CITY OF MEMPHIS, TN

City Offices
125 N. Main Street
Memphis, TN 901-576-6500
www.memphistn.gov

Chamber of Commerce
22 North Front Street
Memphis, TN 901-543-3500
www.memphischamber.com

Tennessee’s largest city serves as the Shelby County seat of government and anchors a metropolitan area that is second only to that of Nashville. Like Nashville, Memphis is a city that is closely associated with music. Memphis has earned many titles and honors through the decades, among them “The Home of the Blues,” “The Birthplace of Rock and Roll,” and “The Soul of the Global Economy.” Perhaps none of the monikers applied to Memphis had more meaning than “The City of Good Abode.”

Memphis claims a long history of rich ethnic and cultural diversity, evidenced by landmarks across the cityscape. Two historic catholic churches—St. Mary’s and St. Peter’s—honor German and Italian immigrants respectively. First settled by Jewish immigrants, the Pinch neighborhood later became home to Jewish merchants and Irish immigrants. The burial mound adjacent to the National Ornamental Metal Museum is testament to Native American culture. Southeast Memphis is home to a Buddhist monastery and Eads features a Hindu temple. Asian, Middle Eastern, and Hispanic cultures blend into the dominant cultures of African-American and European-based traditions, each one a colorful addition to a brilliant tapestry. The annual calendar is dotted with festivals that celebrate the vast array of ethnic cultures, music, and food that make Memphis such a vibrant and unique city.

Services
Outstanding options for public and private education is a cornerstone of the vitality of Memphis, where schools attract national recognition and honors for the innovative programs and academic excellence. Many of the colleges, universities, and technical schools are consistently cited among the nation’s top schools. Within the Memphis City School District, scores of optional schools offer unique choices in programs including the health sciences, international studies, college prep, engineering, the arts, banking and finance, aviation, travel and tourism, manufacturing, and advanced placement courses for possible college credit. Private schools are available throughout the city, providing alternative learning environments in parochial and independents schools. The metropolitan area is a hub for institutions of higher education, including Southwest Tennessee Community College and the University of Memphis. Private institutions include Belhaven College, Christian Brothers University, Crichton College, LeMoyne Owen College, Memphis College of Art, Rhodes College, Remington College, ITT Technical Institute, and the Southern College of Optometry. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in downtown Memphis combines five medical schools, schools of dentistry and pharmacy, and sub-disciplines of the allied health sciences into one outstanding campus.

Memphis is also recognized as a center of advanced healthcare, home to internationally acclaimed institutions like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHS) partners with St. Jude to form a world-class healthcare and technology center. Other major hospitals serving the area are encompassed within the Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation. Closely aligned with the UTHS, the cornerstone Baptist Memorial Hospital is a tertiary-care teaching hospital on a campus that encompasses the new Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. Methodist Healthcare adds a network of hospitals including the Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center. Regional Medical Center, commonly called “The Med,” offers the region’s only Level I trauma center. The Tenet Health system is represented by Saint Francis Hospital in East Memphis. These major healthcare centers anchor a supportive network of family practice clinics, specialty care centers, long-term care, and rehabilitation and therapy services to meet every need close to home.

Lifestyle
Steeped in tradition, Memphis has evolved from a quiet port community into a dynamic mosaic of neighborhoods, amenities, attractions, and first-rate services. From the cosmopolitan bustle of downtown to the stately homes of Midtown, Memphis has the diversity to satisfy nearly every lifestyle choice. The city is ideally located atop one trillion gallons of the world’s finest artesian water, underlining an excellent infrastructure. Hundreds of parks cover nearly 13,300 acres, including the vast expanse of Plough Park with its outstanding sports facilities. Shelby Farms Park is distinguished as the largest concentrated green space in the heart of an urbanized county, providing 4,500 acres for walking, jogging, biking, rollerblading, horseback riding, windsurfing, fishing, and picnicking. Picturesque golf courses, community centers, swimming pools, tennis courts, and country clubs add to the options for leisure enjoyment.

Newcomers will be amazed at the depth and breadth of the cultural development that enriches the city and the entire region. Beyond its place in blues and rock-and-roll history, Memphis showcases more live musical entertainment than cities twice its size. Many legends were born in Memphis, including B.B. King—a nickname he coined while working as a disc jockey that refers to “Beale Street Blues Boy.” Beale Street is still lined with popular nightclubs and blues venues. During the 60s, the city was at the center of the American Civil Rights movement, catapulted to international attention with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lorraine Motel. Today, visitors from across the globe are able to visit the preserved hotel that now houses the National Civil Rights Museum. Families will enjoy the AutoZone Baseball Park, the Children’s Museum of Memphis, the Fire Museum of Memphis, and larger-than-life IMAX theater shows.

The performing and visual arts are well represented in Memphis, which is also home to a long list of major museums, landmarks, and historic sites. Colorful festivals and celebrations fill the calendar with exciting dates to remember, from world-famous Memphis barbecue to seasonal and arts events. The city is well-known for its architectural treasures, although none is more famous than the former home of Elvis Presley. Graceland and Beale Street are both synonymous with Memphis, attracting global visitors to the city’s considerable attractions. Newcomers will discover housing options that are as diverse as the city itself, radiating from downtown in every direction. The neighborhoods of Memphis offer an array of options for urban living that draw new residents and keep the city pulsating with fresh energy.

MAJOR DISTRICTS

Downtown
www.downtownmemphis.com
Located on the Mississippi River between Interstate 40 to the north and Interstate 55 to the south, the downtown district of Memphis is home to many of the city’s most celebrated sites. Beale Street with its musical attractions, the former Lorraine Hotel, the FedEx Forum, the Pyramid Arena, the Peabody Hotel, and AutoZone Park are all downtown attractions. The National Civil Rights Museum and The Arcade—one of the city’s oldest family-owned restaurants—are encompassed in the South Main Arts District. Increasingly popular as a residential choice, downtown is springing to life with the addition of new homes, condominiums, and apartments. More than $3 billion is currently being poured into new or redevelopment. The attraction for young professionals is obvious, but a new state-of-the-art elementary school is a strong magnet for families with small children. Important downtown neighborhoods include the Pinch District, Beale Street, and the South Main Historic Arts District.

East Memphis
Another major district within the city, East Memphis is generally bordered by Midtown on the west, Hickory Hill and Orange Mound to the south, Germantown and Cordova on the east, and Bartlett on the north. Convenient to Interstate 40, this area is largely a commercial and residential powerhouse with Poplar Avenue emerging as a bustling business corridor. Some of the grandest homes in Memphis are nestled in this area, especially in the Walnut Grove neighborhood. Towering buildings are common, with no height restrictions outside of the downtown district. World-famous restaurants, grand churches, Chrichton College, the University of Memphis, and Oak Court Mall are among the major attractions. Memphis Botanic Garden, Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Audubon Park, and the Lichterman Nature Center enhance the appeal of a desirable community filled with prestigious residential neighborhoods.

Midtown
http://c-eye.net/seemidtown
One of the defined districts within Memphis, Midtown is loosely bordered by Danny Thomas on the west, North Parkway and Summer to the north, Highland to the east, and Lamar and Park to the south. Midtown blends vintage homes, specialty stores, and high-rise buildings—often along the same avenue. The district flourished and grew prior to zoning regulations, a fact that has created a unique cityscape that is also culturally and socially diverse. “Midtown is Memphis” bumper stickers can be seen around the city, affirming the opinion that Midtown has it all. The melting pot effect has been nationally noted as offering “the best of Memphis at your doorstep.” Some of the major attractions include the Memphis Zoo, Memphis College of Art, Brooks Museum of Art, Rhodes College, and the University of Memphis. Important neighborhoods nestled in Midtown include Cooper-Young, Overton Square, Vollintine-Evergreen, and Central Gardens.

NOTABLE NEIGHBORHOODS

Beale Street, the Pinch District
www.bealestreet.com
Several of the neighborhoods in downtown Memphis are particularly well known, among them the famous Beale Street corridor. Memphis is acclaimed as the “Home of the Blues” and the “Birthplace of Rock and Roll”—titles that have their roots on Beale Street. Every day is Mardi Gras on Beale Street, where the blues have been played since its heyday in the 1920s. The Pinch District is ideally located near the newly renovated Memphis Cook Convention Center and Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. The odd name for the neighborhood came from its turn-of-the-century Irish immigrant who appeared “pinched” about their waists. The Pinch District’s array of nightclubs, cafes, and bistros attract many of the arts patrons and crowds from the nearby Pyramid Arena.

Central Gardens
www.centralgardens.org
An upscale neighborhood nestled within the downtown district, Central Gardens features an eclectic variety of architectural styles that were popular from 1900 through 1930. With stately turn-of-the-century homes overlooking tree-lined streets, Central Gardens preserves the ambiance of a simpler yet elegant era. Progressive planning practices created a strong sense of spatial order and coherence, adding to the visual appeal. The workmanship in the homes is equally exceptional, with rich and well-designed detailing. In 1983, the neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is consistently ranked in the annual survey in Memphis Magazine as the ‘Best Neighborhood’ in the city. Boundaries are loosely defined as York on the south, Eastmoreland on the north, Rembert on the east, and Cleveland on the west. The neighborhood earned its moniker because it “centers” on Central Avenue in Midtown and for its resemblance to New Orleans’s famous Garden District.

Chickasaw Gardens, Cordova
www.cordovaclub.org
Chickasaw Gardens is a desirable, long-established neighborhood that is located near the center of the Interstate 240 loop just to the east of Midtown. Convenient to the Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium, the new Central Library, and the University of Memphis, Chickasaw Gardens features elegant homes that surround a lush park and lake that feature scenic trails and wildfowl views. Cordova is one of the area’s fastest growing communities, drawing newcomers to executive homes on spacious lots that blend with modest yet well-kept properties. The Cordova Club, named for the Cordova County Club, is a planned development that encircles a popular golf course built in 1992. Sprawling Shelby Park is just west of Cordova for premier recreational activities, and Wolfchase Galleria is on the northern end of the community. Restaurants, office centers, and churches abound. Borders are roughly Wolf River on the south, Germantown Road on the west, Interstate 40 on the north, and Houston-Levee Road on the east.

Cooper-Young, Overton Square
www.cooperyoung.org
Eclectic, charming, and historic, Cooper-Young is one of several neighborhoods nestled in Midtown. Named for the intersection of Cooper Street and Young Avenue, this neighborhood is known for a colorful medley of shops, night spots, and restaurants. Diverse cuisines—sometimes within a single establishment—reflect the pleasing mix and creative spirit of this appealing area. Each fall, local residents celebrate the Cooper-Young Festival, drawing as many as 45,000 to a 4-mile run and a celebration of culture, music, and Memphis heritage. Successful urban renewal of core areas has revitalized Cooper-Young, allowing the neighborhood to emerge with a new identity as a haven for artists and a younger “hip crowd” who add an appealing bohemian flavor. Adjacent Overton Square adds a lively array of restaurants and night spots, live theater and entertainment, music and movie theaters.

Green Meadows/Poplar Glen
www.memphisheritage.org
Although bustling Union Avenue borders on the south of Green Meadows/Popular Glen, generous setbacks and tree barriers create a quiet setting with the flavor of an oasis within the urban core. The major thoroughfare of Alicia also traverses the area, but the grassy median gives it the look of a residential parkway. Many meticulously maintained ranch and Colonial Revival homes line the winding lanes that are shaded by a canopy of mature hardwoods. This area was one of the later ones to develop, holding out as pasture land until the 1940s. Although the original residents of this area are aging, the neighborhood continues to hold and gain remarkable value. Young professionals are interested in Green Meadows/Popular Glen for the strong real estate values and convenient location between Midtown and East Memphis. Green Meadows is noteworthy for showcasing some of the first ranch-style homes in Memphis.

Harbor Town
www.downtownmemphis.com
Joining the ranks of Seaside and Celebration in Florida, Harbor Town has been hailed as one of the nation’s “best examples of a planned community.” The unrivaled success of its design is “neighbor interaction” encouraged by cozy home lots, front porches, low fences, and small yards that encourage use of community parks and trails. Residents can choose from lovely homes or luxurious apartment communities in a prime location just minutes from downtown attractions. Surrounding wetlands attract throngs of birds including heron and egrets, and beautiful common areas with fish-laden ponds line the riverfront. Careful planning even included white bird houses for Purple Martins—a species that consumes three times its weight in mosquitoes each day. The entire development surrounds the Harbor Town Marina.

High Point Terrace
www.memphisheritage.org
Boasting some of the highest property values in Memphis, the neighborhood known as High Point Terrace features a major thoroughfare by the same name that is lined with commercial development from shops to convenient services. Approximately 1,800 homes of diverse and often historic architecture are nestled in this desirable neighborhood. The borders are Highland Avenue on the west, Eastland and Swan Ridge Circle on the east, Walnut Grove on the south, and Sam Cooper Boulevard on the north. The latter highway isolated the northernmost blocks of the neighborhood that once extended to Summer Avenue. First-rate shopping and the University of Memphis are just blocks away. Once on the outskirts of Memphis, High Point Terrace is now close to city center for an exclusive yet convenient address near the best of the city.

Normal Station
www.neighborhoodlink.com/memphis
Bordered by Southern Avenue on the north, Park Avenue on the south, Highland on the west, and Goodlett on the east, Normal Station is sandwiched between East Memphis and Midtown. The main campus for the University of Memphis borders the area on the north, and it was the university that actually gave rise to the neighborhood in the early 1900s. Housing is diverse, blending 1920s craftsman bungalows and cottages from the ’30s and ’40s with select homes that reflect Queen Anne, American Traditional, and Dutch or Spanish Revival styles. The northern section near the university offers a concentration of rental developments and fraternity houses. Although entire blocks of homes have been demolished over the decades to support university growth, the “college town” atmosphere continually breathes new life into Normal Station for an overall positive effect.

Poplar-Highland
www.poplarhighland.org
Several subdivisions are encompassed within the Poplar-Highland Neighborhood Association, including Plaza Gardens, Poplar Boulevard Terrace, North Poplar Park, the Library District, Highland Park, Trezevant Manor, and Waynoka. Attractions and highlights include Poplar Plaza, Chickasaw Oaks Village, Crichton College, East High School, and the Memphis Central Library. Closely aligned in geography and spirit, these neighborhoods seem to blend seamlessly by sharing minimal traditional-style homes with primarily Colonial Revival architecture. Most of the housing was developed and built by the same company, lending historic parallels as well. Some of the homes do retain refreshing neoclassical details like door surrounds, pediments, fan lights, and fluted porch columns. This stable area has attracted loyal residents and has always maintained strong real estate values, in spite of the fact that growth and sprawl shifted its location from a fringe suburb to the edge of Midtown.

Raleigh
www.neighborhoodlink.com/memphis
Another neighborhood of Memphis that was formerly an incorporated city, Raleigh borders the suburb of Bartlett. Raleigh actually served as the seat of Shelby County government for several decades in the 1800s. Today, most commercial activity in the southern section of Raleigh is centered along Covington Pike, a corridor of concentrated auto and motorcycle dealerships, vehicle repair facilities, and car modification shops. The focal point in northern Raleigh is the Methodist Memorial Hospital, Raleigh Springs Mall, and several surrounding shopping centers. Only a small portion of northern Raleigh remains in the Shelby County Schools, with the remaining area part of Memphis City Schools.

Red Acres
www.neighborhoodlink.com/memphis
The middle to upper-class neighborhood of Red Acres surrounds the recently renovated Galloway golf course in East Memphis. Red Acres is bordered by Walnut Grove on the north, Poplar on the south, Highland on the west, and Goodlett on the east. Within the neighborhood itself, the golf course is encircled by a quiet parkway formed by North, South, East, and West Galloway streets. The housing along the outer streets blends ranches and traditionals with a few grand estate homes. On the interior streets—especially those facing the golf course—executive homes feature a wide range of appealing architectural styles. This beautiful neighborhood commands attention for offering a strictly residential area with generous lot sizes for an urban setting. Homes and properties are meticulously maintained and the atmosphere is serene.

The South Main Historic Arts District
www.downtownmemphis.com
Located south of Beale Street, the South Main Historic Arts District is a culturally rich and unique downtown neighborhood. Important city landmarks anchor this area, including the famous Arcade restaurant the beautifully restored Orpheum Theater on the north. Along the east and west, the district draws residents and visitors to the National Civic Rights Museum, art galleries, trendy restaurants, and one-of-a-kind boutiques. Many critics consider the quality of work displayed in the district’s galleries to rival those found in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Residential options in the South Main Historic Arts District include renovated warehouses that have been transformed into spacious, desirable lofts. The housing blends new and old, and residents enjoy spectacular views of the Memphis skyline and the Mississippi River.

The University District
www.memphisheritage.org
The neighborhood known as the University District is west of the growing University of Memphis campus, bordered by Poplar Avenue on the north, Deloach Street and Patterson Street on the east, railroad tracks and Walker Avenue on the south, and South Highland Street on the west. The homes that line Central Avenue tend to be the highest examples of architecture in this area. The majority of the homes are more modest, ranging from common styles in the 1920s—including some Tudor Revivals—to those of the post-war era. Like the Normal Station neighborhood, the University District has been heavily influenced by the growth of the university. Many residential structures have given way to parking lots and campus buildings. At the same time, the collegiate atmosphere positively influences the underlying quality of the neighborhood.

Uptown
https://www.downtownmemphis.com/neighborhoods/uptown/
Home to the world-famous St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Uptown district is a 100-block downtown neighborhood east of Harbor Town. Early development in the 1800s saw cobblestone streets with granite curbs that were lined by sycamore trees. Wealthy families built stately homes, which were eventually interspersed with smaller residences. The neighborhood matured as an ethnically and socially diverse area, although many families from the Northeast and Midwest clustered in the Greenlaw section. Uptown is experiencing an exciting renaissance. More than 1,000 new homes and apartments are rising above lush parks and beautified streetscapes, transforming the area into an engaging blend of tradition with a vibrant downtown lifestyle. Residents can walk, bike, or take the trolley to a rich array of attractions from the Mississippi riverfront to shopping, restaurants, the arts, and entertainment centers.

Victorian Village
www.downtownmemphis.com
Nestled in the eastern quadrant of downtown Memphis, Victorian Village is a living tribute to the early 1800s when wealthy residents built grand, Victorian homes along the city’s former outskirts. Today, diversity rules with eclectic structures that range from high-rise and sprawling garden-style apartments to duplexes and single-family homes. Several three and four-story mansions remain along Adams Avenue, although many original homes have disappeared. Some of these treasures from the past serve as museums: the Magevney House, the Mallory-Neely House, and the Woodruff-Fontaine House. The Harsson-Goyer-Lee House is a striking eclectic-style Victorian that was exquisitely refurbished in 2004.

The Village
Bordered by Poplar Avenue to the North, Village Road to the South, Cherry Road to the East, and Goodlett to the West, The Village in East Memphis offers a prime location. The brightest attractions in the city are minutes away, including shopping, dining, sports, and entertainment. Low brick pillars mark “The Village” entrance, inviting residents and visitors into a neighborhood characterized by gently curving streets lined with a canopy of mature hardwood trees. Lot sizes are wide for an urban setting, creating the impression of estate lots in this suburban haven for the upper middle class. The railroad runs along the village edge, but further secludes the neighborhood from traffic and further development with its landscaped berm. Most homes show strong Colonial Revival influence, offering spacious floor plans from 1,800 to 2,000 square feet.

Vollintine-Evergreen
www.evergreendistrict.org
Nestled in Midtown, the Vollintine-Evergreen area combines 1920s historic architecture with lovely green space and attractive street medians. Evergreen claims the city’s first historic conservation district. One of the great successes for this active group was redevelopment of “the corridor” where land had been stripped for Interstate 240. More than 200 houses were already destroyed before a US Supreme Court decision turned the tide. Today, the construction of new homes that are compatible with the historic district architecture and charm has added more than 500 residents to the neighborhood, bringing it back together in an appealing pattern. Residents can often be seen walking, biking, or visiting from front porches in this tightly knit and friendly residential enclave.

Whitehaven
www.elvis.com/graceland
Famous for the Graceland mansion formerly owned by Elvis Presley and the annual Elvis Week, the tourism magnet of Whitehaven was originally a Shelby County farming community that was developed residentially in the mid ’50s. Plantation tracts had already begun their gradual transformation into neighborhoods in the ’40s and ’50s. When Elvis Presley purchased his famous home in 1957, the subdivision of farm fields into home sites sharply accelerated. The community is roughly bounded by Brooks Road on the north and the Mississippi state line on the south, with Neely Road on the west and Airways Boulevard to the east. Elvis Presley Boulevard, formerly Highway 51, serves as the major thoroughfare. Whitehaven Plaza provides a convenient commercial center, expanded by Southland Mall. Surrounding Graceland is a world of attractions, including the Heartbreak Hotel, the Memphis-Graceland RV Park and Campground, the Graceland Outlet Store, and many fine restaurants.