Moving to Memphis

In My Humble Opinion
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I am not sure which forum to put this in, so please move it if it is not in the right place…now on to my question.

I will be moving from Dallas Texas to Memphis Tennessee in about a month. Here are some questions for anyone living in or around the Memphis area -

  1. What is there to do there? I am a 25 year old guy that is not really into the whole party/club thing.

  2. I want to live downtown, what are some good or not so good places to rent an apartment somewhere in the $700 - $1000 a month range?

  3. Is it really as dangerous a city as people say it is? I have heard from people who have lived there years ago and they tell me that it is a pretty tough town, is this true?

  4. Anything else you might could throw in that would make my relocation a little easier would be great, thanks in advance.

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  1. The local music scene here is among the best in the world. There’s something for everyone, and the bands are always at least better than average and sometimes fantastic. Some of the best venues for live local music are the Young Avenue Deli, the Hi-Tone (both in Midtown), the Gibson Lounge (located in the Gibson guitar factory on Beale St.), and the New Daisy Theater (also on Beale St. This is where mid-level national touring bands play. The Melvins, for example, will be there on May 30). For authentic blues, avoid Beale St. and brave Wild Bill’s–a genuine juke joint where the beer comes in 40 oz’ers and fried chicken in on the menu. We also have a decent local theater system (upcoming shows include Copenhagen and Bat Boy, The Musical) and a quietly humming independant film community (two “major” film festivals a year–Indie Memphis, the big one, is in October) We have an NBA team, but I hate basketball so I couldn’t tell you anything about them other than they’re called the Grizzlies because they used to be in Vancouver and that people tell me it’s fun to go to the games. The Redbirds are our AAA baseball team, affiliated with the Cardinals. They play in AutoZone park which has been called the best AAA park in the nation and will be the site of the AAA All-Star game this year. I don’t like baseball, either, but I have fun every time I go to a game. Get the BBQ nachoes from the Rendezvous booth. There are lots and lots of great restaurants here, ranging from the pricey (Paulette’s, Owen Brennen’s, McEwen’s on Monroe, Automatic Slim’s) to the not-so-pricey (Hattley’s Garage, Siagon Le, and a host of others). Pork Barbecue is what the place is famous for. The Barbecue Shop on Madison is my favorite, but Interstate BBQ, Neely’s (owned by the same family) and the Kozy Korner are worth the trip as well. The Rendezvous is world famous, has good ribs, and decent-but-touristy atmosphere.

  1. Downtown actually has the lowest crime rate in the entire city. It’s recently undergone a renaissance and there’s plenty of good available housing and lots to do. Check out the William Ln. buiding or some condos down on South Main St. If you want to spend that much money, you can get a house in Midtown that’s twice the square footage and still close to plenty of restaurants and shopping. Avoid moving into East Memphis, Germantown, or Collierville unless you have kids and want the bland suburban lifestyle.

  2. In a word, no. The city is something like 65% black and that scares a lot of white people, to be perfectly frank. The southern parts of the city like Orange Mound and, lately, Hickory Hills, are very, very poor and have their share of gangbanging and violent crime. But the city proper is not nearly as dangerous as people make it out to be (unless you count driving on Poplar avenue!). I’m not saying you can leave your doors unlocked at night and invite strangers in off the street for a spot of tea, but if you’re moving from a big city like Dallas, you won’t see anything here that will freak you out, crime wise. Just keep your eyes open, stay out of sketchy situations, and don’t try to screw anybody on a drug deal. We’ve had the reputation of a rough and tumble river town since Mark Twain’s day, and I think to some extent folks cultivate it to make themselves look tougher.

  3. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s asssasination set race relations in this city back 50 years. It’s still extremely polarized in that respect. Lots of politics boil down to black vs. white. It disgusts me, but that’s the way it is. Neither side is innocent–there are just as many black racists as there are white racists. This will intrude into your life in bizarre and unpredictable ways, so be prepared for it and try to meet rancor with kindness, if you can. Memphis really is a great town–I’ve been here for 14 years, and it’s much nicer today than it was when I moved here. Despite the racial politics, the people here are very genuine and–dare I say it–generally pretty nice.

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I’ll take a stab here, with a slightly different prespective…

  1. Well, if you like out-doorsy stuff, there’s Shelby Farms and other parks/recreation areas relatively nearby. We have a Zoo (with pandas now), several museums of various sorts, playhouses, etc. You will not lack for food here! Lots of places to eat, and more and more ethnic foods are sneaking in. There’s also the casinos in Tunica, if you’re into that kind of thing. (I go for the food.)

  2. Someone told me this when I moved to the area, and it seems to hold relatively true: stay away from the areas where the streets are named after Presidents. They aren’t the worst areas ever (comparing to other cities), and part of one street will be just fine but one block over and you’ll have an entirely different tale.

You may want to check out apartments.com: look for ‘downtown’ or ‘midtown’ areas. At least that site will give you a better feel for the prices around here. Beyond that, I can’t be of much help, since I haven’t had a need to look into apartments here.

  1. scratches head I personally haven’t had any problems. Then again, I don’t do stupid things. (Usually.) Don’t leave valuables where they can be seen, lock your doors and windows, etc., etc. Just like any metro area, use common sense and think about prevention.

  2. “It’s not a question of morality, it’s a question of money.” (Possibly paraphrased, I’m doing this by memory.) Said by our Mayor, in reference to the Tyson-Lewis fight, but boy oh boy does it apply to a lot of other things in the area also.

Beware the drivers. It seems that too many of them ‘drive’ by pointing the car in the (hopefully) right direction, and hoping for the best.

If you get bored with the town, weekend trips to nearby cities are quite do-able and can be a lifesaver.

Public transportation isn’t that great, but it looks like they’re trying to make it better. (Now, if they could link up the University of Memphis with the rail line downtown…)

Don’t worry if every single freaking front door on a house seems to be an iron door (some plain, others fancy and ornate) instead of screen door. That just seems to be the norm for the area.

<< Foo. >>

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Off to IMHO.

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There are some really good travelling exhibits that are worth the time – items from the Titanic and items from Imperial Russia are just a couple of examples.

It is possible, I think, to get an apartment downtown that overlooks the river.

And you are not so far away from the Ozark Mountains for nice get-a-way weekends.

One thing that you can look forward to is the absolute best barbecue in the world!

Check out a place called “Mud Island.”

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What are your interests? Knowing that would give us a better idea of what to tell you about Memphis.
Unless you work downtown, you probably don’t want to live there. It’s as far west as Memphis goes, and you’d have to deal with traffic to get anywhere else. If you’re relocating for work, consult your new co-workers before choosing a living place. There are bad neighborhoods, and it isn’t always easy to tell.

You probably will experience some culture shock, but it wears off. I very rarely notice anyone’s accent anymore, even if they say “cain’t”, which drove me nuts at first.

My location, Olive Branch MS, is just across the state line from Memphis.

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Thanks for all the help. I am looking forward to moving agian.

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I live in a little town two hours north of Memphis. It scares me. But if you’re coming from Dallas…no problem :slight_smile:

The worst part about Memphis, to me, is driving anywhere in it. The absolute worst that I’ve found (as mentioned before) is Poplar, so do all you can to detour around it. You could probably stick your hand out the window and grab the steering wheel of the car next to you. And the roads in Memphis just don’t make sense to me…I mean, the interstate turns into a boulevard and then it runs into the zoo and stops. I know Nashville like the back of my hand, but I can’t for the life of me get anywhere in Memphis.

My favorite spot in Memphis is the Rendezvous, which is down a scary dark alley near the Peabody hotel (which is another place you can go, if you get excited at the thought of ducks on red carpet). The Rendezvous has the best ribs in the world and they’re fairly reasonably priced. I hear they ship their ribs and barbecue to celebrities all over the states. Be sure to go there at least once.

Memphis is not known for its party atmosphere, but rather for its kickback, bluesy bars. I’m not a club-type person either and the entertainment atmosphere is right up my alley. Memphis in May, which two weekends ago, is expensive but sometimes worth it, depending on the lineup.

One…no, two last things. Graceland sucks. And stay away from Beale Street on New Year’s Eve :eek:

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I’d like to modify one thing that Nightsong said. Avoid neighborhoods with streets named after states, not presidents. If you find yourself on Mississippi or Florida streets, or some such, leave immediately in a northward direction. Madison Avenue starts at the river and runs through the heart of Midtown. Adams avenue includes the courthouse and “lawyer’s row.” If you’re involved in any litigation, you’ll end up there eventually. But I will echo what was said earlier about the nieghborhoods. The confusing thing for newbies is that the city is a patchwork. Great neighborhoods that you wouldn’t hestiate to go walking in after dark are sometimes a block away from crack central, so be sure to check the place out before you sign on the bottom line. Why this is, I have no clue.

And no, I don’t work for the Chamber of Commerce.

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I missed this the first time around, but here’s my two cents:

I love it here. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a laid-back city that will often surprise you by charming your socks off. I’m not a native; I grew up moving all over the place, moved here in 1995 when I was 23, moved away for a few years, and moved back in 1999.

Re. neighborhoods, it depends on what you’re looking for. I live in Midtown and wouldn’t live anywhere else; I’m on a quiet, safe street with huge, ancient trees hanging over everything, and on a nice evening half the neighborhood will be sitting on their front porches and enjoying the weather. There’s a park about 50 yards from my house where I walk the dog every day.

But at the same time, I’m literally ten minutes from pretty much anywhere I want to go. In that time I can be at a warm, friendly neighborhood bar; a fabulous but moderately priced Vietnamese, Indian, Chinese, Italian, barbecue(!), or Cajun restaurant; a small, elegant restaurant for formal, intimate dining; any of several movie or stage theaters; a huge park; an art gallery; the baseball stadium; the Pyramid, where the Grizzlies play (for now); or pretty much any other attraction in downtown or Midtown.

If you want a more suburban setting, Memphis has lots of suburbs that are, uh, suburban. They’re safer, of course (although I’ve been the victim of only one crime in the nearly seven years I’ve lived here), but to be honest I don’t know much about the suburbs. I never go there, as everything I need is pretty much right here.

Also, re. the local arts scene: what vibrotronica said.

Good luck, and feel free to send e-mail if you have more specific questions.

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Oh, and to share a joke about Midtown that I’ve heard…

“Midtown. Where women are women, and the men are women too.” :wink:

Midtown, from what I can tell, is more laid back, more alternative, and more accpeting of oddities than other areas. (This is, of course, my experience… but it’d be interesting to see if those native to the area agree with this.) Something to perhaps keep in mind, depending on your leanings.

(I’m in an ‘in-between’ area: it’s not really Midtown, since I’m outside the Parkway loop, but I’m not East Memphis, Germantown, etc., either.)

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It definitely seems that way to me; that’s one of the main reasons I stay in Midtown.

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good evening friends,

another thing to remember: you will need a really good street map. the city layout makes little sense, and addresses are difficult to find.

for an interesting diversion, stop in the hole in the wall bar on whitney avenue in frazier, (slightly north of downtown memphis.)

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Barbecue.

That’s it, just barbecue.

You will be moving to one of the barbecue capitals of the world. Start with Charlie Vergo’s Rondezvous and go from there. Always try one rib without any sauce and then sample it with.

I almost envy you.

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Never been. Just an interesting footnote for ya though…
Check out the “Ask the Structural Engineer” thread, I had a question in there about the Madris fault line (didn’t know the name back then) You may find some useful info there…

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Thanks agian for all your help, I was really worried about moving before all this. Seems I should not judge a city before I get to know the people that make it up.

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PS: Welcome aboard(s), NoctrineX.

As a food fiend, I strongly urge you to sample some of the best Texan barbecue you can find before leaving. You will be able to make some interesting comparisons once you arrive in Memphis. Were it me, I’d be taking notes.

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I’ll put in another plug for Midtown. It is a mixture of about everything you can think of and it is easy to get to other parts of Memphis from there. Another area is part of Mud Island, called Harbortown. Purists will tell you that only applies to the expensive group of houses, but there are plenty of nice apartments in the price range you mentioned. It is safe because it is like a world unto itself. If you jog, roller-skate, bike or just walk there is a park between the only road and the Mississippi River. My wife had an apartment there for a year and we loved it.

All of the other information given so far seems to be right on target.

[ul]:smiley: [sup]ENJOY![/sup][/ul]

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Here is something that might get me banned from Memphis once i get there, so I will say it now…

I really hate BBQ.

Is there plenty to eat there other than that?

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NoctrineX, yes, there is plenty to eat here other than barbecue. People keep bringing it up because barbecue is to Memphis as Cajun food is to New Orleans; this is the Mecca of barbecue, and in fact we had last weekend the annual World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (the tornado we threw in for free, as a bonus). But there are a zillion other culinary options as well, so fret not.

[sub]Ahem.

(You hate barbecue? There’s a part of me that wants to insist that you’ve never had REAL barbecue, you don’t underSTAND, you’re doing something WRONG, etc. But I will respect your right to hate barbecue if you want. I don’t understand it, but I’ll respect it.)[/sub]