Midtown boundaries? (Memphis, Jackson, Cleveland: fit in, apartments, homes)

[anfisechka]

Hi everyone-- As I mentioned in a previous post, there's a strong possibility I'll be moving to Memphis and am trying to do some research/get prepared. From what I've read on this forum, it seems like Midtown is probably the best area for me (young single female, don't want to be smack in the middle of downtown/out in the boring suburbs).

Anyway, I'm wondering what you would define as boundaries of the midtown area, so I can narrow down my list of apartments to see by addresses, etc. Thanks for your help! I haven't yet been to Memphis, so trying to figure out as much as I can in advance...

[DubbleT]

This is from wiki and it's a start, but you might want to run anything you find past this forum for confirmation, since good areas and bad areas of Memphis can be a matter of mere blocks apart.

"The exact boundaries of Midtown are often disputed. Generally, it is the area between the Medical District to the west and East Memphis to the east. Some will say the eastern boundary line is East Parkway, others the CN RR line just past East Parkway, others as far east as Highland Street. The northern boundary is just as difficult to find agreement on. Some will say North Parkway, others the abandoned L&N RR line that runs NE, still others put it as far north as Jackson and even Vollintine. The southern line to Midtown is roughly the Union Pacific/CSX RR line east to McLean, south down McLean to Norfolk Southern RR line and east the eastern boundary, be it East Parkway, CN RR, or Highland. The least disputed boundary of Midtown is the western border, which is commonly regarded as the Midtown section of Interstate 240."

Zip code 38104 is also a pretty good indication. Good luck on your search.

[Pearlbob]

38112 is also midtown!! Don't forget about them, it's a great area.

My midtown is this: North of Southern or Central. East of Cleveland. South of North Parkway. West of East Parkway. However, it's all relative, and you will get a variety of different answers from anyone you ask.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by Pearlbob

38112 is also midtown!! Don't forget about them, it's a great area.

Huh, guess when I think of 38112 I think of where I lived when I first moved to Memphis, over near Jackson and Warford. Talk about scary, even way back then. Couldn't get out fast enough!
Which just goes to reinforce the idea of checking specific addresses or neighborhoods in Memphis.

Hey, I didn't realize c-d had zipcode maps, nice.http://www.city-data.com/zipmaps/Memphis-Tennessee.html

[anfisechka]

Thanks again for your help! That's enough for me to go on.

[Smtchll]

Anything west of Highland starts to feel like Midtown to me. I can remember before the election, most of the signs east of Higland were McCain, while most of the signs west of Highland were Obama. Midtown is moderate-liberal, while East Memphis is moderate-conservative. And the two areas just feel different. I cant really explain it.

[Pearlbob]

Good link! Yes, 38112 goes down to either Poplar or Madison...I believe Poplar. And it does go north into some shady areas (just like 38104 does!), but most of it is very nice, huge historic homes, etc. All of Evergreen is in 38112.

Originally Posted by DubbleT

Huh, guess when I think of 38112 I think of where I lived when I first moved to Memphis, over near Jackson and Warford. Talk about scary, even way back then. Couldn't get out fast enough!
Which just goes to reinforce the idea of checking specific addresses or neighborhoods in Memphis.

Hey, I didn't realize c-d had zipcode maps, nice.http://www.city-data.com/zipmaps/Memphis-Tennessee.html

[Ginsaw]

We're probably starting to get a little beyond answering the original inquiry here. But, since the Memphis boundaries thing is interesting...

I personally now favor Jackson as the north Mid-Town boundary. Otherwise where do Rhodes College, Hein Park and the area west of Rhodes fit in? I also like E. Parkway on the east. The south boundary I don't see as very determinate, although I think of it more as a combination of Lamar and Southern. But probably this is a concept that has more than just four sides...

I suspect use of the old railroad right of ways mentioned in that link had more meaning back when people had the familiarity with them that's missing today.

Now, can anyone define Central Gardens, or Cross-Town?

And for some real fun, what are the boundaries of North Memphis and South Memphis?

[Pearlbob]

Central Gardens is the heart of midtown! It fits all the criteria posters have mentioned on here regarding boundaries. Crosstown is west of Cleveland, however it is right there on Cleveland. I'd call it midtown. The boundaries I gave at least, are just generalizations for anyone new to the city and needing a rough estimate.

I would call South Memphis anything south of the loop. North Memphis...north of Jackson.

[strumpeace]

Midtown is defined more by a 'feel' and a history than by a fixed physical boundary. However, if I had to fix a boundary, it would be Jackson on the north, Cleveland on the west, Lamar/Southern on the south, and East Parkway on the east. I'm always tempted to expand that eastern border to Hollywood because Christian Brothers is, imo, very much a Midtown institution, and the Beltline neighborhood--though far from 'nice'--is much more urbane and dense than most neighborhoods to the east.