Misery loves BBQ

Forbes magazine ranked Memphis as the second most miserable city in the U.S. And I can't disagree with anything the article says about the city itself. There is a lot of crime. Everyone I know who grew up in Memphis talks about how sad it is that certain areas of the city are now too unsafe to visit even during the day.

BUT, I don't know anyone who lives here (except for transplants from bigger cities) who would call themselves miserable. I think the areas of crime are very concentrated; sort of like it was when I lived in Evanston, IL, during grad school. You could literally drive fifteen minutes and go from mansions to dilapidated houses to a swanky mall. The instances of extreme, violent crime in Memphis usually happen in areas I wouldn't even visit if the city was safer.

I look at Memphis like you would your child - you accept it with all its faults, especially if you're like me and grew up here. Even though I can't visit those locations anymore, the memories are very fresh and Memphis will always be my hometown, no matter where I end up.


Forbes: Memphis second most miserable city in U.S.

As if Memphians needed any more bad news, Forbes.com has rated the Bluff City as the second most miserable city in the U.S.

Only Stockton, Calif., beat out Memphis in the ranking. Chicago finished behind Memphis at third.

Forbes said the 1,218 violent crimes per 100,000 residents committed in the city is more than twice the rate in the New York City metro area and recent local government scandals helped boost the “miserable ranking.”

To pour even more salt in the wound, Forbes also pointed to the less than stellar performance of the Memphis Grizzlies, which have lost 74 percent of its games during the past three years, the worst in the NBA. Read more.