What a great area of town to visit, hang out, and play. I absolutely love the Cooper/Young area…read more Some of my favorite shops and restaurants are located right here! For years I swore as soon as the kids were grown, we were moving to this neighborhood. No doubt, this is where I wanted to be. You can easily access just about anything you could possibly ever need within a half mile radius of the corner of Cooper and Young. In fact, you probably don't need it if you can't find it here. Unfortunately, the area is getting hit hard with crime. I went down a side street not long ago and every single car on the street had a window busted out. I decided then I would rather just do what I said at the beginning of this review. Visit, hang out, and play.... No longer do I desire to live in the area, but I will come mess with you all pretty often. Y'all keep the lights on, now. Stay safe. '24 - 84/102

Great little store with so much to offer for various gift ideas. My friend purchased some candles…read moreand other stocking stuffer type items. The atmosphere here is so inviting and the staff was friendly.

Strolling up to 406 Lucy Avenue--a modest, boarded-up shotgun house in South Memphis--hits you with…read morea mix of reverence and heartbreak. This humble home is where the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, first drew breath on March25,1942 Despite being in a rough spot--windows boarded, weeds creeping, and parts collapsing--it still whispers history at every creak You can't go inside, but stepping onto the porch--or as close as allowed--fills you with awe. This is ground zero for gospel that would later shake the world. Aretha herself returned here in 2014 and recalled memories of her father preaching and her family gathering under a backyard tree with nostalgia and fondness The neighborhood, part of historic Soulsville, bears its own scars--decades of neglect and blight. But the house stands at the center of a hopeful revival. Local activists and preservation groups have fought zoning orders and demolition plans, and as recently as mid-2024, efforts to stabilize and restore the site gained traction--especially now that Anasa Troutman owns the property with the intent to honor its legacy in place

To some 406 Lucy Avenue Memphis TN 38106 is just a boarded up house in a blighted neighborhood…read more However to those that love music history and nostalgia this is sacred. Why is it sacred? Because the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was born here. Aretha Louise Franklin was born March 26, 1942 in Memphis Tennessee. I cannot imagine what it was like back in those times but to see where she came from to what she became in her life is astounding. The dwelling is marked as a Historical Landmark but it is unkempt and not restored. I pray that some group be it her family or her fans find a way to restore it and make it a museum.

I had a police officer come to my home to serve an order of protection to my spouse this afternoon…read more The male black police officer was so kind and professional with me. The police officer asked me multiple times if I was ok and if I needed anything. I was so grateful for this police officer. I live in a suburb outside of Memphis. I have called the police in the past in the suburb that I live in for domestic issues. It was a joke how poorly my situation was handled by the suburban police officers. I was born and raised in Memphis, Hickory Hill. It does break my heart to see what has happened with the level of crime in Memphis. I can't imagine what all the Memphis police staff deals with every day and night. If I need any assistance again, I won't bother calling the police where I live. It honestly wouldn't do any good. I would call the Memphis Police. I know that they would do everything in their legal power to help me.

I have spent nearly a year trying to connect with the people that are responsible for maintaining…read moreMemphis City with no success!!!! I either get handed down to a different person being that I'm talking to the wrong person or I get somebody that's supposed to be in the right department but tells me how to help the situation instead of them finding the solution!!!! I have met with the chief deputy Muse under Mayor Young, I have spoken with my city councilman Ms Walker, I have spoken with different code enforcement supervisors for the city and the county, I have also spoken to the assistant to Mayor Young and I have gotten absolutely nowhere!!!!! It is all lip service and all they want to tell you is how you can help the situation instead of them working on finding the solution to our problems here in Memphis city and Shelby county Tennessee. I would like to know again why we elect people that are not committed to finding the solution!!!!!! Everyone I have talked to this year has told me what to do instead of them saying let me help resolve the problem!!!!! This is very very sad. You wonder why people are giving up and they don't care!!!!

This marker is at one end of Memphis's famous Beale Street which makes sense as this neighborhood…read morewas once a thriving area for black commerce and culture. The area was home to many Black-owned businesses, clubs, restaurants, and shops and was the headquarters of Ida B. Wells' anti-segregationist newspaper, "Free Speech." The green marker has the white text on both sides, reading "The first free 'colored' school in the city was opened in early 1863 in a barrack building in South Memphis. In 1864 the U.S. Army issued a general order authorizing its officers to help with these schools for the education of freedmen. In 1865 there were 9 schools here. All were burned during the May 1866 race riot. In 1868-69 there were again 9 schools in operation in various locations in the city. One of these schools was located in this area." The marker was erected in 1980 by Shelby County Historical Commission. If you're checking out Beale Street, take a moment to recognize the struggles and how hard some people fought against equality. [Review 19970 overall - 412 in Tennessee - 944 of 2023.]

Beale Street has several historical markers related to the music industry but this one points out a…read moresuccessful citizen in the medical field. The marker reads, "In 1893, George Jackson established on Beale Street the Jackson Drug Store, also known as the New Era Pharmacy, the first drug store in Memphis to be owned and operated by a black person. Jackson received degrees from Oberlin College and the University of Michigan School of Pharmacy. He was a member of the faculty of the University of West Tennessee and a charter member of the Memphis Chapter, NAACP." This is marker number 4E-96 and it was erected by the Tennessee Historical Commission. There is parking nearby but you're probably on foot and exploring the bars and music here. [Review 2089 of 2024 - 546 in Tennessee - 23108 overall]

Located along historic Beale Street, this marker points out the history of an early business that…read moresadly is no more. On the front of the marker, it reads "Hooks Brothers Photography. Established in 1907. Established by Henry A. Hooks, Sr. and his brother Robert B. Hooks, Hooks Brothers Photography Studio was the second oldest continuously operating black business in Memphis. Located during its early years at 164 Beale Street, it next moved to Linden Avenue and finally to McLemore Avenue, where it ceased operation after a destructive fire in 1979." It continues on the reverse, "Covering much of the 20th century, the company chronicled and documented the history and lives of black Memphis and Memphians. Among the subjects and luminaries captured on film by the Hooks Brothers were Booker T. Washington, W. C. Handy, Robert R. Church, the beginning days of the Memphis NAACP, the Lincoln League, early high school and college graduating classes from Howe Institute, LeMoyne College, and many other activities of black society and ordinary people." There is parking nearby but this is along the pedestrian zone of Beale Street. Stop by while you're enjoying the town and think about what's been and gone here. [Review 2070 of 2024 - 543 in Tennessee - 23089 overall]

In 1980 the world's first bronze Elvis statue was unveiled on Beale Street, where the future King…read moreof Rock & Roll crafted his early musical style. It was taken down in 1994 & moved indoors to the downtown Memphis Tennessee Welcome Center. That left Elvis Presley Plaza with a big, empty spot. It was finally filled in 1997 with the arrival of a new, completely different bronze Elvis statue by sculptor Andrea Lugar. This Elvis, unlike the original, shows him as he would have looked on Beale Street circa 1955, wearing a stage outfit he might have bought at Lansky Bros. down the block.

"It's not how much you have that makes people look up to you, it's who you are." -Elvis…read more There is the Godfather of Soul, the Godmother of Rock & Roll, an artist simply named Prince but there's only "The King" aka the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis Presley (1935-1977). Widely considered the most influential and most famous musician of the 20th century. This statue on Beale Street depicts him with his knees bent and a guitar in hand. You can almost hear him singing one of his early tunes. The statue is surrounded by a low wall with signs prohibiting climbing over. So this is as close as you get. [Review 19855 overall - 407 in Tennessee - 828 of 2023.]

This memorial plaque is from the Mississippi Blues Association and memorializes the Dickinson…read morefamily, specifically Jim and his sons, Luther and Cody. James Luther Dickinson, known simply as Jim, was a prominent part of the blues scene in both Memphis, Tennessee and northern Mississippi. He was a vocalist, piano player and producer. His son's, Luther and Cody, followed in their father's footsteps and formed the North Mississippi Allstars. Blues is definitely an American artwork and we can trace the blues here to northern Mississippi and to Memphis, the big city of these parts. If you are in the area, check it out.