While a visit to Memphis is typically defined by its overflowing abundance of music history, the city’s neighborhoods are brimming with restaurants, breweries, nightlife, and activities as diverse as the sounds that have defined its identity for generations.
Here’s our guide to the best neighborhoods in Memphis.
The best neighborhood for music history
Magic seems to bubble from the sidewalks of Soulsville, the South Memphis neighborhood anchored by the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
That magic is palpable through the area’s shattered sidewalks for good reason – Soulsville has long been a refuge for some of the world’s most breathtaking voices. Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes recorded here. So too have Al Green, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, John Mayer, and Bruno Mars. Aretha Franklin and Memphis Slim were born here.
Today, Stax is by far Soulsville’s most visited location. But music history fans can also spot Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios just blocks away. And like most areas of Memphis, live performances are never far away. Stax hosts live studio session concerts during the summer months.
Visitors looking for a change of pace from the city’s museum-centric activities can make a pitstop at Memphis Rox, an urban rock climbing gym founded by Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) director Tom Shadyac. The gym, located across McLemore Ave from Stax, is a favorite among members of The North Face climbing team, who frequently swing by between ascents of some of the world’s most imposing peaks.
The best area for live music
A flickering, blue haze of neon engulfs Beale St. Beneath the glow, street performers and visitors amble over the brick-lined thoroughfare that’s served as the city’s epicenter of music for more than a century. Beale St is the historic home of the blues, and while its face has changed much over the decades, this once-segregated strip of juke joints and restaurants is still the nightlife capital of Memphis.
Professional basketball has a home on Beale Street at 18,000-seat FedExForum. Visitors can catch NBA superstars like LeBron James and Steph Curry in town from time to time, but the real favorites of Beale St are the local team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
The street is a perfect pre- and post-game party venue, but travelers to Memphis will find plenty to do here every night of the week. Beale St houses more than two dozen bars and nightclubs, each spilling over with the wail of electric guitars, saxophones, and the rhythm of the blues. Stop by BB King’s Blues Club for an all-star house band, Blues City Cafe for some of the best barbecue ribs in the Bluff City or Blues Hall for an intimate, dive bar experience.
Gems include a hidden pool hall at The Absinthe Room – look for an unobtrusive stairwell
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