Chattanoga VS Memphis VS Knoxville (Chattanooga, Bartlett: apartments, movers, condos)

[MrsMichelle]

There is nothing "wrong" with Memphis. But there are many natives of the city that will let you know what they don't like. If you would like more info let me know. I would be happy to give you an honest opinion. I've lived around the mid-south area all my life and am raising my son here.

MichelleCoker1@aol.com

[Kicking4JC]

In responce to Memphis having a lot of things to do, what? What is there? I know of a zoo, but most of the time the tempertures are so dang hot it's not fun to go. What big city doesn't have a zoo anyways? Bah humbug to Elvis, he died a year before I was born. Casinos south in Tunica, MS, just what I need, another way for someone to get rich off a poor girl.

I would stay clear of living anywhere in Shelby County, TN.

Of course any large city, will have its share of crime.

Just my input.

[Kicking4JC]

Originally Posted by Honey

Hey,,,,whats wrong with Memphis? Looks beautiful and lots of things to do so would like any information you have. We are going to be transferred there so I would like to know best place to live.

Looks are deceiving!

[Honey]

Hey Kicking,,,,,why do you hate it so much? Hey the temps look great there to me,,,,I will be coming from Houston and believe me its hot here and we don't get much a break for other seasons. Yeah,,,,you are right,,,every big city does have a zoo and once you do all the things that you haven't seen after moving to a place,,,,I know that you don't do it again. Would like your comments on what you actually hate that you think any other city would offer?

[TC500]

Memphis is a great place to live! It was voted as one the most up & coming places to live by a men's magazines. We have lived here for years. Germantown schools are excellant and it is a great area for families. Riverfront lofts are trendy places to live for young professionals. Yes, there are cities in east Tennessee that are ranked as some of the best places to retire. But the glut of retirees and hurricane refugees have drastically increased housing prices and heavily burdened medical resources in those communities. My poor grandmother had to spend over 24 hours in the e.r. in Maryville before a hospital room was available for her. Memphis has UT Medical School, St. Jude's Research Hospital, and many other wonder medical facilities.

[tokyopapa]

Knoxville: Absolutely beautiful. Of the three cities, this city is closest to the mountains, Smokies and Appalachains, the gorgeous North Carolina border, and Cades Cove State Park, one of the most aesthetically pleasing and refreshing places in the country. Traffic has become a bit of a problem in recent years due to increasing tourism in Sevier County and North Carolina, but it's not anything too difficult to handle by paying a bit more attention when traversing Interstates 75 and 81. Shopping is good, as Knoxville has a choice of two malls: Knoxville Center is anchored by Sears, a fitness complex, Belk, Dillard's, and JC Penney and serves the east side of town. West Town Mall, the larger of the two is anchored by the same department stores as the Knoxville Center, only instead of a fitness complex, the West Town Mall has the region's only Parisian, an upsclae division of Saks Inc. and serves pretty much all of the East Tennessee/Western North Carolina area. A downside to Knoxville is the overcrowded, practically falling apart public schools. To place a positive spin on the city, however, of the three cities, Knoxville has the least crime and is in the middle as far as population goes with approximately 400,000 people in the immediate area.

Chattanooga: The smallest of the three cities, Chattanooga has approximately 330,000 people living within the immediate area. Chattanooga has an awesome government, first of all. Even with a high percentage of families living below the poverty line, Chattanooga manages to keep itsself beautiful and functional under the leadership of its wonderful mayor, who is currently running for a position in a higher government office as a Republican candidate. Chattanooga is home to the state's largest mall, the Northgate, which features Belk Men Children and Home, Belk Women, Sears, JC Penney, Dillard's, and Parisian as anchors. Traffic is congested, I suppose I should mention as a warning, as the city is directly between two of the South's most progressive cities: Knoxville and Atlanta. Crime is a bit of a problem in Chattanooga with a crime index of about 850...That's incredibly high for a city so small. Of the three cities, this is the one I would lastly choose, depsite great shopping and top-notch leadership. This town is rough.

Memphis: I am afraid I cannot give too much valuable info about this city, as I liveon the other end of the sate and have never been. All I can say is this...watch your step, and stay in the south part of town.

[pannod]

Memphis sounds a lot like New Orleans was pre-Katrina. Every day there were 2, 3, sometimes 4 murders to report. I've always lived in the suburbs and commuted to work in the city, which it looks like I will have to do the same in TN. Wanted to move near Nashville, but doesn't look like that is going to work out, so it's Memphis for now. I'm looking at Bartlett, Millington, or perhaps Tipton County. Neither should be a bad drive into Memphis if I should end up working in the city itself. High schools have good reviews on the Great Schools website. Germantown seems very nice, but also kind of pricey.

[Kicking4JC]

Why do I hate Memphis? Let's see:

1. Humidity
2. Heat
3. Lack of things to do (inless you go to the casinos or are a church person. Which don't get me wrong, I am a Christian, but I don't belong to a church.)
4. Crime
5. Schools overall compared to home state of WI are slower in progressing.
6. People, granted they are friendlier (as far as saying hello), but they are so much more raciest down here. Best friend always referes to Black People this, Black People this. Finance's dad same thing, this idiot black guy from work... (why refer to the skin color???) and so much gossip down here.
7. Segreation (in high school cafeteria tables were either white or black, and only mixed if in the band table. Even the jocks usually sat with their own race.
8. Dirty Air due to all the industral places along the river, and all the traffiic the air is dirty.
9. Growth. I don't mind a small town, or a larger town with ammendities, but the entire area is growing so much that the roads are in horrible shape, constant construction, more direct access roads, etc.
10. Drivers, can I say idiots? Why do people think the speed limit sign is a minimum speed? I go the speed limit and come close to dying like 10 times a day, due to the excessive speeders, the lack of turn signals, the slamming of breaks, the weaving in and out of lanes, etc.

Why do I hate Memphis? Hmm...

[imbirna]

Memphis is the only one I have not visited, but from what I have heard, I don't want to. I live outside Knoxville and about an hour and a half from Chattanooga. I personally, think Chattanooga is too crowded, has bad traffic, and is dirtier than Knoxville. Knoxville has its share of traffic problems too - mostly because of construction, but is a beautiful city.

[JMSTiger]

And the Memphis hate continues...

Some of you people need to actually visit the city of Memphis and form your own opinion before you decide the Bluff City is another Detroit or Gary. There are plenty of people in Middle and East Tennessee who trash Memphis and tell others how terrible it is, but they have never actually been here.

I live in the heart of the city in a beautiful neighborhood of houses built during the 1940's. I am perfectly happy here and I (gasp) live inside the city.

Yes, there is crime in Memphis, but it is not as if once you enter the city limits, RPGs and gunfire are whizzing over your head. Most of the crime is concentrated in the crappy parts of town.

Downtown Memphis is a flat out jewel. There is a condo boom right now in downtown and it is expected that an additional 10,000 people will be living down there in the next 5 years. There are several luxury condo towers planned that will be under construction within the year over looking the river. Downtown is also a national leader in "New Urbanism" projects (Harbor Town, South Bluffs, Uptown).

As far as things to do in and around the city, there is plenty. If all you can come up with is the zoo (which is one of the best zoos you will ever see in the county, by the way) and casinos in Tunica, you are't looking hard enough.

If you visit Memphis, come downtown. Check out Midtown. Check out some of the great neighborhoods in East Memphis (High Point Terrace, Chickasaw Gardens, etc). If you do that and still think Memphis is a rathole, I would be shocked.

Part of the problem on this board is the fact that the vast majority of the opinion on the city of Memphis comes from people from other parts of the state who never have been to Memphis, but hear bad things or people who live around Memphis and rarely venture into the city anymore. Sometimes it makes sense to ask those of us who actually are Memphians.