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Old 04-27-2016, 09:05 PM
 
329 posts, read 631,588 times
Reputation: 261

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Riding down Lamar this past week I've noticed something. The area at Lamar & Airways there's been some local investment recently in those buildings facing the street. It really shocked me a little, but seeing business in those type of buildings in Orange Mound look great. Also those houses on the street that are zoned for commercial, one of them nearby was a restaurant with a built patio in front. I'm glad to see that.

I have family in that area off South Pkwy, and as along as I can remember (in early mid 90s) Lamar never really lacked businesses, it just always had low end stores, gritty, car lots, repair shops, hole in the wall places, and food stores. In some form it was better in the 90s, than now, but not much. It lost some things and gained. It's truly a urban corridor, I can tell Lamar in the 1960s was a major popular street to set business.

The next hood that will probably see some gentrification is likely the Soulsville area. There's been some attention by developers the past few months. I've seen some plans and renderings of potential that could done in the area. Keep a eye on it as Foote Homes and South City get redeveloped.
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Old 04-27-2016, 09:57 PM
 
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
49,932 posts, read 59,599,006 times
Reputation: 98359
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewNashville View Post
Yes. I was born in the 70s.
Lol well no wonder you "don't recall." You were a teenager at most.
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Old 04-27-2016, 10:10 PM
 
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
49,932 posts, read 59,599,006 times
Reputation: 98359
Hard data?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sldream View Post
Beale Street was abandoned in the 80s."
Not true. Mike Glenn had the New Daisy running in 1983. Rum Boogie opened in 1985. There were many other restaurants and, of course, Schwab's.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sldream View Post
You could count the number of people living downtown on two hands. Harbor town wasnt built yet.
Also not true. There were several condo buildings at capacity downtown and multiple homes on Harbor Town in 1988, as well as an apartment complex.
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Old 04-27-2016, 11:05 PM
 
Location: Atlanta
3 posts, read 5,948 times
Reputation: 11
Jabogitlu, the 1980's were pretty rough here. The 1980's opened with optimism and ended a hail of gunfire. OK, that's a little dramatic. But, in the span of two months in 1983, the city lost it's two largest manufacturing plants. Firestone and International Harvester both closed plants in Frayser, eliminating thousands of good paying middle class jobs. The North side has never recovered. The mid to late 80's saw a huge surge in crack cocaine fueled violent crime, and an AIDS epidemic. By the end of the decade, Whitehaven, Raleigh, and Frayser had all fallen, Hickory Hill began to fail before it's paint even dried and midtown was seriously threatened. Everything that could be stolen, was stolen. Educated young people saw no hope here and fled. I was one of them. I loaded up a lot of u hauls for friends headed to Dallas and Atlanta. A few good things did happen. Jack Belz planted a seed downtown, bravely reopening the Peabody in 1981 and IP announced it was moving it's operational HQ to Memphis in 1987.
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Old 04-27-2016, 11:10 PM
 
188 posts, read 370,080 times
Reputation: 234
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGameHHH View Post
Just imagine a full scale gentrification of areas such as Orange Mound.

Yoga studios, Whole Foods, and independent coffee/whatever else shops lined up along Park Ave/Lamar, within walking distance to the newly built condos.

The hood and everything else Orange Mound is currently known for no longer exists.
Where do the hoodlums go?
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Old 04-28-2016, 07:45 AM
 
160 posts, read 157,978 times
Reputation: 111
Despite my critique, I've always wanted my city to be great. Not for a few but for all. I don't believe in handouts. I grew up there so I know there's a "get over" culture amongst certain groups. One that has to change in order for the city to become great. Quite frankly, from what I've been seeing, it seems like it's only getting worse. If I moved back to Shelby county I'd have to live in either Collierville or Germantown. There are great hangout areas within the inner city but Memphis is too dicey for me to live there.
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Old 04-28-2016, 08:05 AM
 
1,768 posts, read 1,670,341 times
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I was just a child when it happened but the crack era along with the increase in gangs must have been pretty scary in the late 80s.
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Old 04-28-2016, 05:10 PM
 
1,380 posts, read 2,382,905 times
Reputation: 2403
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewNashville View Post
Despite my critique, I've always wanted my city to be great. Not for a few but for all. I don't believe in handouts. I grew up there so I know there's a "get over" culture amongst certain groups. One that has to change in order for the city to become great. Quite frankly, from what I've been seeing, it seems like it's only getting worse. If I moved back to Shelby county I'd have to live in either Collierville or Germantown. There are great hangout areas within the inner city but Memphis is too dicey for me to live there.
You don't live here, so maybe you're just unaware. A lot of Memphis is the last thing in the world from dicey. Google the stats for zip 38120, where Fred Smith and Pitt Hyde live. Shady Grove makes most of Gtown and Cville look like the projects.
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Old 04-28-2016, 05:16 PM
 
Location: Seattle
7,504 posts, read 17,116,189 times
Reputation: 4768
Yeah, I don't understand how East Memphis, or Belvedere Boulevard in Midtown, or Overton Park Avenue, or Mud Island, are considered dicey. Sure, Orange Mound is dicey, but I've also been in some weird as hell places outside Memphis (like Millington).
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Old 04-28-2016, 05:43 PM
 
31 posts, read 105,532 times
Reputation: 43
Quote:
Originally Posted by Longtimelistener View Post
Where do the hoodlums go?
They can all go across the river to West Memphis. Technically, they are still "Memphis". I'm sure Arkansas wouldn't mind the population boom.
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