Those of who live here have long known what a fun city Memphis is. It now appears that others are starting to recognize that as well. According to the August 21, 2007, edition of Forbes.com, Memphis is one of the 40 best cities in America for singles. Memphis came in at number 23. The number one city for the 2007 list was San Francisco.
Memphis beat out other ranked cities such as Sacramento, Baltimore, St. Louis, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Portland, Tampa, Jacksonville and Cincinnati. Not ranked in the top 40 were Nashville, Birmingham, and Raleigh.
Memphis got high marks for the number of singles, and the costs of living alone. It also ranked in the top forty in: (1) culture, (2) nightlife, (3) job growth, (4) and online dating.
Memphis is a vibrant fun town for those single and those who are married. There's a lot to do here. The people are warm and welcoming and if you are single you can find that right person, build a career and having meaning here in Memphis. There's a soul to Memphis and it's a not a good "ole" soul but a young funky, cool soul.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Long Live the King!
Many Memphians don't truly appreciate our whole Elvis heritage but they should. We just had Elvis week here, which marks the anniversary of the death of the King. This years was the 30th anniversary. The crowds were huge -- about 75,000. Elvis week has a bunch of high points but the candlelight vigil on the anniversary of his death is something that everyone should do once. Thousands of people (mostly from places other than Memphis) line up for hours and hours to walk past Elvis' grave to pay respects. The first person in line often has to camp out for a day or more to get the "pole position". The procession lasts all night. While there are many events during Elvis week to have some fun at the fat Elvis image, the vigil is not one of them. People at the vigil are serious. The fun stuff includes the Elvis tribute artist contest. Some of those fake "Elvi" are really good. Others are terrible but there's some real entertainment in how bad they are. Then there are the Korean Elvi, the Indian Elvi, the little kid Elvi etc. Basically during Elvis week, you can see "Elvis" all over Memphis. It's a fun and funky time of year to be here. The tourists pump thousands of dollars into the local economy so that's always a plus as well.
Elvis was an incredibly generous man. he gave thousands and thousands of dollars to local charities and often anonymously. So you can literally find lots and lots of people in Memphis who have some personal connection to the King even thirty years after he passed away. His generosity was just one of the reasons he remains so popular all these years later and even in death keeps giving back to the city.
the owners of Graceland are in the planning stages of a major expansion of the Graceland area. They will spend several hundred millions dollars over the next few years to dramatically expand and modernize the facilities around the mansion. Graceland is the second most visited house in the United States after the White House so an investment of that kind is certainly warranted.
Elvis, Graceland and Elvis week are just a few of the many reasons that Memphis is a great place to live. Like the song says, "I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee!"
Elvis was an incredibly generous man. he gave thousands and thousands of dollars to local charities and often anonymously. So you can literally find lots and lots of people in Memphis who have some personal connection to the King even thirty years after he passed away. His generosity was just one of the reasons he remains so popular all these years later and even in death keeps giving back to the city.
the owners of Graceland are in the planning stages of a major expansion of the Graceland area. They will spend several hundred millions dollars over the next few years to dramatically expand and modernize the facilities around the mansion. Graceland is the second most visited house in the United States after the White House so an investment of that kind is certainly warranted.
Elvis, Graceland and Elvis week are just a few of the many reasons that Memphis is a great place to live. Like the song says, "I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee!"
Phoenix Club Summer Party Was A Blast
The Phoenix Club's Mardi Gras Party (held around Mardi Gras time) is legendary. Many consider it to be the best party of the year every year in Memphis. Well building on that success the guys of the Phoenix Club held a summer Hawaiian party at the Botanical Gardens. The entertainment was none other than Hollywood Raiford. The set up was great. The party was held beside the lake there on two good sized lawns. The D. Canale Bud truck was there and the partygoers managed to drain the truck by 12:30. Next year they'll have two Bud trucks. In addition to the Bud Trucks, they also had two cash bars and food. The night was surprisingly not that hot. They had plenty of fans out there that kept the air moving. Raiford was on hi game as usual. he made at least three costume changes and the fog machines were blowing all night. The party raised a lot of money for the Boys and Girls Clubs. More than 700 people attended the party and if you were 25 to 30, you couldn't possibly find a bigger collection of eligible bachelors and really good looking women.
The party originally started a few years ago as just a fun event put on by Ben Buffington, Randy Smith and others at a High Point Terrace. the party grew and grew to the point where it was ready to be moved to a bigger location -- the botanic gardens. The party is just another reason that Memphis is a great place to live. First of all, it was a lot of fun. Second, it shows that Memphis is the kind of place where people can make a difference and you can start new things here.
The party originally started a few years ago as just a fun event put on by Ben Buffington, Randy Smith and others at a High Point Terrace. the party grew and grew to the point where it was ready to be moved to a bigger location -- the botanic gardens. The party is just another reason that Memphis is a great place to live. First of all, it was a lot of fun. Second, it shows that Memphis is the kind of place where people can make a difference and you can start new things here.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
College Football is Back
Although it is hotter than a firecracker outside, college football players all over the South are reporting for fall two-a-days. Memphis is located close to some great college football. Tennessee is closer than you think. Tuscaloosa, Fayetteville and Baton Rouge are too. Of course just an hour from Memphis is Oxford, home to Ole Miss. Add to that mix the eternal optimism that exists at the University of Memphis (some years justified) and you will find a lot of really happy college football fans in Memphis this time of year.
Whether you are an Ole Miss fan or not, one of the things that all Memphians should do at least once is take in a football game in Oxford. "The Grove" is a relatively small wooded park in the middle of the University of Mississippi campus. For home games, the Grove is filled with tents, awnings, tarps, coolers, beer, bourbon, Little Abner's chicken, table cloths and all of the fixings that you'd need to have a great tailgate. The Grove is also filled with some of the most beautiful women that you'll ever see in one spot -- and they're not just college students. It doesn't seem to matter there how old the woman is, they are pretty much all stunning. It's well worth it to spend some time in the Grove just taking in the whole atmosphere. Memphis is really lucky to have the Grove just an hour away. Oxford is a great little town and is worth a day trip just about any time of year, but especially on football Saturdays in the fall.
University of Memphis games are a lot of fun as well. The Highland Hundred, the boosters of the Tigers often have a big tailgate in the parking lot of the Liberty Bowl on the south side of the stadium. Harold Byrd and the Bank of Bartlett frequently have a great tailgate as well. If you just go to Toby Park, near the stadium, you'll almost always find plenty of people tailgating and having a great time.
There has been a lot of press about the Liberty Bowl and renovations needed to it. Certainly, the Liberty Bowl needs a face lift and I'm sure there are some other things that need to be addressed. I'll tell you though that there really isn't a bad seat in the place. The sight lines in the Liberty Bowl are great. It's a fun place to watch a college football game.
Knoxville, Tuscaloosa and Fayetteville are all also special places to see a college football game. Trips to these places from Memphis are more than a day trip but all are within an easy drive.
College football is just another reason that it's great to live in Memphis.
Whether you are an Ole Miss fan or not, one of the things that all Memphians should do at least once is take in a football game in Oxford. "The Grove" is a relatively small wooded park in the middle of the University of Mississippi campus. For home games, the Grove is filled with tents, awnings, tarps, coolers, beer, bourbon, Little Abner's chicken, table cloths and all of the fixings that you'd need to have a great tailgate. The Grove is also filled with some of the most beautiful women that you'll ever see in one spot -- and they're not just college students. It doesn't seem to matter there how old the woman is, they are pretty much all stunning. It's well worth it to spend some time in the Grove just taking in the whole atmosphere. Memphis is really lucky to have the Grove just an hour away. Oxford is a great little town and is worth a day trip just about any time of year, but especially on football Saturdays in the fall.
University of Memphis games are a lot of fun as well. The Highland Hundred, the boosters of the Tigers often have a big tailgate in the parking lot of the Liberty Bowl on the south side of the stadium. Harold Byrd and the Bank of Bartlett frequently have a great tailgate as well. If you just go to Toby Park, near the stadium, you'll almost always find plenty of people tailgating and having a great time.
There has been a lot of press about the Liberty Bowl and renovations needed to it. Certainly, the Liberty Bowl needs a face lift and I'm sure there are some other things that need to be addressed. I'll tell you though that there really isn't a bad seat in the place. The sight lines in the Liberty Bowl are great. It's a fun place to watch a college football game.
Knoxville, Tuscaloosa and Fayetteville are all also special places to see a college football game. Trips to these places from Memphis are more than a day trip but all are within an easy drive.
College football is just another reason that it's great to live in Memphis.
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