Where to Stay in Memphis That Is Safe

East Memphis runs along Poplar Avenue from Perkins Road east toward the Germantown border. Most Memphis residents with a choice live here. Hotels cluster at the intersection of Poplar and Ridgeway, a 10-minute drive from downtown. Laurelwood Shopping Center sits half a mile west on Poplar. The crime rate is well below the Memphis city average. Marriott, Hilton, and Hampton Inn all have properties on this corridor. You get suburban safety without sacrificing city access. Uber downtown costs about $12 and takes 12 minutes. A dependable, calm base for anyone unfamiliar with Memphis geography.

Best for

Familiesfirst-time visitorsanyone who wants safe and predictable

Walk times

Poplar Avenue restaurant strip 5 min
Laurelwood Shopping Center 8 min
Oak Court Mall 10 min

Skip if: You want to walk to Beale Street or need a real downtown experience

Local tip: The stretch of Poplar between Perkins and Ridgeway has a dozen solid dinner spots within a five-minute walk of most hotels. No need to drive downtown for every meal.

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$146per night

Midtown / Cooper-Young

Memphis's arts heart with real walkability and a neighborhood feel

Mid-range $100-$170/night

Cooper-Young sits where Cooper Street meets Young Avenue, roughly two miles east of downtown. It is the most walkable neighborhood in Memphis. Independent restaurants, record stores, and wine bars line both streets. Overton Park and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art are 10 minutes north on Cooper. The core Cooper-Young Historic District is genuinely safe. Crime picks up north of Union Avenue and south of Central Avenue, so stay within those boundaries. Hotels here lean boutique and independent. The neighborhood has a real city feel that East Memphis and Germantown entirely lack. Good food options within two blocks of most hotels.

Best for

Solo travelerscouplesmusic and arts fans who want neighborhood character

Walk times

Cooper-Young bar and restaurant strip 3 min
Overton Park 10 min
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art 12 min

Skip if: You need a chain hotel loyalty stay or are traveling with small children who need predictability

Local tip: Young Avenue Deli on Young Avenue stays open late and draws locals, not tourists. Go there instead of Beale Street for a real Memphis night out.

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$112per night

Downtown / South Main Arts District

Closest to Beale Street but choose your blocks carefully

Mid-range $140-$250/night

Downtown Memphis splits into two zones. The South Main Arts District along South Main Street between G.E. Patterson Avenue and Calhoun Avenue is revitalized and reliably safe. Galleries, farm-to-table restaurants, and boutique hotels fill converted warehouses. The National Civil Rights Museum is three blocks from South Main. Beale Street sits three-quarters of a mile north and is manageable before midnight but attracts trouble after 1 a.m. The Peabody Hotel on Union Avenue is a trusted anchor in the northern downtown zone. Avoid blocks around Third Street north of Beale after dark. Book on South Main for downtown culture with less exposure.

Best for

Tourists who want to walk to blues clubs and landmark sights

Walk times

National Civil Rights Museum 5 min
Mississippi Riverfront 8 min
Beale Street 10 min

Skip if: You are sensitive to late-night noise or plan to be out after midnight

Local tip: The South Main Farmers Market on Saturday mornings draws the neighborhood's best crowd. It is the fastest way to understand why locals reclaimed this area.

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$157per night

Germantown

A separate city from Memphis, ranked among Tennessee's safest year after year

Mid-range $110-$175/night

Germantown is its own municipality east of Memphis, running along Germantown Road and the Germantown Parkway corridor. It ranks consistently among Tennessee's safest cities by crime rate. The suburban town center around Germantown Village Square has solid restaurants and independent shops. Hotels cluster near the Germantown Parkway and Poplar Avenue intersection. You are 20 minutes from Beale Street by car, which is the honest cost of choosing this base. There is no walking to city culture from here. Families, nervous first-time visitors, and anyone where safety genuinely outweighs experience will be glad they chose Germantown. Everyone else will miss the city.

Best for

Families with childrentravelers prioritizing security above locationbusiness travelers

Walk times

Germantown Village Square 8 min
W.C. Johnson Park 5 min
Germantown Community Theatre 10 min

Skip if: You want to experience Memphis culture without a 20-minute drive each way

Local tip: Interim restaurant on Poplar Avenue in Germantown is one of the best dining rooms in the entire metro area. Locals drive from all over the city for it.

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$123per night