Nashville

United States

Overview Events Activities Acco Guide

Overview

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and its second largest city after Memphis. Known as the Music City, Nashville’s foundation of music began as early as the 1800s as it grew to become a national center for music publishing. The city has also long been known as the “Songwriting Capital of the World” with songwriters from around the world visiting Nashville to learn the art. It has also become a hub for pop, rock, bluegrass, Americana, jazz, classical, contemporary Christian, blues, and soul music. Combine this with Nashville’s great food culture, vibrant night life and diverse population and you can see why it was named one of the 52 places to go in 2014 by the New York Times.

Events

Bonnaroo

15th - 18th Jun 2023

Nashville, United States  

Things to do in Nashville!

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Hotels

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Guide

Neighborhood

Nashville neighbourhoods range from rebel to ritzy all in the same block. Some of its neighbourhoods are:

 

Downtown:

 

The District:

  • The District (along Second Ave. and Broadway), short for downtown Nashville's historic district, is known for its nightlife scene. 
  • It has restored buildings which now house trendy restaurants, packed dance clubs and the city's famous honky tonk bars such as Robert's Western World.

 

Germantown:

  • The historic community of Germantown, was Nashville’s first suburb with the arrival of German immigrants in the mid nineteenth- century. 
  • Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, the neighborhood is now being restored to its original grandeur. The derelict buildings of the 1970s through urban development have turned Germantown into having some of Nashville's most charming and vibrant landscapes.

 

Jefferson Street and Fisk University:

  • Jefferson Street was known for its jazz, blues and rhythm and blues from the 1940s to the 1960s, and is famous for the city's best soul food spots.
  • This area also has the historic Fisk University as well as Tennessee State University.

 

The Gulch:

  • Nashville’s historic Gulch District, with its distinct industrial history has been transformed with old warehouses revamped to luxury apartments, sexy hotels, hip restaurants and clubs, making The Gulch one of the hottest neighborhoods in Nashville.
  • The Gulch is known for some of the finest restaurants in Music City and also the The Station Inn, home to some of Nashville's best live bluegrass music for more than 30 years.

 

8th Avenue South:

 

12th Avenue South:

  • One of Nashville’s hottest neighborhoods, 12South has stylish shops, beautifully-restored homes, and a range of dining options, becoming one of Nashville's brightest new stars.

 

The West End / Hillsboro Village:

 

Music Row:

  • Along 16th and 17th Avenues, the tree-lined boulevards of Music Row are the center of the country-music recording industry, where you'll find the mecca of country music moguls and recording studios.

 

East Nashville:

  • Across the Cumberland River, East Nashville lays claim to some of the city's funkiest bars, boutiques and cafes, with Budget Travel Magazine calling Historic East Nashville “Nashville’s version of New York’s East Village.
  • East Nashville, with its indie rock scene, and the vintage and eclectic shopping, is home to many musicians and visual artists.

 

Music Valley:

Getting around

General info

Getting to the city from Nashville International Airport

  • The Nashville International Airport is approximately 12.9 Km from the Downtown Nashville.
  • You can use the following services to reach the Nashville:
    • Bus:
      • Jarmon Transportation is the official airport ground transportation shuttle service for Nashville International Airport, providing service to downtown and the West End area, Ft. Campbell/Clarksville and door-to-door. 
      • Jarmon is located on the Ground Transportation/1st level inside the terminal. Reservations can be made in person, by phone at 615-275-0146 or online.
    • Shuttles:
      • Shuttles are available from the airport to various locations.
      • Metropolitan Transit Authority provides shuttle service from the airport to downtown Music City. Refer here for details.
      • For information about other shuttles, refer here.
    • Taxi:
    • Car Rental: 

Bus

Taxi

Staying connected

  • United States uses the GSM 850 and 1900 frequency bands. For 3G carriers use the 850 /1900 and 1700 /2100 bands. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint are providing 4G services in the country now.
  • If you have a GSM phone, and if the phone has been bought from a carrier, it will have to be unlocked to accept a US Sim Card. There is a USA law which makes unlocking a phone illegal in the USA, but it does not apply to anyone unlocking a phone outside the USA and traveling to the USA with that phone.
  • There are multiple service providers in United States that offer prepaid SIM / Pay As You Go options. 
  • Major national carriers:
  • Of the top 5 wireless service providers in the US, AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile US use GSM, while Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular and Sprint use CDMA.

Eat / Drink

Local

  • Tennessee is the place to be for top-notch barbecue and stick-to-your-ribs homestyle cooking. Famous Tennessee dishes include barbecue, country ham and flaky biscuits.
  • Aside from their BBQ, Tennessee cuisine features traditional southern menus: fried fish, hushpuppies, cornbread, sweet tea, grits, fresh vegetables, potatoes, gravies, etc. Nashville’s Hot Chicken is also quite famous. 
  • Popular dishes:
    • Hot Chicken - Hot Chicken is big pieces of fried cayenne-coated chicken. You eat the dish with white bread and pickle slices.
    • Meat & Three - The classic combo of meatloaf, brisket, country fried steak, or ham and up to three veggies like mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, black-eyed peas, or collard greens.
    • Goo Goo Clusters - Goo Goo Clusters were the world’s first example of combining all the best candy ingredients: caramel, marshmallow nougat, peanuts, and milk chocolate.
    • Biscuits - Biscuits can be had as is or by smothering them in gravy, jellies & jams.
  • Some notable restaurants serving the local specialties include: 

Gourmet

  • City House
    • Cuisine: Italian and Southern
    • Awards: James Beard Awards 2015 Finalist Best Chef (Southeast): Tandy Wilson

 

  • The Catbird Seat
    • Cuisine: Menu changes once a week
    • Awards: GQ Top 10 New Restaurants.

 

  • Etch
    • Cuisine: Eclectic, Ethnic
    • Awards: Top Tennessee Restraurant by Charleston Food Bloggers, Chef Deb Paquette has won countless awards and accolades.

 

  • Rolf and Daughters
    • Cuisine: American, European, Italian, Mediterranean, Southern
    • Awards: BonAppetit's 2013 Best New Restaurants, Top 10 new restaurants in the US for 2013.

Vegetarian

 

 

 

Drink

Tipping

Tipping is typically expected in United States as a means to encourage better service. Many restaurants in Nashville include gratuity for tables of six or more.

  • Hotels: Tip your porter USD 1.00 - 2.00 per bag depending on the bag weight. Housekeeping can be tipped USD 1.00 - 2.00 per day.
  • Restaurants: Tip your server 15% to 20% of the bill before taxes.
  • Bars: Tip the barman 10% to 15% depending on the cost of your drink.
  • Taxi: Tip your driver about 15% of the total fare or USD 1.00, whichever is higher.

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Banner image credits: Thomas Hawk