South Main is the stretch of South Main Street from Calhoun Avenue south to the National Civil Rights Museum, and the few blocks on either side. What was a derelict commercial strip twenty years ago has become Memphis's arts district: galleries occupy former storefronts, antique and vintage dealers have taken over old warehouses, boutique coffee shops and independent restaurants have moved into the ground floors of renovated buildings. The trolley line runs along South Main, connecting the district to downtown's commercial core to the north.
The First Friday art walk on the first Friday of each month is the best time to see the district in full operation. A dozen or more galleries open simultaneously for new shows, the restaurants are busy, and the street itself comes alive in a way that illustrates what the neighborhood has become. The rest of the month is quieter but the permanent collection at the galleries and the shopping along the strip are worth a wander at any time. The South Main neighborhood is also where you will find Earnestine & Hazel's bar and, a few blocks south, the National Civil Rights Museum.