USA Guide
The South
Beale Street
Beale Street began life in the mid-nineteenth century as one of Memphis's most exclusive enclaves; within fifty years its elite residents had been driven out by yellow fever epidemics and the ravages of the Civil War to be replaced by a diverse mix of blacks, Greeks, Jews, Chinese, and Italians. But it was black culture that gave the street its fame. Beale Street was where black roustabouts and travellers passing through Memphis immediately headed.
As the black Main Street of the mid-South, Beale in its Twenties' heyday was jammed with vaudeville theaters, concert halls, bars, and juke joints (mostly white-owned). Along with the frivolity came a reputation for heavy gambling, voodoo, murder, and prostitution. Although Beale still drew huge crowds in the Forties, the drift to the suburbs and, ironically, the success of the civil rights years in opening the rest of Memphis to black businesses, almost killed it off. The bulldozers of the late Sixties spared only the grand Orpheum Theatre, at 203 S Main St, and a few commercial buildings between Second and Fourth streets.
Beale Street has now been restored as a handsome Historic District. Its souvenir shops, music clubs, and cafés are bedecked with retro facades and neon signs, while a Walk of Fame with brass musical notes embedded into the sidewalk honors musical greats such as B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf. Blues fans in particular will be drawn to its music venues, which showcase top regional talent. At Beale's western end, no. 126 – the former home of the iconic Lansky's, tailor to the Memphis stars – was remodeled in 1997 to become an Elvis-themed restaurant; the site now stands empty, though Lansky's itself continues to thrive in a new location in the historic Peabody hotel (see Accommodation).
A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store remains at 163 Beale. Little changed since it opened in 1876. It's a treasure trove, with an incredible array of paraphernalia. Further east, at no. 352, the tiny former home of W.C. Handy – moved here from its original site at 659 Janette St – offers another evocative sense of old Memphis. In 1910, Handy was the first man to publish blues tunes (often blues in name only).
Opening time: Daily
Price: Free