On my way home this morning I encountered several road obstructions. Apparently there is some running event going on around Overton Park. It was particularly annoying in that they had a couple lanes of west bound Poplar blocked off.
If you are heading into Midtown today, exercise caution. I'm not sure how affected traffic will be due to this.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Memphis Schools
As many of you probably know by now, the Memphis school board has decided to postpone the first day of school indefinitely. This is a major failing of the city government. How can they be expected to run a city if they cannot take care of something so important as the education of our children?
Before you start glaring angrily at the BoE, first understand some things. This problem isn't new. The City of Memphis has regularly short changed the BoE. Some 9 million dollars are still owed from last year. This time the BoE decided to use a drastic tactic: keeping the schools closed. This is going to cause significant problems to not only those who make a living in education, but to the children and to the families of the children. Parents cannot afford to take time off of work nor are they able to leave their children alone for most of the day.
The council has dropped the ball. They gave a "tax break" to land owners and gave a pay increase to city employees. Now these aren't bad things when a governing body can afford it, but these breaks and raises came from money that was supposed to be allocated for the schools. Wake up people! Of course the BoE is going to play hard ball after getting fucked for so many years.
Politicians need to be woken up. They need to realize what's important and to do what's right for the people, not their own (or their friends') wallets. We the people need to wake up and stop letting those we elect to abuse their powers or to make stupid decisions.
Before you start glaring angrily at the BoE, first understand some things. This problem isn't new. The City of Memphis has regularly short changed the BoE. Some 9 million dollars are still owed from last year. This time the BoE decided to use a drastic tactic: keeping the schools closed. This is going to cause significant problems to not only those who make a living in education, but to the children and to the families of the children. Parents cannot afford to take time off of work nor are they able to leave their children alone for most of the day.
The council has dropped the ball. They gave a "tax break" to land owners and gave a pay increase to city employees. Now these aren't bad things when a governing body can afford it, but these breaks and raises came from money that was supposed to be allocated for the schools. Wake up people! Of course the BoE is going to play hard ball after getting fucked for so many years.
Politicians need to be woken up. They need to realize what's important and to do what's right for the people, not their own (or their friends') wallets. We the people need to wake up and stop letting those we elect to abuse their powers or to make stupid decisions.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Italian Fest
Summers in Memphis generally mean two things; horribly hot weather and festivals. One of the largest is the Italian Festival. There's cooking, games, music, beer and more.
This year it will be held June 2-4. There is a small fee, but it's well worth it. $7 on the 2nd, 10 on the 3rd and 4th. On the 4th after 4pm the fee will be $13.
It's a lot of fun and always has great food. I unfortunately will be overseas so won't be able to enjoy the fun. Maybe next year.
This year it will be held June 2-4. There is a small fee, but it's well worth it. $7 on the 2nd, 10 on the 3rd and 4th. On the 4th after 4pm the fee will be $13.
It's a lot of fun and always has great food. I unfortunately will be overseas so won't be able to enjoy the fun. Maybe next year.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Mother Tucker
So needing some food quick I decided to order from Tucker's. This time I decided to go with a cheese burger, but not just any burger, a Mother Tucker. Tucker's hamburgers are usually 1/2 pounders, but this one was a full pound. Normally I don't like eating like that, but I needed a lot of food.
The burger was delicious. I'm not sure how they season it, but it works. I would say it rivals Huey's as best burger in Memphis. It was like an old fashioned, grilled burger. It was delightful.
For sides you have four options: fries, seasoned fries, chips, or potato salad. I went with the seasoned fries. Hands down without a doubt these were the best seasoned fries I have ever had. They were awesome. Not sure how they do it, but man, it's good.
For this great meal I paid just over $10. A little high, but worth it.
Though I was thoroughly pleased with my meal, I did encounter somethings that irked me. The first was the cook time. I placed my order before the evening rush (approximately 4pm) and it took them 25 minutes to make. I was pretty hungry and was hoping to eat quickly, but instead had to wait around. It's worth the wait, but you need to make sure you call well before you're hungry.
I recommend this place for it's burgers. Definitely better than their pizza.
The burger was delicious. I'm not sure how they season it, but it works. I would say it rivals Huey's as best burger in Memphis. It was like an old fashioned, grilled burger. It was delightful.
For sides you have four options: fries, seasoned fries, chips, or potato salad. I went with the seasoned fries. Hands down without a doubt these were the best seasoned fries I have ever had. They were awesome. Not sure how they do it, but man, it's good.
For this great meal I paid just over $10. A little high, but worth it.
Though I was thoroughly pleased with my meal, I did encounter somethings that irked me. The first was the cook time. I placed my order before the evening rush (approximately 4pm) and it took them 25 minutes to make. I was pretty hungry and was hoping to eat quickly, but instead had to wait around. It's worth the wait, but you need to make sure you call well before you're hungry.
I recommend this place for it's burgers. Definitely better than their pizza.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tucker's
I was feeling the need for some pizza last night and didn't feel like going over to my regular place on Highland. So I headed around the corner from my apartment to Tuckers. It's a straight up take out restaurant. The only difference is their menu. They honestly have just about anything: steaks, seafood, sub sandwiches, pizza, pasta and a lot more. Their prices are pretty reasonable as well, about $9-10 for a nice portion of whatever.
I went for their Meaty pizza. It was good, but no Juicy Jim's. I think they will be my back up pizza place. I'm going to try their food again, but so far it's just good, nothing fantastic. That being said I believe that it's a great place. It's in Midtown, open till 2am, reasonably priced, has good food and is just a general cool place. It's just that I've been spoiled on pizza.
I went for their Meaty pizza. It was good, but no Juicy Jim's. I think they will be my back up pizza place. I'm going to try their food again, but so far it's just good, nothing fantastic. That being said I believe that it's a great place. It's in Midtown, open till 2am, reasonably priced, has good food and is just a general cool place. It's just that I've been spoiled on pizza.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Bosco's
Bosco's was something of legend for me. I had heard of it ever since I had first moved to Memphis back in 2000. I first went there last October. It was amazing. The food is spectacular, but that's only part of the reason for going there. The main draw to this great Memphis restaurant is the beer. It was Memphis' first brew pub. Located on Overton Square, it has long been a Memphis establishment.
Last night I went with a couple new friends. They go every Saturday afternoon. I learned a lot from them about beer and Memphis in general.
I had the Isle of Skye stout, the Irish Red, and the Stock Ale. All of those were delicious. I would have eaten too, but I felt guilty as I had food back at my place. Bosco's diverse beer menu is usually limited to 8 beers. Four are always on tap and four are seasonal. It's a great idea as it makes people come in all year to try the different beers.
This is a great bar to hang out at and to grab a beer or dinner. It's a bit pricey, but you get what you paid for. Don't waste your time going to a chain restaurant if you're in town for just a few days, go for this Memphis landmark.
The location of Bosco's makes it easy to do an old fashioned pub crawl. You can easily walk to several different bars and enjoy Midtown Memphis. And as always, don't drink and drive. If you're staying in downtown, you can get a taxi for cheap to get to Midtown.
This is a repost from my beer blog.
Last night I went with a couple new friends. They go every Saturday afternoon. I learned a lot from them about beer and Memphis in general.
I had the Isle of Skye stout, the Irish Red, and the Stock Ale. All of those were delicious. I would have eaten too, but I felt guilty as I had food back at my place. Bosco's diverse beer menu is usually limited to 8 beers. Four are always on tap and four are seasonal. It's a great idea as it makes people come in all year to try the different beers.
This is a great bar to hang out at and to grab a beer or dinner. It's a bit pricey, but you get what you paid for. Don't waste your time going to a chain restaurant if you're in town for just a few days, go for this Memphis landmark.
The location of Bosco's makes it easy to do an old fashioned pub crawl. You can easily walk to several different bars and enjoy Midtown Memphis. And as always, don't drink and drive. If you're staying in downtown, you can get a taxi for cheap to get to Midtown.
This is a repost from my beer blog.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Train
For Memphians the train means one thing: delays and inconvenience. Okay, that's two things, but you get the idea. The train is just that, a train. It runs cargo from Memphis to points East and vice versa. The only problem is that it cuts through major parts of Memphis. From Collierville in the East to the University of Memphis area this train can potentially shut down large North-South avenues.
Usually when the train rumbles through you can expect delays of about 5-10 minutes. However, every so often the train stops and can remain motionless for several minutes. This is the bane of many U of M students as one of the larger parking lots is located south of "the tracks". Many professors allow the reason "caught by the train" as a legitimate excuse for being tardy to class.
Another annoyance caused by the train its horrible, high pitched horn. The engineer will often blast this infernal device several times while approaching busy intersections. Sometimes it feels that they are doing it out of spite for those who live near the tracks. You can even hear the horn on Poplar (sometimes further out) ,about a mile away.
I know of only three ways you can bypass the train. You can either 1) take the interstate or 2) use the bridge at Ridgeway or 3) the tunnel on Central Avenue west of Poplar. The best methods are 1 and 2. 3 is pretty dodgy as it's in a rougher neighborhood and is actually a perfect place for an ambush. I highly recommend against using the third method.
Since coming to Memphis 10 years ago I have become accustomed to the train. No longer do I scream and pound my fist into the steering wheel when I get caught by the train. Well actually yes I do. I still hate it, but it is a fact of living in Memphis.
Usually when the train rumbles through you can expect delays of about 5-10 minutes. However, every so often the train stops and can remain motionless for several minutes. This is the bane of many U of M students as one of the larger parking lots is located south of "the tracks". Many professors allow the reason "caught by the train" as a legitimate excuse for being tardy to class.
Another annoyance caused by the train its horrible, high pitched horn. The engineer will often blast this infernal device several times while approaching busy intersections. Sometimes it feels that they are doing it out of spite for those who live near the tracks. You can even hear the horn on Poplar (sometimes further out) ,about a mile away.
I know of only three ways you can bypass the train. You can either 1) take the interstate or 2) use the bridge at Ridgeway or 3) the tunnel on Central Avenue west of Poplar. The best methods are 1 and 2. 3 is pretty dodgy as it's in a rougher neighborhood and is actually a perfect place for an ambush. I highly recommend against using the third method.
Since coming to Memphis 10 years ago I have become accustomed to the train. No longer do I scream and pound my fist into the steering wheel when I get caught by the train. Well actually yes I do. I still hate it, but it is a fact of living in Memphis.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Sam Cooper traffic
I was heading home the other day, going West on Sam Cooper Boulevard, when I noticed that the East bound lanes were completely bogged down. The traffic stretched about 1 or 2 miles back from the beginning of the jam. It appeared that construction was the root of this. So be advised, if you are leaving Midtown, use an alternative route than Sam Cooper.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Memphis Streets
In Memphis, there is a saying; you can get anywhere in town by taking Poplar. It's true. Poplar runs from basically the Mississippi River to parts East. You can literally go from down town to East Memphis to other cities in Shelby County. It is the street in Memphis.
If you can find Poplar, you can find just about anything in Memphis.
The way Memphis is set up is basically a grid. There is Poplar, Union/Walnut Grove, Summer and Park which all run East-West. There are several small streets which run North-South, but the East-West ones are more important. The main North-South streets are: Highland, Perkins, Mendenhall, White Station and Germantown Parkway. Those are in order from West to East.
Memphis is a pretty easy city to navigate, unlike other cities such as Nashville (more on this later). The only bad thing is that Memphis is spread out and travel times can be very long. Also, gas tends to go fast. I personally think that surface streets are better than the interstates, unless you are going to Collierville or to Mississippi. The interstate loops around the city and actually leads you well out of your way. I find them to be annoying and often a waste of time.
As I said, Poplar is the main avenue in Memphis. If you can find Poplar, you can find just about anything.
*Note* Numbers increase from West to East.
If you can find Poplar, you can find just about anything in Memphis.
The way Memphis is set up is basically a grid. There is Poplar, Union/Walnut Grove, Summer and Park which all run East-West. There are several small streets which run North-South, but the East-West ones are more important. The main North-South streets are: Highland, Perkins, Mendenhall, White Station and Germantown Parkway. Those are in order from West to East.
Memphis is a pretty easy city to navigate, unlike other cities such as Nashville (more on this later). The only bad thing is that Memphis is spread out and travel times can be very long. Also, gas tends to go fast. I personally think that surface streets are better than the interstates, unless you are going to Collierville or to Mississippi. The interstate loops around the city and actually leads you well out of your way. I find them to be annoying and often a waste of time.
As I said, Poplar is the main avenue in Memphis. If you can find Poplar, you can find just about anything.
*Note* Numbers increase from West to East.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Living in Memphis
Well, here I am again with another blog. This one will be focused on living and lifestyle in Memphis. I really feel that this city has a lot to offer, but many people miss out due to Memphis' bad reputation. It's sad and I want to do my part in restoring Memphis' good name.
I hope you enjoy.
I hope you enjoy.
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