Fodors Travel Guides - Fodors Inside Nashville

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Inside Nashville is Music City like youve never seen it. Written entirely by locals, it includes features on the citys dives, honky-tonks, and food havens, and plenty of insider tips. The result is a curated compilation infused with authentic Southern flavor, accompanied by easy-to-use maps. Whether youre visiting Nashville for the first time or a seasoned traveler looking to explore a new neighborhood, this is the guide for you. Weve handpicked the top things to do and rated the sights, shopping, dining, and nightlife in the citys most dynamic, up-and-coming neighborhoods. Truly exceptional experiences in all categories are marked with a .

Restaurants, bars, and cafs are a huge part of Nashvilles appeal, of course, and youll find plenty to savor in its diverse neighborhoods. We cover cuisines in all price points, and everything from enduring institutions and groundbreaking chefs. We cover hotels in the Experience section at the front of this guide.

#FODORSONTHEGO

Weve highlighted fun neighborhood facts throughout this guide. As you explore Nashville, we invite you to use #FodorsOnTheGo to share your favorite discoveries with us.

Use the $ to $$$$ price charts below to estimate meal and room costs. We list adult prices for sights; ask about discounts when purchasing tickets. Nashville is constantly changing. All prices, opening times, and other details in this guide were accurate at press time. Always confirm information when it matters, especially when making a detour to a specific place.

Visit Fodors.com for expanded restaurant and hotel reviews, additional recommendations, news, and features.

Nashvilles history often focuses on the more recent past: the story of country music as told through the Grand Ole Opry radio show, the birth of the careers of Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline, and the recording studios where the ghost of Elvis hovers over the piano. But its worth digging a little deeper and looking out even further to learn about the Civil War history of Franklin, Tennessee, or the rail yards and mills of the Gulch and Wedgewood-Houston, which have been repurposed as gallery spaces. Musicians still flock to Nashville in hopes of stardom, and recording studios can be found by the dozen in Berry Hill, but the music coming out of the city is not limited to countryexports include funk, soul, and hip-hop. Large-scale housing and business developments continue to rapidly change the citys landscape, yet each neighborhood maintains its own identity and local-favorite staples. Throughout the city youll find innovative food and Southern classics, secret speakeasies with craft cocktails, and local dives. Sample international cuisine by traveling up Nolensville Pike from Bell Road to Thompson Lane, or Charlotte Pike, west of White Bridge. Most of the neighborhoods covered in this book are small, walkable, and close to another. Heres a rundown of the areas we cover in detail. The numbers refer to chapter numbers.

2. DOWNTOWN

Lower Broadway, aka Honky Tonk Highway, is a must for first-time visitors; surrounding the area are art galleries, world-class museums, and the symphony.

3. GERMANTOWN

This booming historic neighborhood of classic row houses is filled with some of the best dining in Nashville. Come here for a ball game at First Tennessee Park. New to the area is the Tennessee State Museum, which should not be missed.

4. HILLSBORO VILLAGE

Accessible by bus from Downtown, this bikeable, walkable neighborhood is home to students of Belmont and Vanderbilt universities. Come here for dives, down-home restaurant staples, and to visit the historic Belcourt Theatre.

5. EAST NASHVILLE

Trendy East Nashville is comprised of several smaller neighborhoods, all with excellent options for dining, nature, and nights out. Go dancing at a locals-loved watering hole and rest your head at the hip Urban Cowboy B&B.

6. 12 SOUTH

Street fairs and a strip lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops (some owned by celebrities) make up the scenery of this highly walkable neighborhood.

7. WEDGEWOOD-HOUSTON

Things are changing rapidly for this neighborhood, where high-end restaurants and craft distilleries mingle with railroad tracks and warehouses, and a 1930s hosiery mill.

8. MELROSE AND BERRY HILL

If you want to see where Nashvilles countless musicians record, go to the microneighborhood of Berry Hill. To the northwest is the eclectic yet suburban Melrose neighborhood, known especially for 8th Avenue, which has antiques and vintage stores.

9. SYLVAN PARK AND THE NATIONS

Youll find the most activity in these west Nashville neighborhoods on Charlotte and 51st avenues. Residential Sylvan Park has bungalows and Victorian homes, whereas The Nations has modern dwellings. Come here for shopping and green spaces.

10. THE GULCH

This now ritzy area was once a rail yard before services shut down in the late 70s. It was revitalized starting in the early 2000s, and today its filled with rooftop bars, music venues, and impressive dining options.

11. MIDTOWN AND EDGEHILL

Tucked between downtown Nashville and the suburban enclaves of Green Hills and Belle Meade, Midtown is close to attractions like the Grand Ole Opry and Printers Alley yet has lots of local shops and a neighborhood feel.

12. FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE

Twenty miles south of Nashville is this small town with a complex history; Franklin was devastated at the end of the Civil War and its plantation economy collapsed when slavery was abolished. Victorian houses and a quaint downtown are remnants of old Tennessee.

13. GREATER NASHVILLE

Well beyond the city center are Nashvilles forests and the Harpeth River, which you can explore by canoe or on foot. On the outskirts of town discover cultural and historical landmarks, and eclectic gems and eateries with authentic international cuisine.

LIVE MUSIC

Music City isnt just a place for country heads: Marathon Music Works, a 14,000-square-foot venue just outside of downtown, hosts an eclectic mix of performances throughout the year. Cannery Ballroom has a similar vibe but a more intimate feel. Midtowns Exit/In, where the Red Hot Chili Peppers once had Thanksgiving dinner after a late-night set, features punk, rock, and hip-hop performances.

ON THE GREEN

Take a midday stroll in Centennial Park, where you can lounge in front of Lake Watauga, or wander the sunken garden. The Warner Parks (Percy and Edwin) are also nearby; enjoy their 3,200 acres of rolling hills, meadows, and forests.