The South Main Arts District in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

makes up the southern portion of

Downtown Memphis Downtown Memphis, Tennessee is the central business district of Memphis, Tennessee and is located along the Mississippi River between Interstate 40 to the north, Interstate 55 to the south and I-240 to the east, where it abuts Midtown Memphis. It ...

. It is located along South Main Street and is within the South Main Street Historic District.

Attractions

Points of historical interest

Two great points of historical interest in Memphis reside in this area. One is the

National Civil Rights Museum The National Civil Rights Museum is a complex of museums and historic buildings in Memphis, Tennessee; its exhibits trace the history of the civil rights movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present. The museum is built aro ...

. The other is the historic restaurant the Arcade, located on the south corner of South Main and G.E. Patterson. It is the oldest coffee shop and one of the oldest family owned restaurants in Memphis. Elvis used to hang out at the Arcade and it has become a favorite among filmmakers; several movies have had scenes filmed at the diner-styled restaurant.

Art Trolley tour

On the last Friday of each month, an event called "Trolley Night" is put on by the South Main Association, as well as owners of the South Main businesses and art galleries. From 6-9 pm, this includes free MATA trolley service up and down Main Street, open art galleries, and longer hours for most area shops and restaurants.

Locations and buildings

Several notable locations and buildings are located in the South Main district. *

Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

Films

The South Main district has been featured in many films, sometimes as just background scenery in Memphis, sometimes masquerading as an older version of

Beale Street Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of blues music. Today, t ...

. Some of the films featuring scenes from the South Main district are: * '' The Firm'' — Tom Cruise and the FBI meet at The Arcade Restaurant. * ''

21 Grams ''21 Grams'' is a 2003 American psychological drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu from a screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston and Benicio Del Toro. The sec ...

'' * ''

Hustle & Flow ''Hustle & Flow'' is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain. It stars Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper. It als ...

'' * ''

Walk the Line ''Walk the Line'' is a 2005 American biographical musical romantic drama film directed by James Mangold. The screenplay, written by Mangold and Gill Dennis, is based on two autobiographies authored by singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, 1975's '' M ...

'' — The scenes shown on "Beale Street" are actually South Main, somewhat dressed up and slightly CGI enhanced. * '' Black Snake Moan'' — While most of the movie was shot in the Pyramid, several scenes were shot on South Main as well. * ''

My Blueberry Nights ''My Blueberry Nights'' is a 2007 romantic drama film directed by Wong Kar-wai, his first feature in English. The screenplay by Wong and Lawrence Block is based on a Chinese-language short film written and directed by Wong. ''My Blueberry Nights' ...

'' — Filmed inside Ernestine and Hazel's and the Arcade Restaurant, as well as several exterior shots along South Main and G.E. Patterson. * '' Nothing But the Truth'' — Scenes were shot at the Arcade Restaurant (which is transformed via green screen special effects into a Washington eatery). * ''

Mystery Train "Mystery Train" is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Junior Parker in 1953. Originally performed in the style of a Memphis blues or rhythm and blues tune, it was inspired by earlier songs and later became a popular rockabi ...

'' — Not only shot in Memphis, but the front entrance of the Arcade Restaurant is depicted on the movie poster. * ''

Great Balls of Fire "Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 popular song recorded by American rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie '' Jamboree''. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer. The Jerry Lee Lewis 1957 rec ...

'' * '' Elizabethtown'' — Scenes shown in the National Civil Rights Museum, Ernestine and Hazel's, and the Arcade Restaurant. * '' Lovely By Surprise'' — Scene filmed in the Arcade Restaurant. * ''

The Client Client(s) or The Client may refer to: * Client (business) * Client (computing), hardware or software that accesses a remote service on another computer * Customer or client, a recipient of goods or services in return for monetary or other valuabl ...

References

External links

Arcade Restaurant

National Civil Rights Museum
{{Registered Historic Places Neighborhoods in Memphis, Tennessee Arts districts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Memphis, Tennessee