The Coolest Neighborhoods in Memphis

Home to the Beale Street Entertainment District, downtown Memphis is popular with tourists and locals. With bustling nightlife, iconic restaurants and picturesque landmarks, the downtown area sits in stark contrast to the more central, slower-paced neighborhoods. Many young professionals live downtown to take advantage of the condo lifestyle. Some of the most frequented bars and blues clubs include B.B. King’s Blues Club, Silky O’Sullivan’s, Rum Boogie Cafe and Club 152. Beale Street Landing offers a river cruise boat dock with sweeping views of the Mississippi River and has the only public playground in the area.

Downton Memphis, TN, USA

Cooper-Young is a mostly residential neighborhood with a diverse mix of progressive families, artists and LGBTQ residents. The area features 1920s-style bungalows, as well as mom-and-pop coffee shops and trendy restaurants that give Cooper-Young a laid-back, relaxed vibe. Restaurants include the popular Imagine Vegan Cafe and Young Avenue Deli, which serves award-winning French fries. Be sure to stop by artist Jill Turman’s Cooper Young Trestle, a 150-ft. steel sculpture, created in 2000, that sits along an abandoned rail track and features tiny homes based on actual houses in the neighborhood.
Cooper-Young, Memphis, TN, USA

Wealthy millennials are flocking to South Main, also known as the South Main Arts District. The area features boutiques, galleries, upscale restaurants and Memphis’ largest farmers’ market, as well as eateries, such as Max’s Sports Bar, Spindini and Japanese-fusion burger joint Oshi. A few blocks from South Main Street is Loflin Yard, a rustic outdoor bar with a waterfall. The last Friday of every month is South Main Trolley Night, when shops and galleries stay open late and host special public events.
South Main, Memphis, TN, USA

Filled with 1950s ranch homes, East Memphis is a mostly conservative, quiet neighborhood, where middle- and high-income families live. You’ll find the only Whole Foods in the city here, as well as upscale restaurants, such as Hog & Hominy, Acre, Windjammer and Patrick’s. The Shelby Farms Greenline, a 10.65-mile bike and pedestrian path, runs through East Memphis and connects to Shelby Farms Park and Cordova.
East Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA