AA middle class neighborhoods????

[d901]

southwind area(shelby drive@hackcross rd) would be best,in my opinion, and the uptown district, which is diverse and has alot of new housing/apartments in that area....

all in all though memphis as a whole is almost 70% AA, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a decent place

[JRockn]

As many have said, you won't have any problems finding AA people to live near around Memphis or anywhere in the South really. I myself am white and from Northern Ky. Memphis is very different than where I came from as far as sheer size as well as the ethnic differences.

I bought a house in the Colonial area just west of Perkins and North of 240 about 7 years ago. Unfortunately the neighborhood has undergone a bit of decline since the great housing debacle a few years ago. Many people abandoned their homes which became HUD homes then went to lower class families. The only bad part is the roaming mischevious teenagers but there are still a lot of good middle class folk here. On my street Sea Isle, I have excellent neighbors on each side of me and some other good ones on the block. We talk about what's going on and watch out for each other if something is looking suspicious. I like the central location and when I changed jobs 4 years ago, was delighted to find the new workplace was only 3 mi from my house.

If I were moving here again, I might move in the same neighborhood but a bit further East. If I head down the street to Quince and head East the subdivisions seem to be in much better condition than mine has become. This is still considered a part of East Memphis though and is a decent safe low crime part of town with a mix of all ethnicities. Mostly AA, white, some Latino.

Anywhere you go there will be some racist people. I made a good friend at work years ago when I was new to town named DeMarco, real nice guy, few years older than me who worked hard taking care of his wife and little girl. He told me one night when we were hanging out that I was his first white friend ever lol ( he was like 27 at the time ) . I was like damn that's the first time anybody told me that.

Anyway, if things like commute & close by amenities are important to you then this would be a great area to look into. It is close to 240 and minutes from the airport area. It has nice parks, tons of restaurants and stores, takes about 15 min to get to the heart of downtown if you want to party on Beale, go to a game or whatever.

Why jump right into a house anyway? If I were you, I would find some nice secure apartments to start out. Take a year lease, get to know some people here and find the areas you like around town and then decide on where to live. You might regret moving to Collierville with the long commute amongst the crazy busy traffic on Nonconnah every day. Or you may find that you enjoy the more artistic atmosphere in mid-town and wish you lived closer to there. I'd do the apartment thing at first, or rent a guest house for a while until you get to know town better, just me.

Good Luck!

[BWOKIE85]

Originally Posted by JRockn

As many have said, you won't have any problems finding AA people to live near around Memphis or anywhere in the South really. I myself am white and from Northern Ky. Memphis is very different than where I came from as far as sheer size as well as the ethnic differences.

I bought a house in the Colonial area just west of Perkins and North of 240 about 7 years ago. Unfortunately the neighborhood has undergone a bit of decline since the great housing debacle a few years ago. Many people abandoned their homes which became HUD homes then went to lower class families. The only bad part is the roaming mischevious teenagers but there are still a lot of good middle class folk here. On my street Sea Isle, I have excellent neighbors on each side of me and some other good ones on the block. We talk about what's going on and watch out for each other if something is looking suspicious. I like the central location and when I changed jobs 4 years ago, was delighted to find the new workplace was only 3 mi from my house.

If I were moving here again, I might move in the same neighborhood but a bit further East. If I head down the street to Quince and head East the subdivisions seem to be in much better condition than mine has become. This is still considered a part of East Memphis though and is a decent safe low crime part of town with a mix of all ethnicities. Mostly AA, white, some Latino.

Anywhere you go there will be some racist people. I made a good friend at work years ago when I was new to town named DeMarco, real nice guy, few years older than me who worked hard taking care of his wife and little girl. He told me one night when we were hanging out that I was his first white friend ever lol ( he was like 27 at the time ) . I was like damn that's the first time anybody told me that.

Anyway, if things like commute & close by amenities are important to you then this would be a great area to look into. It is close to 240 and minutes from the airport area. It has nice parks, tons of restaurants and stores, takes about 15 min to get to the heart of downtown if you want to party on Beale, go to a game or whatever.

Why jump right into a house anyway? If I were you, I would find some nice secure apartments to start out. Take a year lease, get to know some people here and find the areas you like around town and then decide on where to live. You might regret moving to Collierville with the long commute amongst the crazy busy traffic on Nonconnah every day. Or you may find that you enjoy the more artistic atmosphere in mid-town and wish you lived closer to there. I'd do the apartment thing at first, or rent a guest house for a while until you get to know town better, just me.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the great post. I will consider an apartment or renting for sure.

[ThreeSides]

Originally Posted by BWOKIE85

I’m headed to Memphis as an air traffic controller. I literally have no clue as to where to live in Memphis, because I have neither lived in TN nor do I have family from the area. Are there any middle/upper middle class African American neighborhoods in Memphis? I asked this question because I’m a 27, AA woman who grew up in an overwhelmingly white suburb. 98% White and 2% other races and this is no exaggeration. While I have been the victim of racism and discrimination, it is not too often so I have nothing personally against white people. However, it would be nice to not feel so much like a super, super minority. I would love to live in a solidly middle class AA neighborhood if any are available. I know there are some in other states and wondered if Memphis is where a few are located.

I have no children or husband so I am moving to Memphis by myself, and I want to make sure I feel safe and not an easy target. In addition, I will be working odd hours and will often come home in the middle of the night or early morning when it is dark. As a controller, my income will be substantial. Money will not be a factor, and I will be able to move into the majority of neighborhoods without financial limitations. But, my number one concern is my safety.

Any suggestions?

Greetings,

We use to live in Memphis. Memphis has a great vibe! Memphis was my city! After my wife became pregnant w/ our third child, we decided that we needed to be closer to more mature relatives. For that reason, we move back North.

As a brotha, it always concerns me when sistas live alone. I don't care what city you're in. You are indeed correct to be concerned about your safety. Again, I couldn't care less about what city you live in. That said, I wish you the very best in your safety and your endeavors.

We lived on Belvedere Blvd. in midtown for several years. I don't know if it was middle class or not. It did not seem to be predominantly AA. The people there minded their own business. I'm not certain if it is part of the Cooper Young neighborhood or not. We loved it.

I've always worked nights. Therefore, I left my pregnant wife and young son home alone quite often. As much as it concerned me, we've never had a break in. My car was never broken into, etc.

Again, I wish you the very best.