Downtown: Beale Street is an important landmark in the history of Blues music and today welcomes visitors into many hopping bars and restaurants. The Orpheum Theatre houses nationally touring musicals, concerts, and other shows, and the FedExForum is home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and a venue for large concerts and performances.
Broad Avenue: This revitalized arts district offers 70-plus shops and restaurants very close to campus, including a gourmet coffee shop, ice cream and boba, a stacked lineup of stores featuring local art and craftsmanship, and two breweries, including the nearby alumni-owned Hampline Brewing.
Cooper-Young: Cooper-Young is a blend of quirky, artsy, and hip all at once. There are plenty of restaurants, from casual to high end, local shops (including the city's oldest bookstore), and the annual free Cooper-Young Festival features music and crafts.
Crosstown: A few blocks away from campus, Crosstown Concourse is an impressive vertical village full of restaurants, live music, shops, apartments, and plenty of other amenities. Crosstown Arts, Crosstown Theater, and The Green Room host live shows, performances, and exhibits year-round, and the Memphis Listening Lab offers access to tens of thousands of albums and music history.
Overton Square: Nearby Overton Square is a booming Midtown strip with a great selection of restaurants and some great live music. Playhouse on the Square, Hattiloo Theatre, Circuit Playhouse, and Ballet Memphis all offer compelling slates of dance, musical, and other theater performances.
Overton Park: Students are literally steps away from the 342-acre park, which contains a nine-hole golf course, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Rainbow Lake, Veterans Plaza, the Greensward, two playgrounds, and the 126-acre Old Forest State Natural Area. Included in the park is the Memphis Zoo, which has partnered with Rhodes for more than 90 years, and the Overton Park Shell outdoor music venue (free!).