Question (Memphis: crime, roughest, how much)

[jayman1981]

I was just in Nashville this past week, really enjoyed the city. But if Memphis was a little closer I would have made my way out there too. Anyway I was wondering why is there so much negativity in regards to the city of Memphis. I'm mean on paper 600,000 people is a lot of people. I just kind of find it hard to believe that Memphis is as bad as a lot of the board members make it. D.C and Baltimore gets a bad rep for the crime in the city, but they are also great place to hang out and live around. So what is the difference. Maybe I actually need to see the city for myself to for understand. This was just a question I had after reading through the post.

[Pearlbob]

I don't think there is a difference. If you can admit that even though there are bad aspects of DC and Baltimore, there are still good aspect too....then you would say the same for Memphis. Memphis has it's bad and it's good. Unfortunately (like DC, Baltimore) we have an abundance of bad compared to other major cities.

[strumpeace]

It's hard to compare Memphis' population to Washington or Baltimore's population. Even though the numbers are similar, the dispersal of the population is very different. Memphis' city boundaries extend some 25 miles outside of the city proper in some places. (On the eastern side of the city, the city boundary extends all the way the Fayette County line along Highway 64.) There is no true urban core in Memphis -- no density.

That's not necessarily a bad or good thing. But it is a fact of life, and it's what separates Memphis from most other American cities of 600,000+.

[TN-rox]

It is a very spread out city. Inner city Memphis is the bad, and because of the spread-out lay, it can seem much larger than what it is. The huge ghettos that are North and South Memphis make up most of the city. I had an uncle who drove trucks, and compared Memphis to east LA. I dont know bout all that, but I have a friend who lives over near Stax, she blames alot of it on the Katrina victims. She says the people outside of the ghettos dont realize it, and just talk about how much worse the citys gettin and that its Memphis residents, but the Katrina victims are still here in large numbers. I didnt know that... needless to say, the city has been goin downhill for awhile... Im not sure how much truth there might be to the Katrina claim, it might just be her immediate neighborhood round stax.

[Pearlbob]

Blaming Memphis' problems on Katrina victims is terrible! I don't understand why/how anyone could make that claim. The issues were around long, long before anyone migrated here from the Gulf. If anything, people who came here after Katrina were targets of crime and victimized by Memphis criminals who stole from them.

[jayman1981]

Well I guess next time I'm in Nashville I will take a special trip to Memphis and an open mind. Beside I was really in a mood for good barbeque. So out of the 600,000 plus people wy has the city maintain such a large population if people think it's the pits? No pun intended.

[lscalder]

Jayman I am also from the Dc area an Memphis can never compare to DC. Dc have plenty of opportunity. People from all over the world dream to live in DC because of the opportunity that dc offers to those who want to move up in life. DC has plenty of jobs with over 100 major corporations and the Federal government. Memphis is dead with no jobs. I have family members who are dying to move out of Memphis because their are very very very small opportunities.

I do think Nashville has more to offer then Memphis. When Memphis do build the government think very very small. While in DC when the government build it affect the entire MD,Dc,VA areas in a very positive way.

[expatnortherner]

Originally Posted by lscalder

Jayman I am also from the Dc area an Memphis can never compare to DC. Dc have plenty of opportunity. People from all over the world dream to live in DC because of the opportunity that dc offers to those who want to move up in life. DC has plenty of jobs with over 100 major corporations and the Federal government. Memphis is dead with no jobs. I have family members who are dying to move out of Memphis because their are very very very small opportunities.

My what a postcard picturesque view of DC. Sounds more like you're describing Maryland or VA. D.C. itself is not exactly a pretty place, in fact outside of the federal buildings it's pretty ghetto, in it's most descriptive form of the word (and this is coming from someone who spent many years in the NYC projects!). The roughest 11 square miles I've ever seen, without a doubt.

Ex-Pat

[jayman1981]

Well there is no doubt that D.C. is a hotspot for growth and development, but after growing up their and experiencing the fast life, I'm actually ready to slow it down a bit. I'm not looking to holt my life, but just move from all the hustle of the D.C. area. Expatnortherner you'll be surprised at how fast there tearing down the projects. The City is still tough, actually I believe the Crime stats for the city aren't too far off from Memphis. But D.C. has gotten a lot better. I remember during the early 90's D.C. (When Crack came to town) the city was a mess and very violent. I don't think Memphis has ever gotten as violent, but then again I never live there so I'm assuming. I'm not looking to relocate to Memphis, but I wanted to experience what the city had to offer.