Nashville

Nashville is the capital of the American state of Tennessee. With 716,000 residents in 2022, it is the state's largest city. Nashville is sometimes called the "Country Music Capital of the World" or more often "Music City, USA"; however, Nashville has done much to escape its country music image and become a regional center of culture and commerce. In fact, Dell, Nissan, and Amazon have all moved some operations to or near the city. The music is various; major rap artists and rock bands (Young Buck, Haystak, Kings of Leon, Paramore, and Ben Folds) claim Nashville as their hometown, and the city is also the epicenter of the contemporary Christian music industry. Nashville has been the home of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry since 1925. Nashville also has a great bar scene. If you like to drink, you can go "Honky-tonking," also known as bar-hopping.

History
Nashville was founded in 1779 and it grew rapidly because of its excellent location on the Cumberland River. It was incorporated in 1806 and became the county seat of Davidson County. Nashville was named the capital of Tennessee in 1843.

Like many Southern cities, Nashville was not immune to the economic woes of the post-Civil War South but it quickly rebounded. It only took a few years for the city to reclaim its important shipping and trading position and to develop a solid manufacturing base. The post-Civil War years of the late 19th century brought a new-found prosperity to Nashville. These healthy economic times left the city with a legacy of grand classical-style buildings, which can still be seen around the downtown area.

Since the 1970s, the city has experienced tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of Mayor (former Tennessee Governor) Phil Bredesen, who made urban renewal a priority, and fostered the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Public Library downtown, Bridgestone Arena, and Nissan Stadium.

Climate
Nashville sits in the middle of a geographic region known as the Nashville Basin. It is surrounded by the Cumberland Highlands and is bordered by the Cumberland Plateau to the east. The Nashville Basin is characterized by rich, fertile farm country and high natural wildlife diversity.

Nashville has cool, relatively short winters and hot, humid summers, with long spells of spring and autumn in between. Winter temperatures commonly hover slightly above freezing, and a fair amount of light snow generally falls throughout the months of December to February, though large storms of 6-plus inches in a day do occur every few years. Nashville can be prone to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes during the spring and fall months. Summers are hot, but no more than the rest of the southeastern U.S. with temperatures around 90°F (32°C) during the day.

By car
Nashville is a nexus of several interstate highways, including I-65 (north-south), I-40 (east-west), and I-24 (northwest-southeast). The various highways sometimes merge and split without the typical exit-offramp design, so travellers should consult maps before attempting to navigate the area. There is easy access to/from Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Louisville, among others.

By shuttle

 * Gray Line Shuttle, +1 615 275-1180. Tours and charter buses.

By car
The primary mode of transportation is by private car in Nashville. The average speed on highways ranges from 55-70 mph, but are usually much slower due to traffic congestion. City streets are generally 25-45 mph unless otherwise posted.

I-40, I-65, and I-24 are the major interstate highways that run through Nashville.

All major national car rental agencies operate in Nashville.

Taxis are also very prevalent in Nashville, especially Downtown. Taxi companies that operate in Nashville are:

Transportation network companies Uber and Lyft operate in Nashville.
 * Allied Cab, +1 615-885-1499.
 * Music City Taxi, +1 615-262-0451.
 * Checker Cab, +1 615-256-7000.
 * Metro Cab, +1 615-365-3434.

For executive transportation, sedan or limousine services are available; these often work like black cars in New York City, and offer executive sedans, SUVs, or even full limo transports to and from downtown or the airport.

Parking
If you are looking to park Downtown in a lot or garage, be sure to have a good idea of where to park. The Metro Owned Facilities managed by the Nashville Downtown Partnership (branded as ParkIt Downtown) seem to be the best deal. For example, the Metro Courthouse/Public Square Garage is $3 after 5PM and on weekends. This is much cheaper than nearby private lots.

By foot
The center of Nashville is not too big for an able-bodied person to traverse on foot in decent weather, and walking downtown can be quite pleasant. Outside downtown, Nashville is sprawling and lacks sidewalks.

See
Nashville is a very historic town and as such, many of its attractions are restorations or museums. Most attractions of interest to tourists are in the Downtown, Midtown, and Music Valley neighborhoods.

Music




Sports




Midtown




Southeastern Nashville




Western Nashville










Buy
Popular tourist souvenirs include cowboy paraphernalia (boots, hats, etc.) as well as any and all music themed items. Expect to find many local shops selling these items. Some downtown shops offer "buy 1, get 2 free" deals. Be sure to shop around.

Eat
The dominant local grocery chains in Nashville are Kroger, Publix, and Aldi. The city is also dotted with dozens of ethnic groceries, especially Hispanic, Kurdish, Indian and Vietnamese, around Nolensville Pike. For organic and/or specialty grocery stores, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, and Fresh Market also have locations throughout the city.

Budget

 * Downtown




 * Midtown








 * Eastern




 * Southeastern


 * Western
 * Western
 * Western





Downtown




Splurge




Downtown
Many bars can be found in Printer's Alley in Lower Broadway.

Splurge




Stay safe
Avoid walking in North Nashville, especially the Bordeaux and MetroCenter districts, and use caution when driving through the district at night.

Use caution when walking around Downtown Nashville at night, especially along the avenues south of Broadway. Use designated parking and avoid leaving valuables in your vehicle. Panhandlers do exist around these areas as well.

By phone
Most telephone numbers in Nashville consist of +1 615 plus a seven-digit number, but the region is now served by an overlay complex of two area codes, with +1 629 being the second. A local or in-state telephone call now requires all 10 digits of the local number be dialed (omitting just the leading +1 from a local landline call).

Signage on many established businesses may still display the original seven-digit numbers; dial 615 before these if no area code is indicated.

Cope
Unlike the more conservative suburbs surrounding it, the city of Nashville is more accepting of alternative sexualities and lifestyles.

In Nashville there is a growing gay entertainment district featuring a number of gay clubs, dance halls, lounges, restaurants and sex clubs on Church Street between 12th and 22nd Avenues with very chic spots offering lively, classy entertainment. LGBT individuals are mostly accepted in the areas of Downtown, West Nashville, Hillsboro, and East Nashville, with South Nashville and North Nashville being less friendly.

Newspapers

 * The Tennessean. The main daily newspaper.
 * Nashville Scene. Nashville's oldest and largest weekly, now run by the Village Voice.  Excellent entertainment news and reliable features, plus useful special issues (Annual Manual, Dining Guide, You're So Nashville If..., College Guide, Best of Nashville, etc.)

Consulates

 * 🇩🇰 Denmark
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇯🇵 Japan

Go next

 * Fall Creek Falls. A spectacular waterfall located on the rim of the Cumberland Plateau, several hours outside of Nashville.
 * Franklin. Fifteen miles south of Nashville. A historic Civil War town.
 * Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an International Biosphere Reserve that straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. The park is about a 3⅓-hour drive east of Nashville, so it would be more than you could do in a day, but certainly worth a weekend trip!
 * Lynchburg Located 1½ hour's drive to the southeast, this small town is home to the Jack Daniels Distillery.
 * Natchez Trace Parkway. The long parkway follows the same path used by travelers from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi during the early 19th century. It begins in the southwest part of Nashville along Highway 100 about 10 miles outside of the city.  south from the parkway entrance in Williamson County is the nation's first segmentally constructed concrete arch bridge. The parkway provides spectacular views of the rolling hills in Tennessee.
 * Tullahoma Located about an hour southeast of Nashville, this town is home to the George A. Dickel distillery and a thriving aerospace industry based around Arnold Air Force Base.