Anybody familiar with Memphis

[leafinthewind]

Heading there for a conference soon... thinking of taking the wife and dogs for a mini weekend vacation.  She found a house for rent in the COOPER-YOUNG section of Memphis.... is this area GTG or do I need body armor to stay there?

[MacGyver]

The longer life goes on, the fewer chances you get to just pack up with the wife for a short vacation.  

Some of our Memphis folks can weigh in on the area, but a lot of the hotels downtown are dog friendly.  

Go have fun.  

[Garufa]

Cooper-Young is a very hip, trendy part of town with lots of bars and restaurants.  It is considered part of Midtown and as they say down there "Midtown is Memphis".  The houses are older and I personally would not have a problem staying in one for the weekend if it was a nice one.  Many of the houses in that area are rentals and somewhat rundown so know what you're getting into.  One the other hand, many are nice and well maintained.  The closer to the intersection of Cooper and Young the better off you are.  It gets sketchier as you move out from that centerpoint, especially to the south towards Southern Ave.

Every type of person you can imagine lives and hangs out down there, so it's kind of interesting if you're into people watching while sitting outside having a beverage.

Do not be surprised if you hear gun shots at night.  It is also directly under one of the major flyways into the airport so there is jet traffic constantly (think FedEx).  CY is one of those parts of Memphis that is "on the border" of some really rough parts of town (to the south and a bit to the west south of the railroad tracks) but I think that district is fairly safe, again close to the center.  Kinda hard to explain, but it's a Memphis thing.

It's close enough to downtown that you can be there in about 15 minutes.

I actually grew up a little over a mile from there in Central Gardens, an area that has not changed one bit it at least 50 years....except all the houses are now ridiculously priced. 

Edited August 18, 2017 by Garufa

[LCPfraTN]

Cooper-Young is a very hip, trendy part of town with lots of bars and restaurants.  It is considered part of Midtown and as they say down there "Midtown is Memphis".  The houses are older and I personally would not have a problem staying in one for the weekend if it was a nice one.  Many of the houses in that area are rentals and somewhat rundown so know what you're getting into.  One the other hand, many are nice and well maintained.  The closer to the intersection of Cooper and Young the better off you are.  It gets sketchier as you move out from that centerpoint, especially to the south towards Southern Ave.
Every type of person you can imagine lives and hangs out down there, so it's kind of interesting if you're into people watching while sitting outside having a beverage.
Do not be surprised if you hear gun shots at night.  It is also directly under one of the major flyways into the airport so there is jet traffic constantly (think FedEx).  CY is one of those parts of Memphis that is "on the border" of some really rough parts of town (to the south and a bit to the west south of the railroad tracks) but I think that district is fairly safe, again close to the center.  Kinda hard to explain, but it's a Memphis thing.
It's close enough to downtown that you can be there in about 15 minutes.
I actually grew up a little over a mile from there in Central Gardens, an area that has not changed one bit it at least 50 years....except all the houses are now ridiculously priced. 

I agree with everything Garufa said. The CY area all the way north to the intersection of Cooper and Madison (Overton Square) is full of restaurants, bars and other entertainment options. Overton Square has gone through some recent renovations and has attracted a lot of new business. Downtown is generally pretty safe in the areas around the Peabody Hotel, Beale Street, FedEx Forum, RedBirds Stadium and surrounding area.

The new Bass Pro Shop is really well done and is a great visit even if you don't buy anything. You have to pay to go to the upper level, but you have great views of the river and downtown and a nice little bar and restaurant up there.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

[TNBuckeye]

Lots of good places to eat in Memphis, plenty of newer ones, but if you get the chance check out the Arcade and the Rendezvous.


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[Garufa]

30 minutes ago, TNBuckeye said:

Lots of good places to eat in Memphis, plenty of newer ones, but if you get the chance check out the Arcade and the Rendezvous.


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Central BBQ is a short walk from Cooper-Young.

[TNBuckeye]

Central BBQ is a short walk from Cooper-Young.

And it is quite tasty as well!


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[Ski]

I prefer Rendezvous to Central and Corky's, but they're all good for dry rub ribs.  I can't speak to wet.  Central beats Corky's for BBQ sandwiches.  I am not sure if I've had a BBQ sandwich from Rendezvous.

The two (2) hot spots for robberies right now (that coincide with night life) are the main Cooper Young restaurant area and Overton Square.  Near CY they seem to hit people as they head back to their vehicles.  Near Overton Square the targets seem to be people that walk to the nearby residential areas in the early morning hours.  It's not rampant in either area, but both areas call for extra situational awareness when it's dark.

Be aware and enjoy some good food and music.

And the Wally World in Collierville has multiple buckets of Remington .22lr for ~$81 each after tax.

[tnhawk]

If you want to find good BBQ, go to Memphis BBQ Company in Southaven.  It's a few miles south of CY but worth the drive.

[Chucktshoes]

If you want BBQ ribs, then you're not getting them at Rendezvous, they don't serve them. They serve seasoned, chargrilled ribs. It's not the same thing. 

I second Central, or my favorite, The BBQ Shop over on Madison. 

Like anywhere in Memphis, CY is hood-adjacent. Good area, great food, relax and enjoy yourself. 

[gjohnsoniv]

Everything that needs to be said has been said. Despite the Memphis jokes it's really not that bad.

[xsubsailor]

Garufa pretty much hit the nail on the head. The area itself is safe but don't stray far to the south. The Pink Palace Museum is not too far to the east on Central and worth a look.

You didn't say when you would be visiting but the Cooper Young Festival is on Sept. 16 and is a unique experience if you're a people watcher. I absolutely hate crowds but had a blast the time I went.

Just thought of something else. I don't know if you are into tattoos or not but if so, David Evans at Underground Art is the best in Memphis. It's in the 2200 block of Young st. Even if you're not, they will welcome you looking around the place.

Edited August 20, 2017 by xsubsailor

[Capbyrd]

If you have some time one night, and enjoy live music, Lafayette's Music Room usually has the best of memphis and even national touring acts playing. 

[gjohnsoniv]

Something that's cool if you're into metal work and sculpture is the National Ornamental Metal Museum.

[Capbyrd]

8 hours ago, gjohnsoniv said:

Something that's cool if you're into metal work and sculpture is the National Ornamental Metal Museum.

 

Its worth the trip by itself.  Lots of great exhibits and classes. 

[gjohnsoniv]

5 hours ago, Capbyrd said:

 

Its worth the trip by itself.  Lots of great exhibits and classes. 

This is certainly true.