Memphis, Tennessee: Can This Place Ever Be Fixed? Some Say No.

A downtown tour of Memphis and a talk with a former Memphis cop.
Memphis Tennessee. You probably already have an opinion about it. You’ve heard it’s really dangerous, and Elvis lived here and they have really good barbecue. All of that is true. I like Memphis. I don’t love Memphis. But I don’t think Memphis really cares what I think.
Of course, you probably know, the city of Memphis has a lot of history and culture. This is home to much of the Civil Rights movements that took place last century. Sadly, this was the site of Martin Luther King Jr’s 1968 assassination. It’s also one of the places where blues music really took hold, and music is a big part of this city’s culture. We’ll see Beale Street in a bit. It’s world famous for its clubs that have been playing music for a century now. You knew Elvis lived here - and his former home Graceland is in Memphis. Sadly, Graceland is surrounded by a ghetto. Other famous musicians from Memphis include Johnny Cash, BB King, Al Green, Aretha Franklin and even Justin Timberlake. He is now an actor.
BBQ is a big deal here - and Memphis hosts the annual World Championship BBQ cooking contest, which brings in 100,000 people every year.
Downtown has an arena that’s home to the NBA team the Memphis Grizzlies. Also downtown is the University of Memphis.
A lot of the economy here was based on cotton and lumber for a long time. Today, Memphis is a manufacturing and logistics center. FedEx uses the Memphis airport as its biggest hub. Half of all FedEx volume passes through Memphis, as does 70% of all US mail. There’s also a big port along the Mississippi which handles a lot of shipping too.
It’s relatively cheap to live here, but there’s a reason it’s so cheap. Much of the city is rundown and about 30% of the population lives in poverty. The population here is about 650,000 but it peaked 20 years ago. It’s now on a slow decline, despite the fact that Tennessee is bringing in huge numbers of new residents. At one point Memphis was growing faster than nearby Nashville, but it seems like everyone’s heading to Nashville these days. While Memphis has great food, great music and a lot of energy, the crime here is off the hook. Memphis continues to break records for murders, and there’s no sign it’s gonna let up. There’s years when Memphis is considered the most dangerous city in the nation, up there with St. Louis and Detroit.
If you looked at a map of where to live in Memphis, you’d see there aren’t a lot of great areas outside of the east side of the city. The west side on the other side of the river is Arkansas, and that’s west memphis. That’s bad over there, fella. South memphis is riddled with crime and poverty, as are large pockets of the north end. Most of the safer, nicer parts of the greater Memphis area are on its east side. So if you moved here, that’s where you’d want to look first. Collierville is the fancy part of town.
There’s crime in just about every pocket of this city. It’s not just because there’s a murder every single day here. Just about everyone in Memphis has been robbed at some point. Or WILL be robbed at some point if they haven’t already. The schools are behind and there’s a lot of drug use here and a lot of gangs. We’ll talk about that in a bit.
Some people say Memphis leaders have given up - that Memphis is too broken to fix. Others are more hopeful. If Memphis can get revitalized, and cleaned up and maintained, it would be a great place to live.
Speaking of which, while in downtown Memphis, I went out for an evening of barbecue and music on Beale Street. This is where all of the music venues and great restaurants are located. It’s actually not very big - a couple blocks long.
The music was pretty good.
The next morning I checked out the Mississippi River from my hotel room and then walked down to the famous Peabody Hotel to see the daily duck march.
But back to downtown again. I sat down with Mike, a retired police officer here, who served as the president of the Memphis Police officer union. Mike’s been here his whole life and even ran for mayor once. Here’s that conversation.
Graceland By Joseph Novak - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Graceland By User:Maha - User:Maha took this picture himself, CC BY 2.5, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
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[@pauljohnston4806]

Lived in Memphis for 65 years. Seen it all, the bad and the good. But when I retired, I felt it was high time to leave. The crime and the shootings made up my mind for me. Moved north to a country town and have never looked back.

[@Ithumpify]

Paul I have a similar story. I moved to DeSoto County about 12 years ago and have never looked back. Since I moved down here I've retired. My wife and I would like to move over to Arkansas because Memphis feels too close now. The housing inventory is low in Arkansas and I fear we may have waited too late. We'll see what happens this year maybe we'll be able to do it.

[@Iam_msdeeyadig]

Paul, I'm curious about the country town you chose? Safer?

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

Paul you moved north what town? I'd recommend Missouri it's only about 1 hour from Memphis depending on where but I moved to Missouri and love it.

[@kaydod3190]

I would have moved further away from Memphis as possible

[@LuckyGuu]

I am 58 and would love to live in Memphis but tales of crime stabbings murder kind of put me out of the tourist mood. When I say tourist I mean inquisitive person. I'm sure there are countless interesting things for me to check out in Memphis but the hospital ER is not one of them with my kidneys or intestines hanging out from being robbed at knife point. I prefer to live the next 20 or 30 years without being stabbed or shot for the $37 I might have in my pocket. Who was it that said, can't we all just get along? Trust in Jesus ✝️🛐

[@sirusThu]

The good thing about Memphis is that it is the Harvard of gangsters, once you finish your internship, you can actually find a very decent gang member position anywhere in the US with a very good salary.

[@tamolynmckinzie8963]

When I was a kid we used to go to Memphis every weekend from west helena Ar. Memphis malls were where the best dressed people would go. We would go eat ice cream on the cream boat. Memphis was really nice in the 70s. Memphis used to have so much fashion. We shopped in Memphis for clothes and furniture.

[@glamgalnorth6320]

I grew up in Collierville but shopped at the malls in Memphis for clothes so I remember those good ole days. I miss that so much. Now a lot of people don't care about how they dress, look or conduct themselves. Missing the good old days when people cared.

[@RightfulFallen]

I have fond memories of going to Wolfchase mall as a kid. I used to think Memphis was awesome but now I'm glad I don't live there.

[@tamolynmckinzie8963]

@@RightfulFallen Hey Memphis was awesome back in the day.

[@tamolynmckinzie8963]

@@glamgalnorth6320 yeah those were the good ole days. We would go to Memphis to eat at the restaurants they didn’t have in my little town. I really loved that Cream Boat. It was better than baskin robins.

[@kaydod3190]

Well it ain’t like that anymore. The malls are 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

[@aperson5006]

Memphis is just weird. You can drive ten minutes and go from incredibly run down and crime ridden to Massive and expensive houses. You have some of the worst schools and some of the best. It has some of the best neighborhoods and some of the worst. Just a tale of two extremes. Also Collierville might be a upcoming suburb, The nicest parts of the Memphis area are definetly East Memphis amd Germantown.

[@umbluegray1]

The new Ford F-Series plant, Blue Oval City, being built northeast of Memphis is going to be a boon to this area, although it will end up greatly affecting housing prices.

[@kaydod3190]

Germantown isn’t Memphis and not ALL of East Memphis is nice

[@CorsoChris]

East Memphis aka Hickory Hood? I don't think so..

[@facelesscalvin1667]

@@kaydod3190 Germantown is in Memphis Metro area…

[@cj2k780]

I hate Memphis. If it wasn’t for my family I would have gone and most likely never come back.

[@zambianyoutuberx]

Am a Zambian KZbinr and I decided to find out about Mephis because my fedex tracking says my parcel from florida heading to Zambia, Africa passed through here, I had never heard of this place before. Mephis looks like Johannesburg, South Africa

[@dima3899]

If Memphis lawmakers actually went hard on Black Criminality, the city would be BOOMING. What a wasted opportunity

[@NegroChristo]

If the cities' lawmakers appropriated the tax dollars equally, then maybe things would be fair. A century of economic misappropriation and the results of it. Not to mention all of the chemical plants that pollute the air, ground water, and rivers. Biological and economic warfare does exist, and this is an example.

[@flaminak7894]

Y’all are both right.

[@sntmdsa3628]

Nobody with intelligence wants to move to a city full of ninjas 🥷🏾

[@3rddegreeburns494]

Exactly. It's a typical Democrat run city. Same bullshit excuses that usually involve throwing money at the problem but its never worked and never will. Shitty attitudes, litter and when too many move into an area that think like that, the crime follows.

[@tysmobilesoundz]

It will and always will be a city full of ninjas as u say. It was once the Slave capital of the world. And when ninjas was doing good and had they own everything years after slavery;what did they do? They leveled all our prosperous neighborhoods and started the projects. Which is we’re the yt people were living at the time. When I speak of Memphis I look at the whole picture.

[@otnesoriginals7946]

Boy, did I love your guest today! Eloquent, logical, clear spoken, just wonderful! Keep getting guests of this caliber And your videos improve tenfold! Great video!

[@ShanntahnPininchula]

I currently live in Memphis. The quality of life here is TERRIBLE. Unbelievable crime (over 300 homicides last year), worst drivers by FAR of any place I have lived, the drivers can get away with anything as the PD is 500 police officers short and speeders and wreckless drivers are not put in check. Ever. Oh, and over 70, yes over 70 freeway shootings last year! Ultra boring as there is nothing to do here as far as outdoor life (except fishing). Businesses by the score and even schools are closing down here and the infrastructure is crumbling rapidly. It rains over 50 inches per year, so sunshine is not abundant and the humidity is stifling! Even the famed BBQ gets old after a few times. My nephew got shot at by a car jacker last year in a "better" part of town, so he moved away. There have been at least 5 homicides within a mile of my house in the last few years, and I also live in a "better" part of town. I'm moving out soon and can't wait! Edit: And the customer service in most places is ABYSMALL!!!

[@auaiao9]

You need to go.

[@chinafish]

My friend is living there too. Wish you both all the best

[@bobchristopoulos5755]

This is what I keep telling folks. The "better" areas of Memphis are no longer the "better" places. It is bad everywhere now. There is little to nothing left in the city to rob. Businesses are closing and boarded up. Some move to the burbs so now it's open season to steal from the "nicer" areas. I moved from the city into the burbs and it was good for a few years but not anymore. Now I live in another state and realized that it's not like that everywhere. Crime does not have to be a part of your life.

[@macreal65]

I grew up in The Westwood/Whitehaven area, it was pretty cool place to grow up. But just before I left in 85 I noticed that the dynamics, the cultural environment were changing, and not for the better. What used to be nice homes and neighborhoods started slowly decaying. It is so sad, it use to be such a nice place to raise a family even if you were poor.

[@jghothot]

The former cop eloquently summoned up a lot of the issues/challenges here. Thank you Nick, for allowing him to speak candidly about the good and not so good.

[@ralphnoyes4366]

Slightly acquainted with Mike Robinson from his mayoral race 8 years ago. Much more thoughtful remarks here than I would have expected from him back then. Kudos. Perhaps you should run again this year.

[@terrymcfarland2916]

he;s not about to tell the truth..they want tourism..people get their cars stolen at the hotels..hospitals, etc

[@mydreamquest]

I’m a Californian and Memphis is one of my favorite cities in all of the US. I know the city really well including the rough areas. Call me naive but I am at ease whenever I am here. I don’t feel the crime. I’ve gotten lost in South Memphis in what have been defined as high crime neighborhoods late at night and I have felt safe. I first came here when I ran the 2017 Memphis Marathon. I fell in love with the city’s love of the St Jude’s hospital and I am a regular contributor to them. I was inspired because around mile 8 of running the Marathon, us runners go by St Jude’s Hospital and children who are patients there cheered us with thank you signs and it touched me. I love Memphis because of the intense history here. There was MLK’s assassination but then there is the history of why MLK was in Memphis when he was assassinated. The music history be it Elvis, BB King or even Jeff Buckley who drowned in Wolf River Harbor, I hear music whether it be rap, country, rock, jazz or blues whenever I am there. I was last here last August 2022 and although I did notice the crime tensions in the air, I still had a great time. I always do. In California, the Bay Area, where I live, there’s a pretentious air of woke politics. I come here in Memphis and there is dialogue without the feeling of your opinion being judged or condescended upon if we do not see things eye to eye. Cannot wait to come back here next summer crime or no crime, loud cicadas or blood thirsty mosquitoes. To me, Memphis is a home away from home. Tip: Jack Pirtles Chicken on Poplar: Best Fried Chicken EVER!!!!!

[@NickJohnson]

Nice!!!

[@bobchristopoulos5755]

Buy a lottery ticket immediately. If you got lost in south Memphis and made it out alive, you may be the luckiest person known. I was born and raised in Memphis. I watched it go from mildly crime ridden to Mad Max level in a span of 40 years. This person is dead wrong folks. And I'm only saying that to save lives. Do not drive in Memphis unless you know where you are going. You will definitely get robbed and/or beaten if you are in the wrong place. Many of my friends over the years have been mugged, beaten, shot, and a couple killed. The rich people here do one thing and that's exploit the poor and sick in some way, shape or form. Even the suburbs are shit now. The best thing to do in Memphis is get the f out. Immediately. The blues may have started here but if you want to go listen to it, make sure you're leave the downtown blues clubs early or you're risking your life. It used to be a great place full of good people and fun. It's the worst of the worst now. Don't believe me? Go get lost in Memphis and report back. If you happen to make it out alive. BTW, I finally left the city a couple of years ago. It's hard to describe how much better life is now for our family.

[@ralphnoyes4366]

No way. I'm glad I live in Memphis -- behind 4 security barriers -- and am not a high value target anyway. I hope. I have a good shell of security. I feel I need it. People are varied here, but there seems to be a critical mass of people who are not thoughtful or civilized. Those who are -- tend to be isolated from one another. The controlling mindset on the street is pretty rough and raw. Too many people who have never lived anywhere else, or if they did, they learned the wrong things.

[@ringonor4298]

As far as Beale Street is concerned, go have a good time during the day, but before the sun goes down get off Beale, thats when thugs come out. I had a Memphis city policeman tell me this.

[@ralphnoyes4366]

@@ringonor4298 We uaually say "nothing good happens on Beale Street after midnight", but the cop is very likely to be correct. Memphis has a problem with armed, feral youth. It is not a First World city in the sense that almost everywhere else in the US is a First World city.

[@KCFromTheIE]

I hope Memphis can be fixed-it has a lot to offer and a lot of history to preserve.

[@eurodoc6343]

Of all the "bad" cities that Nick explores and I have also visited, I have to say, I probably enjoyed my stay in Memphis the most. But then again, this was 1994. It probably helped that I stayed at the Peabody.

[@mind-of-neo]

hah! memphis was like a decent city back in 1994, but that was close to 30 years ago now. Things have gone downhill a lot.

[@saltycat662]

All cities are garbage now. That's why I moved out NYC. It's terrible.

[@JP-kb4yi]

@@saltycat662 when was NYC good?

[@b1bo840]

@@JP-kb4yi back in the 80s when times square was real

[@_Clem_H_Fandango_]

@@mind-of-neo are you from Memphis or have you lived here?? I was born and raised here and I can tell you that this city has come up since 1994. '94 was much much more dangerous than it is now. Im sure with the adjustments for population growth/decline the statistics will reflect that.

[@Kimtrammellmassage]

They should’ve never torn down the housing projects. The crime was contained. Now, there’s no safe place in the entire county.

[@playboy4life18]

I been living in Memphis all my life, and there was one thing that really stood out on this video, and that's when the projects were torn down, crime just went CRAZY all over Memphis, they should have left them folks alone, they wasn't bothering anybody, we was okay with them being in they're on community

[@brianmatthews4149]

So that fisted them off

[@RockNRoller66]

Which projects? Winchester, Whitehaven? I mean you could be talking about anywhere and besides more have sprouted up over the last 30 years or less. Times and social unrest as well as city wide decay and racial tension all fuel the fire as well.

[@wedjr97]

Memphis is it’s own worst problem. You’re sitting here listening to a POlice chief who has a slightly slanted view of what Memphis is. He also has some extremely valid views too. But he’s talking about data and political leadership. The leadership was lost when the old boy -old white man that everyone loves to hate. If you took another Boss Crump to let him run the city, you’d have both more problems and fewer other problems. White people packing big guns because they are afraid of blacks who are afraid that the white cop is going to kill them. And that whole city is poor as hell on a shoelace! If you look at what people think are rich white folk look like, they won’t find them in Mudfish! Memphis doesn’t know the meaning of rich. Well off, yes. Rich, NO! Everyone needs to lighten up on everyone else there. My Memphis motto is: “Memphis just does it wrong!”

[@BoilaFrog]

Based.

[@sntmdsa3628]

So basically they let the animals out the pen.

[@tonyhanson7989]

I visited Memphis for the first time in 2007. I stayed in the Germantown area. It was such a nice part of town. I recently went back and stayed in Germantown again. It is definitely not the same! One other thing i have never understood. As popular as the Graceland area is, why is it so run down? That's a huge portion of Memphis' bread and butter. They should really invest in that area to make it more presentable.

[@ms.coleman8403]

I'm from Memphis...and this video is correct, I moved to DeSoto county to get away but I still work in Memphis, and it's bad!

[@TheHonorableAngelinaNordstrom]

I have lived in Memphis for many years of my life. I have moved away twice. The only reason why I came back the one time was because I did not at that time have any other support other than in Memphis, but once I explored other cities and traveled, and saw a stark difference, I moved away from Memphis up north and never looked back. It's not a city for me to live. The lack of equitable job and housing opportunities did it for me. And don't get me started on the crime and the lack of mass public transit. Memphis is for some people like Mike, but it's not for me.

[@ssmith38106]

I agree if a person had no choice but public transportation and taxi service they’ll be waiting for hours and will have to leave hours ahead to be on time in Memphis no lie

[@Malibukenn]

It’s the lack of a middle class for me. There’s nothing to do for people who have or desire a affluent lifestyle. I’ve been to Cincinnati, Augusta, Cleveland, Birmingham, etc and unfortunately Memphis doesn’t hold a candle to any of these cities as far as dining, entertainment and shopping.

[@TheHonorableAngelinaNordstrom]

@@Malibukenn too much like the truth.

[@randolphwilliams2365]

Lived there 36 years. Finally moved to Phoenix, AZ. Many nice things but the crime finally did me in.

[@kaydod3190]

Lucky You 🍀

[@MENFUSSMIKE]

If it wasn't for my mother, I would have left 5 years ago

[@themandarb]

I live in Memphis and can say it is a difficult city to be poor in for sure. Basically have to choose bad or worse when it comes to neighborhoods and schools for your kids. Crime is surging again, the infrastructure is falling apart (see the recent ice storms for example), and the majority of people I talk to about the city want to leave but they can't afford to go. Thankfully we live in a nicer area in Cordova and hopefully closing on a house just outside of Shelby County soon. If it wasn't for my wife's job, we would have moved a long time ago.

[@jaysmith179]

It will never be fixed until folks stop voting Democrat! Just look at how bad things have gotten in America. Lets go Brandon!

[@lilnoir4213]

@@jaysmith179 You americans got that two party system, so its easier to choose who you are blaming this time. Both are taking the money from poor and putting them in the pockets of the rich.

[@atomicrc5189]

Yea, movec here in augest. Hate the drivers...(i drive a large truck so people mostly know im there)and ive been shot at 4-5 times on the way to work because someone tried robbing a house near mine then i rolled up with highbeams on, (kind of obvious when you have a car parked sideways in the streat and 4 guys running to the car and speeding away)

[@imzanky6321]

@@atomicrc5189 4 to 5 times? No way.

[@imzanky6321]

@@lilnoir4213 I agree with the first statement but the second is simply untrue.

[@SimOne-ky8ki]

I was born, raised, and lived in Memphis until last August. For all 30 years of my life I’d been a Memphian. Me mentioning where I’m from makes people fearful, which was shocking to me. In fact living outside Memphis allowed me to see how abnormal my hometown is. It wasn’t this bad until the early 2000s though. The killings, shootings, robberies ARE real! You become desensitized to all of it though. The “hood” is so widespread that basically every other street is a hood now, which I hate. There is basically NOTHING for youth, which gives most of them nothing beneficial or positive to do. Memphis makes money, no doubt, but sadly it flows right out the city. Memphis needs help, but let’s be real, it’s a predominantly black city so “help” is most likely to come in the form of gentrification leading to more displacement. It’s an unfair place to be, and yes I’m bitter about it.

[@umbluegray1]

LOL... I was visiting St. Louis a couple of years back. Some of the locals told me to be careful. I told them it's ok, I'm from Memphis. ;)

[@kaneshalloyd8836]

Same for us!!! We left last year!

[@kaydod3190]

@@umbluegray1 😂😂😂

[@maneiloveyall3672]

You so right, I'm in Colorado from Memphis and loving how I left and living a loving life. Memphis just ran by the Boule Demons and will never be good. I'm a good person and they hate good people. Thank God I'm out

[@seviregis7441]

Ok but whose fault is it? Who are the culprits? Blame, blame, blame other people, but who is really to blame? And who are the people who always step in to solve these problems yet get vilified anyway?

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

I’ve been to 61 U.S. cities in the past 6 months. Memphis is in my top 5 favorites. Beale Street is a lot of fun, with great music and food. Graceland and Lorraine Motel (the place MLK was shot) and the accompanying Civil Rights Museum are must visits. The Peabody Ducks shouldn’t be missed either. There is some danger, but if you’re smart and careful you’ll be fine.

[@kaydod3190]

Come on dude, out of all the cities in the US 🤦 You choose Memphganistan as your top 5

[@jessem7556]

@@kaydod3190 Total LIAR......my 5 are 1) Santa Barbara 2) SD 3) Monterey 4) SF 5) Seattle

[@whitewolfofdarkness9532]

Probably safer in Ukraine than Memphis and there's more to do.

[@whitewolfofdarkness9532]

Well I guess if your a democratic you would like it here. There's lots of crime to cheer on and you can always go fight your way through the homeless on Beal street and go to one of the roach infested bars and eat some over priced crappy food and then run the gauntlet back to your car if it's still there. Sounds like a blast. Oh that was just a gun shot.

[@whitewolfofdarkness9532]

Well I guess if you are a democrat then you would like it. There's lots of crime to cheer on and you can go to Beal street and fight your way through the homeless people and go to a roach infested bar and eat some over priced crappy food and then run the gauntlet back to your car if it's still there. Sounds like a blast. Oh that was just gun shots.

[@imaginarycanary9956]

I took a wrong turn in Memphis 20 years ago and haven’t been back.

[@Iam_msdeeyadig]

👀 did something awful happen? Hope not 🙄

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

I made a wrong turn in Memphis 20 years ago. And I have never been seen again.

[@imaginarycanary9956]

@Inglez Nokut9ducenothing.

[@imaginarycanary9956]

@@Iam_msdeeyadig no I was joking.

[@ibezzant]

Mike is such a great guy. It's a shame he didn't get elected because I think he has a very logical and pointed idea of what needs to be done to address the issues. It's multifaceted but he seems to comprehend the root of the problem and where to begin fixing what could take decades if ever. I really appreciated him questioning where the federal money is at, why is it not getting put in the hands of grassroots people who know where it is best spent in the communities. It's happening all over the country.

[@NickJohnson]

He is a great guy

[@jeffsea6490]

Another excellent dash board tour the beautiful city of Memphis, with Mike an intelligent insightful interview.which we can all learn from. Thanks for sharing Nick n Sage. 🍀💚🌴

[@catzee4720]

I was in Memphis last week on a road trip. Stopped at the new Hyatt Centric in downtown, near beale street and on the river, brand new and really really nice hotel. Really nice people too. We went around the corner to a new brewery and it was nice and safe so didn't get any bad impression there, but we were just traveling through. Guess there are some good parts to city and it might turn around. Hope crime gets better there cause it was a nice little stop we made and I enjoyed it there.

[@NickJohnson]

The people are great!!

[@kaydod3190]

It will never get better

[@catzee4720]

@@kaydod3190 Oh I'm sorry, that is sad.

[@mikereal4098]

@@kaydod3190 YOU will never get better

[@MENFUSSMIKE]

It's the worst it's ever been

[@willasage23240]

I appreciate all the hard work that you put into these videos!

[@nerdynoob7648]

Being a teen that stays in Memphis this cut deep and really just hurt to realize all over again, and to see what my fellow pears thinks makes me worried that the endless cycle of violence won't stop. But i will say i learned a few new things about my city and yeah theirs a lot of good people here for sure

[@LevitatingCastles]

MY FELLOW PEARS

[@bookworm5433]

I grew up in a neighborhood that went from good to WTF. My take on it is that yes a lot of what is happening is bigger than me. However what I can do is show kindness and hope it spreads. I can make a choice everyday that I will not be a person who makes things worse. I can choose to view other people with compassion in the knowing that we are all part of this human family. No it is not perfect, but it is a better way forward. We must work towards a day when doing what is rite is more important than money. Then will be our golden age.

[@BeautifulStranger]

Thank you for posting this - and all of your content. :) You bring up some excellent points about Memphis. I think they need better legislation in that city. I'm in a neighboring city, and we often discuss that while having cookouts with our neighbors. Something needs to be done in Memphis.

[@BoilaFrog]

Good job Nick! You let him keep talking long enough ...and finally he was telling it like it is.

[@sunlite9759]

There are a lot of cities with great potential for revitalization. Some were, but crime followed. Money is not the issue; leadership is.

[@kelj4517]

Mr. Nick Johnson this is in my opinion the best video you have done! I’m not going to lie I seen some of your other videos and thought you were full of (fill in the blank) 🤣. I really enjoyed your interview with Mike because he was authentic and honest about his hometown of Memphis. I hope you will continue with quality videos like this one!

[@wriddle082]

Born and mostly raised in Nashville, as was my dad, but he went to “Memphis State” (he refuses to call it the University of Memphis) in the mid-60’s and he has fond memories of his time there. I try my best not to criticize Memphis’ issues as much as I hear basically every other Tennessean do, because like Mike said they’re tired of it too. I’ve spent some time working in Memphis in the 90’s and 00’s and was lucky to not be a victim of a car break-in, but several of my co-workers weren’t so lucky. And to this day I have never had better BBQ than the ribs at The Rendezvous! That would be one reason enough for me to go back and share that experience with my family, but I’m currently living 600 miles away (in SC, where they know NOTHING about proper BBQ!) and most of my relatives are in the Nashville area, so not sure when I will ever make it back to Memphis.

[@LONEWOLF-rq5tl]

Now Nashville is where it's at. My meemaw lived in paris her entire life and always went up there over the years and my other family lives in goodlettsville. I love Tennessee and I'm a mississippian! I haven't been to Nashville but my cousins want me to come up there to go check it out with them. I want to so bad because it's beautiful there!

[@indianprincess8219]

I like both Memphis and South Carolina's BBQ.

[@kaydod3190]

Memphis ain’t the only damn place with good BBQ

[@Caustiverse]

Mike seems like such a great person! I wish him the best, maybe some day he'll actually be the mayor which would be awesome :D

[@nerdynoob7648]

Yeah, we need him bad

[@ralphnoyes4366]

He was pretty impressive in this video.

[@midsouthexplorers7702]

Raised in Memphis, was a policeman there for 7 years. I still work in Memphis but live just south of the city in MS. A lot of people do the same. They live in the suburbs but commute to Memphis to work. It's cheap to live in this part of the country. Parts of the city are very beautiful. Midtown is my favorite. There's a small but thriving arts community there. That being said, I do think you have to be extra vigilant regarding your safety here, more so than in other parts of the country.

[@kaydod3190]

There are no beautiful parts in Memphis. Maybe back in the 50s and 60s it was beautiful because that’s what time period it’s stuck in.

[@carinithafisher6353]

@@kaydod3190 Apparently you just hate the city. Ok we get it. You don't have to negatively comment on every good one. We get it, you don't like it.

[@mariap4828]

Wow! I was there in Millington in the 80’s in the Navy and I Never went to south Memphis. That was Some crap hole. Tear it down and gentrify it to make viable for people to live there and commute to work elsewhere. Your guest, Mike was intelligent and I hope he can see some positive changes before he departs Earth. Beale Street was fun, we drank in the streets. That was strange. The Rendezvous food was great! Peabody was beautiful. True that around Graceland, it’s TERRIBLE. When I returned in 2009, it was like Time Stood Still in that neighborhood. I Did enjoy Graceland and all the food around town. Only problem was No Unsweetened Tea Anywhere to be found. Only sweet tea. Nice people working in service or hospitality. Thanks. Nick

[@NickJohnson]

Ok Maria!

[@no_guarantees]

That's how you know you're in The Real South. Thank you.

[@MENFUSSMIKE]

Unsweetened tea now

[@johnlosert922]

I like this guy. He has some insight that is sorely missing from the dialog these days. Bravo!

[@billgibson2418]

I drove a truck 40 yrs. I don't pickup or deliver anything in Memphis. It's a 3rd world city

[@jamesbrooks3664]

America is a third world country with a Gucci belt!

[@leroyberzerk4424]

Great vid Nick, I was waiting for Mike to express what we all know is in our hearts. 19:23 "shore up the family"

[@D_Roadtrip_Productions]

This cool guy makes a good sincere tour guide, if you will. I was in Memphis in the 80s just for Graceland, then the rest of my life was mainly Memphis “worst place” this & that. It is refreshing to hear a healthy perspective!

[@chrisjmiller6]

In the spring of 1996 my wife and I were young and dumb. Traveled to Memphis to see Graceland. Memphis was the scariest place I'd ever been, until I visited Birmingham, Alabama.

[@karenk1212]

Great interview. Thanks for letting him talk. We have to start fixing things somewhere like he says.

[@vagabondverses2404]

I went to Memphis in 2011, stated at the Pilrim House Hostel, it was attached to a church and even that didn't stop someone from burglarizing cars. It was a shame because the staff worked really hard to make your stay nice. Food was good and Graceland was interesting but the area around it was scary. The Victorian Village was a jewel from a bygone era.

[@gmamagillmore4812]

Victorian Village was nice fifty years ago, before a two brothers bought up all the derelict mansions, tore the down and put in twenty unit apartments on hundred wide lots.

[@larkatmic]

The racial demographics speak volumes as to why Memphis was nice back in the 1970s and not so nice today. Father absence in the home is the main culprit in high crime areas. And Memphis is full of them now. 😢

[@troyzie77]

I live in Memphis in the Raleigh area, and I'm done with it. People don't have common courtesy. . Trash everywhere. You have to be on your game. Someone attempted to rob me at Lamar and airways at 12 in the afternoon until they were met with a fire arm. Vehicles and home targeted atleast once or twice a year. Its too far gone.

[@mrnburcham]

Lamar and Airways!!?? No way

[@christianjenkins6075]

@@mrnburcham lol. goes to the hood and is shocked wild shit happens. Troy trippin mane

[@xxglamourbeautyxx3638]

Raleigh? Hm never had that problem being 7 min from Bartlett

[@MENFUSSMIKE]

Born and raised in Rawkin Raleigh...it's getting bad

[@garybeaty4032]

Wonder how my dad watched this city decay staying here in Raleigh for his 60+ years and still hasn't left. I'm 26 and ready to go, regardless of my good job with an awesome company. Trash is everywhere, and people have no integrity or pride in what they do.

[@thurstonhowelllll948]

Memphis is a wonderful city to visit

[@db90990]

My experience in Memphis was enjoyable. Because we went to Elvis's place. Graceland the local food I thought was good and of course. I like the Elvis music and the blues R&B.

[@lindamoore979]

This was a great video. I am a Memphis native and I love my city. You interview someone that stated Facts. Great job!

[@kaydod3190]

Nobody cares your from Memphganistan

[@HIAHomelessInAmerica]

Thanks for sharing, great video 👍

[@sawwbones]

Very insightful conversation. Memphis is not the only city in this situation.

[@NickJohnson]

Which is sad Terry

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

No all the city's run by dems are like that

[@Cocaleen]

I feel so bad for police officers all around. The criminals are not held accountable for these horrible crimes.

[@guylawes]

I lived on Pearcy st for a year. My wife and I were the only white people in the neighborhood. One thing I'll say is every person we encountered were VERY polite! Every person you pass on the street says "Hi" or "Hello" or "Good morning" or whatever. There's sidewalks EVERYWHERE!! EVERY street has sidewalks because lots of people walk long distances to get where they have to go. At night the gangs would fire guns in the air in a pattern. The pattern told the other gangs who they were and to keep out because they were out and about. But during the day if you saw them on the street they would greet you politely. I love Memphis! Great food! Lots of food festivals and jazz clubs.

[@IndianaCrane]

The duck show at the Peabody Hotel is a must see!

[@NickJohnson]

I saw it with you baby head!

[@terryteague1236]

I was born in east Tennessee and moved to and grew up in Memphis due to a better cost of living. I lived in Hurt Village Housing Authority from age 6 until I was 15. We played downtown and along the Mississippi and Wolf Rivers. When schools desegregated the violent groups moved in and violence became a bad problem and people were not safe. The city government didn't try to make desegregation work. We moved to Frayser after Martin Luther King Jr was killed and then later back to my hometown in east Tennessee. My family moved back to east Tennessee in 1972. I went back to Memphis a couple years ago when my son's stepfather was dieing in the hospital after a traffic accident involving his big rig. There were two citizen fights involving police outside of the hospital and a shooting incident on our motel parking lot. It made me sad. I loved growing up there.

[@howard2031]

The best thing about Memphis is what the former cop said... You're centrally located. It only takes a half day to drive to the Gulf Coast, New Orleans, Atlanta, Dallas, Little Rock, St Louis, or Nashville. You could even drive to Chicago or Houston or Tampa in about 12 hours.

[@BNelly901]

It doesn't take 12 hours to get to Chicago tho

[@BNelly901]

Or Houston. They're both about 9 hour drives

[@SpicyKimchi-]

I remember visiting my sister when she moved there for a job with FedEx and that area was quite nice from what I remembered. Had lots of fun times in Memphis, sad to see how it’s changed.

[@pm2819]

I’m in the South, I visited Memphis a few years back, had a great time. I also had my 44 Mag. 😎

[@marceljohnson2215]

True there are many bad areas in Memphis. Thankfully I don’t live in one of them. The issue here is more so an issue any and everywhere, ppl not taking accountability for themselves and no regards for others. Oh how wonderful the world would be as a whole if ppl would do/be better

[@zachwells4677]

I love the south. The people down there are so good and they are genuine and kind. I wish there were more people like that. The Southern culture is so cool and interesting.

[@lorrisanders9772]

Very informative video of Memphis! Love it!

[@WorkingProgress17]

It's so sad where things are going everywhere. There is so much history in Memphis. It's a city I've always wanted to visit. What this officer is saying about decentralization is such a problem throughout the country. We have that happening where I'm at too and I hate it. I really respect what he is saying about standing his ground and help to fix the problem. I think too many people are being run off and expecting a move to fix their problems. The issues are growing everywhere and a big problem is that people are not doing their part to help change things. He is so spot on about the big non-profits taking over and taking up funds from the smaller (and in my opinion, more helpful) non-profits. This is another thing I see happening where I live. We have psychopaths running the world.

[@Yoo_Wats_Guuci]

It’ll get better.

[@LONEWOLF-rq5tl]

I have family that lives in Tennessee and i live in Mississippi so been going through Memphis my entire life. The only time i ever stopped by there was many years ago when we took a trip to Beale street for a few nights and we had a good time. I don't indulge in the things i did at that time now but it was still a good atmosphere down there.

[@tucarnal7454]

Ive been to Memphis twice in 5 years. Both times, had a great time. Always heard the horror stories but luckily I never had any issues. Its been nothing but awesome people, yummy food and great music.

[@ValTheGal1960]

I went to Graceland a few years ago and when I drove into that neighborhood, my heart sunk!!

[@chrisdavenport2019]

Oh dang, I had no idea you also interviewed my old FTO while you were in town. He's Memphis 4 life. Never leaving. I can't say the same after retirement lol

[@u2fkeys665]

Best interview by far.

[@sharonb378]

Nick, as usual, your videos don't disappoint. There is a possibility that I may have a work opportunity in Memphis and this video was very helpful. It is my hope that the work I would be doing will help residents and small local businesses in Memphis. I'm still learning about the opportunity and may reach out to Mike Williams. Thank you!

[@gretchenbethea146]

I'm on my way for Spring break and excited to see what Memphis as to offer

[@oscartorres573]

Turn around and go somewhere else you will get robbed

[@edwardsharpe6234]

They could have made Memphis a great tourist destination and started a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (why should there be one in Cleveland?) and a Blues Hall of Fame too. They could have made a Museum with the Memphis Belle B-17 that was here at one time but they left it outside to rot and be stripped by vandals until the Air Force decided to take it back. Memphis has potential but it has had government officials that are corrupt, unimaginative and unintelligent.

[@kaydod3190]

😂😂😂

[@starcorpvncj]

I'm not a US citizen but I've been visitng the US since 1979. I find NYC as the only place I like going. I used to like Vegas. However now Macao near Hong Kong is much bigger and better casino wise. It has 4 times the turnover of LV. Every year the US becomes increasingly 3rd World. I really notice the decline. I've been to 50 countries and lived and worked in many. I'm a Westerner but live in Vietnam. It may surprise people to know that many houses are much much better in Vietnam than the average houses in the US. In LA people live in tiny wooden boxes little bigger than a double garage. I was shocked the first time I saw this. As for guns and violence, in all my travels in the world including to offbeat places like Apartheid South Africa, India, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia , South Yemen, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, China, Taiwan, nearly all the ex-Communist countries in Eastern Europe, etc etc, I have never been to a country anywhere near as dangerous as the US. There is something very seriously wrong happening there, folks.

[@bs4real]

Hummm ....let me geusse: you're CANUCKISTANI??!!!..That place has many problems of its own..if you don't like America,don't bother returning...

[@loriwyoming835]

I will correct one thing that was stated... Right to work doesn't outlaw unions. It means you can open a nonunion business. States without right to work make it illegal to hire nonunion labor to do work. Think of the oil spill that happened in the gulf when Obama was president. He refused to lift the union sanction that would of allowed other companies to come in to help during clean up.

[@stylesb959]

My friend Dave lived in Memphis for a bit . He said getting crack is easy as pie .he worked at a Marriott and one of the chefs was murdered trying to break up a fight . There is actually a first 48 episode on it

[@carinithafisher6353]

Was he trying to break up the fight at the Marriott? Ghesh!! Getting killed at work? Wow!😱

[@shawnhall2755]

I'm being honest. I was born in Mempho. Behind Graceland. Whitehaven was a great place to grow up. If you grew up there you know. I never saw a cop car patrol the neighborhood. You could leave your door opened all night without a worry.I would see a cop car sometimes around sears, goldsmith, and shopping centers. Until around 1975 76 you started seeing them more and more. Sometimes in the early 80s my parents sold their house. The Black people were moving in the neighborhood. Jumping forward, Whitehaven has become a shooting gallery. It's not as bad as a lot of Memphis, but who wants to live in that environment. This is why some black families move. Memphis is now led by unprofessional people with some of the stupidest ideas. They seem to throw money away on a trolley idea that keeps sucking money and spitting it out. You used to go to Beale st. Without worry. Now so kid has to come down there with a pistol cause their mom raised a fool. My black friends say they wish they could fix all this. It is a shame. It shines a bad light on black people. My opinion is that most of the fools don't have a father in the house. My dad would beat the tar fool out of me and he never left his pistol under the mattress. These are just my opinion. If I go to Memphis its to the zoo,hospital or drive threw it. I sure wouldn't go anywhere else. Nowhere is safe with children that have guns. Either don't have children or don't have guns.

[@chinafish]

Such a great interview.

[@steven2640]

I would hardly call Whitehaven (where Graceland is) a "ghetto", but it's not the safest area either. Of course there are ghettos in South and North Memphis but Whitehaven actually has some nice homes and you could do A LOT worse in Memphis.

[@qmitchellakaproveit.4970]

And in Whitehaven we absolutely do not bother the tourist that comes to Graceland and in my opinion it's the best neighborhood in the whole city based on we have Fed ex and the international airport and being on the other side of Southaven Mississippi helps as well. And not to mention it's the biggest neighborhood in south section of Memphis.

[@ironbody2682]

It is a Ghetto... Don't let the nice looking homes fool you!

[@kaydod3190]

It is ghetto. But not as ghetto as other areas.

[@kaydod3190]

@@ironbody2682 Right

[@indianprincess8219]

I really like Memphis. I always say they have the best Barbeque. I visited the Civil Rights Museum.The Peabody Ducks are cute. Beale Street has great lounges to hear Blues music. I like the view of the "M" bridge. It's a great city. I wish the negative things about the city could improve drastically. I feel that the potential is there.

[@kaydod3190]

Shut Up 😂

[@MENFUSSMIKE]

Its getting worse....way worse. 399 murders last year. Kids having kids, lack of education, trash and litter everywhere, DA soft on crime, etc etc

[@REMBRANTTUBE]

MICHAEL WILLIAMS IS AWESOME! GOD BLESS HIM! WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE HIM!!

[@Lovejazz01]

Been living in Memphis 60 out of my 62 years and I will say this , yes crime is a big part of Memphis , but it has some great things . But , when I go to visit other places , like Vegas, Dallas/ Ft Worth, Atlanta, Nashville and other places, I don’t go to the bad parts and I still watch my surroundings wherever I am at, because the news also tells you that crime can happen anywhere, just like Mike said that crime can happen in any part of the city. I have a young family member that moved to Vegas with his family and ended up getting shot just walking home from work with his brother. This was in Vegas. When I visited Manhattan Ny in April 2022 for the first time, I felt safe but I still watched my surroundings. Same for a recent trip to Dallas when I staying in Plano and visited the Stock Yards area in Ft. Worth. Same when I went Nashville in the June and hung out downtown and went to the Opry Mills mall. Crime can happen anywhere in any city at anytime, not just around the Memphis area…

[@gregstanford3958]

Thank you Nick for providing a fair and balanced representation of Memphis. I had pointed out that I thought your last video was an unfair representation of Memphis and I appreciate you presenting a second balanced video that shows some of the wonderful attributes the city has to offer. I totally agree there are serious problems but the city is working hard at restoration. Crime is off the charts but that seems to be a pattern in all the big cities now. Best regards and I appreciate your candid and fair representation of the state of America. Hopefully by pointing it out we can all reflect and make America a better place. Your a good man!

[@NickJohnson]

Ok Greg!

[@LuckyGuu]

@@NickJohnson I don't see any trash on the sidewalks but I also don't see any people on the sidewalks. This is disappointed.

[@bobchristopoulos5755]

Memphis has been working hard at restoration for 40 years. Nothing stays restored. It always goes to shit. I don't see how someone could say Memphis had an "unfair representation" and then say "crime is off the charts" and expect people to take you seriously. You can not have a healthy environment when crime is "off the charts". I don't care how many places there are to visit or historical areas to see. Memphis is currently ruined. I literally don't know anyone who has lived here for any significant amount of time that has not been a victim of some type of crime. Truth hurts folks. I'd love to see it change for the better but we all know that it will take a miracle for that to happen.

[@robertparker5194]

Personally I love Memphis and visit whenever possible!

[@hph9614]

Born and raised Memphis for 35 years.. Memphis has more pros than cons. I feel like we get a bad rep but honestly its a very medium city..not too fast, not too slow..Memphis is the founding headquarters of FedEx, the distribution center of the United States plenty of good paying jobs...consistant seasonal weather that is true to each season.. we have all 4 seasons lol and cost of living isnt outrageous like some major cities. I feel like it is what you make it fir sure. Its very spread out and theres middle class, not just rich and poor. Oh and theres no homeless camps or rows of tents downtown..that should speak for itself...If you cant make it here then your not trying. Memphis is hood and ratchet to a degree but i love it! ❤ my city

[@VmgToyz]

Excellent video.

[@southmemphisbro27]

Michael Williams is Great man that goes far and beyond to help the people in the city of Memphis. Memphis has to many sell out leaders that are being voted into office by name and by ole green paper stack. We need a set leader to come together with citzens and the nonprofits to come up with a plan to fix the problems Its not a over night thing but u can't just pocket all the money let the have been doing for decades.

[@trextrextrex]

Cohen is an absolute scumbag. Yet he keeps getting reelected

[@DMHK138]

I’m in my 40’s ,was born in Memphis ,grew up in Memphis,and still live in the area. It’s always extremely entertaining to watch videos and read comments on how awful Memphis is. Is it perfect here? Of course not,but if it were anything like I see in some of these videos,I would’ve moved years ago. Lol.

[@glamgalnorth6320]

You know people are going to say things to make the city a little bit worse than it really is.

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

Well Daniel I think it was Einstein that said people can tolerate anything g they get used to. But you'd be amazed what people can get used too. TRUTH TRUTH TRUTH TRUTH

[@DMHK138]

@@MikeSmith-cn6ub Do you live in Memphis?

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

@@DMHK138 no nor would I ever. I heard someone say Mempis isn't no worse than any other big city. Well what's the one thing all big city's have in common? Yes your exactly right there all run by demacats. I don't understand how they could fail you time and time again yet you still put your mark on the ballot. Do you people in the city's have Stockholm syndrome? Because I don't get it how they could fail you time and time again yet you tell them their doing a wonderful job every time you walk into the ballot box. Truthfully why would they change if your giving your stamp of approval on the job their doing time and time again. I'm just wondering because I don't live in a big city nor would I ever. Even if I were paid top dollar some things money can't buy like Mastercard said peace of mind and sleeping without worrying about being killed priceless. I don't know maybe it's just me but if I had to lock my doors at night I'd move. I'm just saying. But it is what it is good night sir

[@DMHK138]

@@MikeSmith-cn6ub Seems to me that your whole purpose for having an opinion on Memphis is to be able to have an opportunity to slam Democrats. I’m not a Democrat and have never voted for a Democrat.

[@seviregis7441]

He’s a lovely man, a good person, and he said you have to “admit that you have a problem”, but the truth is, nobody identifies the real problem, and until they do, this will continue.

[@zellarivers927]

If people are tired, they need to stop voting for democrats. Look at the past few Mayors in Memphis. All Democratic. Great video. Thank You for posting. It would be great to see a video like this broken down by Tennessee counties as oppose to just in Memphis

[@Angel9932]

Bwahahaha! It is obvious you have no clue. The current mayor is a Republican who has overseen the worst increase in violent crime in a decade here. You want to know where all the money is going in this city? Look at ALL the politicians. It certainly isn't making it to the non-profits who are trying to make the city a better place. Get rid of your polarized political views.

[@xxxxTastiixxxx]

💯

[@CJColvin]

We've been down to Memphis Tennessee before and let me tell you its 10 times worse than the city of St.Louis. Also Nashville Tennessee is by far the best city to go to in the state of Tennessee.

[@kaydod3190]

❤️ Nashville & St. Louis

[@networth00]

So you've never been to Chattanooga or Knoxville I take it.

[@MemphisAF]

You passed by my work a couple times! Next time you're in town, I will show you the cool parts of town.

[@umbluegray1]

And there are plenty of cool parts!

[@cardiyansane1414]

I’ll be moving downtown Peabody area.. it’s it crazy noisy , traffic jam and pan handlers? Is it daily safe during the day and early morning? 0500 ? I’m a graduate student and I will be up early and home late.

[@fredtillman3050]

Tennessee is a "right to work state" like Michigan, when you don't have unions you have these rich politicians under paying the work force sowing seeds of poverty.

[@Iam_msdeeyadig]

Great interview, Nick👍 I wanted to say that the guy you interviewed looks like a younger Bill Cosby 😁👀 lol

[@btbees1]

Mike, the retired police officer, was an excellent guest.

[@garybeaty4032]

I don't feel safe to leave the house. I don't feel safe driving on the roads. I put my life at risk every day I leave the house and honestly every day I wake up in this place. People shit where they eat and wonder why this place sucks so bad. Extremely corrupt to rob the last bits coming into this city from taxpayers. Get back to the word and read the book. It is the best guideline of how to navigate this world and be good

[@slainbyblind]

Look at all them people full of culture!!! They are very polite and accepting of others!!!

[@jacobtennyson9213]

I've been there in 2019. Went to Beale Street, Sun Records, Graceland Mansion Home of Elvis Presley, the Civil Rights National Museum built under the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King was shot. I also went inside the Memphis Pyramid. There is where the Bass Pro Shop and hotel stood. It's also home to Ducks Unlimited. Memphis do have an international BBQ Fest. Home of the Whole Hog.

[@Jake-pw7rj]

Memphis wasn't this bad years ago, but things have gone from bad to worse in 25 to 30 years. It is sad because it was once a great city.

[@RockNRoller66]

Your time estimate is right on but if you've noticed that last 10 -15 years have been the most dramatic downslide with the last 3-5 years being the absolute apocalypse.

[@tiowannalogan7148]

Heyyy!!! I would love for you to interview me about my uber life and my experience living here in Cordova in memphis and Mississippi. I am starting to write a book and get my materials together to upload videos on the tube and tick tock shorts.

[@jkxelor1295]

The Bass Pro Pyramid is awesome.

[@VmgToyz]

Outstanding content.