Memphis

A clear, cold and windy morning in Memphis

we drove east from downtown, past a little cluster of Victorian mansions

through a small hip strip and surprisingly quickly into the usual boring upscalish malls and such.  Circling around the U of Memphis, we came back west through middleclass then increasingly poor - and black neighborhoods, notably Orange Mound and Lamar.

Orange Mound has an interesting history: reportedly the first African American neighborhood built by African Americans  - in the 1890's - it declined in the 1980's and 90's but  - the good news - they say is beginning to turn around. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Mound,_Memphis

We came back downtown, to an art festival in the arts district in the south part of downtown around the Memphis Art School.  A good crowd turned out to enjoy art, music and sunshine in the neighborhood.

Bike store, coffee shop, art, condos for sale at a good price

fixies

chance to be in a movie

have a wedding in the old train station

It's not Mississippi Street, Portland yet, but it's clearly on the move.

A noteof somberness on this lovely day, a block over is the Lorraine Hotel, site of one of the greatest of American tragedies, now part of the National Civil Rights Museum.  At least it is a museum dedicated to hope, not fear and war.

Memphis has a long stretch of parks and greenways along the Mississippi, windy this day, leading to the pyramid, of course.

 Sunset over the Mississippi

then down to Beale Street, like Bourbon Street in New Orleans, tourists trying too hard to get drunk and the locals more than happy to oblige, but worth walking once

and over it all, the King.