A mere three and a half hours seems like not too far to drive, but with such boring scenery, it is. Not only have we made the move, but the Hartmans continue to drive back and forth between Memphis and Nashville quite frequently. Along the way, I have made several conclusions about both my old home (Nashville) and my new home (Memphis). Here is my list...don't worry, I'll update as necessary.
1. Nashville is prettier, I will admit. If you take away the giant, empty pyramid in Memphis, it might put up a good fight.
2. The architecture of the buildings in downtown Memphis is better than Nashville, and the amount of "bungalow" style homes in areas like Cooper Young outnumber the bungalows in Nashville. (To some this might not matter, but I personally love the bungalow house style)
3. Nashville has better shopping, hands down.
4. Memphis was ranked the 2nd most miserable city to live in in the US by Forbes magazine...
5. But if you love barbeque, you can't do any better than Memphis (Central BBQ is our favorite)
6. Memphis is cheaper. If you want a cheap home, move to Memphis...especially if you do not have kids and have to worry about school districts.
7. Nashville has pretty parks where it is safe to walk, hike, etc. Memphis has a sidewalk along the Mississippi river that is pretty, but not shaded.
8. Memphis is more humid. But I've only lived here half a summer, so what do I know...
9. Macy's in Memphis targets towards "club goers" and I am not a club goer, therefore the Macy's in Nashville is better. (But Randy says "who cares")
10. Food...if you want healthy, Nashville is where you need to be, but if you want good old fashion southern food, Memphis wins. No question.
11. I don't deal with the city schools, but from what I have seen in the county, Nashville Metro schools and Shelby County schools are on about the same level for education.
12. There is not a lake close by in Memphis like in Nashville. But I don't have a boat, so unfortunately this isn't too big of a deal.
13. There are waaaay more cops in Memphis.
14. In Nashville, I went to a large, fairly conservative Church of Christ with all the big, fancy SUV drivers. In Memphis, I go to church at a home in Binghampton (a very poor and violent neighborhood) that is translated in Swahili for a family of Burundi Africans.
15. Nashville is more trendy, while Memphis seems to not care. The good thing about this is you can wear sweats AND no makeup to a Target in Memphis and not be paranoid the whole time.
16. Gas is cheaper in Memphis.
17. The news is more action-packed in Memphis.
18. Nashville has better roads.
19. It is harder to go grocery shopping in Memphis due to so many people using food stamps and such...which is a very sad fact but yet has taught me patience.
20. Memphis has an awesome cheap theatre, with cheap popcorn and coke to go with it.
21. Nashville has better music, AND better art.
22. Nashville is home to my parents, sister, brother-in-law, cousins, and friends. But Memphis is home to my husband and cat. Sorry guys, I choose Memphis.
