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I’ve not visited downtown

Memphis since the early 1990s, so clearly my impressions from back then are probably meaningless. So once again, we’re going to visit via You Tube.

My first really favorable impression of

Memphis resulted from the movie “The Firm,” which pretty much is a best-case scenario for any city looking to elevate its profile. You have a

Hollywood star, Tom Cruise, at the top of his game, before he got all creepy jumping couches and evangelizing for Scientology. In his performance as a lawyer trying to outsmart the FBI and the mob, Cruise spends his time on
Beale Street

, the

Mud Island tram, and of course,

Memphis’ magnificent Peabody Hotel.

Yeah, it’s as good as it gets. Imagine a blockbuster filmed today in Bricktown, MidTown, the Skirvin Hilton,

First National Tower’s Great Banking Hall and along the

Oklahoma River at the Chesapeake Boathouse.

And yes,

Memphis is a city that recently crossed into major league status with the NBA Grizzlies.

But not everything is great in downtown Memphis. Ditto for downtown Wichita. More on that tomorrow. For now, let’s take the You Tube tour of downtown Memphis.

 First, let’s join this couple as they shop at Peabody Place (yes, this is what so many downtowns yearn for - actual retail):

And now, a family vacation along Beale Street:

And you’ve got to love this song…. (nope, Oklahoma Rising just isn’t the same as “Walking in Memphis”):

 

Posted: 25 May, 2008 |
Categories: You Tube Downtown Tour By: slackmeyer.