Memphis… best known as the home of Elvis Presley, this city in the southern United States is tucked right into the south western corner of Tennessee. It’s the largest city in the state and as well as having Gracelands as a popular tourist attraction this city has plenty more to offer residents and visitors alike. If you don’t own a car Memphis isn’t so great though – ranked 42nd in the country for its walkability, there are just a few amenities in this city that are within walking distance.
Midtown
As you’d expect from the name, Midtown Memphis is centrally located just to the east of downtown. It’s the most walkable neighborhood in Memphis with a Walk Score of 54, so some amenities are within walking distance. Midtown pretty much has everything you need – schools (23 public schools), restaurants, shops, grocery stores, and entertainment. It’s also home to Overton Park where some of the city’s top tourist attractions are located including Memphis Zoo, and Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Crime-wise Midtown’s crime index is 8 percent lower than the Memphis average and overall Midtown is safer than 46 percent of the neighborhoods in Memphis.
Downtown
Downtown is Memphis’ second most walkable neighborhood with its Walk Score of 53 making it a ‘somewhat walkable’ place to live. As you’d expect, downtown is full of places to eat and drink and though there are shops there’s less in the way of grocery stores. There are 34 public schools in this large neighborhood of around 55,000 people, but success in education isn’t so great, falling below the Memphis and state averages when it comes to completing high school. Downtown isn’t so good for crime either – the crime index is 29 percent higher than the Memphis average and the chance of being a victim of crime in this neighborhood is 1 in 10. Downtown has attractions including the South Main Arts District, Pyramid Arena, and Beale Street.
East Memphis-Colonial-Yorkshire
East Memphis-Colonial-Yorkshire is a large neighborhood to the east of downtown and Midtown Memphis, home to around 106,400 people. Area Vibes ranks this neighborhood as the third most livable in the city, and it’s ranked third by Walk Score as well with its score of 45. It’s a nice place to live, with many public parks, 26 public and 23 private schools and a good high school graduation rate at 80.5 percent. Like the rest of Memphis crime rates are high here compared to the Tennessee average though the East Memphis crime index is 39 percent lower than the city average, making this safer than 61.5 percent of the neighborhoods. The Pink Palace Museum, Shelby Farms, and Memphis Botanic Garden are here.
Berclair-Highland Heights
A few amenities are within walking distance in the Berclair-Highland Heights neighborhood, north east of downtown Memphis. It has a Walk Score of 40. There are 11 public, and 6 private schools in Berclair-Highland Heights, and high school graduation rates are about on par with the Tennessee average. This isn’t a good neighborhood for crime and safety though – the crime index is 21 percent higher than the Memphis average, and you’ve a 1 in 11 chance of being a victim of crime. The upside is a cheaper cost of living as homes are more affordable than the Memphis average.
Hickory Ridge-South Riverdale
Number 5 in the best neighborhoods of Memphis is Hickory Ridge-South Riverdale. With a Walk Score of 39 it’s a car dependent neighborhood but according to Area Vibes it’s extremely livable all the same. Hickory Ridge Mall is a big feature of the community, and the neighborhood has one of the best high school graduation rates in Memphis. Crime is not too much of a problem as in some parts of the city, but it’s still prevalent – the chances of being a victim of crime are 1 in 16 here. Housing does cost more as it’s a desirable neighborhood of Memphis to live in.
