Nashville is a vibrant city with incredible music, great food, and friendly people. I have been fortunate to travel here four times (three of those trips were within the last year and a half) and I have discovered more things I love about this city every trip. The airport is very easy to navigate and has multiple flights daily from all over the US.
Here are some of my favorite things to do:
Downtown Broadway — You have to go here at least once when you are in Nashville. Every bar has live music and some of them even have different bands on each floor. Not all the music is country and I’ve heard amazing singers trying to get discovered each time I visit.
Centennial Park — This is a great park with lots of walking paths and things to look at. There is even a replica of The Parthenon in the middle of it!
The Pedestrian Bridge — Cool way to see the city.
Belle Meade — This is a beautiful plantation about 20 minutes outside of downtown Nashville.
Blue Bird Cafe — This is a famous venue where a lot of Country music stars were discovered. It’s located in a strip mall about 15 minutes from downtown Nashville and has a complex ticket system (make sure to read about it here). I’ve tried to get tickets a few times and have only succeeded once and was able to pick seats right up front.
Additionally, here are some other things that I haven’t done but have heard are worth the trip:
Here are some of my favorite things to eat:
Peg Leg Porker — This is my favorite BBQ spot in the US. They are known for dry rub ribs but also have really good chicken. The best sides are potato salad, mac and cheese, green beans and baked beans. The line can be really long but it goes pretty quick and I’ve always found a place to sit.
Mas Tacos — Great tacos with a variety of meat and vegetarian options. The elote and soup are also excellent.
Rolf & Daughters — I love this spot so much. The atmosphere is great and they have a big indoor area with a bar you can wait at and a really cute patio with string lights. They have really good cocktails and an impressive wine list. All of the food is fresh with ingredients prepared in ways you wouldn’t expect…like watermelon with cashews on it. The chicken with preserved lemons and garlic confit is something I dream about, often.
Robert’s Western World — This place is a dive. It’s a really great honky tonk bar with strong cocktails in plastic cups and surprisingly good and cheap burgers. They are also known for their fried bologna sandwich.
Hattie B’s — This is THE hot chicken spot in Nashville. I waited in line here for way too long and then found out you can call ahead and order to-go. You can order different levels of spice to satisfy your palette and don’t forget to order some sides!
Additionally, here are some places that I haven’t been to yet, but have heard are great!
Here are some of my favorite places to drink:
Losers Bar — On Monday nights they have Whisky Jam’s (open mic night) which is really fun. They are also known for Bushwackers which is basically an alcoholic frosty.
L.A. Jackson — This is the bar on the rooftop of the Thompson Hotel. It is a huge bar, great for groups, with an indoor and outdoor area. Last time I was there I had an amazing frose that I highly recommend.
The Crying Wolf — Fun dive bar away from the Broadway scene.
Here are some of my favorite neighborhoods:
12th Ave South — Lots of food (Edley’s BBQ, Frothy Monkey) and shopping (Draper James). You can also find the iconic “I believe in Nashville” sign, too.
Germantown — There are a lot of really cool old warehouses turned into condos and apartments. Great restaurants (Rolf & Daughters) and shops (Peter Nappi).
East Nashville — Hip neighborhood with some good food options (Pharmacy and Mas Tacos) and famous music shops (Fanny’s House of Music).
The Gulch — A newer neighborhood with lots of workout spots (Barry’s and Pure Barre) and famous restaurants (Biscuit Love and Peg Leg Porker). This is where you can find the famous angel wings painting.
Here are some of my traveling tips:
Lodging — Hotels are very expensive in Nashville. I have stayed at The Westin (great rooftop pool), The Marriott (very dated), The Indigo (great location) and The Thompson (amazing rooftop bar, location and rooms). I know a lot of people have had luck with Airbnb’s, as well.
Transportation — Uber’s in Nashville are quick and affordable and a rental car is not necessarily unless you are going far outside the city.
Weather — Nashville has pretty typical Southern weather and can get very hot and humid in the summer with occasional rain storms. I have never been in the Winter but have heard it gets into the mid 40s-50s, but rarely snows.
Have fun in Nashville!
Anne
