Overton Park Area: safe? (Memphis, Cleveland: apartment, to rent, houses)

[engel]

I will be relocating to Memphis and I really like the Overton Park area. I visited the area and it seems nice, especially where there is a restaurant, Fresh Slices, a small gift shop, and a local car mechanic. I wonder how safe it is? As a single female, would I be safe renting an apartment building in this area?

[Streetchie]

Yes, you'll be fine in that part of Midtown. It is a beautiful neighborhood, isn't it?

[Pearlbob]

Yes, it's great. Very expensive homes around there. Can get a bit iffy going further north or west, but it's fine around the park.

[alicenevada]

It's as 'safe' as can be expected in the Midtown area. Even though the houses and neighborhood are beautiful, keep in mind that the bad areas are very close by. It is still Memphis. I can say this honestly because my family all live w/in 2 minutes of Overton park.

[Pearlbob]

Re-reading your question...where is the car mechanic near Fresh Slices? Do you mean something on Cleveland? Because Cleveland west of Overton Park is NOT safe. Just FYI.

[christopher72]

Barton's is the garage referred to, and yes it's just about right next Fresh Slices.
A single woman should be perfectly safe there, just make sure your doors have locks. Safe from midtown casanovas though, thats another matter....

BTW, another safety tip for the ladies (and should be common sense these days); Ladies, don't except an opened drink from somebody you don't know.

[Pearlbob]

Huh, good to know! I guess I usually come down Avalon facing Fresh Slices, then continue left/straight down the street instead of ever turning right. That's really good to know!

There isn't too much to rent around there, though. Maybe some houses that have been turned into duplexes. Of course, there are tons of apts on Poplar across from Overton Park. But back in the area where Fresh Slices is, that's mainly houses. If you go much further west of Fresh Slices, it's not the best area although I'm sure there are more apts/duplexes there.

[K's mom]

Safe is a relative term. I used to live on Poplar in an apartment building directly across from Overton Park for about one year, so I can certainly share with you! (I was not K's mom then but a newlywed). Overall, I felt pretty safe most of the time living there. I loved the park; it is beautiful and I used to walk in the trails in the woods there all the time for exercise. Be aware, though, that it is still midtown and that means city living. We came home through our enclosed front entrance one day (which we rarely used) to a homeless man sleeping at our front door. This entrance as I said was rarely used and if he wasn't a nice guy (which he turned out to be) it could have been very dangerous. Also, while we were living there there was a murder in Overton Park. After that, I rarely went in the woods - never walking, sometimes I'd still ride my bike in there (faster getaway!!). Finally, the woods there are used as a rendezvous point for some amorous men (at least they were 5 years ago when I lived there), if you get my drift - another reason I stopped going in there.

Overall, it is a gorgeous historic area and if you like city living, a fine place to live. Just keep your guard up and your sensors alert and don't forget that you are living in a dangerous city only blocks from some bad elements.

Hope that helps!

[Pearlbob]

People are murdered everday in all sort of areas, wealthy, poor, whatever. That murder was completely random. I go to Overton Park all the time, and there are always hundreds of others there; families with kids, people flying kites, women sunbathing, people playing with dogs. There's a golf course there that is always crowded. And the zoo, which bursts at the seams during the zoo.

I believe the woman that was murdered, it happened at night. There is no good reason for anyone to be wandering around the woods of an urban park at night, so as long as you use common sense, you are fine.

But yes, there are a ton of homeless. For the most part, they do not bother you. If they do, just tell them firmly to leave you alone. They aren't going to keep harassing you if they know you're not going to give them money.

[rhandy]

With the College of Art in the middle of the Park, there are students, male and female, coming and going at all times of the day and night. I haven't heard of any problems there. Of course I'm just a newcomer to the area. I have lived one block west of the park for 62 years and have never had a problem. Yes, I enjoy the amenties quite often.