On behalf of the Cooper-Young Community Association, I would like to thank all our members, neighbors, visitors and friends who made 2022 such a great year in our one-of-a-kind neighborhood. Throughout the year, we have worked to serve our mission of making Cooper-Young a more desirable place to live, work, play, and worship, and were excited to greet this year with a new sense of normalcy in terms of covid safety, which made it possible for us to return fully to gatherings and events. 

The beginning of 2022 was marked by completing repairs and repainting the iconic CY trestle, the gateway to our neighborhood, which was completed by the CYCA in 2001 and is funded and maintained by our organization. Other noteworthy upgrades were to our building at 2298 Young Ave, which has been refreshed with new signage. 

As mentioned previously, our annual community-oriented fundraisers were in full effect this year. We were lucky enough to have a full 4-Miler race experience in September, with 1,500 runners, and a banging street party we like to call “Trestlefest” immediately following, featuring the Lucky 7 Brass Band, Memphis Made beer, and Garibaldi’s pizza. Seeing so many residents along the race route out in their yards, cheering on runners and connecting with neighbors reminded us of what a special event this is, and what we missed during the socially isolated times of the last couple of years. Cooper-Young Beerfest in October was also back at capacity, with brewers coming from all over the region to pour one of a kind brews to a group of loyal and enthusiastic attendees. 

In April, we were excited to have a second annual Porchfest — an event started in 2021 that literally doubled in size this year. With 90 bands playing on 40 porches across the neighborhood, it’s clear that this happening is a real crowd pleaser, and one we will continue to organize in the years to come. It encapsulates the best of what the CYCA is capable of — providing a space in which our community can come together for the sheer pleasure of connecting with one another and the joy of live music.    

Of course we had a number of smaller scale events in 2022 as well – the ever popular plant swap, our annual neighborhood yard sale, the 4th of July “parade” at Peabody Elementary, as well as new events such as a “Friends with Kids” meetup at Peabody park, a series of shows we called “Gazebo Grooves,” a performance of the soundscape “Unsilent Night,” and other gatherings.

By the numbers, the CYCA’s membership stood at 350 (a fraction of the residences in the neighborhood! Are you a member? If not, join today!), and as of the end of the year we have 11 board members. We saw the exit of our longest standing board member, June Hurt, who has served us for many years and has definitely earned a break, and welcomed new board members Brian Fay, Evan Brown, and returning member Cheryl Bledsoe. 

In 2023, we’re looking forward to executing some pedestrian/street safety initiatives, and exploring what other Good Things we can bring to the neighborhood. Do you have any ideas? Are you interested in joining our board, or becoming a member? We’d love to hear from you, so please write to info@cooperyoung.org if you’d like to get involved. It’s really and truly all of you who make this neighborhood a great place to live, and it’s our pleasure to serve each and every one of you. 

Happy New Year!
Amanda Yarbro-Dill
Executive Director

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