Very few cities are as renowned as Memphis for its music-centered nightlife. As the home of the Blues and the birthplace of Rock and Roll, Memphis has sustained and even burnished its reputation for some of the best live music on the planet. Surrounding all this music nightlife are amazing restaurants serving arguably the best bbq in the country. If you’re up for great tunes and great eats don’t sleep on Memphis.

Memphis is one of the poorest cities in the country. While all major cities suffer from some poverty it is more obvious when you live in Memphis. Property crimes are a consistent problem, and pockets of the city are dangerous and best avoided. As noted all cities have similar challenges but they plague Memphis more than others.

Memphis has some of the most interesting neighborhoods in the U.S. Central Gardens in Midtown is a great example of this with beautiful homes from the early 1900’s, a lively arts and music scene, and the entire commercial district walkable from where you live. You’ll have your pick of several neighborhoods with a similar mix of play and home.

If you're curious about what the locals in Memphis do in their spare time check out the calendar of events.

The Memphis economy has been on a growth path since the COVID decline. This stems from a commitment from the Greater Memphis Chamber to add more than 50,000 jobs to Memphis by 2030.

Much of the growth is coming from the hospitality and leisure industries and education and healthcare industries. The reputation of Memphis as a music and food mecca drives much of the tourism industry.

The goal of adding 50,000 jobs by 2030 comes out of the Chamber's "Prosper Memphis 2030 plan". Half of these jobs are intended to go to minority populations with a particular focus on a push for 20,000 new STEM graduates each year (with 45% of those from black students).

Memphis is part of the Shelby County Schools District and receives a "C+" on niche.com. Some of the performance struggles come from underfunding at the county and state level and some come from the increasing division of funds between the emerging public charter schools and the traditional public schools.

One unique characteristic of public school options in Memphis is the University Schools group connected to the University of Memphis. The University Schools include six schools, from kindergarten through high school, attract students from all over the Memphis area, and are some of the highest-performing schools in Tennessee. Although there are no admission tests for University, parents work hard to gain admission. Most students are children of teachers at UofM, other spots go most often to those who live close to the schools, or via a lottery.

After the last year and change it seems clear that we should be enjoying ourselves more. We should be living in a city that gives us a break from the loneliness of our work-from-home culture. Memphis is the city to provide you that break and we encourage all who seek a healthier dose of fun in their lives to put it on your list of cities to consider.

If you're looking to create a shortlist of great art/culture cities then check out LookyLOO's Guide to Top Art Center Cities.

PantherSprings
Living in Memphis
2y ago
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Been living in Midtown for about two years now, originally from city of 1.5 million. First few months I was here, I made a SERIOUS effort to get out, do things, meet people. I think that made all the difference. My second family is now in Memphis and they made it a difficult decision but ultimately made me decide against going back home to blood family.

1 thing that first drew me to Memphis was the hospitality. I'm from a hospitable place so I think it just made it feel more like the home I knew. Several people I've met through activities and through friends are always inviting me to have dinner with their family, looking out for me when I am sick, and helping me hunt for a new apartment. Others' kindness has really inspired me to be kind in turn.

1 thing that continues to draw me to the Memphis scene is the accessibility to artists. The art scene is so much more open here compared to what I knew back home. In Memphis, I have visited so many studios, talked to many local artists, don't feel out of place at art openings (other cities' art scenes give very high horses to their best and brightest). Memphis hosts a special environment for people like me who love art but don't have the time to make it - I just like appreciating other people's!

For more reviews of what living in Memphis is like from locals check out: The Reviews.