Below is the same view from August of 2013 (correcting the shot below from August of 2008).

"Memphis' Greatest Store" where my grandmother worked from the mid 1930s to the late '50s in the shoe department. Some evenings we'd go pick her up at the employee entrance on Gayoso Street. Now it houses boutiques and a food court. My family rented it a number of years ago for a reunion.

Below is the same view (almost - I was a few feet too far to the left) from August of 2008) north from Gayoso.

The building now housing Wang's China Bistro appears to have had at least two facelifts. The original facade was an amazingly textured example of Queen Anne patterned masonry, likely from the mid 1880's. The diamond windows on the side of the facade have survived into the 21st century as seen on Google Street View, but all of the windows on the main facade have been altered. The triple arched windows on the fourth floor are gone, as is the amazing bracketed cornice. And the modern storefront, though utilitarian, is a far cry from the original cast iron splendor of the 19th century.

I work a block north of this intersection. Most of the buildings on the left are still there and in fine condition. The buildings on the right are gone, replaced by a landmark Art Deco building (the Gibson's building, foreground) and a new condo building, which in turn replaced a big hole in the ground left by the collapse of the building shown here (right background). It fell around 2005.

Main Street is now a pedestrian/trolley mall with no auto traffic, so Street View doesn't show the exact same vista. Here's the nearest available view:

View Larger Map