'll see a greater percentage of people walking for pleasure in Memphis, unlike the larger percentage of rush hour "suits" seen in Chicago. Again, this goes back to the impracticality of driving to work in Chicago, not a problem in Memphis. Also, not seeing people out in the dead of summer heat in Memphis compares to the empty snow covered sidewalks of the winter months of the "windy City". Thinking back to all those years of seriously cold winter months makes me remember why the walking distance to groceries is so important. Not to worry, Kroger is a mere 2 mile trolley ride down Madison ave. and .4 miles north to Popular ave., or a short 7 min. car ride!
So Michael Jordan and the Bulls winning a couple of NBA championships of the late 90's was a dream I had a decade ago? At least they won something, unlike the Grizz who have never even won one playoff game in the four straight years they went.
Oh, what a waste of time this will be, but here goes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by scheidhaeuser
No experienced dweller... could ever logically and rationally speak of Memphis, TN and Chicago, IL in the same or even similar light...
looking at both cities through the same 'lense' is almost offensive to an educated traveler...
This was never done; comparing each CITY as a whole. Individual similarities were compared. Re-read and fully understand the ACTUAL words I wrote, then I think you will agree that you are reading WAY too much into my original statement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scheidhaeuser
there are way too many contrasts to mention, and it seems laughable and sophomoric to attempt to do so...
Yes, MANY contrasts. But that does not equal, or even remotely suggest, ZERO comparisons. That's not rational and just plain old bad logic. If what you suggest WERE the case, that would make them exact polar opposites, and any rational person can logically see that they are not...
Quote:
Originally Posted by scheidhaeuser
I would even be hesitant to rationally compare Chicago to NYC...
If you had the ability to be rational, you could. It's a skill you should try to develop. You should probably read the definition of rationalize and fully understand it before responding... Over-opinionated self absorbed individuals without this ability are generally shunned by society.
Once again, not city to city (Chicago to NYC), but rather comparing the few similarities they have to offer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scheidhaeuser
Memphis and Chicago don't belong in the same sentence...
That's just rude. Your statement clearly shows your inability to be rational, and effectively illustrates your bias toward segregation. They can't even share the same sentence? Oh, please! Get real! Your exaggerations are completely unfounded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scheidhaeuser
...I would intuit that most educated Folks in Chicagoland would laugh themselves silly, even implying any viable comparison
That you have ANY rational intuition is what I find silly and laughable, based on your written statements. As for the opinions of the rest of the "educated Folks" in the entire Chicagoland area, I'd rather hear it from them, instead of you.
Yes, we get it. You clearly dislike Memphis, have nothing good to say about it (only yourself), and your mental capacity only allows you to "rate" the places you've been, instead of discussing the specifics in an intelligent rational manner. I first thought your distorted interpretation of the word "offer" was the root of your offensive stance toward my attempt to encourage a future resident. Its clearly much more than that. You have many other issues you need help with other than your need for a dictionary.
The original poster, willyb19, has visited here and compared Memphis with some European characteristics. Most logical people have the ability to envision the similarities; outdoor seating at some of the cafes, the amazing architecture on a few of our older buildings, the public areas of Main st, and the parks and their monuments... Sure, I can understand those comparisons. I'm not so delusional as to think Willy is suggesting that the two are exactly the same. Its called comparing the good characteristics, or "offerings", of two places.
I don't expect to change your stance. Rather, I applaud your willingness to just lay your unfounded opinions out there for everyone to see and judge, as I have done. One suggestion, use proper supporting evidence when trying to convince others your opinion matters. So far, I'm just not convinced. There are other relevant threads where we could debate the many negative aspects that Memphis has over Chicago, and vice versa. And I think there we would both be agreeing on the great majority of issues. My original intent, here in this thread, was to do two things; focus on the positives Memphis has to offer, then contrast some of those Memphis positives against some of the Chicago negatives. Why, you ask? Willyb19 is on his way here, and I would like to encourage him to experience the positives of his new chosen location. We all know there will be plenty of people here who will be willing to convince him how dreadful some aspects can be.
So Michael Jordan and the Bulls winning a couple of NBA championships of the late 90's was a dream I had a decade ago?
Yeah, that was then, this is now, unfortunately they now suck. Its hard for me to deal with, too. I wish things were better for both teams, here and back home. I was speaking more about the here and now...
As I get older, I try to stay focused living in the relevent here and now, rather than the past. But, Yes! It was indeed a glorious time! Loved and cherished by many including myself. Unfortunately, those are now just the good ol' days and now both teams are similar in that they both have been doing bad lately...
497lofts.com you might want to check them out... with all that is happening in the Pinch district... this area might be one that will see rising property values... I've been downtown over 20 years... and the fact is ... the area has the lowest crime rate in the city... yes you have to go to west memphis for a super Walmart but that is 10 min away... but them MOST things in memphis are less than 20 min from anything
welcome... I hope you come to Memphis we need you
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Downtown Living in Memphis.
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Or how incredibly friendly people are.
