Is there anything good about Memphis? (Bartlett, Germantown: hotel, work, houses)

[MTGuy]

Hello I am a teacher from Montana who is considering applying for a teaching position in Memphis High Schools. I am asking for information about Memphis and your views to help me in my decision to relocate. Thanks

[Pearlbob]

don't. The Memphis city high schools are very dangerous (hazard pay for teachers). I would not recommend getting into that mess. And, sorry to say, but if you are not black...it will be 10x more difficult for you. Memphis city schools are about 98% black. (given that you are from montana, i would assume you are white just due to the population up there)
The county schools are much better but those jobs are hard to come by.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by Pearlbob

don't. The Memphis city high schools are very dangerous (hazard pay for teachers). I would not recommend getting into that mess. And, sorry to say, but if you are not black...it will be 10x more difficult for you. Memphis city schools are about 98% black. (given that you are from montana, i would assume you are white just due to the population up there)
The county schools are much better but those jobs are hard to come by.

People like you make living in Memphis more difficult than it should be. White teachers do just fine as long as they aren't white supremacist. Where do you get your statistics from? 98% black school system???? 80% black city??? None of its true. Please try to quote acurate information. 61.4%black city http://www.city-data.com/city/Memphis-Tennessee.html .

[Pearlbob]

I get the school stats from the tn.gov site, whatever it is. Other than White Station and Ridgeway schools, most high schools are 95%+ black.

And coming from a teaching background, knowing dozens of teachers here in the city and in other urban cities all over the country, it just is harder when your race doesn't match that of the school population. that has NOTHING to do with my racism, it's more of the learned psuedo-racism of the kids; not trusting white adults, not feeling like they can relate to white adults, having parents who are VERY untrusting of white teachers and will tell you that to your face, etc. It's very difficult.

[Kabluey]

The hysterical hyperbolic comments in this thread are frightening. And just that -- hysterical hyperbole. Take it from someone who left Memphis first to move to St. Louis, then to Arizona. I miss Memphis. Not the Memphis region -- which I do miss. But the actual city. Memphis is not this satirical anomaly that is being portrayed by many posters here. There is one thing to confront -- and that is a level of self-loathing that is surprising given all that there is to be proud of.

A blog to consider perusing -- www.paulryburn.com/blog.

You don't have to live in the burbs. You can live in Midtown. And dont fall for the doomsday hysteria that many try to spread like an infectious disease. Be sensible with your safety, and seek to invest in the community (more your time and emotions than money), and the rewards you will receive from a city and region like Memphis are tremendous.

Regardless where I live, Memphis will always be my hometown, and my aspiration is to return.

[Kabluey]

Regarding anything "good" about Memphis, it depends on what your demographic. There is an incredible amount of live music, a diverse array of quality restaurants, a unique cultural history as well as a pioneering spirit in business. Great schools do exist both within the city and in the outter metro area. In the past ten years, there has been generally been more capital investment in metro Memphis (Tennessee side) than any other metro in the state (including Nashville) -- I'm basing this on memory of reading articles concerning IDB statistics as portrayed in the business journal, and use generally only because I don't recall figures from the past two or three years. Lots of entertainment options. Lots of culture. Lots of soul (many churches if you're the religious type). There is a self-image problem, but that is being addressed with a young-professional group called MPact working to evict the city of some detrimental mindsets. There's a lot more to be proud of, but not much time for me to post . . .

[Pearlbob]

Jesus shoot me. You're referring people to that Ryburn character? You've got some good things to say but leave that guy out of it. He's something else.

[Kabluey]

Even though I disdain the suburbs, I would leave the "east bumble****" out of his blogs, I agree. I also would leave his Razorback affinity out as well. But the bottom line for me is that he obviously loves Memphis, and while he has complaints, he often does something about it. Whether it's MPact, or RSDM, or whatever. Yeah, he's also an entrepreneur, and he does party a lot. But I'm of the younger demo anyway. He does have many good points, and some things I disagree with. But he's not incessantly negative about Memphis, which is so rare when it comes to Memphians portraying itself, that that alone is enough for me to enthusiastically recommend him. I'd also recommend certain posters at Urban planet, Memphis tigers.org, as well as grizzlies.com. Then there are the self-loathing Memphians at the tigers and grizz website that I would urge folks to stay away from. Memphis deserves more unabashed boosters. Compared to other communities I've lived in, there's a disproportionate dearth of boosters. Sheesh, just go to St. Louis or Tucson. It's unreal, we just don't appreciate what we have in our own back yard, and we don't appreciate the potential we possess.

[Pearlbob]

I agree, Ryburn is a good advocate of Memphis and his blogs are pretty informative of at least the social side of Memphis. Also the Ryan guy that does the midtown verson of the blog. Ryburn is just weird though, IMO. I saw him creeping around downtown alone for years and it was just odd. No offense to him, but he's just...odd.

I am one of the ones who moved here, hated it, hated it, hated it more, hated it for years, but I don't know if my standards have just been lowered or what but I'm used to it now. But if I had the opportunity, I'd live somewhere else in a heartbeat. You have to make the best of what you have, but there are so many better places to live in this country. If you have to live here, might as well have a good attitude and try to find the best Memphis has to offer. Not whine and complain about it.

[defiepilex]

all this crap about getting murdered over $10 is ridiculous. the MPD estimates that 85% of the violent crimes commited last year were commited by people that the victim knew. dont make any friends you cant trust, and you should be fine.

and there is no where safe inside city limits???? as someone else mentioned, central gardens is a great place. also, there's cordova, harbor town, and huge developments to south downtown. there are even great neighborhoods in so called "bad" parts of town. there are nice places in midtown and east memphis.