Nashville, Tennessee is known as Music City USA, for its deeply established country music roots. Over the past 2 decades, Nashville has become a popular destination for relocating professionals from other music-centric cities such as Los Angeles and Austin. This demographic has brought an interest in other forms of music, which are now thriving in Nashville, like indie rock, Americana, blues and jazz, which has led to one of the best live music nightlife scenes in the South. The diverse and flourishing economy is one of the strongest in the South in finance, insurance, music, entertainment, and tourism. With at least sixteen colleges and universities, Nashville is also a leader in higher education. The city has many neighborhoods, each with a distinct character. The ones which appeal most to visitors include these:
Downtown Nashville is the center of much of its activity: the Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans; the Gaylord Entertainment Center; the Frist Center for the Visual Arts; the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center are all located downtown. Also located downtown, as you might expect, are a number of hotels, including the historic Union Station and Hermitage Hotels, as well as a few old fashioned honky-tonks such as Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
East Nashville is the place to discover funky little shops, clubs and some very good chef-owned restaurants. A residential area that is still somewhat in transition, this community is generally on the cutting edge of trends in Nashville.
Many of the top-name record companies are located in the Music Row neighborhood. If you hope to see celebrities, this is the place to be. A very touristy strip of restaurants and bars is located on Demonbruen at the end of Music Row, but the celebs are more likely to lunch at nearby Virago or Patricks.
Music Valley is the old-school country music tourist destination. It is a strip of attractions in east Nashville, near the Grand Ole Opry, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Here you will see and hear country music performed as it was in the 50s. There are also some family attractions such as golf and waterparks.
Hillsboro Village is just down the street from Vanderbilt University and has that campus vibe to be found in every college town. On Hillsboro Rd. right by Vanderbilt you will find clothing stores, bars, cafes, coffee shops and the Belcourt Theatre, an historic venue used for art movies and live concerts.
West End Ave. is also near the college, on the other end, and is within walking distance of Vanderbilt Stadium. West End has many hotels and restaurants and some interesting stores, although they are much more spaced out than those in Hillsboro Village.
Local Links
eLocal helps you find professionals in your local area:
