South Bluffs, Memphis

Fountain between Nottoway and Monteigne Boulevard

South Bluffs is a gated neighborhood located south of Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The bluff was previously occupied by a 25-acre (10 ha) railroad and switching yard, until 1989 when ground was broken on developing a residential neighborhood. The location of the neighborhood and the views of the Mississippi River have drawn Memphians, such as Pat Halloran and Henry Turley, to purchase homes within the neighborhood.

Development

In 1989, Henry Turley, a local real estate maverick, broke ground on developing the area. Shortly after, in 1990, homes were open for sale.^[1] The neighborhood was founded upon principles of "New Urbanism," and lies on the southern loop of the historic Memphis trolley route. South Bluffs was modeled after neighborhoods in large cities such as Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and New Orleans.^[2] Shaded drives are also named after developments and plantation homes along the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Mississippi.

While houses were being developed (approximately 150) on private streets such as Nottoway Boulevard and Monteigne Boulevard, 260 apartments were built in two intervals. The first consisted of the building of 200 of these and shortly after 60 more were added as the neighborhood attracted more attention.^[3]

Commodities

South Bluffs offers a wide range of living styles to people buying in different price brackets. Houses range from $150,000 to $2,000,000, providing views within the neighborhood or overlooking the Mississippi River.^[3] Beginning at the northern end the neighborhood, there lies a River Walk that takes residents or pedestrians out of the neighborhood and closer towards Downtown Memphis. This River Walk provides individuals with views of the Mississippi River and Tom Lee Park, where national festivals, such as Memphis in May, are held. South Bluffs also lies in close proximity to the South Main Art District, where numerous restaurants and galleries are located.^[4]

Streets entering the neighborhood are paved with historic cobble-stones that lead to two large fountains located at central intersections within the neighborhood.^[2] Between private drives, large medians are lined with 12-foot (3.7 m) high cast iron lights that are capped with historic acorn style luminaries.^[3] These lights illuminate the tree-lined medians and flowered gardens.

Aside from houses, there is a large amount of apartments within the residential neighborhood. Apartment sizes range from 1 to 2 bedroom styles, providing various living arrangements for different sized families. Apartments are pet friendly and the neighborhood offers multiple dog bag dispensing stations.^[5] Additionally, the neighborhood offers a residential fitness center, along with 2 large pools.^[5] Next to the pools lies tennis courts for which equipment can be rented from offices within the neighborhood apartment complex.

Citations

• "Our History | Henry Turley Company". Henry Turley Company (in en-US). Retrieved 2015-12-05.
• "South Bluffs | Henry Turley Company". Henry Turley Company (in en-US). Retrieved 2015-12-04.
• "South Bluffs Apartments | Amenities".southbluffsapartments.com. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
• Bologna, Tony R. "Updated Fact Sheet." Message to the Author. 3 Dec. 2015. E-mail.
• "Urban Living in The Heart of Memphis, TN". The Lofts at South Bluffs. Retrieved 2015-12-08.

References

Coordinates: 35°07′52″N 90°03′54″W / 35.13111°N 90.06500°W / 35.13111; -90.06500