Friday, April 10, 2009

10 Reasons I Love Memphis, Redux

As part of our continuing posts on "10 Things I Like About Memphis," the following is a list we received from thirty-three rpm. If you have a list of your own, we'd love to post it.

From thirty-three rpm:

As a newcomer to Memphis, I can easily list the things that drew me here to my neighborhood in Midtown from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2007 without even having to pause to think about it.

1. Affordability.

2. The people. Folks are friendly and proud to be from here.

3. The fabulous mix of housing types and architecture in Midtown. Single-family, multi-family, condos and everything else all mixed together to create vibrant sustainable neighborhoods.

4. The V&E Greenline. The most remarkable neighborhood-supported urban greenspace/trail I know of.

5. The Memphis Zoo, the Brooks Museum, the rehabilitated Levitt Shell and Overton Park in general. Beautiful, beloved public places!

6. The unique must-see sights. The Stax Museum, Sun Studio, The Rock and Soul Museum, Graceland, The National Civil Rights Museum, Center for Southern Folklore, The Pink Palace, The Ornamental Metal Museum, The Orpheum, Summer Drive-In, Mud Island and the Mississippi River.

7. The food. Gus’s World Famous Chicken, Cozy Corner BBQ ribs, Payne’s BBQ chopped pork sandwiches, the BBQ Shop, Dino’s, Soul Fish...

8. The can-do, entrepreneurial spirit of local businesses like Goner Records and Shangri-La Records, who help foster a unique Memphis music culture that draws tourists here from all over the world.

9. The local live music scene. All the bands, clubs, recording studios, bars and live music venues.

10. The rich and vibrant history of this city.

And my list could go on and on: the weather, the festivals, the trees…

2 comments:

Zippy the giver said...

That's a great list!

Anonymous said...

I lived in Memphis for about 3 years, moved there from Nashville, and I have to say, I prefer Memphis to Nashville, hands down.
There is so much to love (and loathe) about this town, but I tend to focus on the positive. Never have I been to a city with such a diverse range of restaurants, architecture, music, etc.
Now that I'm back in Nashville, I find myself missing Memphis a lot more than I thought I would. I've actually considered moving back, but the job situation prevents such.
Memphis will always hold a special place in my mind.