Nashville
- State
- Tennessee
- Population
- City Limits
- 678,448
- Metro Area
- 1,989,519
Sources: World Population Review, Wikipedia
- Known by many names
- The Athens of the South, Nashvegas, Cashville, Music City, Buckle of the Bible Belt, Smashville
Nashville is a city that will make you excited about life—or rather, your life and how lucky you are to live there. Located in the North Central region of Tennessee, it’s a city where all scenes are flourishing, whether that be music, food, sports, nightlife, or art.
Some might know it as the city for bachelorette parties and country legends, but the range of eclectic communities adds a welcoming and unpredictable feel to what it can offer. And if there's one thing the city is known for, it’s music. Whether you’re here for a weekend or the rest of your life, live music should be on your itinerary.
While Nashville has been known for world-class fiddlin’ since the 1800s, the city has an open and diverse musical culture. Open-mic nights are full of both young blood and established talent, and at any given hour you can hear harmonious riffs through the streets. Actually, the quarter-mile stretch of road known as Honky Tonk Highway has 32 bars and honky-tonks that pump live music into the streets until 3 AM.
Some of the many spots that contribute to the creative force of the city include the Listening Room, where singers and songwriters get on stage and take turns sharing and singing the stories behind their songs, the Grand Ole Opry, the Bluebird Cafe, and the Station Inn. For those inclined, the Country Music Hall of Fame offers a little piece of history while paying respect to icons like Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. If you don’t spend at least half your time clapping along to a beat or tapping to a tune, did you really go to Nashville? We think not.
“I feel like, genre-wise, the walls are coming down in Nashville. There are so many writers who have moved to town from all walks of life. There's this immense respect for country, but there are pop songwriters, R&B. Nashville has become sort of this go-to writing city for every genre.”
Maren MorrisMusician
When Nashville is not being talked about for its music, the focus is on its culinary scene. Like all good eats, Nashville’s famous hot chicken comes with a story—that it was originally invented by a spurned lover to punish a philandering boyfriend—and now attracts crowds at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. But for those who don’t care to sweat and sigh with their meals, there’s a plethora of mouth-watering and famous options for barbeque, southern comfort food, and biscuits by the bucketful. The food scene is also impacted by the ever-expanding and vibrant culinary communities from across the world—Hispanic, Egyptian, Kurdish, Salvadoran, Middle Eastern, and many more (the city recently became home to one of the fastest-growing foreign-born populations in the United States). Along Nolensville Road, one can find small restaurants and local markets that are abundant with warm flavors and inviting hosts.
Throughout Nashville, coffee shops are everywhere, and often work with local artists, farmers, and businesses to cultivate inviting atmospheres and delectable treats. The people of Nashville are cheeky and friendly and driven by a fierce desire to create. This desire to positively impact their community through innovation and self-expression is felt through the endless creative endeavors that pull crowds in like a magnet. The city is sprinkled with funky people, neighborhoods, and venues that each add a unique personality, and one is left with a sense that Nashville is a colorful tapestry of culture unlike any other in America.
“Seeing kids around bluegrass picking parties is the best.
A city good for… trying your hand at music stardom.
