I’ve been thinking a bit about where I want to take them during their stay here. Here’s a list of Memphis places we will hit up with some or all of the group when they are here.

Pre-Wedding List:

• Graceland (I’ve never even been)
• Beale Street
• Memphis Zoo
• Gus’s Fried Chicken
• Las Tortugas (Deli Mexicana)
• Soul Fish Cafe
• Huey’s
• The Flying Saucer
• Kooky Canuck
• Arcade Restaurant

I know I’m forgetting stuff and of course they all want to go to fast food places. But I’m going to force them to eat at least some of the above since most will also have a chance to eat whatever when they go on a roadtrip after Memphis. Regardless, they might leave weighing 10 pounds more than when they came.

Wedding:

• Central BBQ
• Muddy’s Bakeshop

That’s a pretty good roundup of my favorite Memphis stuff that I think I can work in to their visit in between/with wedding events going on. It’s going to be awesome! I love showing off the city to people!

He seems to have the worst Fridays. So far he has lost his body, lost an eye, had his heart cut out then speared, had his head taken apart… when will it end? Poor Mr. Clock Radio suffers on to live another day.

I remember watching that mural as it was created. Perhaps the fact that I watched it’s creation is why I’m so attached to it. Or maybe it’s just because it’s an amazing splash of color in an otherwise boring and bland block of buildings that makes up the downtown area.

I think Memphis is ugly. It is. It’s an ugly city.

There are some bright spots in the city. Certain arts districts and parks that are bright and fun. But the majority of Memphis is ugly and feels rundown – a sea of gray and brown. It’s an overwhelmingly bland neutral palette that can bring down even the happiest of people.

When I think about Memphis I think of a charming city with great music and delicious food. Sure it’s got it’s problems, but overall it’s a pretty great place. However, what I know about the city and what I often see are two different things. I wish the exterior matched the true heart of the city.

Something that will never happen but I wish it would every time I walk past another boring building – some of the buildings downtown should paint themselves various bright shades. The city itself could become an art project (and a tourist destination) in one swift move. Since that won’t be happening we could at the very least keep supporting Urban Art so more large scale art projects will be created downtown and elsewhere in the city. It’s so exciting to see new projects happening all the time. I’m super excited about all the I love Memphis murals that will be done this summer.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if Memphis was known as an arts city? If people came to the city to explore the numerous and spectacular art projects all across the city? Wouldn’t it be awesome is Memphis was beautiful on the outside too? Is art alive in Memphis?

I might not live in Memphis forever (yeah, I won’t) but I want good things for this city. There is something about it that grew on me over the years and made me fall in love with it – good and bad. I wish I had a magic wand to wave away all the bad and accentuate all the good…. and more importantly to make the city a prettier place full of color and wonder. Memphis deserves that.

If you haven’t checked out Urban Art Commission’s new website you definitely should do that. I was checking it out today at work (because Rocket Fuel built it!) and that’ part of what inspired this post. They are doing some really great things with art in the city.

The Rocket Fuel team is great. (Hey, look! A link to work! SEO! OMG! Must make Rocket Fuel rank higher!) Of all the Memphis web design companies, I definitely landed at the right one. They are incredibly fun and I am having the best first week of work ever. It’s a good match. It’s also nice to be working in Downtown Memphis again.

:)

Things I’m excited about:

• Seeing my family and spending time with them!
• Eating at Central BBQ, Las Tortugas, Chick-Fil-A, and Muddy’s Bakeshop
• Working with the cool group at Rocket Fuel
• Planning a fun low key wedding more easily than from abroad
• Playing/walking/biking in Shelby Farms
• Visiting the zoo on Tuesdays with my brother

Things I’m iffy about:

• Missing my fiance for 6 months
• Learning the bus system and riding the bus to work daily/being carless
• Time management: planning a wedding while working and trying to be healthy

So there are a few things that will be challenging. But the major awesome things on the first list outweigh them by far. I’m getting more and more excited about coming back to Memphis. Or maybe it’s just being back in the US. I’m already starting to make my list of things I need/want to buy to bring back to New Zealand when I leave again. I can’t wait! :)

History is awesome. Great project guys!

We celebrated with lunch at Las Tortugas in Germantown.

And had Jerry’s Sno Cones in Memphis.

We chilled in Audobon Park in Memphis.

And for dinner we ate at Central BBQ in Memphis.

It was kind of the perfect day of love, food, celebration, and Memphis.

I love being engaged and I’m glad it happened here. Memphis will always be a special place for me.

One project that I thought should exist is a site for Memphis photography.  Something that showcases amateur and professional photography for one reason: to show everyone how beautiful and awesome the city of Memphis is.  To my knowledge nothing like this existed already.  But it should.

Long, long ago (sometime during college) I bought the domain name shootmemphis.com with vague ideas about something like this.  I neglected it and forgot about it and would every once in a while throw a photo up there.  I never made it a huge focus of what I did online.  Now I’ve decided to change that and donate a few minute of my day to making a blog celebrating Memphis and its photography a reality.

I know I’m not going to live around here forever.  But while I’m still here I want to celebrate it.  And I want to help others do the same. In the midst of all the discussion about whether Memphis is miserable or whether it’s not, I think more things like this are needed.

So check out the site.  Help me by contributing YOUR photos of Memphis (email me) or send me a message on flickr (I’m here). Let me know if you have photos of Memphis you want to share.  And if you are or know a Memphis photographer, list your services in the Memphis photographers directory.  But more than anything, if you live here… appreciate it.  Look for something GOOD in the place instead of accepting some label a magazine gave you.

Congrats Memphis, you are the Third Most Miserable City in America!

Yes, congratulations are in order.  Last year we were second.  So we are moving in the right direction! Or someone is getting worse?  Either way… go Memphis!

I wonder, who actually pays attention to these rankings?  I mean, Miami and Chicago are cities on the list and I find both of those cities to be awesome places.  And I think Memphis is pretty nifty too.  Is it miserable?  Are any of the cities on the list “miserable”?  Only if you want them to be.

You can live in the most beautiful place in the world and be miserable.  You can live in a “miserable” place and be happy.  Much, if not all of this, is up to you.

Personally, I’m choosing to be happy wherever I am. Or at least try.  Isn’t that more fun than being miserable?

I Love Memphis. This blog is written by Kerry, previously from the CA and The Memphis Blog. She LOVES Memphis and wants to share with everyone else why she loves the city so much. From her funny scavenger hunts to her photo album of people who love Memphis too, this is one of the things right with Memphis.

Something Good In Memphis. Speaking of things good in Memphis, did you know there is a whole website dedicated to those things? There is and it is awesome. Through this MIFA sponsored project you can learn about the people and events and places in Memphis that make the city a great place to live.  You can even nominate someone who you think is something good in Memphis.

Smart City Memphis. The blog from Smart City Consulting exists to show how Memphis can change through fresh approaches and new ideas.  This blog looks at the bright future Memphis can have once citizens start thinking about the city in a new way.

Gates Of Memphis. Gates of Memphis is a blog started by a Memphis resident interested in architecture and the city.  The blog is devoted to the preservation and creation of an architectural presence in Memphis.

Memphis Connect. Developed by The Leadership Academy, Memphis Connect is an online space where all Memphians can discuss the various elements that inspire them to make Memphis their home. This blog contains hundreds of posts about the best places and events in Memphis, and shows off why some people love Memphis as much as they do.

Photography by Amie Vanderford. This blog is a little bit different from the others, but still very positive about the city.  Amie’s currently working on a 365 (or 360) Memphians project, creating portraits of awesome citizens of Memphis.

Those are just a few of the websites out there working to show off the positive in Memphis.  There are and should be even more because Memphis is and can be a great city.