Tennessee Living: Memphis’ Cooper-Young Neighborhood
Cooper-Young is a welcoming, homey neighborhood and destination. Expect friendly, unpretentious folks who will absolutely let you pet their dog (but ask first).
Credit: Toby Sells
If Midtown Memphis is “funky” (as so many like to say), Cooper-Young is the vibrant, artsy, “historically hip” heart of it.
The neighborhood hugs the southeast corner of Midtown, an enormous area comprised of many neighborhoods and (roughly) bounded by the Parkways and I-240. Midtown is just east of Downtown Memphis and the Medical District. So, if you see a bunch of skyscrapers or hospitals, head east to Midtown. Then, turn right on Cooper Street, pass under the neighborhood trestle (you’ll know it when you see it), look for all the cool shops, bars, and restaurants, and… welcome to Cooper-Young.
Cooper-Young is both a neighborhood and an entertainment district. About 4,300 people call it home. So do dozens of those bars, shops, and restaurants. But tens of thousands visit each year to soak up its laid-back vibe and eclectic mix of food, drink, arts, and shopping.
Cooper-Young Festival 2024 (Credit: Toby Sells)
Nearly 100,000 visit on one day each year, the annual Cooper-Young Festival in September. Thousands now show up each April for Porchfest, a new-ish festival that brings dozens of musicians to porches all over the neighborhood.
A good place to start a visit to the neighborhood is right on the corner of Cooper Street and Young Avenue. (Sound familiar?) From there, you’re in walking distance of dozens of places to get a bite, grab a pint, peep some art, hear live music, and shop at some stellar, one-of-a-kind stores. (All of it will make your Instagram Blow. Up.)
Here’s a great day in C-Y:
In the morning, have a great run/walk through the leafy streets of the neighborhood. (Bring your dog!) End at Bluff City Coffee at the corner of Cooper and Young for a fresh mug and a small treat (or breakfast if it’s a weekday). Or, you can hit up Daily Market, a local convenience store, for stellar, fresh biscuit sandwiches made most mornings.
Later on, head back to CY for a delicious brunch (and IG snaps aplenty) at the effortlessly cool Beauty Shop. It has all the brunch goodness you can imagine and it’s all done so very well. And yes, Priscilla Presley really did used get her hair done there.
Credit: State of Tennessee
Then, stroll around to shops offering just about anything you could need. Goner Records has your off-menu music tastes covered. Buff City Soap will help get you clean. Grivet Sports has outdoor and running gear. 901 Comics has (you guessed it) comics and more. Its sister store 901 Toys has (you guessed it) retro toys and collectibles. Do not leave without a visit to Burke’s Books, one of the oldest independent book stores in the country. You’ll also want to browse the amazing and eclectic selection of books and gifts at Cooper-Young Gallery + Gift Shop.
For lunch, you can’t say you’ve been to Cooper-Young without a visit to the Young Avenue Deli. It’s a neighborhood (and Memphis) icon and a natural watering hole for locals. There’s pub grub galore but look to the sandwich menu for what makes the Deli famous (that and the legendary french fries). And it’s all good. Not to mention a draft tap wall right out of a craft-beer-lover’s dream.
Credit: Pedro Forester Da Silva via Unsplash
Later, hit Cooper House Project for more craft beer love and another spot to find locals in their natural habitat. The small brewery has a beer for every taste and a new taste for those who’ve tasted it all. The Project’s pizzas are not be missed. Relax with friends with comfortable seating inside or outside. Darts, corn hole, and shuffleboard if you need more than good conversation.
Dinner is a big choice in Cooper-Young. It can all depend on how you feel.
Mexican? Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos. Asian? Mulan Asian Bistro. Upscale? Tsunami. Vegan? Imagine Vegan Cafe. Home cooking? Soul Fish Cafe. (This list is way too short and is unfair to all the great folks making amazing food everywhere in Cooper-Young.)
For after-dinner drinks, head to Alchemy if you’re feeling urban chic, or to Celtic Crossing for a casual Irish pint, or to the newly opened bistro, The Public, for somewhere in between.
Cooper-Young is a welcoming, homey neighborhood and destination. Expect friendly, unpretentious folks who will absolutely let you pet their dog (but ask first). The neighborhood is unlike any other place in Tennessee and part of what makes Memphis — and Tennessee — so special.
