Stories

Feature Story Katie Gore, founder and creative director of Fox + Cat Vintage shop in Midtown. (Kiki Whartenby)

Women working it: Katie Gore finds new audiences for fashion from the past

Native Memphian and small business owner, Katie Gore, entered the world of vintage via her Etsy shop, and two years later, launched her shop at 2153 Central Avenue, right by Urban Outfitters and Railgarten.


Feature Story Student entrepreneur Barak Muhammad makes gardening a family affair as he explains how to use a garden claw to his younger brother. (Cole Bradley)

Kingsbury High grows health and entrepreneurship with city’s first student-led farmers market

On July 28, Kingsbury High will host Memphis’ first farmers market organized and run by kids. They’re part of a hands-on educational program teaching gardening and business skills that can help youth move the needle on food insecurity in their communities.

Feature Story The Dave Wells House features striking original woodwork. (Brandon Dahlberg)

In photos: Historic Uptown homes give a foundation to the neighborhood's new development

Uptown, the oldest subdivision in Memphis, is defined by its reinvention. As historic structures have been demolished to remedy blight and facilitate progress, the remaining historic homes stand in stark contrast to the momentum of new development and provide a window into the long history of the neighborhood.

Feature Story Annie Jones plays Bingo at the Bickford Community Center in Uptown. (Brandon Dahlberg)

The elder’s circle: Reflections on 50 years of Uptown history

Uptown and The Pinch are poised for a major investment in its future, but there’s a risk of losing the detailed histories of its past. We sat down with longtime residents for stories of the Uptown they remember and their thoughts on the Uptown of tomorrow.


Feature Story A rendering of the Pinch District's potential redevelopment. (LRK)

A pinch of transformation: Institutions work together to reimagine the historic Pinch District

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is at the vanguard of a wave of development activity on the way finally to the Pinch after years of neglect in the district.


Feature Story A new ruling states that Tennessee can no longer revoke driver’s licenses from people who cannot afford court fees.

Tennessee's practice of suspending licenses from those who owe court fees is found unconstitutional

“We tend to see misdemeanor driving as irresponsible or someone being dishonest and even criminal when honestly, we who are middle-class forget to pay our fines every day and are not faced with the threat of having a suspended license for more than a year."

Development News 18 S. Main rendering

Two blighted Downtown properties to get lively makeovers

Developers Tom Intrator of 18 S Main Mem, LLC and Nick Patel of TCH Memphis, LLC announced upcoming construction on two Downtown redevelopment projects: a mixed-use building in the South Main Arts District and a new hotel on the east end of Beale Street.


Feature Story Lucy Hargrove, founder of online magazine Grrlpunch.

Women working it: Meet Memphis' 20-year-old creating new outlets for grrls' voices

Lucy Hargrove, the editor-in-chief and founder of Grrlpunch, tells us about her journey through starting her own publication as a high school student and the unique, passionate voices she showcases through the magazine.

Feature Story The front of the Burkle estate and Slave Haven museum as seen from North Second Street. (Brandon Dahlberg)

People's power: Memphis’ early history of race, resistance, and Black political power

A 160-year-old farmhouse-turned-museum in Uptown details Memphis’ participation in the slave trade and Underground Railroad, but it’s only one piece of the city’s story of collective resistance and powerful Black influence.


Feature Story horse

Video: The origin story of Downtown's horse-drawn carriages

Downtown Memphis needed a positive image makeover in the 1970s. So, Jake Schorr reached far into the city's past and launched a horse and carriage company. Decades later, his carriages are a staple on Downtown streets and are loved by tourists and residents.

Featured Post Baptist Memorial Health Care along with several partners recently hosted a “Black Men in White Coats” youth summit designed to help pave the way for minority students to pursue a career in medicine.

Memphis hospitals building a more diverse workforce

Diversity has made its way into the corner office, less so the broader employee base of many Memphis hospitals.


Innovation & Job News The independent craft brewer seal is a handy tool for enthusiasts to easily differentiate beer from craft brewers and beer produced by "big beer.".

Independent craft brewer seal helps distinguish Wiseacre as a truly local brew

About 57 percent of Tennessee brewers have adopted the Brewers Association's independent craft brewer seal meant to help beer drinkers determine if their favorites brews truly meets the "craft" standard.

Innovation & Job News The Memphis mixed-use project includes new construction and adaptive reuse.

Artspace lifts up artists to build capacity and community

Artspace Immersion is an 18-month cohort program designed to build local capacity for creating and maintaining affordable space for arts, cultural, and creative pursuits. Artspace has transformed neighborhoods across the United States through more than 40 arts-related projects.


Feature Story Women from a Straight Farm Whitehaven's canning class pose with their finished products. Once the skill of preserving is learned, the women can use it to can and preserve produce at home. (Kimberly Dobbins)

Whitehaven homesteading movement gets the neighborhood back to its roots

A small community garden and a commercial kitchen have launched a new Whitehaven homesteading movement that hopes to earn residents cash and plant the seeds for grassroots community revitalization.

Feature Story Yvonne and David Acey (Brandon Dahlberg)

Three Memphis couples reflect on running their own businesses together

Spending an extra 40 or more hours a week with your spouse might not sound ideal to some couples, but for others, it’s the happiest and most efficient way to live and work.


Development News Heights Line enhancement project

Community LIFT grants lead to grassroots neighborhood development

Community cohesion is the focus for Community Lift as it begins the application process for this year’s round of micro-grants for its Empowerment Fund, now in its second year.


Development News St. Patrick Presbyterian Church

Neighborhood Christian Centers to expand with Collierville location

Nonprofit Neighborhood Christian Centers, which assisted 53,000 people in need last year, will be opening its eighth area location later this summer. Initially, the center will be housed in St. Patrick Presbyterian Church on New Byhalia Road in Collierville, with a target demographic of helping the poor southeast Shelby County.


Development News Hopdoddy East Memphis

Hopdoddy opening second Memphis location

Just a couple of months after entering the Memphis market in Midtown at Overton Square, Hopdoddy Burger Bar is preparing a new East Memphis location with ground-up construction at the site of a former Sears Automotive Center.


Innovation & Job News Leslie Lynn Smith, Epicenter president and CEO.

$15 million loan fund focuses on growing minority and women-owned businesses in Memphis

In an effort to chip away lending disparities, Epicenter, a local nonprofit entrepreneurial engine, has partnered with Pathway Lending, a regional nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution, to launch the Memphis Small Business Opportunity Loan Fund.


Feature Story Lydia Walker walks between the building which houses the Memphis CHiLD clinic and the LeBonheur's main campus. (Brandon Dahlberg)

When your child has a medical diagnosis, you just might need a lawyer

An interdisciplinary initiative of Memphis legal and medical giants creates opportunities for low-income families to get help for legal and environmental issues that affect their children’s health.