Cooper
Young (area), Tennessee
Cooper-Young
is an eclectic neighborhood and historic district in the Midtown
section of Memphis, Tennessee, named for the intersection of Cooper
Street and Young Avenue. The entrance to the neighborhood is marked
by the Cooper-Young Trestle, a 150-foot (46 m) long steel sculpture
which depicts homes and businesses found in the neighborhood. Created
by metal artist, Jill Turman, the sculpture was dedicated in 2000,
and has become a source of community pride and identity.
Each fall, the neighborhood hosts the Cooper-Young
Festival, marked by a 4-mile run, arts and crafts vendors, and live
music performances. The neighborhood is increasingly considered
one of the more artistic and "hip" areas of the city,
and shows evidence of successful urban revitalization in Memphis'
core.
The Cooper-Young Community Association, founded
in 1976, serves as the main advocate for the residents of the area
and produces a monthly neighborhood newspaper, The Lamplighter.
The Cooper-Young Business Association serves
as the primary advocate for the businesses and services of the neighborhood,
and produces the Cooper-Young Festival to help draw attention to
those business. The Cooper-Young Development helps to drive development
of the area through a number of activities, including the redevelopment
and/or construction of over 50 homes since its inception in 1992.
Cooper-Young also has a large gay and lesbian
community and is home to the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center.
Every summer, the Memphis Pride Festival has its march through Cooper-Young,
ending in Peabody Park.
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