University District

The University District is home to Memphis’ largest institution of higher learning, The University of Memphis. The district is made of several distinct neighborhoods, including East Buntyn, Sherwood Forest, and Normal Station. Its main drag, a two-block strip of Highland Avenue known as the Highland Strip, is a staple of Memphis nightlife and offers food and drinks to fuel any study session. Recently, planning has focused on prioritizing pedestrians, including building standards for storefronts and updated railroad crossing to suit the university’s 20,000-plus students.  

Feature Story Mixed-use building The Marshall is located at 676 Marshall near Sun Studios. (Submitted)
Feature Story On March 2, all eight Memphis-area mosques are participating in the 17th annual community open house. (Submitted)
Feature Story Highland Row is one of the many new mixed-use, high density developments to be built on or near the Highland Strip in the last few years. (Ziggy Mack)

High-rises on Highland are a test for Memphis 3.0


Feature Story Sheahan Water Pumping Station located near University of Memphis main campus was built in the 1930s and still shows signs of the 1950s Cold War. (Ziggy Mack)
Feature Story U of M
Feature Story The Tennessean, the luxury liner that replaced the Memphis Special as the main passenger train on the Southern Railway in 1941. (Memphis Public Libraries)
Feature Story Flash lines the wall at Trilogy Tattoo and Piercing located at 530 South Highland Street in the University District. (Cole Bradley)
Feature Story The old Messick School graduated its last high school class in 1982. It's currently an administrative facility for Shelby County Schools, but community leaders hope it will soon be transformed into a mixed-use community hub. (Ziggy Mack)

The past and possibility of old Messick High


Feature Story The burial site of Harry Madison, one of two headstones in the Madison-Eckles Cemetery Park that is still legible. (Ziggy Mack)
Feature Story At Tiger Bookstore, Tigers branded merchandise accounts for 40 percent of gross sales. (Cole Bradley)
Feature Story Fabrics with vibrant patterns for sale at African Kingdom at Park Avenue and Getwell Road. (Submitted)