The Scoop On Nashville

As with most cities, much of the activity in Nashville is dependent on the time of year you visit. There are numerous festivals and concerts throughout the year, but typically, most are during the spring and summer. One of the unsung gems of the Nashville music scene is Dancing in the District; a free weekly concert series during the summer.

From Riverfront Park to 2nd Avenue and for blocks around, there is plenty of food, shopping and entertainment to be absorbed in the downtown district.

Half the allure (or more than half) of Nashville is its people. These alluring people are best met on their own turf. The West End, Elliston Place and Hillsboro Village neighborhoods are your best bets for nightlife and mingling on any given evening.

If you have a penchant for history, Nashville is chock full of it. From president's to musical pioneers, many famous and infamous characters have left their mark here. You might choose to visit Andrw Jackson's home, the Hermitage, or traipse through one of several museums. For the Civil War enthusiast there are seemingly endless points of interest within an hour's drive of the city, as well as within the city itself.

Quick Tips:

With few exceptions, there are no remarkable accomodations that stand out from the crowd. If budget is your priority, seek out the typical motel chains you would find anywhere else in the U.S. If you wish to spend more, again, you'll find the typical upper-end accommodations.

For more unique lodgings, try the Union Station Hotel. The Opryland Hotel is also a unique location that warrants a visit, even if you don't choose to stay there.

In general, the west side of Nashville or downtown are your best bets when looking for a place to bed down.

Best Way To Get Around:

To properly see Nashville, you need a car. If you fly into town, rent one. Otherwise, you will either limit the scope of your activities or spend more money on cab fares than you would have on a rental car.

As for public transportion, don't think about it. If you're only visiting, there is little or no reason to bother yourself with the unreliable, inconvenient and inadequate bus system.

In the downtown area, you will be just fine on foot. In fact, I would recommend exploring the downtown district on foot or in combination with the trolley, which runs on a limited route in the vicinity.

For all else, I've got three words for you: use a car.

Nashville’s Union Station was built in 1900, as the city’s main train depot. It is an elegant example of Romanesque architecture. There’s no need to content yourself with the view from outside, however. Union Station has been redeveloped into one of Nashville’s best and most unique hotels. With prices ranging from around one hundred dollars a night to the two hundred dollar neighborhood, its hospitality is accessible to a range of budgets.

Entering into the main lobby area, you will undoubtedly be struck by the interior design. Turn your eyes upward toward the 65-foot high vaulted ceilings, tastefully adorned with gold leaf mirrors, bas-relief sculptures and Tiffany stained glass. It lends somewhat of a European feel to the main chamber and certainly bespeaks a time when prefabricated construction was yet to come. Sitting in the lobby, reading your morning paper, you could easily find yourself forgetting what era you belong to.

The Union Station is operated as part of the Wyndham Hotel chain, though there is little about it that reminds one of something so homogeneous as a hotel chain. Of its 225 guestrooms, no two are quite alike. All are designed with a style and charm that is reminiscent of the early 20th century, but with the modern amenities and perks of a modern establishment. Of course, the room rate is directly tied to just how charming and elegant your suite is, but you’ll likely not be disappointed with your accommodations, whatever price range you choose.

Union Station is home to Arthur’s, one of Nashville’s four-star restaurants. Reservations are required at this eatery and there is a dress code. For something a little less formal, the hotel also houses The Broadway Bistro, which is open for lunch or dinner. The Bistro’s lounge area is a nice, quiet place to relax for a drink in the evening, as well. Reservations are not required for lunch or dinner at the Broadway Bistro. For breakfast, The Gallery serves up a grand Southern-style buffet for the guests, beneath the hotel’s stained glass skylight. There aren’t many better ways to start off your day than this down home culinary delight.

Most people don’t come to Nashville just to sit around their hotel, no matter how nice it might be. There are things to do and sights to see and Union Station is within walking distance of many, if not most, of the activities you will probably want to engage in. Downtown Nashville’s 2nd Avenue entertainment district is just a few blocks away. So is the Lower Broad strip of genuine country honky tonks and the legendary Ryman Auditorium, two major destinations for country music fans. World famous Printer’s Alley and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are just a bit farther, but still close enough to walk to. Returning to the hotel is an uphill climb, so if you’ve worn yourself out, it’s just a couple of dollars worth of cab fare away.

Barbeque is a staple of Southern cuisine that is easily obtained, but too often in it's inferior forms. Not so at R & R.

I have sampled barbeque from here and beyond and when I want the best that Nashville has to offer, the only choice is this run-down joint that most locals don't even know about. The meat is good quality and you are never cheated on quantity. Request either hot or mild sauce to top off these melt in your mouth morsels.

In Tennessee, pulled pork is nearly synonomous with the term barbeque and there is no need to diverge from that at R & R. Get one or even two pulled pork sandwiches and you're set. You can order a soft drink at the counter, but I prefer to wash mine down with a cold beer. If you choose to do the same, you'll have to buy the beer elsewhere.

R & R Bar-B-Q is located in a somewhat seedy part of town, on the opposite side of the Cumberland River from downtown. Most visitors, as well as many locals, have little reason to venture in that direction. Since this restaurant is essentially and walk-up/carry-out establishment, you will have little reason to stick around, which is just as well. Once you have food in hand, head back over the river where you'll be more comfortable.

With that said, there is no reason to feel apprehensive in dropping in to grab a meal. You'll find the good ole boys working the kitchen and the counter to be amiable enough and while the neighborhood is largely a run down semi-industrial area, it is quite safe.

One last piece of advise; tell a local that you went there. You'll likely find that you enjoy a newfound respect. This will stem from showing a Southern-like dedication to a revered dish and for venturing into environs with an exaggerated reputation for being inhospitable.

Brown's Diner, located just off 21st Avenue on Blair Boulevard, is a Nashville institution. That said, it always amazes me how many locals have never been there. This place has been around forever and is home to what is quite possibly the Music City's best dive joint burger.

Brown's Diner is housed in what appears to be a trailer of some sort, though it's been added on to at some point. There is a small bar located in the front end of the establishment, but most of the space is dedicated to the diner, which is entered from the rear parking lot.

There is a small variety of sandwiches and other items on the menu, but frankly, I'd be hard pressed to tell you what they are. Most people go to Brown's for one thing. The hamburgers. There has been a long-standing dispute in Nashville as to who has the best burgers in town. Brown's Diner has its own staunch camp of followers and I would easily put them in the top three without any effort. They're the good old-fashioned fried burgers that many restaurants no longer make. They're greasy, they're delicious and they're as cheap (or cheaper) than a fast food joint's inferior sandwiches.

The decor at Brown's Diner is largely of the fake wood panel and neon beer light variety. A couple of TV's mounted on the walls offer music videos or sports, depending on time of the day. There is not a nonsmoking section, so if that bothers you, I recommend you go elsewhere. This is just a regular Joe's kind of place and neither the staff nor the patrons put on a lot of airs. Everyone is friendly and the service is good, but no one is likely to cater to the overly sensitive.

Brown's Diner is a good place to go if you have to buy someone else their lunch, incidentally. Two people can eat for just over ten dollars, so you'll get off easy. Your companion won't resent you for being a cheapskate, though, because they'll be too preoccupied enjoying their burger.

Bobby's Idle Hour is a true dive, in the best sense of the word. This long time Music Row institution sticks out like a sore thumb among the well kempt, glass and brick buildings of the major music industry companies. Bobby's is a relatively dilapidated trailer of sorts, with extra rooms slapped on haphazardly over the years. You can't miss it if you're driving down 16th Avenue. It's the one with the hokey plastic statue in front of an overall wearing man with a guitar.

You can get cold beer for a couple bucks a pop inside, some free peanuts off the bar and, well, that's about all the fare they offer.

The Idle Hour is frequented by an interesting array of characters, as well as those dropping in to satisfy their curiosity. Radio personalities, journalists, low tier music industry personnel, successful songwriters, blue collar workers and college kids are all folks I have seen in this low rent little establishment.

If you drop in for a refreshing beverage, you are almost certain to overhear or engage in some animated and/or bizarre conversation. If you visit a few times, you will almost certainly get to witness the patrons passing around the house guitar to pick some tunes. This sometimes turns into some true quality entertainment, for as I said, there are real-deal country songwriters than drop in from time to time.

During the warm months, you might enjoy pitching horseshoes out back. To my knowledge, this is the only bar in town that has a horse shoe pit and I've pitched a few there myself. Around the major summer holidays, there is usually a picnic and informal music jamboree, as well. At times like this, it may be a little more difficult to get a spot at the horseshoe pit, though. Bobby's isn't a very large place, so it doesn't take a lot of people to constitute a crowd.

Bobby's Idle Hour is more or less a hold over from bygone days when the local dive bar was a more common sight. When I refer to it as a dive, however, there's no need to feel uncomfortable about going in. The folks are friendly and welcoming to strangers, even though it's mostly regulars hanging out on any given night. It's a cheap and interesting place to hang out for a bit before moving on to other nightlife. On some nights, though, when things get cranking, you may find it hard to pull yourself away.

The legendary Exit/In has been one of Nashville's premier music venues for just over three decades. Though its heyday has come and gone, it is arguably still the best spot in town to catch a live act.

As for the types of acts you might see at the Exit/In, well, pretty much anything goes. Traditionally, it has been known as a rock club, but the establishment has always booked a rather diverse range of artists. From local favorites to national headliners, you really never know who will show up on the schedule.

This mid-sized venue has a giant reputation and it's sometimes hard to separate the myth from the reality. Of course, when you come to watch a band, this has little practical influence on your evening, but there is an aura that hangs inside this bare bones, square listening hall. Thirty years of sweat, beer and cigarette smoke have seeped into the woodwork to mingle with the ghosts of countless nights with a virtual who's who of American music culture. Somehow this vibe is present, no matter what band you might be seeing on a given night.

When this club opened in 1971, one of the first relative unknowns to land a gig was Jimmy Buffett. He was a regular in those days, as was a younger John Hiatt. The comedian, Steve Martin, was a frequent face on the Exit/In stage during the seventies. His shows on this venerable Nashville stage have become the stuff of legend and his own autobiography cites the Exit/In as being the place where he truly honed his skills.

These days you can catch an interesting array of acts. Billy Block's Western Beat Revival is a weekly feature, on Tuesday nights. Western Beat showcases some top notch acts in the arena of alternative country and Americana style twang music. This show gives you a look at multiple artists each night, from up and comers to established names.

The weekends typically bring in the larger name national acts, catering generally to the younger crowds. Even if you don't recognize a name on the marquee right off the bat, it may be worth investigating. You'd be surprised at the quality of the some of the regional acts that often garner quite a cult following. Basically, if they're a cool band, they'll eventually play the Exit/In.

If you are a music aficionado, you may want to visit the club's website. It makes for some good rock history reading and you can impress the local music crowd with your knowledge when you are in town. Trust me, there's not a musician or music listener in Nashville that isn't familiar with the Exit/In and they all have a story. It's just one of those places.

Walk in the front door and breathe in. Smell the aged leather covers, the wood of the building, the subtle scent of ink and paper. There’s something vaguely familiar and nostalgic about these aromas, but what is it? It’s a bookstore, a real bookstore, not a Borders or Barnes and Noble. It’s probably been a while since you’ve seen one, much less walked into one. It’s a bookstore that doesn’t serve latte and cinnamon rolls, nor are there music CDs or any number of other items displayed in a flashy manner to distract you from the fact that no one seems to know much about the books. Elder’s Bookstore has books and plenty of them. Over 50 thousand volumes, last I heard. The farthest their inventory might stray from that staple product is a good selection of maps and manuscripts.

The story of Elder’s Bookstore begins during the Great Depression. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, Charles Elder launched into a risky venture, given the current economic climate. He started his little shop in downtown Nashville with really only two things going for him; a love of history and a love of books. Nearly 75 years later, Elder’s is in a different location, but it still sticks to those original founding factors. This quaint little bookshop is crammed full of books; on shelves, on tables, in every available nook and cranny. The general emphasis of Elder’s is history, but more so, Tennessee history. In addition, you will find a distinguished offering of Southern literature, as well as a wide array of nonfiction pertaining to the broader history and culture of the South. Indeed, Elder’s Bookstore has become quite well known for its specialties.

If you have no particular interest in the aforementioned subjects, don’t be dismayed. Like I said, there are over 50 thousand books in stock, so they’ve got something for everyone. Elder’s is where you go when you’ve given up looking for that out of print book you’ve just got to get your hands on. If they don’t have it, they also specialize in tracking down and ordering hard to find books. In the arena of early Tennessee and Nashville history, they have actually become the foremost re-publishers of books on those topics. That’s how seriously they take their business.

Elder’s Bookstore is one of a dying breed, though it seems to still be going strong. I must end this with a word of caution, however. People have been known to wander into this old-line establishment and not be heard from again for hours on end. I have fallen prey to this mysterious phenomenon on more than one occasion, dropping by for a quick purchase, and then later having to explain my extended disappearance. The place just sucks you in and it’s hard to escape.