If you notice any updates that need to be made, or have anything to add to any of the city guides, feel free to contact us.
- Introduction
- Getting Settled/Neighborhoods
- Getting Around/Transportation
- Restaurants
- Arts, Culture, and Nightlife
- Shopping
- Sports and Recreation
- Other Places to Visit
INTRODUCTION
I decided to create this Nashville City Guide from personal experience. No doubt, as a newcomer to a city, you can also get heaps of information from the Chamber of Commerce.
Depending on your needs, you will find some of these tips more helpful or enjoyable than others.
To get involved with others who enjoy the outdoor activities, check out Team Green. They take monthly trips to hike, bike, kayak, camp, etc. Most people who sign-up do not know others who are attending. It's great for people new to the area and the cost is minimal. Plus, Tennessee is beautiful to explore.
Regardless of your interest, age, or stage of life, this website will be very helpful for finding useful Nashville information: nashville.citysearch.com
The Nashville Scene is a free paper that is published weekly. It lists all the happenings in town, rates the restaurants, gives movie listings, etc. They are available everywhere.
If you are buying a house, the realtor packets are full of great and accurate information.
As soon as you open an account at a bank, they give you a "newcomer's packet" full of maps and guides.
Nashville is a very easy city to be new in. If you include the surrounding area, the population is about 1 million. Many people will say it's a city that feels like a small town. I've never been sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. At any rate, it is accessible and friendly and everyone is a transplant. They have all been where you are, probably only a few months or a year ahead of you. Because of the music scene, entertainment is everywhere. And with the universities, it's fairly easy to find good doctors, etc.
GETTING SETTLED/NEIGHBORHOODS
Finding an affordable place to live is relatively easy. Because of the universities, securing a place in August or May is great because landlords offer many incentives for you to become a tenant. It is relatively easy to find a place to live regardless of your timing.
Nashville is a place where many musicians flock. They hope to make it big and are taking a risk to make it happen -- so you get the starving musicians needing a reasonable place to live and of course you get the musicians who are making it big. The closer you get to Franklin, just a few miles south of Nashville, the houses get bigger.
Many of the rental units do not require the typical first month's and last month's rent. They require a "cleaning deposit" of just a few hundred dollars. This is so you have the option to just move out and have your landlord arrange for cleaning. Landlords keep the deposit to clean the place after you move out, or it is returned to you upon moving out if you clean the apartment yourself.
Hillsboro Village is a popular place because it is very pedestrian oriented and close to Vanderbilt. There are lots of fun coffee shops, used bookstores, and great restaurants within walking distance. Rent can be quite reasonable in this neighborhood.
Green Hills is another popular place to live because it is a neighborhood full of great shops and restaurants, although not quite as pedestrian friendly. Rent is just a little bit more, but everything is also a bit newer.
Some people will opt to live in Bellview because you get more house for your money, but you can also feel a bit out of the loop. It's not a bad commute, but you are about 20 minutes from downtown without traffic.
Living within or near the 440 highway exchange is a popular way to look at a good place to live. You will want to look at traffic patterns. If you need Highway 24 or Highway 40 to get to and from work, you will hit traffic -- but Nashville's traffic is not real traffic like you find in Chicago, New York, or San Francisco. You are definitely held-up, but it doesn't take long for traffic jams to let up.
In terms of buying a house, the same as above applies in terms of neighborhood. The closer to downtown you live, the more you will want to consider the safety of a neighborhood.
GETTING AROUND/TRANSPORTATION
Nashville has public transportation (city bus), but it is not a popular way of getting around. You will need a car. If you fly and travel quite a bit, you will find it convenient to live around the 440 highway exchange. It's an easy airport to fly in and out of. Security is quick, and there are lots of easy parking options, etc.
RESTAURANTS
(Also see hyperlinks under introduction.)
There are all sorts of great restaurants in Nashville. You can get local cuisine and a nice range of ethnic restaurants and grocery stores. If you talk to a local or those who have been here for 10-13 years, they will all tell you that the restaurant scene is significantly improved since the early '90s. It's very convenient to eat out. There is usually complimentary valet parking or a parking garage that charges $5.00 for the entire evening. You will find your range of unique restaurants such as Bound'ry and Mad Platter, plus typical chain favorites like the Melting Pot.
ARTS, CULTURE, AND NIGHTLIFE
There is always something going on. Centennial Park and Bicentennial Park have events all year, especially from spring to fall. Nashville has book festivals, art festivals, and music, music, music! Everyone knows someone. It's easy to score tickets. You do not have to like country music to fit in. There are places that have jazz, blues, and even a few piano bars. There is the Frist Art Center and Country Music Hall of Fame, and of course all the mansions and plantations. Jack Daniels Distillery is not far away, and making a Memphis trip to see the Elvis sites and peruse Beale Street is worth a trip, even if you aren't an Elvis or blues fan. There are several places in Nashville that have weekly wine tastings with decadent appetizers. There is always something to do and everything is easy to get to.
If you are into dancing, you can do it all. There are salsa clubs, techno clubs, '80s bands, line dancing, etc. Downtown is a fun place, but I usually only go down there when I have visitors. It's mostly tourists downtown, which makes it fun because everyone is in the mood to play and have a good time.
SHOPPING
Nashville has lots of great shopping. The Mall at Green Hills is a popular place to get the typical mall items -- from stores such as Pottery Barn, Banana Republic, Victoria's Secret, and Williams-Sonoma.
The Green Hills neighborhood is also a great place to find higher-end specialty shops, as is the Hillsboro Village neighborhood. The latter is more pedestrian oriented and you can find some nice eateries, bookstores, and coffee shops. Going down to Franklin's quaint downtown is a must, where there are even more specialty shops.
SPORTS AND RECREATION
There are quite a few YMCAs, and other recreational facilities. You will notice there are a lot of runners in Nashville. The parks are wonderful -- safe, accessible, dogs allowed on leashes, etc. Also check out Team Green.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT
Nashville is in the Bible belt, so you will get a feel for the southern culture as well. You will not have a problem landing in a large church if that is something you need. Nashville is also different than the rest of Tennessee because of what the city offers and the people it attracts because of the music and Vanderbilt Medical Center, etc. It is a few hours drive from many other great cities -- Atlanta, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Memphis, etc. It's easy to go on a weekend road trip and hit a few local wineries along the way.
