Feedback on Bolivar, TN (Memphis, Jackson: low crime, houses, dorms)

[blueboo1024]

Hi!

We are relocating to the Memphis Area for work. We were looking for feedback on Bolivar, TN. How are the schools etc? thanks!

[memphis2]

why would live so far away from Memphis? That would be a LONG commute.

[Mike in TN]

Bolivar isn't anything special at all IMO. I wouldn't want to live there, and as the previous posted mentioned, it would be one heck of a drive.

[Bolivar Hillbilly]

"Bolivar isn't anything special at all IMO. I wouldn't want to live there"

Hmm. Depends on how you define special and what you want from your place to live? I wish you would elaborate on "wouldn't want to live here?

Ive been here all my life. The area is rural and racially diverse. If that bothers you well i guess its not the place for you.

Ive been here all my life and the most crime ive personally experienced is shoplifting a couple of times from a store i ran and an old lawn mower stolen out of my yard (would have given it to them if they had asked). I have many family members here and the worse thing i can recall is petty theft perpetrated on them. More serious crimes, happen in most (not all though, im not that stupid) cases is because you make yourself vulnerable and hang around the wrong crowd. This would apply anywhere. Meth cookers pop up but hey this is rural Tennessee. Seems the knotheads doing that went from Moonshine to Meth. Again you make yourself vulnerable for the most part.

Employment, well its a rural town and employment is not abundant for sure. Housing is very reasonable even for the larger houses.

Recreation - Rural type activities. Hunting is prime as we often lead the State in deer kills. Fishing also prime. City type activities, go to Jackson or Corinth about 40 minutes away. High Speed Internet is available and getting items that you would normally get in a big city are gotten by mail order.

Nearest College is in Jackson TN and that is a pain but again its rural here. You can go to a State Park and almost feel like you have it to yourself at times. Hardwood forests are the norm along with hilly countryside.

[Capt. Dan]

To answer the OPs original question....Bolivar public schools are HORRIBLE! Any one,black or white who can afford to do so send thier kids to private school. The other poster who commented on outdoor recreation was correct though. A fishing and hunting paradise in Hardeman County. But shhhhh! We would hate for our little secret to get out!

[marmac]

Originally Posted by Bolivar Hillbilly

"Bolivar isn't anything special at all IMO. I wouldn't want to live there"

Hmm. Depends on how you define special and what you want from your place to live? I wish you would elaborate on "wouldn't want to live here?

Ive been here all my life. The area is rural and racially diverse. If that bothers you well i guess its not the place for you.

Ive been here all my life and the most crime ive personally experienced is shoplifting a couple of times from a store i ran and an old lawn mower stolen out of my yard (would have given it to them if they had asked). I have many family members here and the worse thing i can recall is petty theft perpetrated on them. More serious crimes, happen in most (not all though, im not that stupid) cases is because you make yourself vulnerable and hang around the wrong crowd. This would apply anywhere. Meth cookers pop up but hey this is rural Tennessee. Seems the knotheads doing that went from Moonshine to Meth. Again you make yourself vulnerable for the most part.

Employment, well its a rural town and employment is not abundant for sure. Housing is very reasonable even for the larger houses.

Recreation - Rural type activities. Hunting is prime as we often lead the State in deer kills. Fishing also prime. City type activities, go to Jackson or Corinth about 40 minutes away. High Speed Internet is available and getting items that you would normally get in a big city are gotten by mail order.

Nearest College is in Jackson TN and that is a pain but again its rural here. You can go to a State Park and almost feel like you have it to yourself at times. Hardwood forests are the norm along with hilly countryside.

( regarding crime and....... This would apply anywhere )----------

crime rate index of the US...........320.9
crime rate index of Bolivar TN-----613.9

[Bolivar Hillbilly]

If you will read what i said, i said if you hang around the wrong crowd, you make yourself more vulnerable to crime. This would apply anywhere.... Nearly all the crime here is a segment of the population committing the crimes on one another. Strip that away and there is very little crime. I've been here over half a century, have lots of family here, and have experienced very little crime. I go out at night anytime i want with little fear.

Also you will notice the crime rate has a steady drop since 02 per the stats you read on city data. I noticed in another thread you were speaking highly of Jasper, MO. Well i could post stats on that thread for certain years and/or type of crime where the stats are higher there than the US average. But i wont be that rude.

The local paper has a short weekly police report and its minuscule compared to the county report which is usually lengthy. Police here do a great job IMHO. Call them for anything and they are all over it.

The Bolivar downtown has recently been renovated. Only pictures can could show how well it looks now. If I get time, will post some. There is a BBQ festival, art festival, bands on the court square during warm months, art council with great live plays, local flavor restaurants, etc. For big city stuff (rarely for me) there is Jackson and Corinth MS about 40 minutes away.

Bolivar schools have instituted uniform policies. I know of many that go there and, while not perfect, i would say far from horrible as another poster said. Local PD cooperates fully with them. I hear of very little issues. I had far more problems sending my offspring to the state college. FAR MORE, believe me and i'm not referring to grades (my offsprings were outstanding), im referring to the violent crime around the dorms. This was in a city data rated low crime town.

I hope you find your "Mayberry" by relying on cold stats. Good luck to you.

[wakka092]

My mother was born in Hickory Valley, TN, my father in Bolivar, they don't live there anymore. My grandmother also lives there now. So I'm intimately familiar with Bolivar and Hardeman County in general. I visit at least once a month.

I live in Memphis now.

Do NOT, do NOT move there.

1) No family entertainment of any kind. The only thing there is a one screen theater so old that you can still see the now non-utilized "colored" entrance. The new square looks nice, but nothing to do there. You're looking at a sizeable drive to a large city (Jackson, TN).
2) No good restaurants. All are crappy greasy spoons. (and my uncle used to own one of them)
3) "Racial diversity" is non-existent in terms of living and interacting.
4) Long commute to and from Memphis. You're looking at an hour at least, and that's without any morning freeway/highway congestion once you get near Memphis.

In other words, it is emblematic of rural decay.

I'd suggest you check out Bartlett or Collierville, or if you're a city dweller, check out in Memphis Midtown or Cooper Young. (Just know that suburban schools will be vastly better than Memphis's, although school consolidation will be a factor)