With Martin Luther King Day coming up on Jan. 21, we’re highlighting the local corridor and its namesake Martin Luther King Jr., with information about the Nobel Peace Prize winner + ideas for ways to serve this year, along with details about the businesses that have popped up in the area in recent years.

We also asked NOOGAtoday readers via Instagram what they enjoy most about MLK Boulevard, and readers gave the local businesses love, naming almost every local establishment on the street as a top pick.

Readers respond
Here’s what readers they had to say. ⬇️

💌”5.) The reflections on the glass at the Tallan Building and the Westin are so beautiful on a clear day. 4.) Bike lanes! 3.) Blue trees at Bessie Smith 2.) The sequin Coin-Op sign 1.) The Namesake! MLK had a beautiful dream! It’s alive on MLK Boulevard.” @westvillagechatt

💌 “The vibrancy and diversity of the activity along that corridor! Whether you stroll the sidewalks or pop in and out of the businesses, you’ll see what makes Chattanooga great.” @chatlien423

💌 ”The music!!! There’s always concerts at @thecamphouse@jjs_bohemia @barleychattanooga @oddstorybrewingco and of course @jazzanooga...Nightfall and Noontunes. MLK is like our music row!” @annasiler

💌 “Love it all....from Central to Riverside Dr. it's all there!!!” @margies1953.ms

💌 “The diversity despite all the gentrification. I pray we keep our hearts open and continue to focus on builing the community as a whole and not just for the few 💪🏾❤️😘” @nnekaijeoma

💌 “Wide lanes for running and biking” @dewaynebrumlow

💌 “Digging the whole vibe of the area and have found many cool places. That said, @champyschicken !” @soulfocushouse

💌 Events. farmers market. Green space where I can walk over and eat lunch on a nice day. @christian_nathaniel_chacon

💌 “All the people out and about! Community spaces to gather and play. Pedestrian and bike friendly.” @thecamphouse

💌 “It’s a fabulous artery of the city! From the the trailhead at Blue Goose Hollow, West Village, heart of downtown, Miller Plaza and Park, The Camp House, The Bessie, restaurants and the shopping. It’s all walkable with a variety of businesses and people to engage.” @groxiolearning

💌 “The murals.” @treston_tanner
Commemorating MLK Day
Quoteworthy

— “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’” — Martin Luther King Jr.

— The Unity Group of Chattanooga will host a series of informative talks + programming Jan. 12–24 to honor Martin Luther King Jr. The full schedule is available here.

— The City of Chattanooga’s sixth annual MLK day of service is slated for Jan. 21. The submission deadline for those interested in volunteering, submitting a project or donating supplies was Jan. 14. For information about how to participate, click here.

— UTC is hosting an MLK celebration event on Jan. 25 when strategist and CNN political commentator Symone D. Sanders will speak. The event is slated for 10:30 a.m. in the University Center Auditorium. It’s free + open to the public.

Know of an event not listed here? Share details in the comments for others to see.
Fast facts on MLK Jr. and MLK Blvd
— In 1981, local officials renamed East Ninth Street for civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

— Around 2012, the boulevard started bouncing back. Read more about background here.

— Today, at least 955 streets in the United States bear MLK’s name, according to National Geographic, which mapped them, and highlighted other streets across the globe with the same name.

— Three weeks after his assassination, Mainz, Germany became the first to name a street after the pastor and social activist.

— United States cities, such as Memphis and Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. had ties, took longer to honor him with a street name.

— King played a significant role in the American Civil Rights Movement starting in the mid-‘50s and until his assassination in 1968.

— He sought change through peaceful protest and was the impetus for pivotal events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and 1963’s March on Washington.

— King’s work helped bring about the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts.

Quoteworthy

“Once you name a street after someone like King, you better be certain that you maintain the street as a monument to him, so that if he were to come back and visit the street, he would be proud,” Harvard University professor Daniel D’Oca told National Geographic.
Visit East MLK Boulevard

East MLK Boulevard has grown slowly in the past eight years + now has a solid small business cluster. (Screenshot: Google maps)

If you need help navigating the changing district, we’ve got you covered.

Where to eat

🍴 Champy’s Chicken, 526 E. MLK Blvd.

🍴 Memo’s Grill, 430 E. MLK Blvd.

🍴 Uncle Larry’s Restaurant, 736 E. MLK Blvd.

🍴 The Bitter Alibi, 825 Houston St.

🍴 Two Sons Kitchen, 422. E. MLK Blvd.

🍴 Douglas Heights Bakery, 426 E. MLK Blvd.

🍴 The Camp House, 149 E. MLK Blvd. (It also turns into a music and private event space after hours and has church services on Sundays.)

Where to drink

🍺 Hutton & Smith Brewing Co., 431 E. MLK Blvd.

🍺 The Fix Lounge, 825 Houston St. (It’s part of The Bitter Alibi, which is also a good place to drink.)

🍺 Oddstory Brewing Co., 336 E. MLK Blvd.

🍺 Barley Chattanooga, 235 E. MLK Blvd.

Where to play

🎵 JJ’s Bohemia, dive bar and music venue, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

🕹️ Coin-Op, arcade and bar, 322 E. MLK Blvd.

💻 Gig City Games, Internet café, 328 E. MLK Blvd.

Where to learn

📚 Bessie Smith Cultural Center, museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

Where to shop

🛍️ Cause Cloth, Upscale consignment shop, 301 E. MLK Blvd.

🛍️ 423 Francis, boutique clothing, 423 E. MLK Blvd.

🛍️ Grass Roots, CBD, holistic shop, 301 E. MLK Blvd.
Coming soon
🏠 New apartments and additional retail are in the works.

🌯 Mr. Burrito Grill is slated to open in early February at 517 E. MLK Blvd. It will have the same menu as the restaurant’s other location in Chatsworth, Georgia.

West MLK Boulevard

Work recently started to connect West Martin Luther King Boulevard to the city’s waterfront.

Although that end of the street isn’t seeing as much commercial development, it connects to Riverfront Parkway, which is undergoing a transformation.

Relatively new businesses in the riverfront area include Parkway Pourhouse and Scottie’s on the River, both of which are both near Chattanooga Whiskey’s distillery.