Rhodes College & City Info. (Memphis: neighborhoods, safety, homeless)

[ladybug35]

There aren't many real dead ends here. The basic thing to remember is that most roads either run straight east - west or straight north - south, although Poplar does go at an angle after awhile. SO...if you get to the river, you're too far west. If you get to the interstate, you're too far north, south, or east if you want to stay in Memphis proper. Madison does dead end, but it ends in a stoplight, not a sketchy alley.

If you drive around during the day, and get out of any obviously weird places quickly(not the "OMG look at all the strip malls" weird but the "why does that guy have a violin case" weird) you'll be fine. A printed map could be helpful here, since you could see which roads keep going.

Good luck! if you need any specific suggestions on where to go, let me know!

[Kabluey]

It's widely respected in the region. For a small school, it has great relationships within the community; they place students with St. Jude (I think for Pre-med or other science/bio research). They also host the local high school UN. They are a great asset to the region, they approach almost everything with excellence on their mind. I only wish they sought to expand to a full research university, a la Wash U or Emory.

[goldengirl81]

I live in the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood just west of Rhodes and think most of the area immediately surrounding it is nice (rather than very poor or scary). The neighborhood is mainly historic single family homes built in the 1920s and 30s. Yes, there are some sketchy areas not too far off but after you become accustomed to finding your way around it's not difficult to avoid them. Many of the residents are older but the area is being revitalized with an influx of young homeowners (such as myself).

There are lots of things for young people to do in the city. Lots of good restaurants, bars, arts districts, museums, music venues, Overton Park, the zoo and the V&E greenline - all within minutes of the school.

Also, as someone mentioned Rhodes partners with the neighborhood by working with students at local schools, rehabbing buildings, etc. There are lots of opportunities for volunteer work.
Congrats on your acceptance to Rhodes. It is considered to be an excellent school. Good luck to you.

[Nikias]

Thanks for all of the comments, everyone! For some reason, I stopped getting e-mail notifications, so I figured that there were no further replies.

I will be leaving for Memphis on Monday or Tuesday. I have to make one stop before I go to Memphis, so I'll probably arrive one or two days later. Are there any good down-town hotels that aren't too expensive (say, not more than $150/night for two people)?

[deannaakers]

I am a parent of a female sophmore at Rhodes. As a parent, I can tell you, I was extremely worried about the crime/areas around Rhodes. What I have found is that my daughter feels extremely safe and you learn very quickly what areas to stay out of when driving in Memphis. Overall, its a beautiful area and she is so happy she choose Rhodes.

Dont let the city stop you from getting a wonderful education.

[Nikias]

Thanks for the reply, deannaakers. Since my last message, I've stayed in downtown Memphis a for a few nights and I really liked it. Main street is beautiful with the street cars and such. Also, by far the best place for breakfast is the Blue Plate Cafe. And this time I didn't find myself in any run-down neighborhoods, so that was a plus; however, on the other hand, I did see several panhandlers or just general homeless right downtown in the alley by one of the parking garages near the hotel.

Anyway, I decided that Rhodes was the place for me and I've submitted my deposit.

[broct]

Great choice picking Rhodes!

The thing about Memphis is bad neighborhoods border good neighborhoods. One end of a street might be upper class and the other end be a violent crime hotspot. The rundown neighborhoods don't bother me. I feel it adds to the authenticity of Memphis. Rhodes is extremely, almost obsessively involved with doing community service in many of these low income schools and neighborhoods. It's what draws some students to the school actually, is the emphasis on service. The Rhodes campus is extremely safe, as I'm sure you know. The gates and security guards do an excellent job. If you ever run into trouble off campus you can call campus safety and they will come pick you up, get you a cab or ambulance, anything you need. I find that a lot of Rhodes students do venture into some seedier parts of Memphis, especially to go on liquor runs or to bars. I've heard a few bad stories about people getting robbed, etc., but it's really not that bad. Statistically Memphis is yes, a very dangerous city, but you'll be fine. There are a lot of panhandlers, but I don't know why this would bother you so much. They won't hassle you if you don't want to give money. I set a limit of $20 a month on handing out money and when I run out I just tell them I've given what I can for the month. To sum up, Rhodes is beautiful and very safe, but it has neighborhoods to the north and east that are very slummy and dangerous and many Rhodes students devote hours each week to help improve Memphis.

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by Nikias

That's strange, I haven't encountered problems like that with my GPS. The only thing that it can't help me with is steering me away from or out of the bad neighborhoods of cities.

I think there should be an option on GPS units where you enter your race. Then it would know where it can and can't take you.

"Alright, white boy, we're gonna go the long way around, but on the bright side, you'll arrive at your destination without getting jacked."

[mimimomx3]

My DD will be a Freshman at Rhodes this fall, and I just visited for the first time this week.

I found Memphis to be the prototypical Southern town, full of changes as it moves into the 21st century. Overall, I felt safe, except on Beale street, which I found to be very cheap and seedy. Midtown is beautiful- green, friendly and full of cool shops and restaurants.

My question- is it safe to bike the streets around Rhodes?

[DubbleT]

Safe traffic? or safe as in crime?
Memphis is not especially bike friendly, use caution and realize cars will not usually yield anything to someone on a bike. The Parkways have a substantial amount of traffic on them, but the residential roads right around the campus aren't too bad.
As far as crime I wouldn't go immediately east of the Summer/Trezevant intersection. That neighborhood is pretty sketchy. The Paris Adult theater is right there and some other things about that area make me uncomfortable. This map Neighborhoods - Google Maps should give you a good general outline as to what areas are better. Personally I would not ride a bike in the areas in red.