Moving to Memphis-Arlington (Midtown: to live, club, bars)

[Pearlbob]

People complain so much about the crime here, but compared to other urban cities, it's not THAT much worse. I think people exaggerate a bit or blow it out of proportion, not necessarily intentionally though.

The black/white issue is pretty in your face here. Black and white people just don't mix for the most part. I don't know why (well, I do i guess, but I don't know why Memphis hasn't moved past these problems like other southern cities....) It takes time to get used to, and even then, I will never get used to it. I have my own opinions of the problems, but I'll keep those to myself.

[strumpeace]

Southwest flies out of Little Rock, which is only a two-hour drive. Sometimes, it's worth driving over there for the reduced fares. We do have a new discount airline here called Frontier. The rates are competitive with Southwest, though the destinations are more limited.

[AnnPedi614]

Originally Posted by Pearlbob

People complain so much about the crime here, but compared to other urban cities, it's not THAT much worse. I think people exaggerate a bit or blow it out of proportion, not necessarily intentionally though.

The black/white issue is pretty in your face here. Black and white people just don't mix for the most part. I don't know why (well, I do i guess, but I don't know why Memphis hasn't moved past these problems like other southern cities....) It takes time to get used to, and even then, I will never get used to it. I have my own opinions of the problems, but I'll keep those to myself.

Nowwhy would you keep your opinions to yourself? I have read a bit on these boards, one poster even calling Memphis Memphrica, which gives me an idea of what the problems are. I have heard areas of town referred to as DARK etc. It blows my mind!!!

[AnnPedi614]

Originally Posted by strumpeace

Southwest flies out of Little Rock, which is only a two-hour drive. Sometimes, it's worth driving over there for the reduced fares. We do have a new discount airline here called Frontier. The rates are competitive with Southwest, though the destinations are more limited.

Frontier flies nonstop to Vegas from Memphis so that makes me happy. Getting back home to Boston will be a challenge though.

[Pearlbob]

A lot of people talk like that here, yes. And really....although it is of course racist in a way, black people talk like that too. It's not just white people. Memphis is 60% black or more, so "urban slang" is used here a lot.

Saying that "Orange Mound is a pretty dark area of town" I personally don't feel is overtly racist. It's sort of like rap songs having the N-word in them...is that racist? Not really, it's just how people talk. Memphis is not an upscale, educated, cultured city. So the slang used reflects that.

I have heard hundreds of black people refer to Memphis as "Memfrica." And "Blackhaven" (Whitehaven) is something I hear on the rap radio stations all the time. It's just slang.

[tigergal]

Villa Castrioti in Cordova has excellent authentic Italian food. It's in a shopping center at Trinity and Germantown Pkwy, but don't let that fool you. The food and service are wonderful. Much better Italian than you'd get at Olive Garden or Macaroni. Brooklyn Bridge at Kirby and Poplar is also really good (and family-owned). And I'll always second any positive comment about Colettas.

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by Pearlbob

Oh come on!!! Living in Arlington because you want a big yard for your dog to play in and a non-violent education for your children means you are abondoning the poor people in the inner city? Do you live in Orange Mound? Hollywood? I mean, seriously. We're not all martars here. "Sorry kids, you're going to have to skip college because I ethically need to donate all your college fund to the homeless."

How much money has Bill Gates donated to AIDS programs all over the world? Is that not good enough, he needs to move down to Compton or East St. Louis in order to prove himself as a humanitarian?


I don't think anyone needs to "keep their mouth shut" just because they live in a suburb and don't worship the Bush family and go to southern baptist church 8 times a week. If we live in a society where people are not allowed to express an ounce of "liberal" opinion to their neighbors, then this isn't the USA anymore. And I highly doubt the OP meant that she's going to go around to all her neighbors preaching liberal values and forcing them on people.

I just think you should practice what you preach. In Midtown, you can still easiy have a good sized house in a safe area with a yard big enough for some dogs. Yet you will be living in a mixed income community where you can contribute to far more local businesses instead of those owned by huge corporations that are responsible for hundreds if not thousands of closures of local businesses. The business are much closer together, so less gas is used getting to them. You are buying an old home so no resources have to be consumed to build a new one. You aren't contributing to urban sprawl that causes the natural land to be eaten up. You aren't going to mega churches that have acres and acres of parking (and is responsible for many churches being boarded up in the inner city). Nearly all the cultural attractions are located in the inner city, so it is easier to patronize them if you live close to them. And you aren't contributing to the white flight phenomenon that is destroying our city. And you aren't responsible for paving over our drinking water recharge area. However, it is very difficult not to be guilty of all of the above if you live in the far flung suburbs. To me, that isn't very progressive. I'm not speaking of anyone in particular, just the whole suburban movement. It is bad for society, at least if you consider it through a liberal viewpoint.

[Pearlbob]

I just think that's taking the definition of "liberal" a bit too far.

[AnnPedi614]

Originally Posted by tennreb

I just think you should practice what you preach. In Midtown, you can still easiy have a good sized house in a safe area with a yard big enough for some dogs. Yet you will be living in a mixed income community where you can contribute to far more local businesses instead of those owned by huge corporations that are responsible for hundreds if not thousands of closures of local businesses. The business are much closer together, so less gas is used getting to them. You are buying an old home so no resources have to be consumed to build a new one. You aren't contributing to urban sprawl that causes the natural land to be eaten up. You aren't going to mega churches that have acres and acres of parking (and is responsible for many churches being boarded up in the inner city). Nearly all the cultural attractions are located in the inner city, so it is easier to patronize them if you live close to them. And you aren't contributing to the white flight phenomenon that is destroying our city. And you aren't responsible for paving over our drinking water recharge area. However, it is very difficult not to be guilty of all of the above if you live in the far flung suburbs. To me, that isn't very progressive. I'm not speaking of anyone in particular, just the whole suburban movement. It is bad for society, at least if you consider it through a liberal viewpoint.

I wouldn't call what you are talking about a liberal viewpoint. You can surely contribute to a city by simply shopping and dining in the city. This keeps people in work, and though a yard in a city might be great for two small dogs, when you have a 100 lb Lab and an 88 lb Lab you need a yard big enough for them to actually run in and chase squirrels. Every city and town needs people living there to support the local area, however you also have to consider what it is you need. By living in midtown Memphis we are further away from my husband's job, therefore he would be using more gas getting to and from work. If crime reports were not so bad in Cordova and if the school systems hadn't declined we would have lived 3 miles from his work, instead we are about 10 miles away.
I realize you are not speaking to me directly, however, it was me who asked the question. I am a democrat who leans way to the left, I wanted to know how I would fit in, in a city like Memphis. I am happy to hear there are many democrats in the city and surrounding area and yes I believe they are out in the burbs too. See having grown up in a tiny little town of 10K people and most of them being either democrats or left leaning republicans I am pretty sure I will find people just like myself. City living has never been my thing, but I do appreciate being close enough to a city. The unfortunate thing about Memphis is their lack of a subway type system which would make it easy for those of us in the burbs to get into the city.

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by AnnPedi614

I wouldn't call what you are talking about a liberal viewpoint. You can surely contribute to a city by simply shopping and dining in the city. This keeps people in work, and though a yard in a city might be great for two small dogs, when you have a 100 lb Lab and an 88 lb Lab you need a yard big enough for them to actually run in and chase squirrels. Every city and town needs people living there to support the local area, however you also have to consider what it is you need. By living in midtown Memphis we are further away from my husband's job, therefore he would be using more gas getting to and from work. If crime reports were not so bad in Cordova and if the school systems hadn't declined we would have lived 3 miles from his work, instead we are about 10 miles away.
I realize you are not speaking to me directly, however, it was me who asked the question. I am a democrat who leans way to the left, I wanted to know how I would fit in, in a city like Memphis. I am happy to hear there are many democrats in the city and surrounding area and yes I believe they are out in the burbs too. See having grown up in a tiny little town of 10K people and most of them being either democrats or left leaning republicans I am pretty sure I will find people just like myself. City living has never been my thing, but I do appreciate being close enough to a city. The unfortunate thing about Memphis is their lack of a subway type system which would make it easy for those of us in the burbs to get into the city.

I can understand wanting to live close to work. I'm the same way. However, I think you'll find that a lot of your favorite activities are going to be in the Midtown and Downtown area. There's a saying here, "Midtown IS Memphis." You should go to downtownmemphis.com and subscribe to the weekly Definitely Downtown newsletter that has all the weeks events. You'll find some good stuff in there to do on the weekends. Also, read the Memphis Flyer. It's free and you can get it just about anywhere.