
Dozens of Memphis restaurants have been certified sustainable, and chefs are working directly with local farmers in a vibrant new farm-to-table movement. In 2013, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, located on the site of the famous Stax Records, which recorded early soul artists such as Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett, will celebrate its 10thanniversary with concerts, parties and an outdoor music festival called Stax to the Max. The museum will also be celebrating the success of its Stax Music Academy and the Soulsville Charter School.
Memphis is also working to make good things better. The city has one of the largest urban parks in the country. Shelby Farms Park boasts 4,500 acres, with 6.5 miles of trails and a working farm. The city also plans to expand the current 35 miles of bike lanes to 85 miles, and to build a greenway that will connect Memphis to cities in the neighboring states of Mississippi and Arkansas.
Larry West is a freelance writer in the Pacific Northwest and a frequent contributor to MSN Living. Read full list here.