New Year's Eve in Memphis - What are you doing? (Liberty: rent, crime)

[98SS]

I've been struggling trying to get a night put together for my wife, but it's just not happening. She wants to either rent a limo to Tunica or stay in a hotel in Tunica and go to Paula Dean's and Push and essentially spend less than $300. ......... It's just not going to happen.

I'm looking for alternative ideas for going out and having a good night without dropping more than a few hundred. One idea was the Peabody parties, but we're not really sure if we'd like them.

Has anyone been and have any input?

Thanks.

[maximus10]

Personally, I'm going to be at the Memphis/UT basketball game. Downtown will be packed. No doubt about it. Folks will also be in town for the Liberty Bowl game and that is sold out as well. I haven't been to the Peabody Rooftop party before, but from what I hear it is an awesome time. The Tunica idea sounds like a good one but I understand about the money. The Cooper-Young district might be a nice place to be during NYE.

[jmr193]

I just moved to Memphis in July and will be spending my first NYE in Memphis. I have visitors coming in and they, of course, want to go out on Beale Street. I mentioned this to one of my local friends and they said there are always shootings downtown on holidays. I have learned (since living here) that a lot of the danger stories are exaggerated BUUUT does anyone else agree that Beale Street on NYE is dangerous?

I know it will be packed and extremely crowded, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make to please my guests. Thanks for your help!

[maximus10]

Originally Posted by jmr193

I just moved to Memphis in July and will be spending my first NYE in Memphis. I have visitors coming in and they, of course, want to go out on Beale Street. I mentioned this to one of my local friends and they said there are always shootings downtown on holidays. I have learned (since living here) that a lot of the danger stories are exaggerated BUUUT does anyone else agree that Beale Street on NYE is dangerous?

I know it will be packed and extremely crowded, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make to please my guests. Thanks for your help!

I wouldn't worry about getting shot. Downtown, especially Beale St., will be crazy packed for NYE. A couple of years ago I heard a news report that said they estimated the Beale St. crowd for NYE at 80,000. That's insane for about 2 blocks of pavement. And that was years ago. I don't even want to know what it's like now. I stay away from it b/c of the crowds alone. I can guarantee you security will be tight. It always is when they expect a big crowd on Beale. Plus, now they check ID's before you're allowed on Beale St. itself. It's a precaution they've taken recently to keep out the bad elements who just stand around and do nothing. If you do go, MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE EARLY. And count on not being able to move around easy and LONG lines for beer. It's a mini times square out there during NYE.

[98SS]

Agreed. We felt perfectly safe on Beale during NYE a couple years ago. Actually, we always feel safe on Beale because there are so many cops, holiday or not.
You're fine if you're in the right areas. I think people get skewed perceptions about Memphis because too many people tell crime stories and get locations wrong. What makes up "downtown" is often different from person to person, and thus, depending on the person, downtown can be all good areas or it can include some kinda bad areas.

[Pearlbob]

Beale St is safe. The only thing that makes me uncomfortable with the holiday crowds, like on NYE, is the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of drunk people. But I've never felt unsafe on Beale, in terms of crime.