" Memories of Memphis 1985-1989 )

[Radio Fish Heads]

" Memories of Memphis 1985-1989 )

...... Sorry to hear that Memphis was listed in the top-5 Most Dangerous Cities in the US ! I have fond Memories
from my 4-years of living there by the big River that flows like molasses in the summertime. I had just gone
through a Divorce and it was also in my Wilder days.
Maybe You too have experienced some of the same things in Memphis that I did !
Shopping at Piggley-Wiggley at 2am
Looking for women up in Overton Square
Getting a lap-dance at Annie-Fannys strip club
Leaving bombay-bicycle club ripped and could not find my car
Eating Crystal hamburgers at 1am
Going over the Bridge ( 5 ) times into Another state - did not want to !
Meeting a gal in the Antenna Club - she was wearing cowboy boots & see through top
Went to Graceland , Sun Studios, Toad Suck , Ark - bought a shot gun there
Eating Pizza at Perottis ( spelling not right I am sure )
Leaving Overton Square at 2am - can't find my car...took a cab
Getting thrown out of a Club on Beale Street by Ed ( Doc ) Franklin - owner I think
At the Peabody bar drinking Heinekens and eating a ton of cold ****-tail shrimp and
I thought they were for free ---they were not , My tab was $22.00...
Bought a lady drinks at a blues club on BEale and she was a guy-got the hell out of there
I now sit in my Studio and see the waves of Lake Erie crash against the shore .
The End

 

[courier37027]

Re: " Memories of Memphis 1985-1989 )

Lived in Memphis 1985 after graduating from college:

Bombay Bicycle Club for butter crust pizza.
Studebaker's followed by a sober up at Steak n' Shake.
Chevy's at Overton Square.
Scruples at Hyatt East (Miss you Marsha).
Showboats football.

 

[radiosaur]

Re: " Memories of Memphis 1985-1989 )

Lived in Memphis 1985 after graduating from college:

Bombay Bicycle Club for butter crust pizza.
Studebaker's followed by a sober up at Steak n' Shake.
Chevy's at Overton Square.
Scruples at Hyatt East (Miss you Marsha).
Showboats football.

None of which save Steak and Shake, still exist.

 

[Bat Fastard]

Re: " Memories of Memphis 1985-1989 )

"The Diver" at Silky's. "Guaranteed to make you go down".

Perhaps the best sports team to fail in Mempho: Rogues soccer. Indoor was best. Human pinball. However, I remember well being one of 14 fans (I counted 'em) to watch the entire game through a driving thunderstorm one night at the Liberty Bowl. After the game, the players came up in the stands to thank us for being there. Never happened before or since.

 

[snazzyjazzy]

Re: " Memories of Memphis 1985-1989 )

We did have another team indoor soccer team called the Memphis Storm in the AISA. Mark Davis did the PA for them for a time at the Mid-South Coliseum.

 

[radiotower40]

Re: " Memories of Memphis 1985-1989 )

I,m a little late to the game at this topic and I hope this does not stray away from the original topic.

With my work now I don't really have a home for now per say. I was born in Nashville not the obvious town tho, Nashville, Illinois which is a small town about an hour east of St. Louis hence my name. I spent a good many years in Chicago where I am as I speak.

I know Memphis like any other city has bad areas. Is it really as bad as people say? I have spent time there, most of it being Midtown which is an area I love. I have been to Orange Mound and Whitehaven, while I watched myself closer, still was never in great fear.

In Chicago I had my car shot at twice in the last couple of year on Western Avenue which goes thru rough areas like Marquette Park, it is filled with working folks driving during rush hour to avoid delays on The Dan Ryan Expressway. I never gave it a second thought now I won't drive there anymore. I was robbed on The Mag Mile, which was always safe and walked around at night with no fear, not now.

The news has finally reached the whole country about the shootings in Chicago, I feel safer in Memphis than here. So does Memphis get a bad rap, at least more than it deserves? I know parts are bad just like anywhere else.

When these lists come out they are based on what is reported and I know Chicago omits some data. Could the violence rap Memphis gets because they report everything? The same with St. Louis another city I like and never felt as unsafe as I do in Chicago right now.

Chicago has some great blues clubs and food, for me it does not beat out the blues scene and barbeque in Memphis. I know that I've heard blues and urban oldies on AM radio in Memphis. The only blues station we had in Chicago was WBEE The big bee in south suburban Harvey, Illinois which only covered the southern parts of the city. It was sold some time ago and is brokered gospel now.

I know my time spent in Memphis was not much and I'm sure I didn't see most of the really depressed areas, I like it there to the point I would consider settling there for a while. Schools which I know are not great there neither are public schools in Chicago for the record, are not an issue for me at this point. This would probably be a big issue for parents with small children.

The memories I have of being in Memphis are not as old and deep as the one you reffered too, so I could not compare back then to now so you would know better than me, I guess what I'm asking is does Memphis get a worse rap than it truly deserves? My experience is some panhandlers a smashed window and stolen GPS from my car, which happens in even the safest cities. I forgot to take the window attachment down and put the GPS unit in the glove box. I might has well invited someone to break in.

I like Memphis and people are always friendly and hospitable to me. I got to talking with an elderly man in Memphis in BBQ joint near Beale Street, by the end of the conversation I was invited to his family's Sunday barbeque. It was great, by the time I left I felt like family I now have a standing invitation when I'm in town.

They live west of midtown I can't recall the name of their neighborhood, I know it isn't the best area, on the poor side, yet nice honest people and I felt very safe.

So for those living in Memphis, what do you say? Does Memphis take more heat than they deserve, or did I just luck out and run into good people?

If you live in Memphis and experience it everyday, do you like living there? I read things on other website that seem to knock Memphis constantly, is it fair? Would you move there from another place based on what you know?

I realize this may be moved to another place because it isn't very radioish it would be nice to hear from people that live there about things however.

 

[firepoint525]

Re: " Memories of Memphis 1985-1989 )

I no longer live there (Mempho) either (haven't lived there full time since 1973, and I was nine years old at the time), but the Mall of Memphis (later built in the neighborhood where I formerly lived) became known as the "mall of murder" before it went into decline and decay, and had to be shut down. It has since been torn down.

You can probably still read about Mall of Memphis at www.deadmalls.com. There was even a site dedicated to the Mall of Memphis itself at www.mallofmemphis.org. Not sure if it is still there, either, but deadmalls.com tends not to be updated on any kind of regular basis.

Visited my parents' other former neighborhood in Chicago about four years ago (upper west side, near Oak Park) and did not feel safe there, although it was during the daytime.