Moving to Memphis but dont bombard me with warnings...too late, I already took the job

[London79]

Originally Posted by Jadastwin

....... if I were to move to Memphis, Hickory Hills was great.

This person must have meant "Hickory Hills". Because "Hickory Hill" is a ghetto, blighted area with high crime indeed. To gcdiane, if you never see this area while in Memphis, trust me, you won't be missing a thing.

[London79]

Originally Posted by canynracer

sorry, I dont JUST carry downtown, I carry wherever I go (except work)...

You're a smart man.

[gcdiane]

My transition has been pushed back to late February due to 'life happening'. I really do appreciate everyone's comments, however, I am a little bit troubled. I may need clarity on this issue - I've been visiting family and friends for years in homes that are located off of Candlewood/Mt. Moriah, Winchester and Clark in the streets with the Fox names and a few other places. Arent those considered Hickory Hill? None of them or their neighbors have had a problem. Don't get me wrong, I recognize stats and data and all of that, but there are areas where these problems dont exist. I've spent time in South Memphis - same story. My grandmother had a home off of Jackson, not too far from the new Uptown area - same story.

Things can be very dangerous in certain pockets. However, these pockets seem to become the generalization for a whole area. Yes, crime is high and violence is high. But, it is not the reality of everyone in these areas. Pearlbob, I really appreciate your knowledge and openness, but everyone's experience is not one of dread. Regardless of what the news reports and what we believe to be true, families are still living in neighborhoods working to rid themselves of stereotypes that may be 3 blocks away. Memphis has a serious problem with crime. This is factual. But, many are tagged for the actions of a few. Just some random thoughts...

London, thanks for the warning. But, I've been all over Memphis and like most urban areas it has wealth and blight all tucked into one city. But, its still no Detroit..

[psi2007]

Where did you live in Atlanta? We lived in Stone Mountain and loved it.
Here we live in Cordova and love it. If you're going to be looking for activities in the downtown area you may want to look at Mud Island. Hightpoint is close too.

[Pearlbob]

Right, all those areas you mentioned are Hickory Hill. The fastest growing crime area in town. You might find a street or two that don't have crackhouse neighbors, but that doesn't mean criminals can't walk 4 blocks down the street to break into your house. You'll be going to grocery stores and gas stations that get robbed a lot. Same with banks and restaurants. Just a word of warning.

[UofMGrad92]

The area around Clark and Mt. Moriah (with the Fox names) is the Fox Meadows area. It's a bit older than most of Hickory Hill, and therefore likely a bit more established and stable. The apartments along Mt. Moriah are not so good (at least most of them), and I'm sure that bleeds over into the neighborhoods, but a drive down Mt. Moriah shows it's clearly a more viable area than the Winchester corridor in Hickory Hill. Wal-Mart is still open on American Way at Mt. Moriah, and there is a relatively new Wal-Mart Market at Ridgeway and Mt. Moriah. I realize Wal-Mart isn't exactly a sign of prosperity, but at least you can still shop in your neighborhood for the necessities of life. Plus, Neely's is right there!

I wouldn't call it a good part of town, but there is no doubt that there are blocks and areas with good neighbors who look out for one another and keep the crime down more than other parts of Hickory Hill. The same is true of Whitehaven, Raleigh, Frayser, etc. Overall higher crime areas, but with pockets of better neighborhoods. Kind of like Midtown and East Memphis, but the baseline of crime and blight is higher overall in Fox Meadows, Hickory Hill, Whitehaven, Ralegh, Frayser, etc.

Hickory Hill and Fox Meadows were predominantly white areas, then became predominantly black areas, and now there is a fairly large and growing Hispanic presence in the area. I personally wouldn't move there, but like I tell folks, if crime in those areas was as bad as it is portrayed by some, everyone would be tied up in the closet, in the hospital, or dead. Obviously, people must manage to live, work, and shop in those areas without being a regular victim of crime. My job takes me to that area fairly often and leads to interaction with those in the communities. Yeah, there are some thugs and punks who need a lesson or two in treating their fellow man decent. But there are also families and older people just living the American dream to the best of their ability.

[gcdiane]

Thank you UofMgrad...

[teachermomof2]

We live in Cordova and love it. You can hop on I40 and be downtown in 20-40 minutes depending on the time of day and traffic. Good luck!