Nashville E-Book

Andrew Delaplaine

• Herausgeber: Gramercy Park Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 87

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

A complete guide for everything you need to experience a great Long Weekend in Nashville, whether you want to go to the Grand Ole Opry (and you really ought to take the backstage tour that lets you stand in the famous “circle”), or hang out with the hipsters and other creative types over in East Nashville.
“I had no idea how much I’d love Nashville so much before I got here.”

--- Fred G, Seattle

“I moved to Atlanta from New York and have been taking weekend trips to other Southern cities to acquaint myself with my new region. I really had the best time in Nashville. It wasn’t the bunch of hicks I thought I’d find. The people are as sophisticated as those in Portland but nicer because they’re Southern, I guess.”

--- Johnny CA., Atlanta

You'll save a lot of time using this concise guide.
=LODGINGS (in several parts of town) variously priced
=FINE & BUDGET RESTAURANTS, more than enough listings to give you a sense of the variety to be found. 
=PRINCIPAL ATTRACTIONS -- don't waste your precious time on the lesser ones. We've done all the work for you.

= SHOPPING -- A handful of interesting ideas.

Leseprobe

NASHVILLE

The Delaplaine

2022 Long Weekend Guide

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Andrew Delaplaine

NO BUSINESS HAS PAID A SINGLE PENNY OR GIVEN ANYTHING TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK.

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Senior Writer - James Cubby

Copyright © by Gramercy Park Press - All rights reserved.

NASHVILLE

The Delaplaine

Long Weekend Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 – WHY NASHVILLE?

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Chapter 2 – WHERE TO STAY

High on the Hog – Sensible Alternatives – Budget

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Chapter 3 – WHERE TO EAT

Extravagant – Middle Ground – Budget

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Chapter 4 – NIGHTLIFE

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Chapter 5 – WHAT TO SEE & DO

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Chapter 6 –  SHOPPING & SERVICES

Chapter 1

WHY NASHVILLE?

Every city has its own nickname. (Some even have more than one.) New York is the Big Apple. New Orleans is the Big Easy. Chicago is the City of the Big Shoulders.

Nashville is Music City, pure and simple. When you hear the term Music City, you only think of one town, and that town is Nashville.

While Memphis is a larger city than Nashville, Nashville is the capital of Tennessee. I never actually thought about that till I first arrived here. My initial reaction on hearing that Nashville was the capital of Tennessee was to think how odd that sounded. I’d only thought of Nashville as the “Country Music Capital of the World,” which of course it is. Not as the capital of anything else.

Having been raised in South Carolina, I well remember seeing Minnie Pearl on TV in broadcasts from the Grand Ole Opry, which has done weekly shows since 1925, making it the longest continuously broadcast radio show in history.

Nashville is not only the center of the country music business, but for Christian music as well.

They city has outgrown its label as a purely “country” town. What makes it particularly unique is that it combines the best elements of a small town (people say “Hello” on the streets, the clerks in the shops are as pleasant as can be) with the sophistication of a big town (the museums are superlative, the galleries cutting edge, the restaurants are world class—repeat the words Catbird Seat and Rolf & Daughters to me).

The restaurant scene has exploded, and now features some of the most original cooking that stands up to the best that New York has to offer. Just look at what they’re doing at the Catbird Seat.  I find it particularly interesting that Sean Brock, who so successfully opened Husk and McCrady’s in Charleston, opted to return to Nashville (where he once worked for 3 years at the Hermitage) with a local version of Husk. If Brock’s presence doesn’t say something about the food scene in Nashville, nothing does.

The bar scene also has greatly expanded, offering much more variety. As for nightlife, there’s never been anyplace with so much music going on. Start at the Bluebird Café (the location of scenes in ABC’s “Nashville” TV show, though they use a set that recreates the site) and then dig deeper.

The formerly down-and-dirty 12 South District has bounced back big-time with eateries offering sustainable cuisine, trendy shops, a cutting edge atmosphere, making it one of the hotter new areas of town. Meanwhile, in what’s now called SoBro (meaning that it’s directly south of the famous Broadway honky-tonk area), once home to almost nothing, you can experience a whole new neighborhood coming alive as it changes day by day, with famous chefs opening restaurants and craft cocktails being served at new hotspots. 

One thing I guarantee: You’ll never get Nashville out of your blood.

Chapter 2

WHERE TO STAY

High on the Hog – Sensible Alternatives – Budget

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404 HOTEL

404 12th Ave S, Nashville, 615-242-7404

Located in the Gulch neighborhood, this unique urban oasis offers five king rooms with a mix of vintage and custom furniture. Amenities include: gourmet pastries delivered from nearby bakery, and in-room refrigerators stocked with complimentary drinks.

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THE DRAKE INN

420 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, 615-256-7770

www.drakeinnnashville.com

This two-level historic inn features 101 well-appointed guest rooms with modern conveniences. Nothing terribly fancy in this old-time motel. Amenities include: swimming pool, Jacuzzi, cable TVs and free internet access. Conveniently located near Downtown area, Music Row, Country Hall of Fame and other local attractions. While there’s no restaurant on site, there are plenty of good ones nearby. Pet-friendly hotel.

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GAYLORD OPRYLAND RESORT AND CONVENTION CENTER

2800 Opryland Dr, Nashville, 615-889-1000

www.gaylordhotels.com

This resort and convention center offers 2,881 guest rooms all decorated with a Southern flair. Amenities include: free high-speed Internet access, cable TVs, movie channels, and coffeemakers. This hotel features 9 acres of indoor gardens, cascading waterfalls, an indoor river, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a 20,000 square foot spa and fitness center. The resort features an amazing selection of on-site restaurants for the guests dining pleasure. Smoke-free hotel. It’s all a little much, but if you’re looking for a “one-stop shop” kind of place to stay, this would be the place.

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GERMANTOWN INN

1218 6th Ave N, Nashville, 615-581-1218

www.germantowninn.com

NEIGHBORHOOD: Germantown

Luxury boutique hotel set in a converted 19th-century home offering 6 suites all named after American presidents. (The Monroe Room on the second floor is more spacious than the others, so try to get that one first.) Amenities: Complimentary Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and complimentary breakfast. Features: lush outdoor courtyard and private rooftop terrace with downtown views. (This is where I went to enjoy my morning coffee when I stayed here—what a view!) Some of the hottest restaurants in town are all within walking distance, as well as interesting shopping, and the Music City Center. Broadway’s honky-tonk joints are similarly within walking distance.

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THE HERMITAGE HOTEL

231 Sixth Ave N, Nashville, 615-244-3121

www.thehermitagehotel.com

NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown

Oh, what a lovely hotel. It looks like it belongs in New York City when you first pull up to it, with its majestic Beaux-Arts stone façade, the high arched windows rising from the second floor, each arch framed by double Corinthian columns. But as soon as you get out of your cab, you’ll realize you’re not in New York because of the Southern hospitality. It starts right with the doorman. (Lots of musicians and people in the music industry stay here.) It’s been one of the more elegant places to stay in Nashville since it opened in 1910. You’ll love the ornate lobby ceiling with its soaring coffered arches, the plush chairs gathered around the fireplace. When the place opened, it had 250 rooms. But the remodeling over the years has brought the count down to 122, with renovations updating the lodgings and enlarging the rooms to between 500 and 650 square feet (larger than my first apartment in New York). From lots of the rooms you can get superlative views of Downtown as well as the State Capitol. Big marble bathrooms with double vanities; soaking tubs; separate shower; down-filled duvets; flat screen TVs, free Internet and lots of other amenities. 24-hour room service. Spa Services: massages, wraps, scrub treatments and much more. Pet friendly. Business center including secretarial services.  The on-site restaurant is the Capitol Grille, which is very, very good, serving vegetables grown and beef raised from farms nearby. The only hotel in Tennessee that carries both the Forbes Five Star and AAA Five diamond ratings. Also has the Oak Bar, a great place for a meeting or even a romantic drink before or after dinner. (Tip: Has a good happy hour that attracts a lot of locals, 4:30 to 6:30.)

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HILTON NASHVILLE DOWNTOWN

121 4th Ave S, Nashville, 615-620-1000

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/tennessee/hilton-nashville-downtown-BNANSHF/index.html

NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown

This all-suite hotel has an AAA Four-Diamond rating. Has undergone serious renovations to its lobby and some 300 suites. Has the faceless look of a typical businessman’s hotel on the outside, but it’s nice enough inside, with a little “creek” running through the atrium-style lobby. The rooms are spic-and-span, modern, and the hotel has all the amenities (fitness room, business center) you expect at a Hilton property. Also has Parkview Café in the lobby, which makes a good spot for a quick (if uninspired) lunch, as well as the Sportsgrille, a good place to drink some beer and catch the game on one of their TVs. The Palm Steakhouse is worth coming to even if you’re not staying here. Nothing run-of-the-mill about this place.)

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HOMEWOOD SUITES

706 Church St, Nashville, 615-742-5550

https://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com  NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown

If you’re looking for an “extended stay” lodging in Downtown, Homewood Suites, located in the historic Doctor's Building, is a good bet. (If you want a little more upscale property with suites only, go to the Hilton—see above.) But it’s also good for a Long Weekend. They only offer suites, and they come with full kitchens, free Internet and free hot breakfast.

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HOTEL INDIGO

301 Union St, Nashville, 615-891-6000

http://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/us/en/nashville/bnaus/hoteldetail/directions

NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown

Located in a majestic building that used to house the Nashville Trust back in the 1920s. Not quite in the heart of Downtown, but just a few blocks away. The lobby has a “printer’s theme,” because the hotel is close to Printer’s Row. This is not a luxury hotel, but it’s still good, with a location in an historic building, a contemporary renovation that really works, an excellent on-site restaurant, the District Bar & Kitchen, live music downstairs off the lobby. The prices here can be very attractive, so check them out. 

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HUTTON HOTEL 

1808 W End St, Nashville, 615-340-9333

www.huttonhotel.com

NEIGHBORHOOD: West End

It’s not that impressive from the outside, but once you’re inside, it’s a completely different story. I love the 1950s styled stairs in the lobby. You almost expect Doris Day and Rock Hudson to walk down them, squabbling. High-end 4-Star hotel that's proud of its “green” reputation. They use highly renewable bamboo flooring and furnishings; card readers that turn out the lights when you leave the room—the rooms, by the way, are notably spacious; LED lighting throughout the hotel; dual flush toilets, etc. In their excellent on-site 1808 Grille, reclaimed wood is used in the décor (to very great advantage, I might add). The 250 room and 50 suites are super contemporary in design, with lots of high-tech amenities; coffee maker in the room; hair dryers; media hubs; plush robes and the like. 24-hour room service from the 1808 Grille.

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LOEWS VANDERBILT HOTEL

2100 W End Ave, Nashville, 615-320-1700

www.loewshotels.com/vanderbilt

NEIGHBORHOOD: West End