This week I had somebody ask me, what are the various neighborhoods of Downtown? I’ll take a shot at answering that question here, although there are organizations (DNA, DMC are two) that probably have better ideas of the exact boundaries than I do.
- Mud Island: Boundary explanations not necessary.
- Uptown: Bounded by the river on the west, Chelsea on the north, Manassas on the east, and A.W. Willis on the south.
- The Pinch: Bounded by the river on the west, A.W. Willis on the north, the St. Jude campus on the east, and Exchange on the South. Sometimes considered part of Uptown, although The Pinch had its name long before Uptown did.
- The Downtown core: Roughly bounded by the river on the west, Exchange on the north, Danny Thomas on the east, and MLK Ave. on the south, except where neighborhoods listed below cut into that definition. Realtors have attempted to give this area cutesy names like The NoB (north of Beale) but residents have laughed those names out of existence.
- Victorian Village: Bounded by Danny Thomas on the west, Adams on the north, Manassas on the east, Jefferson on the south. Known for its 1800s mansions.
- The Edge: Bounded by Fourth on the west, Madison on the north,Manassas on the east, and Union on the South. Unclear whether the definition of The Edge will grow to include the Union Row development, or whether that will be seen as a neighborhood of its own. The Edge is considered a part of both Downtown and the Medical Center District.
- Beale Street entertainment district: Beale between Second and Fourth. Sometimes the definition is expanded to be bounded by Peabody Place on the north and Lt. George W. Lee on the south and including FedExForum.
- South City: Bounded by B.B. King Blvd. on the west, MLK Ave. on the north, Lauderdale on the east, and Crump on the south. Formerly know as South of Forum or SoFo.
- South Main: Bounded by the river on the west, MLK Ave. on the north, B.B. King on the east, and Georgia on the south. The intersection of South Main and G.E. Patterson is the center of this neighborhood.
- Martyrs Park: Bounded by the river on the west, Artesian Condos on the north, Riverside on the east, and Crump on the south. Channel 3 Drive is the main road through this neighborhood.
- South End: Bounded by Riverside on the west, Georgia on the north, B.B. King on the east, and Crump on the south. This neighborhood didn’t exist 15 years ago, yet is now teeming with apartments, condos, and fun places like Loflin Yard, Carolina Watershed, and the Ghost River tap room.
- French Fort: Bounded by the river on the west, Crump on the north, I-55 on the east, and Jack Carley Causeway/McLemore on the south. It’s debatable whether this is a Downtown neighborhood, but the National Ornamental Metal Museum is in it and that’s usually considered part of Downtown.
That’s my best guess as to the Downtown neighborhoods and their boundaries. Again, I speak in no official capacity when I type these definitions.
I rebooted my new laptop for the first time this morning. It was up and ready to go in 20 seconds. To anyone looking to buy a new computer, I cannot say enough about how much a solid-state drive is worth the money. Traditional hard disks are on their way to joining vacuum tubes, punched cards, floppy disks, and 2400 baud modems in the museum of outdated computer technology.
Let’s have a look at the NBA standings, shall we? Following a fine victory over San Antonio last night, if the season ended today the Memphis Grizzlies would be the #8 seed in the playoffs. That’s right – if the Grizzlies keep winning at this pace, they’re a playoff team, not a lottery team. That’s an unexpected boost to the collective team ego, and when it’s time to CONVEY THAT PICK to Boston for the 2020 NBA draft, it’ll be a less valuable pick than everyone thought.
Your next chance to see Memphis’ NBA playoff-caliber team is tomorrow at 5, when the Grizzlies host the Golden State Warriors at FedExForum. Come early to get a throwback Grizzlies scarf, free to the first 5000 fans. Stay late to see the look on Draymond Green’s face as he walks off the court in defeat.
Residents of Waterford Plaza were awakened by noisy midnight concrete pours at the One Beale construction site. Guess what… there will be more, although the developer said none of them will last as long as the one this week.
AutoZone Park will hold three hiring fairs for part-time, seasonal positions this month. Positions will include box office ticket seller, guest service representative, team store associate, team attendant, fan experience team member, video operator, and camera replay operator. These positions are part-time and paid hourly. Applicants must be at least 18 and pass a background check and drug screening. Job fair dates and times are
- Saturday, January 18, 9 AM-noon
- Monday, January 20, 9 AM-noon
- Thursday, January 23, 6-8 PM
If you wish to be considered for these positions, you must attend one of these job fairs. Those who finished the 2019 season employed by AutoZone Park do not need to attend.
The National Ornamental Metal Museum invites you to spend Valentine’s Eve in the Museum Store Thursday, February 13 from 3 to 7 PM. Enjoy champagne while you shop. Admission to the Museum Store is free, and if you’re a member of the Museum you get 10% off.
That’s it for now. Looks like the rain will move out just in time for my walk to Bardog. Back tomorrow with more news.