By Katie Cannon ′15
It′s a tragic tale: the student confined within their cozy college bubble, blissfully ignorant of all that the wonderful things their city has to offer. Don′t be that unfortunate shmuck. There′s another way! Check out these blogs to get acquainted with Memphis and impress all your friends with your insider knowledge.
I Love Memphis
Ilovememphisblog.com is the go-to blog for any Memphian looking for something to do, eat, see, or hear. As the name would imply, the site is essentially a love letter to our great city and all it has to offer. With fun articles like “25 Things to Do In Memphis This Summer” to “You’re so Memphis if…,” I Love Memphis is a community of sorts for passionate Memphis-lovers and newbies alike to seek out and share experiences in the 901.
The High Ground
This is a must-read website for the aspiring entrepreneur or politician—but really, anyone interested in Memphis beyond the usual food and music beat. While the other sites listed highlight the cultural, artsier delights of Memphis, The High Ground focuses on city development and innovation—leadership and growing businesses, education and environmental reform, economic and health care news. The site zeroes in on what’s going on behind-the-scenes in Memphis, a thoughtful look at the city’s progress that you might not get on your average blog.
The Grind
Started by Rhodes students just this past year, the Grind is an online magazine that offers a unique student perspective on Memphis. Be it education and health care news or a guide to Valentine’s Day, the Grind always makes for an interesting read. Check out the “Memphian to Meet” section for in-depth interviews with locals who are doing awesome things in the community, and “Humans of Memphis,” styled à la the famous Humans of New York tumblr, for a peek into the lives of people on the street.
Choose 901
“We choose Memphis, and we think you should too” is this website’s straight-forward motto, a must-visit for anyone new to the 901, with information on how to get settled as well as general Memphis news and events. This blog encourages its readers to “invest” in Memphis, posting job opportunities that provide the power to make a change in the community.
The Memphis Flyer
An extremely comprehensive look at Memphis news and culture, the online version of Memphis’ alternative newspaper, the Flyer gives you the 411 on all fronts of Bluff City living. Across the navigation bar, it’s sections galore: practicalities like real estate and classifieds, as well as editorials, food, art, film and even a LGBTQ section, the wryly named “Memphis Gaydar.” With the Flyer, you really get the bang for your buck—the buck you didn’t pay, because both it and the print version are free! Cheers.