Anyone considering a move to Memphis should read. (Collierville: apartment, lease)

[strumpeace]

Originally Posted by 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.

So your real complaint is about the style of the post? Seriously, you've now delved into racism, 'prejudism' (?), hatred, etc., which is completely irrelevant to this thread. None of that has occurred here. Rather, some folks have given voice to the frustration that many, many, many Memphians feel. And rather than disagreeing with any part of the posts or offering a counterpoint, you critique style? And a style that isn't even existent on this thread?

The posts on this thread have been nice to the max, imo. No profanity, no racism, etc.

BTW, Pearlbob, as already pointed out by another poster, you have written many, many times about your own desire to leave Memphis, about how hideous the schools are, about the crime, about begging, etc. Why are you criticizing another poster for doing the exact same thing you've done? Because his/her style doesn't live up to your standards? Doesn't make sense.

[strumpeace]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

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.

When did you live in Memphis? Was your 'nice' neighborhood patrolled 24/7 by a private security force?

[Pearlbob]

I don't go around posting a dozen random topics on how much I hate Memphis. I have also stated numerous times that I enjoy many aspects to this city, and I wouldn't be here otherwise. Yes, the primary reason I am here is my job, but if I detested my life here THAT much I'd leave.

Once a person speaks with racism and hatred, it's hard to forget about it just because they do not speak like that on a subsequent post. People get kicked off of here for a reason, not just for being overly expressive.

[Deck]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

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.

No offense to you, but I am tired of hearing that. Unless you've lived in Memphis as well as other cities, you aren't going to understand.

Yes - the problems mention before exist in other cities. BUT not to the degree they do here. All you have to do is get out in the city and talk to people, ask them if they are from here or if they moved here. If they relocated here ask them where they moved from, and if they like it.

Just yesterday I struck up a conversation with a guy on the job, who moved here a few years ago. I asked him if he liked it here. He gave me a look as if it was a rhetorical question before saying "Do YOU like it here?" And you get that a lot. It's like there is a common understanding here that this place is the pits. He basically moved here because of his job. YES you can earn a good salary here. (probably because of the overwhelmingly uneducated work force, and lifetime-wefare recipients who choose not to work). And YES the cost of living is cheap. But there is a reason for that obviously. You get what you pay for. If people wanted to live here, it would cease being so cheap. It's one of the few draws to the city. (And probably why we attract so many miscreants, trailer park and ghetto types, but I digress).

Just look around at what people say about Memphis. When you google reviews or any feedback about Memphis, people always say the same thing. You think that's coincidence? People will say positive things about certain attractions/institutions they visited while here. But anyone who lives here or spent any amount of time here is more likely than not to have negative things to say. I tell people all the time, it's a great place to visit. And it is. You can have a lot of fun here for a few days, as long as you just go from tourist attraction to tourist attraction.

[London79]

Hey Deck, what's up with MPD pinning those six murders on that guys brother?? C'mon, you really think he was behind that?? Looked like a savage hit to me. The natives were getting restless and wanted answers. How could a kid go from critical condition to answering questions about who tried to kill me? Plus, the brother seems like an easy patsy.

[Deck]

Reviews from epinions.com

Ever seen Escape from New York, where the island of Manhattan has been turned into a free-range prison? Notice the decay and the less-than-savory inhabitants? Well, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Welcome to Memphis, Tennessee: home of faded glory and present-day decay.

I had the misfortune of spending some time in Memphis recently. I had not been in sometime, and my memories were quite fond, full of Blues, BBQ, and Delta living. Man, was I unpleasantly surprised when I returned.

Interstate 40 crosses the country, from the east coast of North Carolina to the west coast of California. It is a major vein of transportation for millions of people every day. And in Memphis it stops. Yes, the wonderful urban planners there decided to run I40 north of town, but instead of moving the thoroughfare gradually northward, thus avoiding the heavily populated portions of town, they chose to run I40 right towards town and then put in one exit which everyone must take to head north and continue on. One exit! With only one lane! Imagine, if you will, four lanes of high-speed traffic squeezing into one solitary lane just to continue on the road they're already on. Every single day I was in Memphis there was a major stack up at the I40 exit. And when I say stack up, I mean miles and miles long. I don't know how the locals do it. I will pull my hair out every day if I had to use I40.

Before my trip, I was told by some of the veterans in the office to stay in the far east of town because that was the best section. If this is the best they can offer, I didn't want to see the worst. It is true that most of the affluent neighborhoods are situated out east. But getting from one block to the next is a nightmare. There seems to be one major road that connects the eastern suburbs. This road is Germantown Pkwy, and it connects the ritzy towns of Germantown and Collierville to I40 and WolfChase Galleria, Memphis' largest mall. It's a six lane road, and one would think that such a large thoroughfare would provide some semblance of rapid transit. One would be wrong. There was so much development along the Parkway that there was a traffic light every 100 feet or so. Traffic crawled along no matter what time of day. My hotel was at I40, and when I wanted to visit a friend of mine who lived near the town of Germantown -- just six miles away, it took me over half an hour to get there. Just when I thought the I40 debacle was enough, I get this poor traffic experience.

I thought to myself that perhaps I was being too harsh. I had not really had the opportunity to see the famous landmarks of Memphis. So when my weekend came around, I decided to head towards downtown and see what made Memphis famous. It was a hit-or-miss experience. The Peabody, one of the South's most famous hotels, was as oppulent and lovely as I had heard. The lobby was luxurious with a number of fine restaurants like Chez Phillipe and Dux right off the main area. I took the opportunity to grab a drink from the lobby bar and sit in one of the many plush chairs. Definitely the highlight of my sojourn. Right across the street lies Autozone Park, Memphis' new baseball stadium. I took the opportunity to go to one of the games, and I have to admit, the facility is one of the best I've visited. Parking was no problem, the place was clean, and one can easliy tell that Memphians love their baseball. If you go to one of the games, get the BBQ Nachos. You won't be disappointed.

But these highlights do not outweigh the overwhelming sense of decay that permeates the city. Beale Street, Memphis' version of Bourbon Street, was fine as long as you stayed on the main block where the clubs were. If you went too far south, east, or north, you were no man's land. Delapidated buildings dotted the landscape. Litter was ubiquitous. And many derelicts wandered about the shadows. Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, was hardly any better. As I understand it, Graceland is situated in the Whitehaven portion of town, which has quite the reputation for being the roughest of all neighborhoods there. I believe the reputation. Whitehaven looks like someone detonated a bomb over it and nobody bothered to clean it up. Elvis Presley Blvd is the main road through Whitehaven towards Graceland, and what a site! Empty buildings stood all around. Graffitti of sometimes very graphic nature covered many surfaces. It's a wonder why no one would try to clean that filth up. What businesses were open appeared to be pawn shops and check-cashing places. Upon my arrival, I found the immediate area around Graceland to be much better. There were a plethora of hotels and Elvis-oriented shops and restaurants. But like Beale St, if you wandered just a little bit away from the Graceland, you were in a war zone. I did my duty by visiting Elvis' mansion, and then got out as quickly as possible.

To cap it all off, the local news provided a revealing look into the local economy and culture. During my week long stay in Memphis, I found out via the local news that Memphis' public schools were about to be taken over by the State because most of Tennessee's worst schools were in Memphis; that over 70% of all babies born there are done so out-of-wedlock; that 7/8 of all Tennessee AIDS cases are in Memphis, and 9/10 of all state welfare dollars go to Memphis. FedEx, International Paper, and AutoZone all have their headquarters in Memphis, and yet the unemployment levels were higher than the state norm. Additionally, Memphis has a duel governmental system: one city and one county. One is run by blacks, and the other is run by whites. And they both hate each other. You've got two mayors, two ruling councils, two school boards, two law enforcement agencies. It's a bureaucratic nightmare. I thought the "Separate but Equal" rule was thrown out nearly fifty years ago. Clearly, it is alive and well in Memphis.

I wish I could say more positive things about Memphis. Many members of my family once lived there. I can now see why they moved out. If you're looking for a vacation destination in the state, try Nashville or Chattanooga. Avoid southwest Tennessee if you can. The only thing going for it is that there are several large roads to chose from that lead out of town. Other than that, Memphis wallows in its own mediocrity.

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Living in Tennessee myself, I am ashamed to say that Memphis is a part of our great state. I am from around the Nashville area and have to travel on business to Memphis often and dread having to go each and every time! I have found that the people of Memphis are the most unfriendly people in any state or area I have ever been to, and I have been to a lot of places. I find that each and every time I go there, I have problems with not only hotel staff at the hotels I stay in, but at resturants and other places, too. The people act rude and nonconcerned with visitors. If I could, I would avoid the area altogether. When I go on business now, I tend to try and stay outside of the city due to crime, the awful acting people and the general feel of Memphis.

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Irish newspaper reviews Memphis, an 'ugly little city'

Monday, March 3, 2008

The Irish newspaper Sunday Business Post published a travel story about visiting Memphis in its editions on Sunday.
It talks about the city's music heritage as well as places to be sure to see -- Graceland, Beale Street, Sun Studios, the Mississippi River -- and places to avoid.
It notes the city's high crime rate, calls it an "ugly little city" and says escaping the summer humidity "is a full-time occupation."

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I read the actual article and was amused how they stated "Sun Studios is in a run-down neighborhood of town" LOL, that's our midtown, we're so proud of!

[strumpeace]

Re: Litter -- Sadly, just 20 years ago, Memphis was touted by many national publications as the cleanest city in the US. I'm not sure what happened over the last 20 years.

[Deck]

Originally Posted by London79

Hey Deck, what's up with MPD pinning those six murders on that guys brother?? C'mon, you really think he was behind that?? Looked like a savage hit to me. The natives were getting restless and wanted answers. How could a kid go from critical condition to answering questions about who tried to kill me? Plus, the brother seems like an easy patsy.

It's hard to read a person's "tone" on a messageboard, but if you're trying to get under my skin, don't bother. I really don't care honestly. I'm just trying to ride out the rest of this year, until I can get out of here.

However, I'm not going to stick my foot in my mouth on a public forum. I'll just say I have my thoughts and leave it at that.

P.S. What's up with the deputies in the jail who just sit back and watch when we have to fight a prisoner (or prisoners) in the booking area. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[Deck]

Funny Because it's True.

The Most Hateful City on the Planet. I moved to Memphis from San Francisco (job). I thought “Hey, its laid back, the people are friendly (lie), and real estate is cheap (now I know why) I am moving back to SF just as soon as I can. People are narrow minded and hateful here and they don’t know how to drive!

Nov 25, 2006

I just moved here from Cincinnati…You’re right…There is NOTHING to do…I tried to give it a chance…At first it was like walking into someone’s house that smelled like crap…Then, after you’re there a little while it doesn’t stink anymore…The stench is still there, you’re just used to it; however, I’ve been let down. Also, what is up with the people here? What happened to southern hospitality? Pardon the expression, but people here have the personality of my left nut. Have you gotten out of this hell hole yet?

May 31, 2006

it is the worst place I have ever lived and that is out of 7 states. House prices dont go up, the ghetto cars are funny the first time you see one with wheels that cost more than the car and then it is just annoying. Hot weather and fat people!

Jun 04, 2006

I feel like I’m in a very hostile environment here. Memphis doesn’t have enough redeeming qualities to warrant tolerating its crazy drivers and high crime rate. I need a way to ESCAPE!
Apr 07, 2007


I have lived here my whole life. I have always wanted to leave. The feeling has only gotten desperate recently. My husband wanted to stay… He has gotten over it.
There are some really great people here, but they are NOT the majority.
The hatred and stupidity are staggering. Racism from every direction, corruption, and gangs (yes I realize they are everywhere but here they are seen as a career opportunity). The low cost of living and groups of cool people are the only redeeming qualities.
Run for your lives!

Apr 11, 2007

Tell me about it.
Try to make a living as a real estate agent trying to sell this city!

Apr 22, 2007

[London79]

Wasn't trying to get a rise out of you. I've heard the gory details from MPD officers. No one person was responsible. It was all too sick and savage for one person. It doesn't even make sense. What are they hiding?