I recall the first time I visited Memphis — or more accurately passed through on my way to the East Coast in 2021 — my initial thought was, "There's certainly something here."

What that something is, well, that's the Bluff City ether.

The Memphis B's: Barbecue and blues are undeniable pillars for the city's identity and cultural relevancy. The nation's cleanest drinking water provides us with bragging rights. The city's place in American history is much deeper than a tragedy in 1968. What makes Memphis so unique is more than the culmination of all those cultural touch tones.

After living here for 2⅟₂ years, I can't say I've figured it out, but I can say with confidence, there is a constant for those of us who believe in Memphis: the people.

"There's so many people who care about this city, and they don't care about the pat on the back," Jeff Hulett said.

Hulett, 45, moved to Memphis in 1990, his middle school years and by way of Chicago. He recalls disliking the city then, perhaps, due to juvenile rebellion from an abrupt change. He recalls the culture shock and hearing Southern mannerisms such as "yes, ma'am" with greater frequency than he had up North. For him, at that time, it was foreign, complicated — there was a bitterness toward it, if only due to its difference.

Though, Hulett admits as he got older he began to appreciate Memphis; and once he got it, he fell in love with the city.

For Downtown Memphis Commission President and CEO Chandell Ryan, "Memphis is home."

"While away at college or as I traveled, I noticed our mark on the world in surprising ways, like in signs touting 'Memphis-style barbecue' at restaurants miles away from home," she said. "I stayed because I missed it; I missed us."

'A city still figuring itself out'

When I first walked along South Main Street, seeing the Christmas lights still up in mid-February, I felt some electricity in Downtown. I recall being told that the trio of streets to stay on were Front Street, Main Street and B.B. King Boulevard. Stay on those until hitting Carolina Avenue in the southern end or until City Hall in the northern end. (Fitting all those streets have become my backyard.)

For me, the first trip and the first few months here I sensed a sort of hostility from Memphis and its residents. Almost a testing for transplants, an expectation for failure in a way — it reminded me of the Northside of Pittsburgh. A place I previously called home.

The Northside of Pittsburgh was — and still is — the bastard child of Pittsburgh. The Northside is a collective of 18 neighborhoods on the northern half of the Allegheny River and northeastern side of the Ohio River. If a crime happens in Brightwood (one of those 18 communities), the news is reported collectively, with indirect bias, as Northside. Memphians, you see where I'm going here.

I felt that chip on the shoulder mentality soon after I arrived here in Memphis. It was a city still figuring itself out. Memphis is still battling with stigmas — modern and of yesteryear — some self-inflicted, some born indirectly.

I empathize with that sentiment. The ability to watch a city grow, evolve and be on the ground floor living in those changes was a fascinating component for me as a reporter, and a large reason why I chose to move here.

"Memphis has always been a magnet for all sorts of people," Tom Bailey said.

Bailey, 68, is a retired journalist. His bylines were frequent in The Commercial Appeal and later at The Daily Memphian. He moved to Memphis in March 1982, by way of Tupelo, Mississippi.

"Memphis is a source of gratitude for me," Bailey said. "It is a place of rich, poor and middle class all living together."

Memphis' 'us against the world' mentality

Memphis Mayor Paul Young says Memphis "is the city that raised me and instilled in me the confidence to navigate any path and tackle every challenge that comes my way."

The melting pot of cultures and people make up the fabric of Memphis. Everyone has their battles, but in this city those scars are shared.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young said this city means everything to him. It has helped him understand perseverance and kinship.

"It is the city that raised me and instilled in me the confidence to navigate any path and tackle every challenge that comes my way. Memphis is home," Young said.

Yet, despite the collective "us against the world" mentality that imbues Memphis, it is a city that can feel angry with itself. That angst can be a burden, an anchor diving into the depths of defeatism. It is easy for residents to latch onto crime — a negative that overpowers the positives this city has, more importantly the persons it has cultivated.

"Fear is such a destructive emotion," Bailey said.

Bailey said he has visited and experienced communities where there was more "fear of the stranger." He admits that even in Midtown he may hear a gunshot weekly, yet the anxiety felt is fleeting.

He remembers the compassion this city has. He speaks highly of institutions such as Church Health, which he watched evolve from a small free clinic on Peabody Avenue to a full-fledged health clinic campus at Crosstown Concourse; or destinations like Overton Park, a piece of woodlands residents fought to preserve.

Overton Park Shell offers a variety of free and ticketed concerts.

'Parts of the city that are beautiful and parts that deserve to be'

"People need to stop apologizing for the city," MaryLynn Mack said.

Mack has only been in Memphis for about three months. She was named executive director for the Memphis Botanic Garden in June.

Mack grew up in Ohio, but has resided (most recently) in Los Angeles, California and Phoenix, Arizona, before deciding to call the Mid-South home.

MaryLynn Mack is the new executive director of the Memphis Botanic Garden.

She acknowledged that so many residents wanted to focus on crime, which to her — coming from L.A. — was a bit of a moot point. Every city has its issues, she said.

"There are parts of the city that are beautiful and parts that deserve to be," Mack said.

For her, the one recurring beauty of the city is the tree canopies. The abundance of trees was a major sell for her and a surprise, given the large amount of vegetation within the city compared to her previous stomping grounds in California and Arizona.

She said the likes of Tom Lee Park, which reopened in 2023 after a $61 million renovation, provide Downtown residents like herself with the opportunity for daily riverside walks. An amenity that was not always accessible for her in other cities.

A look at Tom Lee Park on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Downtown Memphis. The park officially reopened on Sept. 2, 2023, after a $61 million renovation project.

Though for Memphians tree lines have always been a point of pride. (The new Tom Lee Park took a little warming up to for some residents' tastes.) Mack said there is a revitalization going on here that residents don't seem to talk about enough.

"There's an energy I feel as a new person, that may not be apparent [for older residents]," she said.

Life 'feels easy' in Memphis

Benjamin Lazarov felt a similar way. He moved back to his hometown of Memphis in January 2022, by way of Chicago. His children are fifth-generation Memphians, he said, and while a big factor in his decision to move from the Windy City to the Bluff City was for his children to be closer to family, he saw opportunity and benefits here that they didn't have in Chicago (the third-largest city in the nation).

"You had to choose, you couldn't have both: your business or your family," he said.

Lazarov launched his outdoor guide company, AnyCreek, in 2022. The Mid-South provided him with access to all four seasons, national and state parks in nearby Arkansas, along with the local destinations at Tom Lee Park and Shelby Farms. Though, most importantly, he said, it allowed him time to be a father.

"As a father it made a lot more sense here in Memphis, than a big city like Chicago," he said.

FedExForum is located at 191 Beale St. in Downtown Memphis.

Lazarov and his family reside in East Memphis. He said life here "feels easy." Dropping the kids off at school or soccer practice is no more than a 5-minute drive. Driving into Downtown for a Grizzlies or Tigers game isn't burdensome nor does he feel unsafe to do so, he said.

Lazarov acknowledged there are things the city can improve upon, but he does get a sense that relocating Memphians, or transplants, such as himself have a more positive view on the city.

'Memphis embodies resilience and opportunity'

Mayor Young, who described himself as a "planner by trade," said there's a joy in being able to not just think about, but also being able to actively help a city that has his heart.

"For me, Memphis embodies resilience and opportunity, and I love thinking how to do more for our community," he said.

Hulett, who doubles as a business owner and a musician, said Memphis has an authenticity here in its relationships. He joked about the quote from former University of Memphis Tigers basketball coach John Calipari, "If you hug Memphis, it will hug you back," ringing true.

Jeff Hulett is a longtime Memphian, musician and founder of Jeff Hulett PR.

For him, he's seen it on the professional side working with nonprofits and the personal side as both a musician and a resident. He said people can try things here, fail and there are always people who are willing to help and that all stems from relationships and a city where everyone is somehow connected.

Beth Wilson met her future husband at the University of Memphis. When he died in 2021, she was at a crossroads between mourning a tragic passing and rediscovering herself outside the only city she's ever known.

"I didn't know if I could stay here... it was too much, held too many painful memories. But this place, Memphis, wrapped its literal and figurative arms around me," Wilson said.

She credits her family and friends for helping provide stability during that period in her life. It gave her confidence to stay here and launch her own public relations business.

"To me, Memphis means home. It means support," she said.

The sentiment of finding oneself, finding their voice and their purpose is something the Downtown Memphis Commission's Ryan also credits Memphis with helping her discover.

"My journey here has been nothing short of amazing," she said. "And I believe Memphis holds that same promise for anyone who dares to dream."

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at [email protected], 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter: @neilStrebig.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 'Memphis is home': What makes the Bluff City so special? It's much more than BBQ & blues