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I live right in Memphis, In Orange Mound. Sadly enough, Memphis has become a War Zone- a war zone between neighborhood gangs called 4 Way, Young Mob, Trap Mob, Trap Squad, Zone 6ix, Zone 5ive, SMG Money Gang, KGK (Killa getting Kake), and FSW (firestone Warriors). Just a few days ago, on Tuesday, a dude was killed and he was supposed a member of one of the gangs (4-way) by some members of Young Mob. Wednesday, 3 Seniors at my school Melrose jumped an 11 grader who was telling everybody he had something to do with the killing. (he was Young Mob). after he got jumped, he yelled out "My *****s gone be up here tomorrow to shoot this Bi*ch up.And that's on the Mob!!" That night, people from teh school started getting text messages about Young Mob coming to the school the next day. Thursday, Police had the school locked- down while we were there and had teh street blocked off. Later that day, someone was shoot about two blocks from 4 way territory. People say he killed the first guy or the people who killed him killed the first guy.
Things ARE as crazy as the medis portrays it to be.
Text Threats To Melrose High School Students Warn of Retaliation For Deadly Shooting - WREG (http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-text-threats-lead-to-extra-police-story,0,5141049.story - broken link)
Thats sad to hear. But can someone please tell me what city the size of Memphis doesn't have the exact same kind of issues. This story is sad. But this is not something isolated to Memphis.This kind of stuff happens in every mid-large sized metropolitan area in the country.
I know this might sound strange, but Memphis is more akin to Mississippi than Tennessee. Race, (Memphis and Shelby Co. is majority black while most of Tennessee is mostly white), economy (cotton is still king in the 21st Century), music (blues vs. country.) Many things. Memphis people do not like Nashville very much. Ole Miss and even Mississippi State are closer to Memphis than UT Knoxville.
Concerning the violence, yes, Memphis can be a mean town, and yes, some places in Memphis are dangerous at night, and some are not the best in the daytime. What is sad is that a lot of these neighborhoods were once nice areas back in the 60's, 70's and even the 80's and the 90's. Frayser is a good example of this. So is Whitehaven, where I grew up.
Poverty and demographics are the main reason for the decline of the city, as well as 18 years of the most incompetant, corrupt mayor and city government in the history of the city. (again, look at the demographic.)
Here is the good news though, by and large, if you are not looking for trouble, trouble will not find you. If you are not looking for drugs, sex or any other nefarious activities, you will be safe. If you read the crimes and the statistics of Memphis or any other large city, most murders, assaults, even rapes occur either between family, friends, acquintences, usually stemming from alcohol and drugs. Very few crimes happen between strangers, although it does occur. A lot of crimes in the city is due to theft of property, breakins, and yes, sometimes crimes by brazen ghetto people looking to rob someone for another hit. I know from experience as a victim of numerous crimes from the demographic, as well as being a drug addict.
If you don't live in North Memphis, South Memphis, Orange Mound or Frayser, there is no reason to go there whatsoever. Whitehaven is OK to go to in the daytime if there is something one needs and the only place to get it is there. Midtown is OK as a gentrified place, but there is a crime and drugs down there, and it is somewhat sketchy. Again, if you look for trouble, it will find you, if not, enjoy Midtown.
Germantown, Collierville, Desoto Co are the suburbs. I prefer Desoto because it is closer to the middle of the city and the airport, unlike Collierville which is way in the eastern side. Germantown is a nice place to live, although I found the place to be somewhat insufferably boring. G'Town, C'Town, Bartlett (lovingly called Fartlett by me) have really strict police, especially in G'Town and Fartlett.
The reason of my animosity towards Bartlett stems from when I and two friends were stopped by the Fartlett police back around 1990. My friend drove this awful car, something that was probably made in Bulgaria. He drove his girlfriend to her job, working the graveyard shift at a gas n' go type place about midnight. Nor the driver, I and my friend were drinking and we were about 20 years old at the time.
We dropped her off and were heading back when we were SWOOPED by five Fartlett police cars, and all three of us were told to get out. One of Fartlett's finest were asking us how old we were, why we were there, have we been drinking, is there dope in the car, yadda, yadda, yadda. Two other Fartlett pigs were tossing my friends car looking for anything to stick us in jail. After about 15 minutes of this, with them not finding anything (in my friend's extrememly messy car), and interrogating us, gave my friend a ticket for speeding for going 5 over the limit.
Like I said, that was about 20 years ago, but I am not sure that the suburb's committment to "public safety" has not abated, and has probably gotten worse since the days of George W. Bush, 9/11, school shootings, tyranny of the nanny state. Like I said, don't look for trouble and it wont find you. Dont bring trouble outside Memphis or the suburbian stormtroopers will descend upon you.
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