Paul Ryburn’s Journal

A reader sent me a link to convention watch parties in Memphis that will happen tomorrow night.  People will gather to listen to Barack Obama’s acceptance speech.  There are a few Downtown, including one at Stop 345.  I’ve been told that in Midtown, the Overton Park clubhouse will be the place to be to watch [...]

With all the Labor Day stuff going on this weekend – people coming in town, people going out of town, the Center for Southern Folklore’s festival, college football – it’s easy to forget that this Friday is the last Friday of the month, and therefore South Main Trolley Art Tour.  Many of the art galleries and [...]

’80s hair band cover band Aquanet plays the Red Rooster this Friday night.  Aquanet is one of the most unique bands ever to perform in Downtown Memphis – it’s not just music, it’s a show.  Could be a great way to start off a [...]

So, about a month ago I met two St. Jude scientists, postdocs at St. Jude, at the window at the Saucer.

Hung out with them several times and they were very cool girls.  They told me they go to trivia nights around Downtown – recently they’ve been doing the Corner Bar at the [...]

There’s a new promotional code for the restaurant discount gift certificates accepted by many restaurants Downtown – enter LABOR at checkout for 60% off.  You can scroll to the bottom of the right sidebar of this blog to get them.  Enter 38103 (or your zip code) in the box to search, or use the link that’s [...]

Neither of the two projects I’ve been working on is ready for launch this morning, but I’m ready to go ahead and tell you what they are.

Last Thursday I made the walk to Calhoun’s and stayed there for several hours.  “It’s a shame more people don’t know about this place,” I thought.  “Once in the door, [...]

I had a reader e-mail me, asking if any bars will be running food or drink specials for college football this Saturday, and also asking for my recommendations on where Downtown to watch college football.

As of yet I don’t know of any specials.  If you do, e-mail me at paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll post ‘em.

As for my [...]

A New York magazine called City Journal had a great article recently entitled The Professional Panhandling Plague, discussing how many cities are seeing professional panhandlers on the street in increasing numbers – people who are not homeless and who beg for money as a way of life.  Memphis is mentioned as one of the cities in [...]

I heard that the fence has been taken down that blocked off the parking lot next to 88 Sports Bar, at 88 N. Main. A fence had been put up to keep the bums out. The bums are notorious for congregating in that block of the Main Street Mall, between Jefferson and Adams, where [...]

As a Downtown Memphis blogger, it’s my duty to post a link to articles about the neighborhood’s most visible residents, the pigeons, from time to time.  Here’s an article about monks in France who are going green by turning pigeon droppings into food. Yuk.

The 5th annual Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking happens October 17-18 at CBU.  The [...]