Memphis, Tennessee

Get in

By plane

• Memphis International Airport (MEM), Memphis is the primary FedEx distribution center, and, as the world's busiest cargo airport, the air is always full of planes making your eBay purchase a glorious reality. Northwest Airlines maintains a hub at the airport, providing regional service and a few international flights. If you are flying non-stop to Memphis, chances are it will be on Northwest - it controls nearly 90% of all the passenger flights. A few other airlines do squeeze passengers into town:
  • American Airlines, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, St. Louis.
  • AirTran, Atlanta, Orlando.
  • Delta, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City.
  • United Airlines, Chicago O'Hare, Denver.
  • Continental, Cleveland, Houston, Newark.
  • US Airways, Charlotte, Phoenix.
  • Frontier, Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando.

• There are also a few non-scheduled passenger services which provide transportation to vacation destinations on a sporadic basis:
  • Archers Direct Holidays

By car

• Interstate 40 is a good route into town but doesn't go through Memphis; to get to the other side of 40 you have to take the North or the South loop, as they're called by locals.
• I-55 will take you right into town - just take the Riverside Drive exit from either direction to be at Beale Street in a minute.
• Parking - Except for downtown, parking is usually free. If you're downtown, try the "Parking Can Be Fun" garage on Union Avenue. It's cheap, absolutely bizarre, and right where you want to be.

By train

• Amtrak, Service available from trains running up and down the Mississippi, as well as connections through major hubs. Great for a jaunt up to Chicago for world-class shopping or down to New Orleans for world-class drinking.

By bus

• Greyhound, 203 Union Avenue, +1 800-231-2222, National bus service.

Get around

• Driving - Travel by car is really the only way to get around Memphis if you want to do anything other than see Downtown.
• Public Transit - Bus service provided by the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is available across the city. Some routes are very poorly served in the evenings. At nights and weekends some buses take a different route than during the day which can be a trap for visitors.
  • A trolley operates downtown and into Midtown, mostly for the benefit of tourists.

Memphis is laid out in a more or less east/west fashion. Roads primarily go east/west and north/south. The expressway fortunately does not cut directly through the city.

Downtown is on the west; it sits atop the bluffs, overlooking the mighty Mississippi River. (It is referred to as Downtown, not as West Memphis, which is a town just across the river in Arkansas.) Moving east you'll come to Midtown, a happenin' place where locals and tourists go. Beyond that, you will find the suburbs of Germantown (Tennessee), Collierville, Cordova, and Bartlett. The area between downtown and Midtown is coming to life slowly but surely. There is a movement to turn it into an artist community. Members of this movement call the area "the Edge". However, most of the "art district" is on South Main.

See

Downtown

• Downtown Memphis. Buy a ticket and take the trolley to get a good overview of the area.
• Beale Street, "Home of the Blues". Dozens of bars and clubs, most of them featuring live music. At night the street is closed to vehicles and you can drink on the street, some bars have "drinks to go" windows where you can get a 32oz cup of beer for $5 and go bar-hopping, many bars have no cover charge. Peabody Place is largely a tourist trap of the same stores you see at any large mall.
• Mississippi River. River tours available most days through a variety of providers. Tom Lee Park is a nice place to view the river.
• National Civil Rights Museum, 450 Mulberry St, M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM (closes an hour later Jun-Aug). Built out of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot in 1968. Near the Amtrak station. $12 for adults; free Mondays after 3pm.
• Peabody Hotel, A beautiful and historic hotel. Legend has it that the Mississippi delta and all its lore began in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel, and the hotel is considered by many to be the "living room" of Memphis. It is famous for its ducks, who spend their days in the fountain. Every day at 11AM and 5PM you can watch them march. There's no better way to spend $10 on a drink than in the company of the Peabody ducks (at least not in Memphis). And, be sure also to visit the Peabody's sister hotels in Little Rock and Orlando.
• Peabody Place Museum, Just a couple of blocks towards the river from the famous hotel is one of the best kept secrets in all Tennessee. This basement museum holds the largest collection of 19th Century Chinese art, with jade, lacquer, ivory, and many other intricately carved items. Several of the items are larger than your average person. With admission at around $5, you simply can't miss this.
• Metal Museum, 374 Metal Museum Drive, Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 12PM-5PM. Displays art jewelry, architectural pieces and sculpture. The grounds are full of permanent installations and the Museum boasts one of the best views overlooking the Mississippi. They also have a working smithy. Adult $5.
• Fire Museum of Memphis, 118 Adams Ave, M-Sa 9AM-5PM. An interactive museum designed to teach children and adults about fire safety. Also features a realistic room to show how much damage a dropped lit cigarette can do. Adult $6.
• Mud Island River Park, 125 North Front St, Apr 14 – May 26 10AM-5PM, May 27 – Sep 4 10AM-6PM, Sep 5 – Oct 31 10AM-5PM. The park is accessible by monorail, made famous by a chase scene in the movie "The Firm". The park contains a museum of the Mississippi River and a scale model of the river. Visitors are welcome to remove their shoes and wade through the replica mighty Mississippi. The "Gulf of Mexico" is a large pool in which visitors may rent paddleboats. At the tip of the park is an excellent vantage point of the city and the river. The northern end of the island is occupied by HarborTown, a model community. Entry to the park is free. Adult $8 (Mississippi River Museum, Roundtrip Monorail Ride, Guided River Walk Tour).
• Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, 191 Beale St (corner of Third St; on the plaza of FedExForum), Daily 10AM-7PM (last admission 6:15PM). A short video is shown at frequent intervals and then you are given a headset so that you can listen to commentary and numerous songs as you walk through the exhibits. Sponsored by the Smithsonian. Adult $10. The museum used to be housed in the Gibson guitar factory across the street, which puts visitors right on the factory floor. Famous musicians swing through periodically to pick up custom guitars or to play a set at the Gibson Lounge, in the west end of the building.

The Edge

• Sun Studio, Numerous blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly recordings were made here, including Elvis's and Johnny Cash's first recordings. Tours are available, usually given by wallet-chained and mutton-chopped local musicians.
• Sleeping Cat Studio, 341 1/2 Monroe.

Midtown

• Stax Museum of American Soul Music, 926 E. McLemore Ave, Mar-Oct M-Sa 9AM-4PM Su 1PM-4PM, Nov-Feb M-Sa 10AM-4PM. The promotional material says "no backpacks" but this is not so. In any case, they can keep your backpack at the front desk, as with cameras which are not allowed. Adult $10.
• Memphis Botanic Garden, The Japanese garden is worth a visit, especially if you need some time to relax (don't forget to get some food for the koi (available at the front counter)).
• Memphis Zoo, Pandas and other animals galore.
• The Pink Palace, Built as a mansion by Clarence Saunders, the man who introduced the first self-service grocery store (Piggly Wiggly), the Pink Palace was later taken by the tax man and subsequently turned into a museum (Saunders never actually lived in the house). It is a very eclectic place, with everything from shrunken heads to animatronic dinosaurs with a life size copy of the first Piggly Wiggly in between. Also has an IMAX theater and a planetarium. Well worth a visit.
• Overton Park. Encompasses the Memphis Zoo, Memphis College of Art (MCA), the Brooks art museum, the Overton Park Golf Course, and largest stand of old growth forest in a US city.

East Memphis

• Lichterman Nature Center, Part of the Pink Palace family of museums, its 65-acres of lakes, meadows, and forests feature lush gardens with native wildflowers and trees and provide a home to a wide variety of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.

Around Town

• Graceland, Home of Elvis Presley, "The King of Rock and Roll". It's no surprise that this is the number one tourist attraction in Memphis. Think "tacky tourist" trap but don't miss it--you might be pleasantly surprised. Lots and lots of Elvis stuff to see here - the house itself, customized private airplanes, an automobile collection, gold records, costumes, and more. Take note of Elvis Week (Death Week to the locals) in early August, culminating in the candlelight vigil on the anniversary of Elvis' death. It is a big deal, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. Check out the bizarre felt-pen scribblings on the fence, some hip-ironic, some of the psycho-lunatic-fan sort. If you happen to be in Memphis during Birth or Death Week, sit downtown for a few hours just to watch the Elvis fans. Not just on Halloween, but at any time of year, dress up like the King (or like Priscilla if you're a girl) and you'll instantly be a star in your own right!

Do

• Walk to the river and touch the Mississippi's water with your fingers.
• Check out some live blues on Beale Street
• The Memphis Redbirds baseball team plays at AutoZone Park. They are the Triple-A affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals.
• FedExForum, FedExForum is the largest public building construction project in Memphis history. Managed and operated by the Memphis Grizzlies, the facility is home to both the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team. FedExForum is located at 191 Beale Street and Third Street which traveling south becomes Highway 61, the historic Blues Highway.
  • Memphis Grizzlies, Top-level pro basketball.
• Memphis in May Festival including the Beale Street Music Festival

Buy

Downtown

• Peabody Place. Shopping Mall adjacent to the Peabody Hotel. Includes indoor psychedelic miniature golf and train themed movie theater.
• A. Schwab, Beale Street. Dry goods store whose motto is "If we don't have it, you don't need it." It's the place for souvenirs.

Midtown

• Midtown Artist Market, A local artists' cooperative. Has been named Best of Memphis by readers of the Memphis Flyer at one time or another. -- Retail location is closed but the website and organization is still active.
• Wizard's A fine gift shop with "smoking supplies" (wink-wink, nudge-nudge).
• Midtown Books, An excellent selection of used books. Has been named Best of Memphis by readers of the Memphis Flyer at one time or another. -- Has moved downtown in the basement of Memphis Tobacco Bowl near the corner of Madison and Third Street. Has an excellent coffee shop as well as the selection at the Tobacco Bowl. Now known as Downtown Books.
• Overton Square, A small shopping/entertainment district on Madison Avenue, near Cooper.
• Burke's Books Small indie bookshop in the Cooper-Young district. John Grisham usually does his signings here when he's in town.

Out East

• Collierville Town Center - Catch Poplar Ave. east to the town of Collierville and browse the interesting shops on the square. Very pretty in the holiday season. Small and quaint, this square boasts a setting and some shops that aren't found elsewhere in Memphis. A steam engine and a few private railcars are open to the public.

Graceland

Of all the places in the world one can buy Elvis souvenirs, none is better than Graceland.

Eat

Memphis is one of the cheapest places in the USA to live, and that includes going out to eat. You could literally eat out every night of the week and not exhaust the city's restaurant menu. There's lots of inexpensive, yet tasty, food all over Memphis. The local BBQ is well-known.

Downtown

• Automatic Slims, Adjacent to the Peabody Hotel on 2nd Street. Kind of trendy, but nice wait staff and good food.
• Blues City Cafe, Beale and 2nd Street. Good ribs. The garlic pan seared shrimp is tasty, also. Prices from $6-$18. Jean Pauls Last Call is a small bar attached to Blues City. It attracts server staff crowd after hours.
• Crepe Makers, 175 Peabody Place (almost on the corner with S Third St and one street from Beale St). A range of savory crepes in addition to the dessert crepes one most commonly thinks of when crepes are mentioned. The raspberry chicken crepe is delicious. Average price around $7.
• Flying Saucer, One 2nd Street. 90 beers on tap and ~120 in the bottle. Good pub grub. Servers wear nice short skirts. Nonetheless, a chain bar. There are better.
• Texas De Brazil, adjacent to the Peabody Hotel. Everything you expect in a Brazilian steakhouse. Expect $40-50 per person for supper, but it's worth it. Lunch is the most economical time. Formal attire, a dress shirt and slacks at the least, is strongly recommended.
• The Rendezvous Excels at Memphis-style BBQ in a no-frills environment. Go early--this in-the-basement establishment has quite a following and a long wait is expected nearly every night. Pricey given the decor (and the fact that you're eating BBQ). Expect $15-20 per person.
• The Arcade Classic old diner. Traditional diner food with the addition of pizza and hummus sandwiches. It's across the street from the train station at 540 South Main Street. Featured in several movies, including "Mystery Train".
• Bluff City Coffee, In South Main's Art District. Try their signature cup "The Real Cappuccino".
• Harry's Detour, 106 G.E. Patterson. Lunch Tu-Sa 11:30AM-2PM, Dinner W-Sa 5:30PM-10PM. An eclectic menue of delicious main courses, soups, salads and desserts served in an intimate setting. Private room and patio.
• Westy's Bar/grill on Main at north end of downtown. Known for fried pickles, tamales, a wide selection of wild rice dishes and a popular fudge pie. Expect $7-$12 pp, open late.
• Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken. No restaurant guide to downtown would be complete without mentioning Gus's and the food is excellent. You can purchase 40 oz. beers and eat fried chicken. Enough said..
• Encore Restaurant and Bar. Provencal-style bistro owned/operated by award-winning Master Chef José Gutierrez (former Head Chef at the Peabody Hotel's Chez Phillippe).

Midtown

• Young Ave. Deli Good place for bar food and/or rock shows. Try the fried dill pickles. Located in the Cooper-Young district of Midtown. One of the biggest beer selections in town.
• Pho Saigon Super yummy Vietnamese soup less than $10 for a bowl as big as your head.
• Molly's La Casita Very good Mexican food priced around $10 per entree.
• Pho Hoa Binh, Madison Avenue - Hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese. $5-$10. Great tofu and wheat gluten dishes, so don't miss it if you're vegetarian.
• Saigon Le, Cleveland Avenue - Another awesome Vietnamese restaurant. $5-$10.
• Indochina, Cleveland Avenue - Another excellent Vietnamese restaurant. Famous for their homemade egg rolls. $5-$10.
• Brother Junipers, U of M area - Open for breakfast and lunch. Great omelettes. Free-Trade Coffee. Strange hours. $5-$10. Associated with the Juniper Bakery, all proceeds going to drug rehab.
• Bosco's, Overton Square The only locally brewed beer in Memphis (also a national award winner). Great pizza, entrees, etc. Excellent jazz brunch on Sundays. $10-$20.
• Zinnie's East, On Madison near Belvedere intersection - Excellent and inexpensive food. If you want a local treat try the "Zinnie Loney," a truly large bologna sandwich for cheap. $6-15.
• Huey's A Memphis landmark, the original Huey's offers one of the best burgers in town. $6-12.
• Dino's, On Mclean near North Parkway intersection - Serves reliable versions of basic "American-style Italian food", being open for breakfast, lunch (offering sandwiches and plate lunches) and dinner six days a week. $6-20.
• Corky's famous barbeque - One of the best barbeque places in Memphis. 3 or 4 locations within the city; locals strongly recommend it. Must visit; $6-$20 per person. You can purchase their barbeque sauce too. Excellent ribs!!!!!!

East Memphis

• Belmont Grill, at Poplar and Mendenhall - Hole-in-the-wall bar and restaurant that serves great food. Try the shish kebobs. $10-$20.
• Germantown Commissary, On Germantown Pkwy between Poplar and Poplar Pike (technically in Germantown) - Some of the best ribs Memphis has to offer. $10-$20.
• The Half Shell, Good seafood is hard to come by in Memphis, but Half Shell scores. Extensive menu, with a cajun tilt to most dishes. Fresh gulf oysters, King Crab, Champagne brunch on the weekends, and menu "front page" items that change frequently. The kitchen is open until 2AM (1AM on Sunday). Locations at Mendenhall/Poplar and Winchester/Centennial (near Southwind). There is also an abbreviated menu available at the Rhythms Cafe & Bar in Concourse B, near Gate 35 at the Memphis International Airport. Half Shell is also known for its live music on the weekends and its lively late-night bar crowd. Entrees $9 and up.

Elsewhere

• Ellen's Soul Food and Bar-B-Q, 601 S. Parkway E. - Expect to hear the menu when you arrive to get down at this old-school soul food dream, though a hand-written paper copy is also available. Fried everything is their specialty, including okra, cornbread, chicken, and catfish that's worth a trip to Memphis by itself. The service is so good that the management will set you straight if you try to eat neck bones with a knife and fork. Entrees $7-9, including two side orders.
• Coletta's, 1063 S. Parkway E., One of the oldest restaurants in Memphis, with excellent American-Italian food. Don't miss the barbecue spaghetti or pizza.

Pizza

• Exline's - A Memphis chain serving up some big ol' round pizzas cut into square pieces. The toppings are huge (as in large bits). The cheese on the cheese fries is nacho and it comes from a can; super fantastic. ~$10.
• Camy's, Want to just hang out in your hotel? Call Camy's for the best pizza delivery in town.
• Pie In The Sky, tasty pizza joint formerly located at Cooper & Young, and now revived at Lou's Pizza Pie, LLC at 2158 Young Avenue. Lou is Back!!
• Memphis Pizza Cafe, Overton Square, also on Park Av., and a couple in the 'burbs - Tasty Pizza (BBQ chicken is good). Cold beer. All you really need. $10-$15.
• Garibaldi's, U of M area (back behind the YMCA). Great 70's atmosphere, great 70's style pizza. $5-$10.
• Fox Ridge Pizza, Cordova, round pizza, square cut, unique sauce and cheese. Also excellent hamburgers. $10-$20

Variations of Quick

Memphis has a tradition of hiding its best food at the back of convenience stores. For instance:

• Kwik Check, Madison Ave. near Overton Square. Best deli sandwiches in Memphis. Try the "Cheesy Muff" (vegetarian muffeletta) or "My Bleeding Heart" (spicy spicy hummus pita). $5-10.
• Kwik Shop, Central Ave. and East Parkway - Big huge burgers. Super nice steak fries. Gyros are excellent. They have veggie burgers just as big as the meat ones, but they only have one grill. $4-$6.

Listen

Soul, R&B, and rock 'n' roll have deep roots in Memphis, and destinations abound for good music today.

• Beale Street in downtown Memphis makes sense as a first destination. A dozen clubs pipe their music onto the street, and each night a single wristband buys entrance to them all.
• Hi-Tone Cafe, Featured musical acts could be anybody, from reggae to country-western acts--all of them party bands, to be sure. Make sure you show up ready to move a little, drink a little and even eat little.
• Wild Bill's Lounge, 1580 Vollintine Ave. It sits unassumingly in a strip mall three miles northeast of Beale Street, where, as if out of an old movie, the boisterous Memphis Soul Survivors, led by the boisterous Miss Nicki, play to a boisterous crowd. Night hours on F-Su. As they pay the $10 cover, patrons are greeted at the door by Wild Bill himself.

Drink

• Wine is sold in dedicated, licensed liquor stores in Memphis. Most grocery stores may have an "independent" liquor store conveniently next to the grocery store. Apparently this regulation discourages alcohol use by forcing you to walk a few extra feet to buy your booze. High alcohol content beers are sold in liquor stores. Traditional brands such as Budweiser are sold in grocery and convenient store only. Liquor stores are open from ~8AM usually 10AM-11PM, M-Sa. (Beer can be sold before noon on Su in restaurants.)
• Joe's Liquor Speaking of booze, if you need packaged goods and you're in midtown, head to Joe's (Poplar and Belvedere) as much to see Sputnik (the vintage, spinning, twisting and working neon star) as for the beverages. Go at dusk for maximum effect.
• Great Wine And Spirits is out east. Probably has one of more extensive wine stocks in Memphis liquor stores.
• Bosco's, Overton Square. Brew pub and food. Featured on many "Best Of" lists.
• Newby's, Highland Street (called the Highland Strip, near The University of Memphis). "Playboy" magazine rated Newby's the "Best place to party like a Rock Star!"
• "The High Point", Madison Avenue. Swing dancing, the best live bands and any libation you crave.
• Bluff City Coffee, 505 S. Main. The latest addition to the Art District of Downtown Memphis. Specializing in Italian style espresso based coffee. The coffee shop features comfort and conference style seating for meetings, free wireless internet, and print/copy/scan/fax capabilities to keep you productive throughout your day. Make sure to bring your laptop and stay a while. This coffee shop also feature a collection of Don Newman's vintage black and white photographs from the 30's, 40's, and 50's.
• The Buccaneer, Midtown. This bar converted from a house has music of all types every night, with a counter culture twist. A penchant for chaos and tolerance to listen to an hour of feedback while the band fights are a plus. Ramones tshirt optional.

Sleep

Budget

• Pilgrim House Hostel, 1000 South Cooper St, +1 901 405-4414, Dorm beds at $15 per night. Private rooms at $25 per night for one person or $40 per night for two. Bunk rooms at $10 per person per night (must have a group of 6 or more).

Mid-range

• Hampton Inn, Beale Street, 175 Peabody Place, +1 901 260-4000 (fax: +1 901 260-4012), This is right ON Beale Street - as opposed to the Holiday Inn and the Peabody which are a few blocks away. The room prices are average but beware - it IS noisy. If you want to party then this is the place but for a quieter get-away, stay a few blocks away.
• Doubletree Downtown Memphis 185 Union Ave, +1 901 528-1800, Located only a few minutes from exciting Beale Street, the Doubletree Downtown Memphis is a relaxing accomodation in a convenient location.

Splurge

• Peabody Hotel, downtown near Beale Street - Historic. Don't miss the ducks! This is definitely pricey, but is "the place" to stay in Memphis and tourists come to the hotel in throngs just to gawk at the lobby, and... the ducks.

Not categorized by price

• Wyndham Garden Hotel, 300 N 2nd St, +1 901 525-1800, fax +1 901 524-1859, Relax in the warm, Southern spirit of Tennessee at the Wyndham Garden Hotel-Memphis. Just minutes from Cook Convention Center and the Pyramid Arena's sporting events, concerts and shows.
• Best Western Benchmark Hotel, 164 Union Avenue, +1 901 527-4100, Toll-free: +1 800 380-3236, Fax: +1 901 525-1747.
• Best Western Executive Inn, 3105 Millbranch Road, +1 901 312-7000, Fax: +1 901 312-7001.
• Best Western Suites, 6045 Macon Cove, +1 901 385-1999, Fax: +1 901 385-1999.
• Best Western Travelers Inn, 5024 US Highway 78, +1 901 363-8430, Fax: +1 901 360-9593.
• Courtyard Memphis Airport, 1780 Nonconnah Boulevard, +1 901 396-3600, Toll-free: +1 800 834-1031, Fax: +1 901 332-0706.
• Courtyard Memphis East/Lenox Corporate Park, 3076 Kirby Parkway, +1 901 365-6400, Toll-free: +1 800 335-9243, Fax: +1 901 368-9865.
• Courtyard Memphis East/Park Avenue, 6015 Park Avenue, +1 901 761-0330, Toll-free: +1 800 834-0548, Fax: +1 901 682-8422.
• Fairfield Inn & Suites Memphis, 6010 Macon Cove, +1 901 384-0010, Fax: +1 901 937-8263.
• Fairfield Inn & Suites Memphis East, 8489 Highway 64, +1 901 381-0085, Fax: +1 901 381-0085.
• Fairfield Inn Memphis I-240 & Perkins, 4760 Showcase Blvd., +1 901 795-1900, Fax: +1 901 795-1967.
• Holiday Inn Not very flashy, but Memphis is its home.
  • Holiday Inn, 3700 Central Avenue, +1 901 678-8200.
  • Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 4225 American Way, +1 901 369-8005.
  • Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 4068 Stansell Court, +1 901 309-6474.
  • Holiday Inn Select, 2240 Democrat Rd., +1 901 332-1130.
  • Holiday Inn Select, 160 Union Ave, +1 901 525-5491.
  • Holiday Inn Select, 5795 Poplar Ave, +1 901 682-7881.
• Memphis Marriott, 2625 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, +1 901 362-6200, Fax: +1 901 360-8836.
• Memphis Marriott Downtown, 250 North Main Street, +1 901 527-7300, Toll-free: +1 888 557-8740, Fax: +1 901 526-1561.
• Motel 6, 4000 US 78, +1 901 365-7999, Fax: +1 901 365-8883.
• Motel 6, 4300 American Way, +1 901 366-9333, Fax: +1 901 366-7835.
• Motel 6 Memphis East, 1321 Sycamore View Road, +1 901 382-8572, Fax: +1 901 385-0814.
• Residence Inn Memphis Downtown, 110 Monroe Avenue, +1 901 578-3700, Fax: +1 901 578-3999.
• Residence Inn Memphis East, 6141 Old Poplar Pike, +1 901 685-9595, Fax: +1 901 685-1636.
• SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown, 21 North Main Street, +1 901 522-2100, Toll-free: +1 800 593-6415, Fax: +1 901 522-2110.
• SpringHill Suites Memphis East/Galleria, 2800 New Brunswick Road, +1 901 380-9700, Fax: +1 901 380-9700.
• Staybridge Suites, 1070 Ridge Lake Blvd., +1 901 682-1722.

Contact

Newspapers

• The Commercial Appeal, A daily newspaper.
• Memphis Flyer, An alternative newspaper.

Stay Safe

While in the downtown area keep close to the tourist areas such as Beale Street. Even in these areas you will be acosted by numerous panhandlers. Most of them are harmless but you will be persistently harassed if you look like a tourist. Don't venture out of the downtown core on foot. Downtown Memphis is the safest part of town and has triple the police force of the other parts of town. Just don't be stupid.

Get Out

• Tunica
• Nashville
• Arkansas
• Oxford (Mississippi)