Nashville VS Memphis (Germantown, Portland, Arlington: public schools, living, cost of living)

[CEHR]

Oh, I think it is crazy that in the city there are only a couple of grocery stores. We live off of Germantown Pkwy. and the Krogers(two of them) and the Schnucks are pretty clean.

[CMartel2]

I currently live in Central Gardens in Memphis. It's a beautiful neighborhood with historic homes, marvelous old trees, sidewalks, stores, restaurants, and parks within walking distance. And it would be a great place to live...if you could lift the whole lot by helicopter to somewhere else. Well, truthfully, it's a bit liberal for my tastes, but that's the only downside in my book.

The thing is, even in this nice neighborhood, it's pretty much expected that someone is eventually going to smash the window of your car and steal something. I have caught a wanderer peaking into my house scoping out the wares. I've had bums knock on my door and ask for money. That's Memphis. Everywhere you go, you're going to get hit up by bums. There's a Kroger on Poplar we just call Ghetto Kroger, and while it's the closest grocery stores to a lot of homes, just pass it by and keep on going. You'll get accosted there if you're white almost without fail. Several of my classmates have had their apartments broken into or cleared out. One had his car stolen. Several others have had their cars broken into.

Go to Nashville. Even in my nice neighborhood in Memphis, the public schools are lousy. It's nice in that you have parochial schools that have sprung up all over the place, and it makes for very nice, engaging churches where people know everyone. But unless you want to pay private school tuition, live in Nashville. You can go to the suburbs and do just fine in Memphis, I should add. Germantown schools are great. White Station High School is pretty much the only one in Memphis City that's worth much of anything. You don't want your kids in the Memphis City Schools. Nashville has some less than desireable ones, but they're not like Memphis'.

Race relations are just nasty in this city (Memphis). Whites have fled to get away from a black culture that is going absolutely nowhere, lead by a mayor who decried "the white devils of Germantown." Both sides resent each other over it. I've dealt with more than my fair share of 22-year old girls with 5 or more kids at The Med. And gunshot wounds. And stabbings. And meat cleavers to the back of the head... The list goes on.

You want to do outdoor activities with the kids? It's a lot easier in Nashville... You've got Fall Creek Falls, Rock Island, Big South Fork, and (on a weekend trip), the Smokies right nearby. Plus local parks. Try to find something all that interesting around Memphis. I've tried. You have to work a lot harder. The best I've found is Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas, about 2 hours away.

As for music, truthfully, the Nashville music scene is much more alive than in Memphis. Beale Street is a bit overrated in my book. But you've got all kinds of local talent in Nashville in a wide variety of genres. There's a cultural richness to Nashville that was once present in Memphis. I just don't see it anymore.

I may very well leave Memphis for Nashville. What's certain is that I'm leaving Memphis, and doing so happily. I've lived in many different places. This is, without question, my least favorite. Memphis feels nothing like a Tennessee city to me. I've grown up in this state and love it. I just can't share that enthusiasm with Memphis.

Look in Hendersonville, just outside of Nashville. Plenty of nice homes near the water there (Old Hickory Lake). Decent schools, too.

[qwe123safi]

They both have a high black population. Memphis (70%) Nashville (30%). They both have high crime rates. (Although Memphis is worst) They both have good and bad areas. However, I would recommend Nashville because i see it getting a population boom. Nashville also has a nice skyline. And, they are adding to it. (Signature Tower, Parkway Towers) Nashville also is home to many types of music. Not only is Nashville the home of country, it is also the gospel capital of the USA. Nashville also is A LOT more diverse. (Higher Mexican Population, Largest Kurdish/Iraqi population outside of Iraq, lots of asian, some hindus and buddhists.) However, I think crime in Nashville has risen slightly this year. But, it still is not like Memphis.

[willdgate]

I'm from Memphis, but currently live in the Nashville area, Hermitage.
Pros for Memphis:
Better downtown
a bigger city
developing city
a variety of public schools in Memphis and Shelby county areas
Cons for Memphis:
Bad crime everywhere, you can probably get away with less crime in Arlington or lakeland, tn, but those upscale neigborhoods are expensive to live in, but if you have it I would live there
the people are "wierd and nosey", they kept asking me and my boyfriend at the time were we sibling, also, some memphians are "rough and crazed".
Pros for nashville:
"less crime", but some areas do have a lot of crime at times
Cons for nashville:
A non-developing small city
boring
country, lack of diversity, surrounded by small towns and not upscale neighborhoods
except for Mt. Juliet
boring city for families nothing for kids to do here
few selections for public schools in nashville, that "may" be considered descent

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by willdgate

I'm from Memphis, but currently live in the Nashville area, Hermitage.
Pros for Memphis:
Better downtown
a bigger city
developing city
a variety of public schools in Memphis and Shelby county areas
Cons for Memphis:
Bad crime everywhere, you can probably get away with less crime in Arlington or lakeland, tn, but those upscale neigborhoods are expensive to live in, but if you have it I would live there
the people are "wierd and nosey", they kept asking me and my boyfriend at the time were we sibling, also, some memphians are "rough and crazed".
Pros for nashville:
"less crime", but some areas do have a lot of crime at times
Cons for nashville:
A non-developing small city
boring
country, lack of diversity, surrounded by small towns and not upscale neighborhoods
except for Mt. Juliet
boring city for families nothing for kids to do here
few selections for public schools in nashville, that "may" be considered descent

The above post, or what I could decipher from it, is probably the most inaccurate rambling I've ever read on this message board.

- Nashville's MSA is larger than Memphis's.
- I don't see how you can conclusively state that Memphis's downtown is better than Nashville's. It is infested with bums and nightlife there pretty much doesn't exist outside of Beale St.
- Memphis is a "developing city" in the same way that Rwanda is a "developing country." That is not a good thing.
- Yes, there are a "variety of public schools" in Memphis, and gangs run the show in just about every one of them.
- Nashville a "non-developing small city"? That is just too ridiculous to warrant a response.
- Boring? If you can't find stuff to do here, you might want to look in the mirror to identify the source of your boredom.
- No upscale neighborhoods except Mount Juliet? You don't get out of Hermitage much, do you? Here are some places to check out when you have a free Saturday: Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Green Hills, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, West Meade.
- There is nothing for kids to do here only if they have boring parents who never take them to do anything.
- Public education in Nashville isn't the best, but compared to Memphis every school here is Montgomery Bell Academy.

[shamrock_71]

I have to agree with many of the points made by willdgate. Nashville has been a disappointment for me. The city is more segregated than most cities I've lived in or visited, downtown is old and in need of an overhaul, there is only one decent mall in my opinion (Green Hills), there aren't as many cultural events as I would expect in a city of this size and demographic make up, and the infrastructure is in need of major improvements. Also, racism is rampant and overt.

Memphis is a vibrant city with more to do, but if I were looking for a place to raise a family, Memphis wouldn't be top on my list.

[Big TR]

I had a buddy I worked with who grew up in Pakistan. He spent a year in Memphis doing finances for the Pyramid. When I told him we were looking to move South and going to check out Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga, he said to go ahead and scratch Memphis off the list.

He said unequivocally that Memphis was the worst place he had ever lived. The guy from Pakistan.....

[Tunky]

To the OP...on the memphis page you can search for a thread titled "Why I am leaving Memphis". You'll find an awful lot of information and opinions there.

All I can say is that I've lived in small towns, small cities, very large cities and foreign countries and Memphis is the only place I disliked. And I tried like crazy to find a silver lining. My husband works for a prominent company in Memphis and they are having a terrble time attracting high level talent because people simply don't want to live in Memphis and they are considering significant changes because of it.

[qwe123safi]

Originally Posted by willdgate

I'm from Memphis, but currently live in the Nashville area, Hermitage.
Pros for Memphis:
Better downtown
a bigger city
developing city
a variety of public schools in Memphis and Shelby county areas
Cons for Memphis:
Bad crime everywhere, you can probably get away with less crime in Arlington or lakeland, tn, but those upscale neigborhoods are expensive to live in, but if you have it I would live there
the people are "wierd and nosey", they kept asking me and my boyfriend at the time were we sibling, also, some memphians are "rough and crazed".
Pros for nashville:
"less crime", but some areas do have a lot of crime at times
Cons for nashville:
A non-developing small city
boring
country, lack of diversity, surrounded by small towns and not upscale neighborhoods
except for Mt. Juliet
boring city for families nothing for kids to do here
few selections for public schools in nashville, that "may" be considered descent

If Memphis were a country it would be like a 4th world country. Rising crime rate, more crackheads, drunks, stoners.

A bigger city does not mean anything if it does not show. Nashville's skyline is growing rapidly. Plus Nashville's metro is bigger and growing.

Lack of diversity????????????????

Largest iraqi/kurdish population outside of iraq

3rd largest hole for illegal immigrants behind Los Angeles and Phoenix(not a good thing but very diverse)

Also, large legal Mexican population.


Thriving African American population.

Considerable asian population.

A big Caucasian population.


I agree Nashville's schools are bad. Some are worst than Memphis IMO. But, it is not like Memphis does not have some bad schools.


You must not get out much.

[JMT]

Memphis has more culture than Nashville? ??

Let's see, Nashville has a better funded symphony, a bigger symphony hall, a larger opera, and more art galleries than Memphis.

Nashville has more malls than Memphis. (To the poster who said Nashville has only one good mall, that's still one more than Memphis.)

Nashville has more art galleries than Memphis. The Frist in Nashville is larger than any museum in Memphis. Nashville's Cheekwood Botanical Gardens are larger and better funded than the Memphis Botanic Garden.

You have a MUCH better chance of finding a good public school in Nashville than in Memphis.

How is Nashville less diverse than Memphis? If you're going by black population alone, then yeah Memphis is more "diverse." But Nashville has a larger Hispanic community, larger Asian community, and in fact has the largest Kurdish community in the country. When the Japanese Consul in New Orleans was looking for a new home, they weighed their options and chose Nashville over Memphis.

Nashville is also blessed to be the home of a dozen universities and colleges, each with its own cultural and athletic events. Anyone who says Nashville is lacking in culture is fooling no one but themselves.

And holy cow, how on earth can it be said that Nashville doesn't have any upscale neighborhoods?? Williamson County is one of the 20 wealthiest counties in the country. Nashville's Belle Meade and Forest Hills neighborhoods are the wealthiest in the state. And, unlike in Memphis where even posh Chickasaw Gardens or Central Gardens are only a couple of blocks from crack neighborhoods, Nashville's wealthy enclaves have much less crime.

Don't get me wrong, I looooove Memphis. I lived there for 5 glorious years and also spent a lot of time in Memphis when I was in grad school at Ole Miss. But let's not get carried away. Memphis is what it is, and Nashville has overtaken Memphis as the premier city in our state.