🇺🇸Watching the NBA in Memphis🏀
I went to watch an NBA game in Memphis, USA. The Grizzlies are the team that Japanese player Yuki Kawamura belongs to. I watched the regular season.
I was so excited to see the players' shooting practice and the game live! ! The national anthem and the entertainment during the timeouts were also fun, and it was like a dream to see familiar local hosts and commentators.
I hope that this post, including my knowledge of the area and the local situation, will help someone prepare!
[Recommended spots] *About half a day
1. Game day / Beale Street + FedEx Forum
The famous Beale Street is diagonally opposite the game venue. It is lit up at night and bustling (I walked there during the day)
At A.SCHWAB, a long-established souvenir shop that has been in business since 1876, you can enjoy the old-fashioned soda fountain and the gently sweet handmade drinks.
2. Non-game day / Civil Rights Museum + Archade Restautant
These two places are very close to each other. It's easy to find the way from downtown to the Civil Rights Museum, and it takes about 20 minutes on foot. However, you may need to be careful as the walls of nearby buildings have collapsed and it is outside the downtown area.
The museum of the racial equality movement, including the hostel where Martin Luther King was assassinated (6th photo) If you want to prepare by watching movies, "The Butler" and "12 Years a Slave" might be good choices.
The Arcade Restaurant is a long-established diner that has been in business since 1919, and was visited by Kawamura for a TV interview. It is quite busy, but the staff are efficient and there is a counter. You can enjoy American flavors such as soft pancakes with thin dough and crispy French toast inside the restaurant. Elvis Presley also visited, and it was used in the movies "Mystery Train" and "My Blueberry Nights."
[Recommended Food]
★BBQ Nachos & Souvenir Soda / FedEx Forum Game Venue, Photos 3-4
Memphis is famous for BBQ, and the popular restaurant Randezvous is available at the game venue! You can also choose your drink and buy a souvenir soda to take home in a cup. Nachos and sandwiches with plenty of sauce do not come with a wet towel, so be sure to take it with you.
★Pancakes, etc. / Archade Restaurant, Photos 7-8
Enjoy a large plate menu at a retro American diner♪
★Milkshakes, etc. / A.SCHWAB, Photo 5
Enjoy a variety of flavored drinks at a photogenic, well-worn counter.
[Things you need to watch the game]
🎫Buy tickets from Ticketmaster. I bought one a few months in advance, and the other the day before the game (I waited until the last minute to decide whether to buy a more expensive seat because my favorite player might not play due to injury). Ticket prices vary depending on the opposing team.
👜 Only transparent bags are allowed to enter the stadium, and there are restrictions on wallet size. You will be notified of this by email when you purchase your ticket.
[About public safety]
Memphis is one of the most dangerous areas in the United States, and even while traveling, there were several ongoing gun-related incidents on the TV news.
I made sure to avoid roads with few people, stay away from suspicious people, and always be aware of my surroundings and immediately take a taxi or Uber if I felt something was wrong. If you go a little further away by car, you will find that the walls of buildings are dilapidated and there are iron bars on the doors. There were few people overall (March and April) because it was not the tourist season or because it was a weekday, but there were some places where it would be better to be careful about the place and timing of taking photos (wall art, etc.).
I also wanted to travel with as little luggage as possible, so I only carried a backpack, and when sightseeing, I carried a small shoulder bag under my jacket (🏀On game days, I only carried a transparent bag, covered with a handkerchief so the contents cannot be seen) and a shoulder bag for my smartphone, which I put on my hand. Fortunately, I left the airport without any incident.
#Let's go abroad #memphis #NBA #watching sports