Manhattan to Memphis (Knoxville, Bluff City: house, theatre, living)

[expatnortherner]

Originally Posted by chuck1229

Things to do, Watch the Grizzlies because they can beat the Knicks.

$450 season tickets in the upper tier, the best deal in the NBA!

Forget the food, no comparison. OK stuff, but nothing beats the ethnic food and variety in NYC. Circa on Main Street is Great, and there are some great beer places on Beale Street, I like Silky Sullivans.

- Check out Petra Cafe on Poplar for excellent gyros
- Decent pizza is nowhere to be found!
- Jimmy's Dogs in Germantown (Bartlett?) Has EXCELLENT hot dogs, but they're Chicago style
- Tycoon on Kirby is one of the handful of noodle shops in town and is excellent
- Blue Fin on Main has the best combo of taste/atmosphere/price for Sushi, and a funky crowd weekends (great house music DJ too).
- Get used to people commenting on your accent
- Get used to people moving at their own pace
- Get used to an hour of pleasantries every morning at work BEFORE you start working.

Now Hookers, we got them, not classy like NYC, but I am sure we can meet or exceed the trashy ones you also find in NYC.

Nothing here can beat 11th Ave when it was in its heyday!

Also, Tunica truly is turning into a Vegas of the South and it's really close by. It will remind you of 60's Vegas.

On the minus side:
- No one plays handball or paddleball
- No softball leagues for adults
- No street vendors

Ex-Pat

[eleven.]

Ahem, Expat... Do the hookers not count as "street vendors"?

[juiceman]

Binksby,

My wife and I also live in the South Main district. We just moved from LA two months ago. We are really liking it as well. Arcade, Bluff City Coffee, Blue Monkey and walking around. You may see me around, always walking my two westies and sporting my Jayhawk hat, say hello if you see me. It is bloody hot though!!

[expatnortherner]

"Ahem, Expat... Do the hookers not count as "street vendors"?"

Truth be told from an 'adult entertainment' POV Memphis used to beat NYC hands down for quantity and variety of sleaze (but not quality of sleaze). This has changed somewhat recently as (people have) pressured city officials who have cracked down on that sort of thing. There's still some grit to be found if you look hard enough though.

Like all pendulums it's a matter of waiting for it to swing back the other way.

Ex-Pat

[willdgate]

You may like downtown memphis, particularly the lofts or apartments downtown.

[Kabluey]

Originally Posted by expatnortherner

"Ahem, Expat... Do the hookers not count as "street vendors"?"

Truth be told from an 'adult entertainment' POV Memphis used to beat NYC hands down for quantity and variety of sleaze (but not quality of sleaze). This has changed somewhat recently as (people have) pressured city officials who have cracked down on that sort of thing. There's still some grit to be found if you look hard enough though.

Like all pendulums it's a matter of waiting for it to swing back the other way.

Ex-Pat

Sad day when they closed Platinum...

[expatnortherner]

I was recently trying to think of what downtown Memphis reminded me of and it hit me, it's like Chelsea, circa 1980's. The urban feel, cheap rents and loft space and available commercial space is just waiting for an arts explosion.

I saw this happen in New Orleans in the 80's, but now French Quarter rents are beyond the ability for musicians and artists to afford. Rents are still relatively cheap here and it's a shame no one is reaching out to that community to move here.

It's only a matter of time before the arts culture finds out about Memphis on its own. When that happens it will make downtown a very interesting place to be.

Ex-Pat

[strumpeace]

Broad Ave. is much a much more appropriate venue for an arts district. Talk about gritty. And I note that the Urban Arts Commission recently relocated to Broad Ave. Good start.

[pineywoodsfats]

Originally Posted by expatnortherner

I was recently trying to think of what downtown Memphis reminded me of and it hit me, it's like Chelsea, circa 1980's. The urban feel, cheap rents and loft space and available commercial space is just waiting for an arts explosion.

I saw this happen in New Orleans in the 80's, but now French Quarter rents are beyond the ability for musicians and artists to afford. Rents are still relatively cheap here and it's a shame no one is reaching out to that community to move here.

It's only a matter of time before the arts culture finds out about Memphis on its own. When that happens it will make downtown a very interesting place to be.

Ex-Pat

I lived in the Quarter in the early 70's and paid $65/month. It was an incredible dump, but cheap dumps were all over.

Up through about 1960, it was pretty much an Italian slum. That was over for the most part when I lived there, but there was still an area of the Quarter that was predominantly black, with clubs and restaurants and so on. By the late 70's it was really changing--things were turning into condos and so on. Locals attributed it to the oil boom which inflated real estate all over the city.

[memphis_lady]

We love it here. Although its a short jog into the main downtown, it doesn't get deserted like downtown can get. Plus we have three restaurants and two bars that are packed on a regular basis.
We have a good mix of people too - a very international community - thanks to St. Jude being nearby and open minded too. Our neighbors to the right are a gay couple, and to our left, a lesbian couple.
We have the Arbors and other apts on the island, but I would strongly suggest renting a house in Harbortown proper (a small community on the island). It's upscale and safer than the rest.
BTW...I'm an import from NYC myself. Lived at 124 W 60th Street near Columbus Circle.
Happy House Hunting.