Downtown Memphis

[memphismike]

The face of the Memphis skyline is about to change!

--Construction begins on the 29-story Vue on Main apartment tower this spring.

--This week, plans were announced for a pair of 16-story condo towers right on the river in the new South End district.

--The new Riverfront development plan calls for a 40-story, 30-story and 20-story tower to built in a "tiered" arrangement on Front Street, all connected by a promenade of shops and restuarants facing the river.

--The refurbishing and re-use of the old Sterick Building, once the tallest building in the South. It's going to be renovated into ground-floor retail, hotel and condos.

--Another project mentioned in past months is a 16-20 condo tower on Riverside Drive. A sign was up in the lot, but no action yet.

Hopefully, all this is just a start! Downtown Memphis has become a haven for young professionals, as well as lots of people from the medical profession that work in our world-class medical district on the eastern edge of downtown.

[PghUSA]

Nice! Memphis I thought always did deserve a bigger role in the south's economy. Good to hear they are stepping up to the plate bigtime!

[urban addict 20324]

Memphis could always have add a bit more buildings to its skyline.

[brewerw]

This is good for Memphis. The sad part, to me is, that they are always bhind Nashville. Its seems, FINALLY, that memphis is having a skyscraper boom, like the one most cities had in the 80's. Its like memohis just skiped it. I am glad to hear that memphis is finally adding. I always thought that they deserved more. Hope they are all built!!!!!!!!

[BrandonTO416]

Memphis is not behind Nashville in much of anything. Many times its the other way around. Nashville talking down to Memphis is like a redneck cousin in Kentucky talking down to an Alabama hillbilly.

[brewerw]

Memphis has a much slower growth rate, in the metro, and is no longer as big as nashville, in the metro. Soon Davidson will be bigger that shelby county. I do not look at memphis in a bad way either. I acctually like the city. They have great Barbecue no doubt. They also have a much worse downtown. By being behind i mean in skyscrapers. Memphis has a terrible skyline, no offense, now when it is getting bettter nashville is goin to the next level with Signature.

[BrandonTO416]

Half of Nashville's growth comprises of hillbillies from BFE moving to LaVergne to work in a factory that opened up.

All the money is flowing into Williamson and Cool Springs, very little into the city.

Nashville's "growth" isn't all that good.

[BrandonTO416]

Soon Davidson will be bigger that shelby county.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you crazy? There is no way that'll happen even in my lifetime. Shelby County is way over 900,000 now. Davidson is maybe 590,000.

[BrandonTO416]

To put things in perspective:

http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t4/tab01.txt

According to the official Census 2000 results, here's what happened in the 1990's.

Davidson County - 510,784 (1990) 569,891 (2000)

Increase of 59,107

Shelby County - 826,330 (1990) 897,472 (2000)

Increase of 71,142

Central Memphis is actually growing more then central Nashville. Aside from that, Nashville's metrosprawlitan area consists of 8 Middle Tennessee counties and nearly 5,000 sq miles of land.

Memphis claims 5 counties and barely 2,500 sq miles of land for its 1.1 million people.

Stats are never as clear as they seem.

[BrandonTO416]

Actually the 1990 and 2000 MSA definitions for Nashville and Memphis didn't change for either city.

Here's the stats:

http://www.census.gov/population/censusdata/90den_ma.txt

Memphis' 5 county MSA - 2303.0 sq miles

Nashville's 8 county MSA - 4073.1 sq miles

I was a little off, but Memphis claims far less land, and is technically larger because of it. If Memphis counted every county from Oxford to Ripley, it'd be bigger then Nashville.

[brewerw]

Use your facts bud. Nasvhille is growing fast in AND out of the city. memphis has done nothing but grow slower in the central city. Nasvhille is growing bigger faster. In the next 25 years nashville will be a MUCH bigger city hands down. Nashville is also growing MUCH faster ecnomically. Look at the 50 hottest city thing. nasvhille's number 1. Memphis isnt in the top 10. If FEDX, wernt there then memphis would not be nearly as big or as grand. FedEx does more for memphis than any other fortune 500 company does.

[BrandonTO416]

No doubt greater Nashville will be higher population then Memphis come 2010, but it won't be in the city.

Tsk Tsk.. That list puts Nashville number one for what? For hype? LOL No one actually believes Nashville is growing faster then Chicago, Houston, or Miami. But they didn't make top notch on that silly list.

[brewerw]

And by the way if your goona judge who lives in the cities, the Memphis is OVER half black thugs in the inner city projects. Thats part of the reason the downtown is so much bigger.

[Claws]

Somebody doesn't like Nashville...

But anyway, this is good for Memphis. I don't know much about the city, but what I've seen I've liked. I've heard Memphis has a really nice downtown area that was revitalized recently. I really need to go there and see it.

[brewerw]

Nashville was rated one from corperate executive form all over the country. They were number one for business reloctaion.

[BrandonTO416]

LOL, I'm not going to argue with you. I've said my piece. Take it for what its worth.

[rocket9561]

Actually the 1990 and 2000 MSA definitions for Nashville and Memphis didn't change for either city.

Here's the stats:

http://www.census.gov/population/censusdata/90den_ma.txt

Memphis' 5 county MSA - 2303.0 sq miles

Nashville's 8 county MSA - 4073.1 sq miles

I was a little off, but Memphis claims far less land, and is technically larger because of it. If Memphis counted every county from Oxford to Ripley, it'd be bigger then Nashville.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nashville doesn't "claim" those counties. It pulls from them for commuting patterns. Memphis sits in the middle of some extremely rural areas whereas Nashville is surrounded by independent and locally important cities. It's a difference in geography and not anything Nashville did or Memphis didn't. Nashville and Memphis pretty much have an equal ammout of big city ammenities and attractions. The growth heavily leans toward Nashville...both with population and retail/business but Memphis Metro is certainly holding its own in that area.

[brewerw]

Im in 8th grade and i got you to give up. I WIN!!!!!! . no jk, lol.

[brewerw]

im really bored and i have noting to do, there no good sports games on.

[BrandonTO416]

And by the way if your goona judge who lives in the cities, the Memphis is OVER half black thugs in the inner city projects. Thats part of the reason the downtown is so much bigger.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The fact that Memphis has a high black population has little to do with why its downtown is larger then Nashville and that the city is growing more then Nashville. A matter of fact, the arrogant attitude you showed is too common in Nashville. Nashville has buckoos of poverty that are only more hidden then Memphis. Big woop.

I won't argue that Memphis does not have a little bit more, but its marginal at best. Nashville holds its own in the poverty department. At least in Memphis the wealthy still have a majority of their population and assets within Shelby. Most Nashville wealth has already ran out to Williamson and completely segregated themselves from the tax structures of Davidson county altogether. Ever wondered why a majority of Titans game vehicles have Williamson, Sumner, and George W. Bush stickers, yet they don't pay taxes on the very stadium they claim to be their beloved own? Oh my!

I sometimes wonder if the people in Brentwood, Bellevue, and Hendersonville ever actually step foot in parts of Nashville or if they just think they don't exist. Then again, in Nashville its easier to notice they aren't there when over half the metro is sprawled out in the middle of nowhere.

[rocket9561]

The fact that Memphis has a high black population has little to do with why its downtown is larger then Nashville and that the city is growing more then Nashville. A matter of fact, the arrogant attitude you showed is too common in Nashville. Nashville has buckoos of poverty that are only more hidden then Memphis. Big woop.

I won't argue that Memphis does not have a little bit more, but its marginal at best. Nashville holds its own in the poverty department. At least in Memphis the wealthy still have a majority of their population and assets within Shelby. Most Nashville wealth has already ran out to Williamson and completely segregated themselves from the tax structures of Davidson county altogether.

I sometimes wonder if the people in Brentwood, Bellevue, and Hendersonville ever actually step foot in parts of Nashville or if they just think they don't exist. Then again, in Nashville its easier to notice they aren't there when over half the metro is sprawled out in the middle of nowhere.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I disagree about the taxes, not only does Nashville still hold the wealthiest area in the whole state but many other areas of high income and middle income from Belle and West Meade to Hermitage and Donelson. Not to mention the city also gets lots of sales tax revenues from wealthy suburbanites shopping inside the county...especially Hendersonvillians/Goodlettsvillians shopping in Rivergate. In fact, in spite of being smaller, Nashville's retail sales far surpassed Memphis. The statistics show that Nashville isn't hiding its poverty...there is just much less of it than in Memphis. That's just a fact.

13.3% of Nashville is in poverty/13% of Davidson Co

Median Income - City - 39,232 County - 39,797

20.6% of Memphis is in poverty/16% of Shelby County.

Median Income - City - 32,285 County - 39,593

[it's just dave]

Passionate. Whew. All I remember about the 8th grade was my math teacher telling me if I kept cracking my knuckles they would be big and ugly. He was right.

I love a good fight, but personally, I'm glad that Memphis is doing as well as it is. Memphis and Nashville are two different places, Memphis is not all black thugs, Nashville is not all hillbillies. But that's enough of that.

Read, listen, and learn. Nashville doesn't need a convincing argument, and neither does Memphis. Please, guys, let's not let this inter-city comparisons make us sound like the fellows from North Carolina who constantly berate each other to gain a little self-esteem. Memphis and Nashville both have big futures, geography and demographics continue to dictate the non-homogenous nature of Tennessee's two biggest cities. Let's be big about this. It'll speak volumes about Tennessee.

I'll settle for the satisfaction of realizing that our spelling and grammar is better than the "other" places.

[BrandonTO416]

Memphis has a marginally higher amount of poverty, but its not that much higher as your stats suggest.

[rocket9561]

Memphis has a marginally higher amount of poverty, but its not that much higher as your stats suggest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It doesn't really make any difference as to which city is better but I don't think these statistics are suggesting...these are the facts. Nashville has a much higher median income, contains the wealthiest areas of the state both in the city and in suburban counties, and has a lower poverty rate.

[brewerw]

The real wealth is in Belle Meade. Not Williamson County. People that move there move because of the cheaper land. It is easier to live a better life. Belle Meade is the true wealth. I cant argue that Memphis dosnt have very wealthy people. But the wealthiest people in Tennessee live in Nasvhille. The only reason i brought up the black thing is b/c you said Nasville was half Hillbilleys or w/e. First, whats a southern city without hillbilles. Second, get it right of your gonna diss nashville. It has more mexicans in Ruthersford than like any place in the world. except mexico.