Uptown Memphis was once a place full of crime and racial tensions. However, at the dawn of the 21st century, the area has found itself growing and prospering with a renewed vigor thanks to the efforts of several community and business leaders taking an interest in the city. Located just north of Downtown, Uptown sits on the Mississippi River and is just east of Harbor Town, another neighborhood that has seen rapid growth in development.
The Uptown area is about 100 blocks wide and has an area of 2.151 square miles. It has a current population of around 6800 people, making it a fairly dense neighborhood when compared to the rest of Memphis. The median household income is $27,955. However, it is important to note that this figure has continued to grow every year since the redevelopment of the neighborhood began. The average age of the neighborhood is 34.3 years old for men and 34.2 years old for women, which is about the same as the rest of the city. Most of the people living in this neighborhood are not married, with only 14.5% of people being married. However, 39.9% of households are considered family households. Uptown has a high percentage of people who did not finish high school, which sits at 40%. Surprisingly, there are still 10% of the residents who finished at least a 4 year degree, which is only slightly lower than the rest of Memphis. This could indicate that education is becoming a larger and larger priority in the area. These numbers will continue to fluctuate rapidly as development continues throughout the neighborhood.
In the past, this neighborhood was a hotbed for the Civil Rights Movement. As the last century closed out and the new one rolled in, the neighborhood has seen both a cultural and financial Renaissance. Businesses have begun to open up and the area has seen one of the most dramatic revitalization projects in the country take root. Thousands of new homes have been built where the old, run down areas of the neighborhood have been razed. Although the residents currently moving into the area are fairly new, the culture of the brighter times of neighborhood still shine through. The blues played a big part in the neighborhood as many African American families moved in through the early 1950s. Elvis Presley even lived in the area during a brief part of his life in the late 1940's, before he became famous. The current culture of the neighborhood feels as fresh as the new buildings and businesses that dot the landscape. Coffee shops are opening on every corner. Bike lanes and pedestrian traffic are now being encouraged to cut down on the traffic. Young families are beginning to settle, turning it into a great place to raise kids. Everything about the culture of this neighborhood looks forward into the future while still remembering some of the good parts of the past.
The quality of life in this neighborhood is becoming more and more ideal as the rebuilding project moves forward. There are several areas that are still offering brand new lots with lots of floor plan options to choose from. There are also new businesses opening at almost a break neck speed, making it really easy to get to the things you would need in your day to day life. Part of the revitalization plan is renewed focus on neighborhood safety. This means that there are more police patrols through the neighborhood and the community has become more involved in preventing crime. While this doesn't mean that you can sleep with your door unlocked, it does mean that people are now making a positive effort to make the area safe for those who live there. While it used to be a problem getting around the area as a pedestrian, the new development project has focused on making the neighborhood walking friendly. They have also added bike paths on several of the streets and made sure the bus and trolley lines are fast and efficient. The weather in this part of Memphis is about the same as the rest of the south. It gets mildly cold in the winter and somewhat hot in the summer. The fall and spring bring decent temperatures with the occasional rain showers. Also, like most places in the south, the majority of the houses come with some kind of central heating and air unit.
Uptown is the home of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude's was founded in 1962 when the famous entertainer Danny Thomas decided to open up a hospital dedicated to helping children through life threatening diseases. They accept children suffering from diseases no matter if the family can afford to pay for the treatment or not. They will also help pay for any lodging or transportation even if a family cannot afford to do so. The hospital has made huge advances in the study of childhood diseases and has raised the survival rate of several common childhood diseases exponentially. They continue to be one of the world wide leaders in several different types of cancer, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is one of the most common forms of childhood cancer.
