Build It and They Will Come

Build It and They Will Come
Courtney Miller Santo

Two years ago, when our little family first moved to Memphis, I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag, let alone to the nearest playground. But every week, I’d pick a new place and venture out a little bit farther and what I discovered was that Memphis has a tremendous number of places, events and activities for families. The problem was that not everyone seemed to know about all of the hidden gems.

And that is why I’ve created Kids in Memphis (www.memkids.com). I’ve just started, but I hope Kids in Memphis will offer two things to families looking to explore their city. I thought a bit about putting everything in a list and photocopying, but then I realized this was the 21st century and it would be a lot more productive to share this information in a blog. Plus it allows me to keep it updated and fresh with reviews.

Kids in Memphis is for urban parents who want know what our city has to offer their families. I want people to know what to expect before they attend an event or plan to spend the day at one of Memphis' many attractions. In addition to lists of places to go, parents can find reviews of those places with insider tips to help them have the most productive outing.

I say, upfront, that I have some biases with the site. I'm not going to spend a lot of time discussing places outside of Memphis and because we live in Midtown, expect a disproportionate amount of reviews of Midtown sites (at least until I can recruit other reviewers). I also know that if I try to make the site all things to all people, it will end up a mess and not useful to anyone. So think of it as sort of the best of the options out there with insider tips.

I'd really like to see Kids in Memphis become a community for parents to share their tips and reviews of places families can go in Memphis. This is really a labor of love for me, I'm not looking to make money or anything – I'll consider it successful if it encourages families to get out and be seen in Memphis.

Help build Kids in Memphis! Contact courtney.santo@gmail.com.