FORBES 2007,Great TN City ranking,Top 200

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

That does it. One way or another, I have GOT to see Memphis.

There's a lot to see in Memphis (Graceland, Lorraine Motel, Beale St, Mud Island, Peabody, Voodoo Village...okay my boss would not let me go to the last one alone but I wanted to..and they have a big music festival with many name bands) but if you visit, go in early Spring or late Fall. It's really wet hot there. Memphis was the first place I ever had dry ribs. Like West Knoxville, there are suburban areas of Memphis, too, at least there were when I was there in the late nineties and it's one of the few cities I didn't mind driving in although I spent a lot of my time there in the burbs. Also, if you are so inclined, it's a short drive (about 45 minutes) from Memphis to Tunica, Mississippi where there are casinos. The Tom Cruise movie The Firm takes place in Memphis and does a good job showcasing it during the chase scenes.

Wouldn't want to live there, though. Way too hot.

[dreamofmonterey]

JMT the older buildings you mentioned- any pix? I love old architecture- am hungry for some history. I am tired of shopping malls and 10 year old skyscrapers.

Thanks everyone, for the info.

sunny

[sliverbox]

My aunt lives in Memphis and has done so for over 30 years. She LOVES it. I always had tons of fun visiting her. Believe it or not, Memphis was really artsy, pretty, and unique from what I saw. That said, I haven't been in 5 or 6 years. So perhaps things have gotten bad. I don't have bad memories of it, that's for sure. The crime back then was bad, and indeed- one street is literally crack house central while the next is full of quite, beautiful old homes and old people.

[dreamofmonterey]

I love the history and architecture of an older city. To me it would be a trade-off. Crime is any city- so I wouldnt mind dealing with it to get more culture, business, night-spots, etc.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by sunnyhelena

JMT the older buildings you mentioned- any pix? I love old architecture- am hungry for some history. I am tired of shopping malls and 10 year old skyscrapers.

Thanks everyone, for the info.

sunny

Hey sunny, I posted some pictures of downtown Memphis under the Memphis sub-forum. As LauraC said, if you don't like hot, muggy weather, don't go in the summer! But on the other hand, the Orpheum (the old movie palace downtown which is where Broadway musicals are now performed) plays old classic movies in the summers. It is soooo much fun. Grab some BBQ on nearby Beale Street then go see an old movie in the lavishly beautiful Orpheum Theatre.

And silverbox, I'm glad you had some great times in Memphis. It's still a very artsy city, particularly the South Main neighborhood and the Cooper-Young neighborhood. In fact, I'm attaching a picture of the artsy RR bridge in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. Isn't it cool?

[hiknapster]

That bridge is adorable.

You know, I started looking at Memphis real estate, again, and I was staggered by the prices. I know, I know, the crime is high and I'm paranoid. Then there is the tornadoes. But to have a great old city with wonderful architecture, great people, the blues...I just don't know.

I bet I could get a transfer very easily. Boy, could I.

And they are always looking for auto mechanics.

I really DO need to visit!