University District

The University District is home to Memphis’ largest institution of higher learning, The University of Memphis. The district is made of several distinct neighborhoods, including East Buntyn, Sherwood Forest, and Normal Station. Its main drag, a two-block strip of Highland Avenue known as the Highland Strip, is a staple of Memphis nightlife and offers food and drinks to fuel any study session. Recently, planning has focused on prioritizing pedestrians, including building standards for storefronts and updated railroad crossing to suit the university’s 20,000-plus students.

Stacy Bizzard (L) and her mother, Bonnie Harris, are co-owners of Ms. B's Sub Shop. They pose here in front of a wall of photos of satisfied customers. (Ziggy Mack)

Memphis sandwich legend Bonnie Harris finally has her own shop

You may not know her name, but you know her legendary sandwiches. After 43 years, the secret behind Chinese Sub Shop's success final has her own shop. 

Podcast: Safety and self-care with the YWCA and Total Woman Summit

Marquiepta Odom with the YWCA of Greater Memphis and Sherica Hymes, founder of Total Woman Summit, discuss this year's summit on September 28, the YWCA's work to support families fleeing domestic violence and how the summit and YWCA are working separately and together to empower women to put themselves first.

Al Harville (L) and Allison Hancock work together to finalize the design and layout on a client's order. (AJ Dugger III)
One of the city’s last locally-owned print shops thrives in the University District

For 13 years Minuteman Press has served a diverse set of local clients from its shop at Poplar and Highland. From books for the local Hindu temple to funeral programs, a typical day is anything but at Minuteman.

Podcast: Play Where You Stay is soccer made equitable

Ellen Roberds and Nibaruta Fidel with Play Where You Stay talk soccer, competition and how to make the game fun and accessible for all kids in any neighborhood, regardless of financial need.

Podcast: State housing programs strengthen Memphis neighborhoods

Continuing a series on homeownership, Tennessee Housing Development Agency's Ralph Perrey and United Housing's Amy Schaftein talk down payment assistance programs, homebuyer education and other initiatives for Mid-South families. 

Under the guidance of the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis, a collaborative group of private, public and nonprofit innovators are working to make the Bluff City into a hub for blockchain technology. (Submitted)
Memphis is betting on blockchain

Blockchain is an emerging trend with wide applications in the broader economy, especially in logistics and healthcare, making Memphis a natural launching pad for the crypto technology.

Volunteers work in the Coliseum's lower-level loading dock entrance. The building's arena and corridors were lit by task lighting provided by the City of Memphis. (Shelda Edwards)
In photos: Closed since 2007, Mid-South Coliseum reopens for one-day cleanup event

On April 27, over 50 volunteers signed up to help clean and organize the Mid-South Coliseum in preparation for its first indoor events in 12 years. This intimate, photographic essay steps inside the Coliseum cleanup and explores the building's journey from closure to potential reactivation.

Video: Art walk turns the East Buntyn neighborhood into an outdoor gallery

Each spring, the East Buntyn ArtWalk celebrates local artists, musicians and food trucks with an open-air bazaar of galleries set up in the front yards and porches of the historic east Memphis neighborhood. 

The University of Memphis is launching Access Memphis in the fall to make it easier for students to afford courses and stay on track to graduate without a mountain of debt. (University of Memphis)
University of Memphis plans to cover tuition and fees for families who make under $50k

The University of Memphis is launching the Access Memphis initiative to make secondary education more affordable to students from households that earn under $50,000 per year.

Richie Jarvis, owner of Trilogy Tattoos and Piercing, speaks about the small business community in the University District. (Ziggy Mack)
Graduation day: What we learned from four months of reporting in the University District

High Ground’s On the Ground team looks back on four months of embedded journalism as we wrap up our coverage in the University District. 

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