2008 Downtown Memphis Recap

I'm sure many of you have received a "holiday letter" in the mail in lieu of a Christmas card from someone. These letters are generally sent by close friends and family and sum up what they've been doing over the past year. I don't send out holiday letters but I do like the idea of summing up the year for Downtown Memphis. Most of this applies to downtown but some of it is more general. This is not a complete list but it's what I can remember. Here it goes:

New Bars/Nightclubs/Restaurants in 2008: Calhoun's (might have opened the very, very end of Dec. 2007 but it's too close to call in my memory), Red Rooster, Ground Zero Blues Club, Blue Monkey, Bardog Tavern, Rumba Room, Orleans on Front, On the River, Onix, Sole

New Retail in 2008: Divine Rags, Strut, Red Fish Gallery and Gifts, Nail Bar, Big Ono Bakery, Frank's Market, Le Tre Salon, The Salon, Harbor Town Coffee, Delphinum expanded, Lansky's 126 expanded, FedEx Office

Closed in 2008: Roma Pizza, Dan McGuiness, half the remaining shops in Peabody Place to make way for more hotel space, Track Couture, Lolo's, McAlister's Deli, Hoop's, EP's Delta Kitchen, The Daily Grill

2008 Downtown Festivals/Fundraisers/Events: The National Civil Rights Museum marks the 40th Anniversary of the assasination of MLK with various events, Africa in April, Crawfish Festival, Zombie Walk at April's Trolley Tour, Memphis in May honored Turkey (BBQ fest, Music Fest, Sunset Symphony, Canoe & Kayak race), Gibson 5K, Harbor Town 5K, Blues on the Bluff, Red, White and Blues 4th of July celebration in Tom Lee Park, Memphis Music and Heritage Festival, National Ornamental Metal Museum Repair Days, Fire Museum's 10th Anniversary, River Arts Fest, Duck Race on Mud Island, Downtown Alive Fall Concert Series, Cyclocross in Greenbelt Park, Downtown Memphis Holiday Parade, St. Jude Memphis Marathon

2008 News: Sadly, Isaac Hayes dies as do Silver of Silver Salon and Sam Zambelis of Bon Ton Cafe, Memphis Mayor aka King Willie annnounces his resignation but then withdraws it, work begins on Beale Street Landing, Lincoln American Tower renovation completed and leasing begins, construction on various large projects continue including Court Square Center, U of M Law School, and The Horizon, construction begins on Courtyard by Marriott

That's it, my brain hurts now.