Live Where You Live

Vote for Memphis

in Travel and Leisure's "America's Favorite Cities" poll.

That's What I Like About Memphis

Our friends at Smart City Memphis blog are looking to spread some positivity, asking readers to "name 10 things that give you hope or that you like about Memphis."

Please join in the conversation over there, and we'll keep the link alive over here.

An Outsider's Perspective

If you moved to Memphis long ago you might not remember what you thought of the place before you arrived -- and if you're a Bluff City native, such a preconceived notion is an impossibility. In a Commercial Appeal opinion piece, citizen editorial board member Tom Hrach, reflecting on his experiences as a newcomer to Memphis, compares his preconceived notions to what he is finding to be reality. The notions that were not among his list of preconceptions are telling.

"...Crime. Racism. Poverty. Rude drivers. Those are all facts about Memphis, for sure, but they are not the top-of-mind things that people from outside the region perceive as being part of our community. While no one should dismiss the negatives about living here, remember that those things don't define the Memphis community to outsiders. Those of us who live here, whether lifelong residents or newcomers like me, shouldn't allow those negatives to cloud our own perceptions of our community either."

Smart City Support

Tom Jones works with Smart City Consulting and writes for the blog Smart City Memphis, one of the best forums for discussion of how to make Memphis better. This is his Live Where You Live post:

It’s always fun to see Memphis through the eyes of a visitor.

When that visitor is Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, it’s absolutely invigorating.

That’s because it’s easy in our city to feel overwhelmed by its challenges and undervalued as the sources of change.  That’s why Live Where You Live is so exciting.  It acknowledges and celebrates a simple fact of life about Memphis: we are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Defense of Memphis

Smart City Memphis  provides one of the best forums for caring Memphians to dialogue about potential solutions to our city's problems and should be required reading for anyone who cares about the future of the Bluff City. In a recent post, Smart City addresed some disparaging remarks about our city that were made in a Twitter post ("tweet") by an out-of-town consultant to FedEx. In discussing the ramifications of not thinking before you post, and considering the difficulty that local companies like FedEx have recruiting talent in the face of pervasive but shallow negative generalizations, Smart City was able to reflect on what is right about Memphis -- a richness that is found by those who take the time to look a little deeper.

"Hidden from these prospective workers was the funky vibe of downtown, the great music being made by bands in Memphis right now, the rich African-American culture, the uncommon hospitality and friendliness of our people and the charm and 'heart' of city neighborhoods."

Dr. Morris Stands Up

Last week, Dr. Scott Morris, founder and executive director of the Church Health Center and associate minister at St. John's United Methodist Church, put his civic pride on display in a Commercial Appeal opinion column.

It is uplifting to know that someone who sees the troubles of so many in our city first hand, can so clearly see the good.

"Think of 10 things that you find good about Memphis. Then the next time you hear someone running the city down, tell them why you make Memphis your home and why you choose to be here. You may find that a little civic pride is good for the soul."

Your Memphis: Take One

     

A few months ago the Memphis Area Association of Realtors issued a challenge that resonates with our mission. Looking for ways to shed light on the positive, they created the "Your Memphis: Take One" contest, calling on residents of our community to translate what they love about Memphis into short video clips. The winning clips are posted here. Enjoy!

Ten Reasons Why Memphis is Better than Portland

by Courtney Miller Santo

Memphis is a city for passing through. Its history is that of a town of intersections, the site for exchanges, a layover in a cross-country trip, the spot before the final stop. It isn’t a place people stay. Since moving here, this characteristic has colored nearly every moment in Memphis. I can see it on the faces of those who call Memphis home, nearly everyone looks as if they got off at the wrong bus stop and are just waiting for the right moment to leap back aboard and travel to another place – a place of permanence. And because too many people don’t consider Memphis their home, they don’t recognize what this city has to offer – especially to parents.

I moved to the Bluff City from Portland, Oregon with my husband, our four-month-old son and three-year-old daughter in August 2005. I spent the first eighteen years of my life in Portland, and then returned for a four-year tour of duty – during which I became a mother. What I failed to understand while living there is that for many progressive parents, Portland is Mecca. It is the end-all, be-all for those who picture themselves riding their bikes to work, enjoying excellent public transportation and beautiful city parks, or sipping coffee in a child-friendly, environmentally-friendly, locally-owned and operated café. All these things are true, but it doesn’t make the city perfect. While Memphis has an issue with permanence, Portland has an issue with authenticity.

What you see is what you get in Memphis – its nickname (Bluff City) is geographical. There are steep bluffs along the Mississippi River on the Tennessee side, which protect the city from flooding. Portland got its moniker (City of Roses) after the wife of a wealthy newspaper mogul started the Portland Rose Society, which encouraged the city to plant 200 miles of rose-bordered streets in 1905 to draw attention to the centennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

With that, I give you my list of ten reasons why Memphis is better than Portland:

Sea Isle's Community Tree Planters

by Philip Laster

 

As a member of the Coalition for Livable Communities, I want to share with you a story of Memphis citizens committed to action, large and small, to improve the community by improving the environment of our neighborhood.

 

The Sea Isle Neighborhood Association is fortunate to have a substantial size park as a physical centerpiece to our community that's accessible, and open to other near by communities.  The park has a baseball field, soccer field, playground equipment and one mile walking track that encircles the park.

 

With a strong desire to add to this valuable community asset, the Sea Isle Neighborhood Association designed a vision for making the park a national arboretum, with great appreciation to the inspiration of Pat and Burt Merrill for making this happen. 

 

A key attribute for creating a livable community is to have a defined vision for your community.  Every neighborhood association should take the time and effort to document what they have and want for their community.  This effort enables an inheritance of the vision from current generations to future generations "living in the community".

 

The attached photo is a living example of the current generation taking from the leadership of the vision of creating a beautiful park and making it better for future generations.  The key to this was having active volunteers made up of the Sea Isle neighborhood citizens, other concerned citizens from neighboring communities and local businesses willing to donate time and materials to make it happen with tremendous support from the Memphis Park Commission.

 

Please share this as an example of positive intent and action as we plan to do more for our community.

 

And thank you for taking the leadership to inspire others to do more by sharing this story with our fellow community leaders and volunteers.

Live Where You Live means supporting your community by becoming an advocate, and by living your life locally: shopping, eating, playing in your neighborhood.

It also means encouraging Memphians who might otherwise run away from the problems of the city to stand firm -- to stay and face those challenges in their neighborhoods.

Live Where You Live is not an explicit call for government action; rather it is intended to be a clean and simple grassroots effort to find a tipping point -- to build a commitment to a more livable Memphis.

A commitment to this city -- like any city -- involves risk and raises legitimate concerns; especially for those raising families. Might some folks be more willing to make that commitment if they knew they were not alone in doing so? 

Join us in letting others know you are willing to LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE!

Share your stories with us. Tell us what you love about your neighborhood and what makes you feel good about Memphis. We'll post your stories here and make this a place for positivity, hope and encouragement.

If you'd like to contribute, please send your commentary to livewhereyoulive@gmail.com.