Pick your clichˇ: "Familiarity breeds contempt" or "Can't see the forest for the trees." Both would apply equally to longtime Memphians, who tend to develop tunnel vision regarding this city. Incapable of objectivity where our hometown is concerned, we often exaggerate Memphis' flaws and underestimate its assets. In order to truly see ourselves as others see us, we have to rely on outsiders for a fresh perspective.
To collect some of these outside viewpoints, the Flyer tracked down five prominent Memphians who have lived here for approximately 18 months or less. Their comments sometimes made us proud, sometimes left us chagrined, but always gave us plenty to ponder.
Now, meet the newcomers:
STEVE
COHAN was born on the East Coast but has lived all over the country, most
recently in Los Angeles. He came to Memphis in mid-1995 to become executive
director of the Memphis Botanic Garden, where he's overseeing a major expansion
and renovation. Cohan lives in the incorporated area of Cordova with his
wife and a son who's a senior at Germantown High (another son attends college
out of state).
Overall view of the city: Memphis has a nice Southern flavor to it, and an awful lot of potential. It's a compact city, with easy access. I wouldn't say we're cosmopolitan yet, but the revival of downtown and the development of the riverfront will definitely bring changes. A lot of people are making a sincere effort to improve things.
Biggest surprise: The amount of participation in the community. I had heard that this is the Volunteer State, but I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself. In Memphis, we feel we're part of the community. We're able to network much more easily than we did in a megalopolis of 9 million people.
I've also been surprised at the number of private schools here. I've always been a proponent of the public schools, and it's a little sad that people don't feel their children can get a quality education in the public schools here.
Biggest disappointment: This is the first time I've lived in the South, and I hadn't encountered this level of racial tension before.
What he misses most: There's a lack of diversity in restaurants -- because there's not as many ethnic groups here -- and also in entertainment. For example, there are fewer [live] theatres, and the ones we have are smaller. Also, there's a lack of professional sports. Having lived in Los Angeles and Chicago, I miss that.
Cohan on sports: There's a lot of politics within the sports organizations [in Memphis] that I don't understand. We draw from a four-state area, so we could support a major team. I think probably an NBA expansion team is the way to go.
On traffic: We definitely felt an enhancement in our quality of life on coming to Memphis [from L.A.]. For one thing, we don't have to drive on the freeway. I used to travel for an hour and a half each way to work, in bumper-to-bumper traffic. But it's all relative. Here, 15 minutes is a major commute. Midtowners say they have to pack a lunch when they come out to visit us in Cordova.
On cultural life and tourism: [Cohan notes that expansion projects at places such as the zoo and the botanic garden have been funded mostly with private money.] The generosity of corporations and individuals in this town is very impressive, in contrast to L.A. I think Memphians take pride in their cultural facilities. I'm aware that the Tunica casinos are seen as a threat to tourism, but we have to constantly toot our own horn and show people what we have here. We've got to get them when they fly into Memphis, before they go to Tunica and spend all their money.
On the economy: The distribution center here is certainly impressive, but it doesn't create a high level of employment. And we don't have enough skilled labor to fill the jobs for light manufacturing. From what I've heard, there isn't adequate vocational training. We should ask corporations that aren't locating here why they aren't, and find out what kind of skills are needed.
On race relations: For those of us who have just moved into the community, the lack of harmony is so obvious and so surface. There's that [racial] line in Memphis that doesn't seem to disappear. But it is improving. I'm in Leadership Memphis, and that topic always comes up for discussion. [Race] is something Memphis really needs to work on. It's discouraging when people don't want to make the effort to change. It needs to move faster, but I'm not sure how it can. Not to say there weren't problems in L.A., but there was a much more liberal attitude -- you're pretty much accepted there regardless of the color of your skin.
WAYNE
S. BOYER came to Memphis in September 1996 as the new director of the Memphis
Park Commission, after serving in a similar position in Davenport, Iowa,
for 19 years. A native of Ohio, he's lived in various cities across the
northern half of the United States, but never in the South, until now. He
currently lives in the Poplar/White Station area.
Overall view of the city: I've noticed that some longtime Memphians tend to be overly critical [of the city]. People need to appreciate what they have here. It's a nice town. Many of the people I've met are lifelong Memphians, and it says something about this community that they've wanted to stay. What really impresses me is that there are a lot of very enthusiastic people [here] working toward the future. Some take this for granted -- they don't realize how special it is. But I can see it. I didn't give up 19 years of tenure for nothing.
Biggest surprise: Everybody promised me, "No snow." I had decided winters in the Midwest were just too much. Coming here and having 70-degree weather in January was nice. [But then Boyer was betrayed by the January 10th snowstorm that sent Memphis into a minor panic.] The difference is that in the Midwest, municipalities obviously put a lot of resources into snow removal.
[Another big surprise was that] you have a wonderful urban forest. Flying in, I was just taken by the sheer number of trees in this city. It's really beautiful.
Biggest disappointment: Traffic. I used to live a two- or three-minute drive from home to the office. In Memphis, it takes me 15 to 30 minutes, which is not bad, but it's different from what I was used to. Here, they have traffic jams, traffic reports [on the radio].
What he misses most: Open space. Homes seem to be a little closer together, roads narrower, parking lots more cramped.
Boyer on sports: I come with a jaded view. I hear people say Memphis is not a sports town. I think it is, but maybe not a spectator sports town; people like to get out and play. [In terms of spectator sports] I think basketball is probably Memphis' best shot at having a successful major-league team. Memphis does seem to be a basketball town. Different cities have different preferences; I don't think an NBA team would succeed in Green Bay.
On cultural life and tourism: When I pick up a Flyer or Commercial Appeal, I'm impressed by the number of things there are to do. There seems to be something here for everyone. Memphis has the reputation of being a diverse community, and that's reflected in the entertainment available.
On the economy: Too many strip malls! No, I'm kidding. Overall, the economy seems pretty good. The unemployment rate is relatively low compared to the rest of the country. If there's an issue, it's the difficulty of [businesses] finding help. But that's a good problem to have; it's better than the antithesis.
On race relations: I've been fortunate to have lived in a lot of different places. I hear people talk about race [in Memphis], but it doesn't affect me. I tend to take people as they are. If you want to see "different," try living in the heart of Amish/Mennonite country [in Goshen, Indiana, where Boyer once lived]. That's culture shock.
NOTHING
gets past WPTY-TV Channel 24 evening news co-anchor LYNN CARTHANE. Having
moved to the Hickory Hill area from Sacramento, California, only a year
ago, Carthane has the town pretty much pegged. Born in Chicago, Carthane,
36, grew up all over, spending her high-school years in Jackson, Mississippi.
Believe it or not, she says her favorite thing about Memphis is the weather.
Overall view of the city: I was under the very general impression that maybe Memphis was not as progressive as it is, and it's starting to turn some corners, and there are big hopes for a better stadium and bigger teams and stuff like that. I really think this community is hungry for more.
Biggest surprise: I think one of my biggest surprises is that Memphis is such a 50/50 place in a way. There are either haves or have-nots. It's half black and half white. Half of the people are working, half of them are not. It's caught in the middle of a lot of different things.
What she misses most: I miss having a variety of places to shop. I know that they're building this wonderful new mall out here, but it's going to have the same stores that are generally all over town. I would love to see something really different.
Carthane on sports: We just don't have the right connections. I think it's about which of the owners like one another. I think if the right person comes into this town and says, "I want to buy a team and I want to bring it here," it'll happen.
On traffic: I'll tell you one problem with Memphis in terms of traffic: We don't have good synchronized lights in this city. It sounds really stupid, but most major intersections, especially on a street like Poplar, the lights all change synchronized. It just seems like there's no real plan to deal with all the traffic and you've got to deal with it.
And Memphis drivers: [laughs] Oh no. They're not good. There are two kinds of drivers. There are those who will run you down without thinking twice and others who feel like, "Well, we've got all day to get there, and that's how we're going to go." There are two extremes, but you know, the majority of the extremes, I don't think that they understand that the left lane is the fast lane. You don't get in it and drive 20 miles per hour. You get in it and you drive fast!"
On cultural life and tourism: Culturally, nobody compares musically to Memphis. I wish there was even more. There's a ton of stuff. The blues festival is great. Memphis in May was wonderful. There are all kinds of good music things to go and listen to.
On the economy: Memphis, I think, is caught in a really sad kind of spot. It's like the stepchild to the great child that everybody likes, which is Nashville. So Memphis gets a lot of the leftovers. If Nashville wasn't there, Memphis would be the star of the family.
On race: This is one of those things that, at least in this particular town, I guess there's pluses and minuses in the race issue. People are very up-front and forward about what they think. At the same time, it tends to hold everybody back because they spend so much time dwelling on it that they can't see the forest for the trees. It's a mixed thing.
OF
all our newcomers, SUNDAY ADEBAYO's stay in Memphis will probably be the
shortest. A senior transfer from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville,
the 6-6 power forward arrived in Memphis last August to finish out his college
basketball career. And despite the star-crossed forward's serious knee injury
this past weekend, he may still have a future in pro ball and will probably
be gone by June. Originally from Benin City, Nigeria, Adebayo's long path
to Memphis included stops in Canada, New Jersey, and Missouri.
Biggest surprise: It's too cold for me out here. The temperature right now at home would be like in the 60s or 70s. I like that. Unlike here where it can be 20, 25 degrees, like it was the other day. When it's like that, it just makes me want to go home.
What he misses most: When I get to go home again, I'm going to really look forward to sleeping in my own bed and eating some home cooking. We eat a lot of rice and a lot of yams. You've got that here, too, but not the way they make it back home.
Adebayo on sports: The sports scene is kind of depressing here. The fans don't always want to come and see you play. But you have to look at it this way: You've got to go out there and play because you are the team. You've got to win the game so the fans will come out and support the team. I can't blame them for not coming right now, because we're not winning the games. We're usually so busy with practice and school that I don't get to go out to many other sports events. The RiverKings are a lot of fun. I lived in Canada for a while and got to know hockey there. I haven't been out to see any of the high-school basketball games, but I plan on doing that.
On traffic: The traffic here is crazy. I thought Fayetteville was bad; it's worse here. You have to be careful here. One of the things I've noticed is that at crosswalks, the cars never stop. They don't care if it's snowing, and you've been standing there for two hours. They just don't have any respect for pedestrians.
On cultural life and tourism: Memphis has a lot of cultural life. I really like Beale Street. I've been there a couple of times, and I have fun when I go to Beale Street. The capital of Nigeria, Lagos, is mainly a business center, so there is not a lot of culture there. And before here I was in Fayetteville, so Memphis is a nice change of pace.
On race relations: I've heard about Memphis' history of racial problems, but I haven't seen anything like that yet. I certainly hope I never will, because I don't like that kind of stuff. I just want everybody to get along, like Rodney King says. On the team we're all different, and we all get along and have fun. One of my very best friends on the team [Chad Allen] is white, and we don't have a problem with it.
FEW
NEWCOMERS BECOME AS influential as quickly as EDMUND ARMENTROUT. In just
over 10 months, the new president of the Center City Commission has found
himself at the center of some of Memphis' biggest development projects.
Originally from Virginia, Armentrout has also lived in Atlanta and in two
Ohio cities -- Columbus and Dayton -- where he most recently served as head
of the Downtown Dayton Partnership.
Biggest surprise: My last visit to Memphis was in 1989, and in the seven intervening years there has been so much positive change. Downtown has rebuilt itself. There is housing. There is entertainment. The mall is being revitalized. The Pyramid is being completed. I think the change, the physical change of the city is the thing that has surprised me the most.
Biggest disappointment: I'd say the one disappointment I've had is that people don't seem to have more of a notion of just how good Memphis is. There is a kind of self-effacement in Memphis, with people actually criticizing the city a lot more than outsiders do. Outsiders think Memphis is just an exciting, wonderful place to visit. They don't see the things we complain about as Memphians.
What he misses most: Mountains. I like to hike and there is something very pastoral about mountains. My wife and kids and I actually live on Mud Island, so it is a great adventure to actually live in the middle of the Mississippi River. I wouldn't change that for anything. But I wish I was looking across the river at a mountain rather than a floodplain.
On cultural life and tourism: There is a lot of indigenous culture here that you don't find other places. Places like the Center for Southern Folklore sponsor some of it, but also you get a lot of entertainment from people who are just street artists. People have gotten into this pseudo-sophisticated paradigm of thinking of culture only at the upper end -- the opera, the ballet, and things of that sort. But you really need to think of culture in terms of learning and entertainment. A good blues band in a bar is just as much a part of our culture as the opera.
On the economy: The economy is booming, but I think we need to continually look at it. It's not enough to create a whole bunch of jobs. You have to really look at what they pay and are we really creating wealth in the community. Take someone who's at an entry-level position at a distribution center or an entry-level job at a casino. They're employed, but they're never in a position where they can accumulate any money so that they can buy a home, have security, afford to take time off, or go back to school. So they have no wealth; all they have is a job.
On race relations: I think we're still maturing on the race issue. I was in Atlanta from 1970 to 1988, and in that time I saw a maturation. The races came together and saw it was to their mutual benefit to cross racial lines, both personally and professionally. That has happened to a very large degree in Atlanta, though not completely, and I believe Memphis is still in that process. We are quickly discovering it is to our mutual benefit to stop defining issues in terms of race and to start defining them in terms of economics and education. (Debbie Gilbert, Mark Jordan, Susan Ellis, and Jim Hanas contributed to this story.)
NOT ALL OF OUR NEWCOMERS are household names. We
also rounded up a few ordinary folks people who aren't normally in the public
eye, and who thus could feel free to be a bit more candid to see if they
might offer a different perspective on our town.
Nannette Wilkin
Public affairs coordinator, Planned Parenthood Center of Memphis
"Memphis is really great because it's got these great events every year. I love Death Week. The things that I'm real disappointed with are the city services. I was bitten by the cat next door and they took an hour-long report on the phone. The next day, Animal Control called and asked what I was going to do with my cat. And I was the one that got bit. "
Jason Wexler
Associate with the law firm of Hanover, Walsh, Jalenak and Blair
"The quality of life down here is great. The stuff that makes New York a fabulous place to be, you lose out on because everybody works so damn hard to be able to appreciate that. You don't have the time to do it because you're working crazy hours and doing crazy things to try and keep up. Down here, what you get for the amount of time you spend is a lot more worth it. The things I wasn't able to do in New York because I was working crazy hours, my wife and I can afford to take a trip up to New York for a week and do those things now."
Alvita Martin
Assistant professor, Theatre & Dance Department, University of Memphis
"We have so many little sub-cultures, and because of economic pressures, everybody's afraid that somebody else is going to get theirs. I think there's civility, and I think there's not as much overt hostility and danger and killing, but I do think there isn't a rapprochement between the races as much as there was 20 years ago.
Although I will tell you, I've lived up North over half my life, and I chose to come back to the South and remain in the South as a strict preference, because there is actually more racial mixing in the South than in somewhere like Detroit. It's because of the Southern idea of "neighbor," which I think we still have. And I think Memphis is still a fairly neighborly city, even though we fight amongst ourselves for various reasons: the county, the city; blacks, whites; people who want a sports stadium, people who don't. But I do think there is still, underneath it all, that sort of innate civility that this person is still my neighbor even though I'm angry."
Brian McKay
Editorial assistant at The Commercial Appeal
"Dallas is still a fairly new city, and I wanted something more downbeat, like I could expect that this [Memphis] would be. They both have music scenes, and they're still active. But as far as venues and sizes, Memphis obviously is smaller. And there are phases where a lot of people just don't get out of their houses, but that might be because of the quantity of clubs to go to. Dallas is a lot about show. It's really flamboyant. If you go out, everyone's a walking Real World ad in most of the clubs. I've had friends come here and dress up like they would to go out in Dallas I just want to tell them, look, it's not like that here."
Hassan Safdari
Iranian poet
"I lived in Memphis in 1977 and left in 1981. I just came back 10 months ago, and Memphis has changed a lot. Germantown used to be a very small road, I just remember, and now it's Germantown Parkway. I think there are less trees. Most of the trees they have cut down for construction, and it's very sad." Safdari adds that, on the other hand, "At that time, just trying to find some poetry nights and to find some writers was very hard. Right now it's very easy. Artists can get together and discuss their poems."