Premium

Beale Street has a storied past. But what about the future?

By , Daily Memphian Updated: December 31, 2024 6:06 AM CT | Published: December 31, 2024 4:00 AM CT

The last five years have not been kind to Beale Street. Or at least to its perception. 

COVID-19 hammered the Downtown tourist attraction and party spot, driving annual rents collected from the city of Memphis-owned street down 44% from 2019 to 2020.

And although rents rebounded three years after the pandemic, reaching pre-pandemic levels in 2023, notable crime incidents have also harmed the street’s perception. There have been several late-night shootings on and around Beale. The street’s notable neighbor, the Memphis Grizzlies, has taken issue with its cleanliness and safety. 

These factors have resulted in a surge of resources from Memphis Mayor Paul Young and the Downtown Memphis Commission. The potential for more change is also on the horizon. 

Topics

Subscriber Only Beale Street Mayor Paul Young Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum

Thank you for supporting local journalism.

Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.

Samuel Hardiman

Samuel Hardiman

Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. A native Rhode Islander who lives Downtown, he enjoys tennis, golf and reading.


Comments

Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here