Toronto to...Memphis?! (Bartlett: property taxes, work, house)

[AznTO]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

I think someone should upload a map of places where it is safe to live and highlight the streets that are safe. Right now all I know is that downtown, germantown, collierville are safe areas. How about midtown, I think I want to move to "MIDTOWN" whatever that means...I know cooper and young is midtown...but that's about it....

How about some guidance for a lost soul?

Is U of M considered midtown? Is it safe to live around there? What about medical district (whatever that means...)

Welcome To Faulkner Court Apartments <---- is this midtown? How is it?

Is Peabody and Cooper considered midtown?

[AznTO]

Changed my mind again so ignore previous post ... although the map idea is still good for someone new...

I'm set on moving to Germantown -- I did a google map thing, and it takes 39 minutes from Midtown to Collierville with no traffic ... 21 minutes from Germantown ... I choose one with less driving.

I heard Germantown also has good restaurants etc ...

[Pearlbob]

Germantown is just a very wealthy, upper class suburb. Expensive restaurants, expensive people, expensive stores, etc. Midtown is more down to earth and neighborhoody. Midtown to Collierville everyday would be a long drive. But even from Germantown, it all depends on where you are going and what roads you take. Germantown is sort of off the interstate system so it takes longer to get anywhere there.

If you made a map of the "safe" areas of memphis, you'd have to update it about every 4 weeks.

[strumpeace]

AznTO --

Germantown is a good place. It's a suburb, of course, but it's probably our most urbanized suburb. The good thing about Germantown is that it is quite stoic; despite the changes in our area, Germantown is still today what it was 20 years ago -- just with a few more people.

[Kabluey]

You're probably well aware of it, but G'town is sprawlsville. Generally a cookie-cutter suburb with little distinctive identity and misplaced developmental priorities (more concerned with size of signings than imposing any sense of walkability within and among developments). They'll hold up a store coming in such as Apple or Chick Fil A with pride because of size of signings, then rubber stamp developments that pollute the landscape with acres of asphalt (i.e. new Seesels, the Kroger/Chili's, Saddle Creek, etc, etc, etc). :shakes his head:

But it's safe, mid-to-upscale, and, relatively convenient to interstates to get to urbanity. And it's the most bike-friendly in the region. Which isn't saying much seeing as cars still drive 10-15 mi over the speed limit and are ignorant as to rules regarding bike-commuting.

But just once I'd like a suburb that would step up to the plate when it comes to development guidelines geared to at least do what it can to address some of the health issues of the region (I realize development guidelines can't force activity, but they can accomodate certain things and discourage others). G'town certainly hasn't done so.

[strumpeace]

More funny. The anti-suburban mafia strikes again!

[Pearlbob]

I applaud Gtown's mission to keep fast food places and such from putting up huge neon signs all over the streets. It makes the area look a lot nicer. Cordova looks horrible for that reason...their streets are lined with billboards, neon signs, flashing signs, etc.

I do think the opposite about the interstates...I don't think Gtown it is convenient to the interstates at all. Just the opposite. There is 385 on the south, but that isn't really Germantown and that area is also getting a little bad. And that's it. 240 loops to the west, but if you're talking Germantown in terms of say, Johnson Rd off Poplar...the mid area....that's a long haul from an interstate.

[strumpeace]

Cordova looks horrible for that reason...their streets are lined with billboards, neon signs, flashing signs, etc.

Well, just wait 'til La Italiano opens. I'm sure their sign will class up the joint.

[Pearlbob]

This is honestly a main reason I "bash" the suburbs as you say The homes all look alike, and the main streets look like junk with the 400 McDonalds, Chilis, Walmart, etc signs towering over the road. It's so ugly.

Granted, the city in the past let Union get the same way, but now there are laws in affect from bringing any new signage to the street. It's unfortunate they don't make businesses tear the old stuff down. The worst being that hideous flashing billboard by the police station that advertises 107.5 or whatever radio station. That thing needs to be burned.

[strumpeace]

This is honestly a main reason I "bash" the suburbs as you say The homes all look alike, and the main streets look like junk with the 400 McDonalds, Chilis, Walmart, etc signs towering over the road. It's so ugly.

Bash away. Memphis has taken many a bashing from those who've fled to the suburbs, so maybe it's only right that folks in the city bash back.

It's a different dynamic, though, from other places. I've visited boards for some other cities, and I don't pick up on an us-versus-them mentality as much.

I'm a proponent of regionalism -- taking the entire region into account. If I had my way, we'd have one big five county regional government, and we'd look at the region as one place -- not as a bunch of completely separate little places. But that's neither here nor there.