Anyone considering a move to Memphis should read. (Chattanooga, Germantown: real estate, high crime)

[Deck]

This city's pattern of being stuck on stupid is more annoying.

If you're moving here from Detroit, or Compton, you'll probably love it. Everything is subjective. I grew up very open minded, and this city has pretty much reinforced every negative stereotype I used to reject.

Incidentally Anchorage2004 isn't even from Memphis. It will be interesting to see if he/she still feels the same way five years after being here. Hell, I liked it too the first 6 months I was here.

Better yet, actually visit the city, and just strike up a conversation with people, ask them if they like Memphis. See what the majority will say. Most cities have some pride and at least half of the people would say they like it. Here? Hahaha good luck.

I guess if you stay buried in American Idol, and shop at Wal-Mart and keep your head down to everything going on around you, you can be 'happy'.

[London79]

They mayor doesn't condemn the ignorance. He can't because many of the ignorant people vote for him.

[Deck]

Visit Thaddeus Matthews' site, and take a look at not only the stories but the comments, to see what Memphis is like.

And Im not trying to promote that uneducated idiot, but it's a way for people thinking about coming here to get their feet wet. As unprofessional and rephrensible as he is, a local radiostation actually gives him a weekly show, and the University of Memphis invited the guy to speak at a Journalism seminar about blogging!!

[Pearlbob]

There is being honest, and there is having a horrible attitude problem and being obnoxious and rude. I'm not saying you're like that at all, don't get me wrong. But people have been kicked off of this site (by other moderators than me) for being vile, racist, etc while "being honest" about Memphis. That completely negates their opinions when they cannot express them in an intelligent and adult manner. Using explicitive, racism, prejudism, and hatred towards forum members just go to show that some of the people who hate this city so much display the exact same properties that they are complaining about.

Originally Posted by tigergal

How is it bashing to be honest? If it's not bashing for you to say it is not a good place to raise a kid or to talk about the abysmal city schools, why is it bashing for anyone else to discuss the problems Memphis has?

[tigergal]

Originally Posted by Pearlbob

There is being honest, and there is having a horrible attitude problem and being obnoxious and rude. I'm not saying you're like that at all, don't get me wrong. But people have been kicked off of this site (by other moderators than me) for being vile, racist, etc while "being honest" about Memphis. That completely negates their opinions when they cannot express them in an intelligent and adult manner. Using explicitive, racism, prejudism, and hatred towards forum members just go to show that some of the people who hate this city so much display the exact same properties that they are complaining about.

Oh, I agree. Racism, prejudice, and hatred are undesirable altogether. As far as I recall, I am quite certain I have never supported or endorsed any of those character traits.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Pearlbob

There is being honest, and there is having a horrible attitude problem and being obnoxious and rude. I'm not saying you're like that at all, don't get me wrong. But people have been kicked off of this site (by other moderators than me) for being vile, racist, etc while "being honest" about Memphis. That completely negates their opinions when they cannot express them in an intelligent and adult manner. Using explicitive, racism, prejudism, and hatred towards forum members just go to show that some of the people who hate this city so much display the exact same properties that they are complaining about.

You are right on.

It seems so unhealthy for those who supposedly hate Memphis so much to continually bash the place. It's like the guy who breaks up with his girlfriend but then can't stop telling others how bad she was. And whining about it doesn't make it any better.

I lived in the Memphis area for 8 years, 3 in North Mississippi and 5 in Memphis proper. I loved every single minute of it. I would move back to Memphis in a heartbeat if I could.

There are certainly a lot of negatives about the place, but no more than most old cities with large urban cores (think Detroit, Cleveland, Saint Louis, Buffalo). I knew what I was getting myself into when I moved there. My house was broken into while I was in Memphis, but my car was broken into when I lived in lily-white Salt Lake City. It's a risk people take when they choose to live in a big city.

Living in the middle of a big city is exciting. And in the case of Memphis, it's affordable enough so that even middle class chumps like me could afford to enjoy an urban lifestyle that in most big cities only wealthier people could afford.

I love the restaurant scene in Memphis. I love Studio on the Square. I love Beale Street. I love the Sunset Symphony. I love the Mid South Fair. I love Redbirds baseball. I love Central Gardens, Evergreen, Chickasaw Gardens, Cooper-Young, the Parkways, the trolley, South Main, the Botanic Garden, Dixon Gallery, the view of downtown from the Arkansas soybean fields across the river, the intense rivalries between the U of M and U.T. and the "real" U of M (Ole Miss), and on and on.

I taught at a pretty prestigious private school in Memphis, and let me tell you there is a lot of pride in that city among both the white and black populations. And now that I'm in Knoxville teaching at U.T., I find it interesting that the vast majority of my students who are from Memphis, both white and black, plan on returning to Memphis.

[Deck]

That's exactly the problem JMT. I've not broke-up with Memphis yet. But believe me, as sure as the sun rises in the east, Im trying. This city is a large gathering of mostly miserable people and I've become one.

[Pearlbob]

I think that's a very good analogy, JMT.

You don't have to have something nice to say about the topic at hand all the time, but you can at least say your opinions in a nice way.

[Deck]

As I said people, don't take my word for it. Just read through some of the user comments on The Commercial Appeal stories, ThaddeusMatthews.com, Myeyewitnessnews.com, etc. This place is a seething cauldron of angst.

And it's a direct results of this voters of this city putting the biggest most flamboyant crooks in the country right back in office. Did the mayor even go out and help or do anything at all after the tornados came through?

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by Deck

I'm posting this because I wish someone would have warned me about this city before I moved here. Of course, Im just a stranger on the internet, so take it for what it's worth.

First of all some background. I grew up in a fairly rural area, and lived in Kansas City, MO, post-college. I moved here five years ago. I have a job that earns me a pretty comfortable salary.

If you're considering moving to Memphis, there are a few things you should be prepared for.

1) Panhandlers/homeless/mental patients/transients - they are everywhere. It is practically impossible to fill up a tank of glass or go anywhere inside the parkways without being approached for money. Most are crackheads, or drug users who Ive seen take money from naive citizens and walk over to the liquore store and buy a beer. Don't give to these people, you are only enabling them. Most choose the lifestyle. If you want to help, give money to a shelter/non-profit group. There are plenty of them.

2.) The city politics are a circus. The corruption, arrogance and down-right offensive behaviour displayed by our city "leaders" is shocking. The first week I was here, the mayor told one of the city council members that if they had a problem with him, they could take it out to the parking lot! I am not even kidding. Several city leaders including two city council members were busted by the FBI for taking bribes. One of those indicted had already served time for public corruption, and the people of this city voted him right back in - only for him to get busted a second time. Of course then they try to play the race card and get the cities large unemployed, uneducated, public assistance residents to rally behind them. The mayor scorned the white citizens for Memphis for not supporting him during his last campaign. And accused the white citizens of being racist. Of course in actuality its his constant abrasive personality, his habit of putting unqualified cronies into positions over more qualified candidates, and then giving them raises, while not writing any room in the budget for raises for Police and Fire personnel. He has made statements like, "if you don't like it here you can get out!" During this last mayor's race, he refused to debate the other candidates (because he had nothing positive to run on) and instead stirred up talk of a conspiracy with the white businessmen trying to smear his name. When in actuality its the handful of the richest white men in the city - the land developers - who love him because he gives them anything they want. So he's got the 1% of the super rich, and 100% of the ghetto/criminal element. His official campaign slogan? And no, this is not a Saturday Night Live skit... "Shake the Haters Off."

3) The city is the hub of what the FBI ranked as the most violent metro area in the United States last year. (homicides, aggravated assaults, robberies). And the burglary and auto theft numbers are staggering.

4.) The city does not enforce any quality of life issues. Drug users and dealers congregate in the parks in broad daylight with no fear of repurcussion. The parks, roads and neighborhoods are littered with trash. Crosswalks? forget about it. If you're in downtown or midtown, expect to dodge people who just slowly strut across the road, refusing to even trot, or using the turning lane for a sidewalk.

5.) A huge number of people don't register their vehicles here, because getting a bogus temporary tag is much easier than getting the vehicle inspected every year.

6.) Only 30% of voters even bothered showing up for the last city election. Apathy is widespread.

7.) Crime and violence in the schools are an epidemic. Anyone will advise you not to send your kid to Memphis City Schools.

8.) Customer service - forget about it. The concept of "fast" food doesn't exist. Rudeness is commonplace compared to most other cities you visit.

9.) Be prepared to hear the phrase "Is race a factor" in about every other story in the local news and paper. Race is often used to excuse primitive, criminal behavior here. For example, some council members denied giving a huge grant to a private black college here. Not because it was black, but because the city is dirt poor, and public money should not be used to fund a private college. Yet those who voted against it? racist!!

Another example. A well qualified white was nominated to a big position at the school system. Yet some of our local race baiting politicians decried that no white man should be over Memphis City Schools since it's majority black! Can you imagine if the situation was reversed? It's ridiculous.

10.) There's more churches in Memphis than just about anything. One has a statue of liberty replica in front, with the Lady of Liberty holding up a cross instead of a torch.

11.) Filthy bathrooms practically everywhere you go. The lowest common denominator in this city lowers the bar everywhere it seems.

12.) The police department's morale is in the pits. Thanks in part to the culture of apathy, the shady politics, and the crooked administration.

If you're a fan of roots and blues music, visit Clarksdale. It's the real deal with much friendlier folks. Most people in Memphis listen to gangster rap or pop country.

The main problem is the constant pitting of race against race. And whether it's PC to say or not, the ghetto mentality of us vs. them, seems to prevail over the majority of this city. Of course, it's encouraged by the mayor. I'm planning to move before the end of the year, even if I have to take a $10k pay cut. I don't like how my outlook/attitude has changed from living in this cesspool. It truly is a parallel universe.

On one positive note, the city does have a good medical community. (Which incidentally keeps our homicide rate from being probably 15-20 times what it would be.)

I think a lot of what you mention above is in EVERY large city in the US. I live in Stamford, CT--which is an extremely safe and well-run city. It is also in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. NYC is just 45 mins south.

BUT Customer Service is awful, city politics sometimes slimy, morale of teachers in the public school system is in the pits, filthy bathrooms are the norm in public places, even with the "safest city moniker," there are a couple of horrific areas of town where rape/murder is the norm, and we have panhandlers and homeless people downtown.

I think what you mention happens in Memphis of course, but you should realize it is happening in EVERY city and metro area in the US. It's not the area or city, it's the culture, education (or lack thereof), and parenting (or lack thereof) in our US society today.

I've lived in Tucson, AZ, Los Angeles, Atlanta, NYC, and now Stamford, CT, and they all have the problems you mentioned, and then some.

The grass is ALWAYS greener. Always.