Two neighborhoods in Shelby County have been identified as "food deserts" -- areas where residents have to travel up to a mile just to buy groceries. While that isn't a problem for many people, these neighborhoods -- in South Memphis and Frayser -- also have high poverty rates and residents who rely on public transportation.
In a recent report by theCommercial Appeal's Desiree Stennett, for many people who are elderly, disabled or car-less, a simple run to the grocery store can easily turn into a three-hour ordeal.
Stennett says that the solution isn't as simple as plopping discount food stores into underserved areas. Politics are often involved. And in the case of a proposed grocery store for Downtown and South Memphis, it doesn't bode well for low-income residents when a likely proprietor will want to cater to the influx of new high-income residents.
