Will Memphis surprise us? (Bartlett, Germantown: hardwood floors, house, job transfer)

[eastmemphisguy]

Here's the thing about gentrification. People move to rundown neighborhoods because they can't afford to live in a better area. Nobody wants to move to the hood. But Memphis housing is already reasonably priced, even in good areas. So, there's little demand to fix up blighted areas.

[NOLA101]

Originally Posted by sldream

Beale Street was abandoned in the 80s. You could count the number of people living downtown on two hands.

Downtown was much more vibrant 20 years ago. Yeah, Beale Street was quieter (but that's a two block tourist trap), and yeah there are more residents (from basically none to a very small number) but the bedrock of any downtown is business, and business has largely left for points east.

[sldream]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

Downtown was much more vibrant 20 years ago. Yeah, Beale Street was quieter (but that's a two block tourist trap), and yeah there are more residents (from basically none to a very small number) but the bedrock of any downtown is business, and business has largely left for points east.

Seriously? Downtown Memphis 20 years ago looked nothing like it does today. Business activity is not a static item, and in Memphis a large portion of that activity is currently in East Memphis. Many cities have, had, or will have underutilized downtowns in its lifetime. All over this country many places have business centers outside of the core or historical business districts.

The number you say is a very small number is not an insignificant one. It's more than most cities of similar size. Because business has traditionally centered around a downtown type area, most cities have limited residential zoning. With younger folks now wishing to live in downtown areas, zoning is becoming more relaxed and accommodating to residential development. Memphis is farther ahead than most cities outside of those places where high urban density has long been part of their geographical makeup.

You're not very familiar with what's happening downtown. No one lives on Beale Street. There is a huge amount of residential growth all over 38103. New developments are being completed and new ones beginning foundation work are popping up all over downtown where land can be found. I just drove through yesterday and saw it myself. You can't even google street view most of these places because it's happening at such a brisk pace.

[Comingtomemphis]

It's true that more people live Downtown and more places are being built. It's also true that on Trolley Night and during festivals there are lots of people on the street. However, by and large, the area is pretty empty. This morning I walked down Main St. from Union to GE Patterson, and I don't think I saw 25 people, with maybe a half dozen below Beale. That's it, and that's not unusual. I hear tourists say, "This place is empty" - and it is! Having lived 12 years in Manhattan, there were more people on upper Broadway after midnight than there are here at rush hour. That is one of the things that make Memphis so scary: you are alone on the street.

When people say there is no retail, it's not the department stores that are gone. It's a nearly five mile drive to Midtown to get a quart of milk, loaf of bread or roll of toilet paper. In most cities, there is at least a corner store in walking distance. Downtown there is nothing, except Miss Cordelia's on Mud Island. So it's still very car dependent for daily living.

[USERXXXX]

Originally Posted by JMT

Oak Court is going downhill.

This is the reason makes me confused why Sears' owner decide to demolish the Midtown Sears and build a Nordstrom Rack there...

[jabogitlu]

That isn't Midtown, that's the heart of East Memphis. It's still the heart of commercial activity for the entire metro area. Oak Court isn't as shiny as it once was, but I believe it's by far the most viable indoor mall in the long term view, in the entire region. Whoever is managing that mall is doing a really terrible job.

[eastmemphisguy]

Indoor malls aren't doing well anywhere. The mall simply isn't the cultural icon that it was in the 1980s. I still go to Oak Court for Banana Republic, Macy's and Dillard's, but the teen market is gone. Conversely, Laurelwood, which is just across the street from Oak Court has become more upscale. Growing up, we would go there for dinner at Britling's Cafeteria or back to school shopping at Sears. Today, they have a lot of expensive boutiques. It is one of the premier shopping spots in East Memphis along with Regalia.

[MetropolitanTN]

Originally Posted by Comingtomemphis

When people say there is no retail, it's not the department stores that are gone. It's a nearly five mile drive to Midtown to get a quart of milk, loaf of bread or roll of toilet paper. In most cities, there is at least a corner store in walking distance. Downtown there is nothing, except Miss Cordelia's on Mud Island. So it's still very car dependent for daily living.

There's a Walgreens right downtown. I went in there several times over a weekend stay at a nearby hotel.

[Blutbad]

Originally Posted by MetropolitanTN

There's a Walgreens right downtown. I went in there several times over a weekend stay at a nearby hotel.

Indeed there is.


Who wants to rely on Walgreens for groceries?

[Comingtomemphis]

Originally Posted by Blutbad

Who wants to rely on Walgreens for groceries?

Exactly. And one without parking. So we would have to walk over a mile to a drugstore to buy food.