The Memphis Flyer’s cover story is a must-read for Downtowners: Down by the Riverside, a history of Riverside Drive and its various reconfigurations over the years. Riverside Drive was built in the early 1930s to turn the river bluff into something nicer than a place to dump garbage.
Health Directive No. 20 has dropped. Closing time remains 1 AM, but we can dance now. You can only dance with your household or close contact group, a rule that will be completely unenforceable. Festivals can now be held, and they only have to submit a safety plan to the health department if over 500 attendees are expected.
The Aldo family of restaurants and bars, including Bardog, Momma’s, the two Slider Inns, and the two Aldo’s Pizza Pies, are all hiring, and they come bearing gifts for new employees.
Need your COVID vaccine? From the City of Memphis:
**By popular demand, Wide Open Wednesday is being extended at the Pipkin building through Sunday, April 18**No appointment necessary7 a.m. – 7 p.m.940 Early Maxwell Blvd.
From the DM: Hyatt Centric brings something old, something new to Downtown
Also from the DM: Baron’s Man Cave reopens this week. The men’s salon and grooming center is at 50 Peabody Place, Suite 101.
ZipRecruiter has a Downtown restaurant manager position open. Reading the description, I tend to believe this would be the Flying Saucer.
The CA’s Jennifer Chandler checks out The Backlot in her New Eats column this week.
The MBJ reports that another new market may come to the South Main area. An exterior improvement grant has been issued for a concept called Big River Market, at 516 Tennessee Street in the Emerge Building. The market will offer “food, groceries, drinks, and coffee.”
Africa on My Mind, an exhibit by Ethiopian artist Dereje Demisse and Nigerian artist Johnson Uwadinma, will be on display at 410 S. Main this Saturday through July 31. The art will represent a conversation between West Africa (Nigeria) and East Africa (Ethiopia).
WREG has coverage of yesterday’s unveiling of updated plans for Tom Lee Park. A log scramble among the woods at the south end has been added to the plans, as has a 220-foot outlook. The Tom Lee Park plans are important because, with the stupid pandemic restrictions almost gone, Memphians need something to argue about next.
Turnstyles performs at the Live at the Tracks live music series tonight at Central Station Hotel, 6:30 to 9:30. This will be a weekly Thursday thing through May 20, featuring a different band each week.
No, today is not tax day. Due to the changes in tax regulations related to COVID relief, the IRS has extended the federal filing deadline to Monday, May 17. You also have the extra month and two days to make 2020 contributions to retirement accounts and health savings accounts.
Happy Jackie Robinson Day for my readers who are baseball fans. That’s all I’ve got for today. Back tomorrow with more news.