More Memphis, 2013-2014

[DoomJ]

Been awhile since I last posted, and I thought I'd dump some random photos I've taken. Most of these occurred while I gallivanted around the city on my bicycle on weekend mornings, 2013-2014. Hope you enjoy-

Here's a map of places featured-



To start, a couple views from the top of Clark Tower in East Memphis, about 10 miles east of Downtown, looking west:


The foreground is the University District with Downtown and the Medical District behind.


Pyramid and St. Jude on the left, some Midtown midrises, and the Crosstown building on the right.

Victorian Village area:







Into the Downtown Core:



Views from the Willis Bridge between Downtown and Mud Island/Harbortown:









Downtown - The Riverfront















South Main:















"French Fort" neighborhood (Old Fort Pickering, Chickasaw Heritage Park, and the National Ornamental Metal Museum):

















Midtown - Central Gardens:











Midtown - Crosstown Building, center of the Crosstown District, soon to be renovated into a "vertical urban village":



Midtown - Evergreen Neighborhood, near the Crosstown Building:



Midtown - Overton Park:







Midtown - Overton Square area, currently experiencing a revival of sorts:













Midtown - Idlewild/Lenox area:







Midtown - Cooper-Young























The Pink Palace, essentially the City Museum, once the mansion of Piggly Wiggly founder Clarence Saunders, the inventor of the modern grocery store.



Buntyn Station area:







University District:


Residential area looking east, Clark Tower in East Memphis looms distantly.




Neighborhood looking into University of Memphis campus.




Highland, the main "drag" of the University area.

Finally, to end, a parting shot from Clark Tower-

[arkitekte]

Solid set, Doom. Cooper-Young looks good in whatever that white stuff is on the ground. You got a few from my neighborhood as well.

[DoomJ]

Thanks- A lot of these I did while still figuring out the Canon Rebel I was using, so apologies for oddities, blurs, and whatever other smudges and such. Also, I typically fail to capture like, people and activity. Trying to get better at that as well. I expect to post some of that sort as this summer progresses.

[durhamite]

Cool pics of Memphis....

[fflint]

Cool photos. We don't see Memphis enough on this forum.

[BnaBreaker]

Great thread. Thanks for sharing these photos of the soulful home of modern american music!

[ColDayMan]

Thank you VERY much for this tour. As fflint said, we don't get much Memphis neighborhood tours on this forum so this is MUCH appreciated.

[DoomJ]

Originally Posted by durhamite

Cool pics of Memphis....

Thank you!

Originally Posted by fflint

Cool photos. We don't see Memphis enough on this forum.

Thanks- I hope to show more soon!

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

Great thread. Thanks for sharing these photos of the soulful home of modern american music!

You are welcome- maybe next time I'll have some music-related stuff...

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

Thank you VERY much for this tour. As fflint said, we don't get much Memphis neighborhood tours on this forum so this is MUCH appreciated.

I need to pick just a neighborhood or two, and COVER it. For the most part in these I was just skirting around the edges.

[kingchef]

i really like the way you have shown a good deal of the immediate city proper, the dimensionality and complexity of the areas, w/ the understanding that so much more of memphis exists. i feel that, for some reason, the island is a front and center community that is rarely discussed in ration to the cbd and the crosstown district, the pinch, main arts, soulsville, south main on down to the horizon, rivermark, and the communities that have literally appeared there in less than two years. the bluffs could also some time. i really like what the collierville company has given to us over the last two years, showing lower photo hts, approaches to the city, and especially the aerial views. i hear so many people, w/ whom i meet, who tell me that they see more and more of memphis, while being under the impression that the cbd is pretty much all memphis has to offer. but, as i said previously, this is a good collection of these areas, too, i believe that their has been a tremendous offering of ariel photos over the last few years. now, some really nice night photos, and we will be set. good job to all responsible

[simms3_redux]

My favorite thread of Memphis yet. I've never been, but knowing that the city is almost exactly the size of Jacksonville, my hometown, I'd say Memphis seems like a bigger city in its core from these pics. I'm pleasantly surprised by what I see because most Memphis pics I've seen depict a more rundown town. The riverfront south of DT seems very nice, too.

[The-New-Tony-Detroit]

Makes me want to get over to Memphis soon... it's been 7 years since my last visit! Thanks for the tour!

[marcus]

Great tour! Some rare views!

[Lakelander]

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

My favorite thread of Memphis yet. I've never been, but knowing that the city is almost exactly the size of Jacksonville, my hometown, I'd say Memphis seems like a bigger city in its core from these pics. I'm pleasantly surprised by what I see because most Memphis pics I've seen depict a more rundown town. The riverfront south of DT seems very nice, too.

Historically, Memphis was a much larger city than Jacksonville. There were 28k people living in Jax in 1900 and the city completely burnt down a year later. By comparison, Memphis had over 100k. In fact, Memphis is one of three Southern cities to have more than 100k residents in 1900. The other two were New Orleans and Louisville.

I've been using this site (http://www.census.gov/population/www.../twps0027.html) for over a decade now to help give me a better read on the size and amount of historic urban building stock in various communities across the country.

Despite the growth and decline of places over the last +100 years, if a city had decent density and population prior to the Great Depression and WWII, chances are, a chunk of it still remains today. How lively and healthy it is, is another story altogether.

[mSeattle]

Wow, thanks for this. I grew up in Birmingham (also spent some teenage years a bit east of Memphis), and the yellow crunchy grass fall/winter shots really take me back. Could be the industrial look/feel too. All those big trees I'm sure some pecan's are in there somewhere. We had a big one in our back yard (so lucky!).

[bobdreamz]

DoomJ thanks for the tour & pics. It's been a while since I've been to Memphis and I didn't spend much time there but I was impressed at how urban it is.

[DoomJ]

Originally Posted by kingchef

i really like the way you have shown a good deal of the immediate city proper, the dimensionality and complexity of the areas, w/ the understanding that so much more of memphis exists. i feel that, for some reason, the island is a front and center community that is rarely discussed in ration to the cbd and the crosstown district, the pinch, main arts, soulsville, south main on down to the horizon, rivermark, and the communities that have literally appeared there in less than two years. the bluffs could also some time. i really like what the collierville company has given to us over the last two years, showing lower photo hts, approaches to the city, and especially the aerial views. i hear so many people, w/ whom i meet, who tell me that they see more and more of memphis, while being under the impression that the cbd is pretty much all memphis has to offer. but, as i said previously, this is a good collection of these areas, too, i believe that their has been a tremendous offering of ariel photos over the last few years. now, some really nice night photos, and we will be set. good job to all responsible

I like getting out of downtown and showing other places. Although, that Riverfront is nice. There is definitely a lot of good photography out there in Memphis these days, like that Collierville company you mentioned. Also, I'll point you to capturememphis.com.

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

My favorite thread of Memphis yet. I've never been, but knowing that the city is almost exactly the size of Jacksonville, my hometown, I'd say Memphis seems like a bigger city in its core from these pics. I'm pleasantly surprised by what I see because most Memphis pics I've seen depict a more rundown town. The riverfront south of DT seems very nice, too.

We certainly have our share of "rundown". That being said, we're also like St. Louis in a sense, that we have a "central corridor" of urban neighborhoods that have retained their value and vitality through the years and have seen an increase in investment recently.

Don't sell Jacksonville short- it has some good neighborhood bones, too.

Originally Posted by The-New-Tony-Detroit

Makes me want to get over to Memphis soon... it's been 7 years since my last visit! Thanks for the tour!

You should! We always talk how slowly things happen around here, but, looking back, a lot has changed in 7 years. Especially in neighborhoods like South Main, Overton Square, and Binghampton.

Originally Posted by Lakelander

Historically, Memphis was a much larger city than Jacksonville. There were 28k people living in Jax in 1900 and the city completely burnt down a year later. By comparison, Memphis had over 100k. In fact, Memphis is one of three Southern cities to have more than 100k residents in 1900. The other two were New Orleans and Louisville.

I've been using this site (http://www.census.gov/population/www.../twps0027.html) for over a decade now to help give me a better read on the size and amount of historic urban building stock in various communities across the country.

Despite the growth and decline of places over the last +100 years, if a city had decent density and population prior to the Great Depression and WWII, chances are, a chunk of it still remains today. How lively and healthy it is, is another story altogether.

Indeed. Our pre-WWII core neighborhoods are probably close to 50/50 in terms of what's vibrant and what's run-down. What's interesting to me is that most of what is "run-down" these days are the 1950s-60s-70s surburban style areas like Frayser, Raleigh, Whitehaven, Parkway Village, and Hickory Hill the city annexed in the 70s-80s, the notable exception being the East Memphis area.

Basically, the inner ring suburbs never incorporated and were annexed instead. It's very unusual but very similar-ish to Jacksonville, I believe.

Originally Posted by mSeattle

Wow, thanks for this. I grew up in Birmingham (also spent some teenage years a bit east of Memphis), and the yellow crunchy grass fall/winter shots really take me back. Could be the industrial look/feel too. All those big trees I'm sure some pecan's are in there somewhere. We had a big one in our back yard (so lucky!).

I didn't get too many pictures in the Fall. I'd like to do that this year, all the colors with all the trees... it's awesome. The most beautiful time of the year in my opinion.

Originally Posted by bobdreamz

DoomJ thanks for the tour & pics. It's been a while since I've been to Memphis and I didn't spend much time there but I was impressed at how urban it is.

It's definitely got an "urban feel" to it, I think, the kind you don't usually get in the south. At least that's true for me. Thanks for lookin'!