Memphis bound single professional female - debating whether to live Downtown or on Mud Island (Midtown: apartment complexes, rental)

[mereb]

I am a single professional woman in my late twenties moving to Memphis in August. I have toured the area and am debating on whether I would enjoy living Downtown or on Mud Island more.
My main concern with Downtown is safety and whether I would feel safe walking around the area (especially at night) by myself.
In terms of Mud Island - is it easy to meet people there and do people feel isolated?
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts. Thanks!

[2nomadic4me]

Hello!!! I probably will be considered "Biased" but, I really wouldn't walk at night in Downtown ESPECIALLY by myself. Mud island is not isolated. It's close to downtown actually. However, I would NOT leave Mud Island from the North end at night........too close to Frayser for my comfort. Southern end I would not leave unless it was an emergency at night.

It's a really nice area....just kinda close to some other very-unsafe areas.

[2nomadic4me]

Where will you be working (or studying)?

[mereb]

I will be working near the airport.

[Pearlbob]

Downtown is full of people. Don't be scared!!

I imagine you would be walking at night - to a restaurant, back home. To a bar, back home. You're not going to be wandering the streets aimlessly, in dark alleys, where no one is. There are plenty of people who live downtown, as well as tons of tourists.

[2nomadic4me]

True, I guess I just have a personal experience. A friend of mine was almost shot about 5 years ago when they he was walking downtown.---Not to scare you.

If you will be working near the Airport (Oakhaven), you might want to live in Cooper-Young (unless you work the night shift). Close to the airport, but yet it is safe.

You also might want to live in Mississippi. But, Cooper-Young/Midtown is the closest "urban" area to the airport that is safe.

[mereb]

Thank you. Are there any really nice apartment complexes that you would recommend taking a look at in the Cooper Young district?

[Pearlbob]

There are not many "complexes of apartments in midtown (where Cooper Young is located.) CY is an area of very old houses, very ecclectic people, etc. Many houses available to rent.

Let me say this - the Cooper Young area is MUCH more unsafe than downtown is.

If safety is your #1 priority, you should look elsewhere. Random crime happens everywhere, but downtown is the safest area of Memphis, statisically speaking. Cooper Young butts up to some of the worst crime areas, therefore crime spills over into the CY area. If you have a city/urban mindset, it might not bother you. But you don't seem to have the type of mindset that it takes to live somewhere like CY (which is totally fine).

If you want safety but still want to be near fun things to do, move to Mud Island (harbortown). You'll still have to drive to get anywhere, but it will be a short drive.

[five nines]

If you want to be in a suburb attached to downtown then you want to live on mud island.....if you want to walk to restaurants, bars, nightlife you want to live downtown.

If you choose downtown I would stick to the core or south main area. In the core there are a couple nice rental properties including Number10 Main and I hear Radio City Flats are nice. In the core and south main there are also lots of condos for rent that you can find on Craigslist or through a broker (landlord pays broker not you).

When you come to look at apartments you'll know within five minutes whether you want to live on mud island or downtown.

[2nomadic4me]

True......I just really think about backing up to 2 bad areas is worse vs. 1 bad area.

East Memphis is also really nice.

My advice is to stay out of Hickory Hill, South Memphis, Orange Mound, Oakhaven, Fox Meadows, Parkway Village, Raleigh, Frayser, Uptown, North Memphis, and Binghampton.