By Dee Reneé

The UDistrict has many great eating places from wings and pizza to Mediterranean food. Restaurants such as Brother Juniper's and CK's coffee shop are great places to eat breakfast and to start the day off right. Many restaurants like RP Tracks are trying to find a way to satisfy all types of customers. That's why recently they have added barbecue tofu to their menu to attract vegan and vegetarian customers. 

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By Kylcye Bolden

Off of the train tracks at 3618 Walker Ave., there is a two-story brick building, where what happens inside is unlike anything else on the University of Memphis campus.  

At the Crews Center for Entrepreneurship, U of M students are being mentored through the process of developing their ideas and creating startups. The structure at the Crews Center is much more informal than typical campus services in order to better promote innovation and creativity among student entrepreneurs.

Originally called the Crews Ventures Lab, it was envisioned as an incubator for startups —typically university research for later commercialization.  However, Crews Center director Mike Hoffmeyer, suggested the University reevaluate the function of the operation. 

“An incubator by definition is very exclusive,” he said.  “What I recommended to the university was not to let go of the incubator concept, but to broaden it.  Let’s create our own destiny.”

Expanding the idea of the Crews Center opened the door for it to be an environment for any student who has an idea for a startup, regardless if it is researched based or a cool idea, to utilize and perfect that idea for commercialization.  More than simply that, however, Hoffmeyer feels that the purpose of the center is to influence the entire university to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Hoffmeyer expressed that the culture of innovation is contagious.  Saying that once people experience it, they get attracted to it and come back with a desire to get more involved. 

By Jamesa Y. Alston  

The Peddler Bike Shop has kicked off construction in its new building and is expected to open in May 2014.

The shop will be moving to the former YMCA building located at 3548 Walker Ave. It will be housed in the former natatorium area of the building. The estimated cost to complete this project is not known.

“The new shop will have a better layout and will be more conducive for the business,” Court Percer, the current manager, said. 

The Peddler Bike Shop has been a part of the University District for more than 40 years.  The shop was located at 3573 Southern Ave. until it moved to its current location at 575 S. Highland St.

This expansion will be one of the first projects of the new Walker Avenue Streetscape Project that will begin at the end of the year.

“We are supporting the re-development of Walker Avenue,” Percer said. “It’s like pre- redevelopment.”

Contractors have begun filling the pool and laying concrete that was once in the natatorium of the old building.  The roof is also being replaced because of the harsh chemicals that leach out and cause corrosion in some of the metal materials. 

The Peddler caters to everyone with its bikes range from kids to advance racers.  Since many of its customers are students at the University of Memphis who come to rent, buy or get repairs, the new shop's location closer to campus will be beneficial. 

“We’re really excited to be closer to campus,” Percer said.

Percer believes the new store will increase the amount of customers that visit because they will be able to access the store more easily. 

“It is a major plus to be in an easily accessible place,” he said. “We support walkers—the people who don’t have cars."

An event set for April 13 is designed to help residents of the University District envision what the future of the intersection of Highland and Walker could look like.

The University Neighborhoods Development Corporation along with the University District Business Association, the University District Incorporated and the Mayor’s Innovation Team will host a MemFix event. The one-day event will last from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

MemFix events encourage new ways to think about streetscapes, activate vacant spaces in neighborhoods and encourage neighborhood growth.  At this year’s event there will be some crosswalks temporarily installed at the Highland/Walker cross-section to make it more pedestrian friendly.  Pop-up businesses will fill vacant storefronts. Music and activities for people of all ages will take place on the sidewalks of the University District.