How bad is it to stay in East Memphis?

May 17, 2006 11:14 AM

Is it a bad idea to stay in East Memphis?

I've never been to Memphis before - we're planning to drive in from St. Louis for Memorial Day weekend. We're planning to visit the normal tourist attractions... Beale Street, Al Green's Church, Sun Records, Civil Rights Museum, lots of BBQ.

Hotels downtown are either sold out or priced too high ($160-200 per night). I've got a room booked at the Park Place hotel in East Memphis, about 20 minutes away. How much of a pain is it going to be to drive into town and park, considering it's a holiday weekend and there's a music festival on Sat night (Memphis in May)?

Also - anyone ever been to this hotel? Is it a nice, clean place? As nice as a Hampton Inn? Is it a nice neighborhood? Anything to walk to?

posted by kdern to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

It won't be too bad a drive. You'll easily find paid parking downtown and should even be able to find some for free (don't, however, stray too far south and east of the FedEx Forum).

If downtown is sold out, you might look into midtown. The French Quarter Suites are an older version of the Hampton Inn and in a nice little district with several theatres and a cinema. Midtown also offers the best BBQ with it's Barbeque Shop on Madison.
posted by jmgorman at 11:30 AM on May 17, 2006

Also - are there any cool shopping areas that we should check out? Something like Newbury Street in Boston or the Loop in St. Louis?
posted by kdern at 11:32 AM on May 17, 2006

God, I read this whole question like you saying "West Memphis" which is in Arkansas and really sucks. "East Memphis" is pretty much Germantown or just "Memphis." You are talking about the hotel on Poplar Ave.? It's not that far from downtown, but also not a great area for pedestrians. However, I would recommend that you go up the street to Corky's BBQ on Poplar near White Station Rd.
posted by mattbucher at 11:33 AM on May 17, 2006

Beale Street?
posted by mattbucher at 11:35 AM on May 17, 2006

Nevermind about Beale St. I see you mentioned it above. God, I wish I could delete my own posts....
posted by mattbucher at 11:36 AM on May 17, 2006

...and stop using "God," to start every sentence.

*logs out*
posted by mattbucher at 11:37 AM on May 17, 2006

Don't waste too much time on Beale St. It's really not anything special. If you want to hit up a good food/good drink place, try Huey's. Great atmosphere, and it's where the locals go.
posted by chrisfromthelc at 11:48 AM on May 17, 2006

East Memphis borders Germantown (as mattbucher said) and is where the rich people(tm) live, pretty much, so things down by that end seem to be fairly well taken care of. by the time you get out of downtown - even on relatively busy nights - Poplar and Union are pretty empty. in that area there's not a whole lot of anything to walk to, though there are a lot of things lining poplar. the only drawback I think there might be is that it's right next to Interstate 240. (since others have mentioned bbq, I'd recommend Central BBQ on Central Ave in midtown or the Rendezvous downtown.)

(also if you're in to seeing a fairly silly yet entertaining 50s style rockabilly-type show, and you'll be there on Wed., check out the Dempseys at Blues City Cafe on Beale at 9. they play elsewhere too.)
posted by mrg at 11:59 AM on May 17, 2006

I second jmgorman's suggestion of the French Quarter in Midtown. When I was there a year ago it was a bit ramshackle (but in a nice way), fun, and relatively affordable. I liked the neighborhood, too.
posted by tangerine at 2:05 PM on May 17, 2006

OK - I'm down to 2 hotels: Park Place in East Memphis or the Sleep Inn downtown near Beale Street. Which is a better choice overall??
posted by kdern at 4:30 PM on May 17, 2006

I'd try to stay in Midtown (French Quarter or I think there's a Holiday Inn on Union) and also avoid Corky's. Try Cozy Corner (North Parkway) or Rendezvous first. The Metalworks museum is very cool if you have time.

Just read the above. Go with the Sleep Inn (on Front St., right?)
posted by Frank Grimes at 8:11 PM on May 17, 2006