Central Gardens

Older houses and smaller units

Central Gardens occupies residential streets south of Union Avenue, between Cleveland and Rembert, reaching Central and York avenues. Its older buildings include bungalows, American Foursquares and several revival styles. Much of the historic district was built between 1900 and 1930.

The large houses are only part of the housing mix. The neighborhood association also documents apartments, duplexes, townhouses, condominiums and cottage courts. For a unit in a divided house, the important distinction is what belongs to that unit: a private or shared entrance, outdoor space, parking and utility meters. The architectural appearance alone does not establish the arrangement.

• Central Gardens Association — neighborhood extent
• Central Gardens Association — February 2026 housing update
• Memphis Heritage — Central Gardens Historic District

Planning exterior work

Central Gardens has local historic design rules as well as National Register recognition. The association’s property-guidelines page links guidance on windows, fences, lighting and roofing, and offers informal review of early project ideas through its volunteer Landmarks Committee.

Formal approval belongs to the Memphis Landmarks Commission. Its current application includes window and door replacement, changes to roofing materials, additions and site work such as fences. A buyer planning to alter an older house can use those project categories and the district guidelines to discuss the work with planning staff before committing to a design.

• Central Gardens Association — architectural design guidance
• Memphis Landmarks Commission — project application guide

Union Avenue bus service

Route 1 provides the Union Avenue connection toward William Hudson Transit Center downtown. Union at McLean Boulevard is a published timepoint; homes farther south in Central Gardens have a longer approach to that corridor than homes near Union.

The current timetable shows roughly 45-minute weekday departures at Union/McLean and 90-minute Saturday and Sunday spacing. Weekend service also finishes earlier. This difference matters for a household relying on the bus beyond weekday work trips; use the separate day-of-week table and MATA alerts rather than treating the route as frequent all week.

• MATA — Route 1 Union timetable
• MATA — current bus route directory

Groceries on Union Avenue

Kroger’s Union Avenue store is at 1759 Union Avenue. The operator lists grocery pickup, a pharmacy, meat and bakery departments, and household merchandise. Pharmacy opening times are separate from the supermarket’s.

• Kroger — Union Avenue store

Tree walks through the neighborhood

Central Gardens’ arboretum is spread through residential streets rather than enclosed in a separate botanical garden. The association provides a master map, smaller zone maps and a tree list. Its collection includes bald cypress, southern magnolia, ginkgo and several oak species.

The master and zone maps let a resident choose a short tree walk near home. Some trees stand in private front or side yards and can be viewed from the public street or sidewalk.

• Central Gardens Association — arboretum and walking maps