Places to Visit in NASHVILLE

Several years ago, I started a list of all of my favorite places in Nashville. The list grows every year, and is now to the point where I can't even send it to people anymore--except by email--because it's too long. But because I keep getting requests, and I enjoy sharing my love for this city, I decided to publish it here. 

Most of these places I've been to, and some I haven't. All are in downtown or midtown Nashville, and within a few blocks or miles of each other, unless specified otherwise:

BARS

- Loser's and Winner's, on Division Street, in what's known as Midtown, a couple miles west of downtown. Loser's is a bar, and Winner's is a bar and grill; they're right next to each other. A good amount of country stars come in to these bars. Winner's hosts Whiskey Jam every Monday and Thursday night, which is a very popular music event, that I highly recommend going to. 

- Tootsie's, on Broadway and 5th Ave, right across from Bridgestone Arena. It's a famous honky tonk (it's the the purple building). If you ever see a guy named Scott Collier playing here, say hi. He's a friend of mine, as are a few other performers there. 

- Legends, on Broadway, next to Tootsies. It's right on the corner of Broadway and 5th.

- Swingin' Doors Saloon, just off Broadway, between 5th and 2nd Ave South.

- The Stage, on Broadway. Another good honky tonk, with a big neon sign. This may be one of the most popular, in terms of seeing it on TV and in music videos and stuff.

- Honky Tonk Central, on Broadway and 4th Ave South. Big three story bar, live music on every floor (that is becoming the norm for Broadway bars). Scott Collier plays here, too.

- Coyote Ugly, on 2nd Ave North, just north of Commerce Street. 

- Wildhorse Saloon, on 2nd Ave, between Broadway and Commerce. It's supposedly a bit touristy, but it's a cool place. Easily the biggest honky tonk I've seen, it's three stories, with a huge stage. Good food, a good size dance floor (pretty much the only place to dance in downtown Nashville, though don't expect it to be as good as California), and some good up and coming acts play showcases and stuff here, sometimes. 

- Tin Roof, a cool bar in midtown, on Demonbreun Street (they also have a location downtown, on Broadway). Here and Losers and Dawg House are three of the more popular bars in midtown, from what I've observed. The advantage/difference between midtown bars and downtown bars, is that midtown is more locals, and downtown is more tourists. Drinks might even be a tad cheaper in midtown, too. They have a weekly singer-songwriter night on Tuesdays at Tin Roof Demonbreun, called Revival, that I hear is really good. 

- Printers Alley, an actual alley off of Church Street, between 3rd and 4th Ave North, two blocks north of Broadway. It houses a number of bars and clubs, including one or two karaoke bars, and B.B. Kings Blues & Boogie Bar. Part of the music video for Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" was also shot here. 

- Wild Beaver Saloon, at the corner of Commerce and 3rd Ave North, one block north of Broadway. If you like karaoke bars, this is another one I've been to. 

- Dawg House Saloon, a cool and popular locals sports bar, on Demonbreun in midtown. Go here on Sunday afternoons for Sunday Funday, NFL football, and a hilariously entertaining live band called the Spazmatics. 

- Magaritaville, on Broadway, between 4th and 3rd Ave. It is probably worth going to on its own, but it is DEFINITELY worth going to on Fridays, between 3 and 7pm Nashville time, because Buzz Brainard hosts his live radio show, called Music Row Happy Hour, on SXM The Highway, which always includes audience participation and interaction and interviews, and frequently includes visits from country artists, who will do interviews and play a few songs, and even sometimes take pictures with the audience. 

-  FGL House, a brand new multi-level bar, on 3rd Ave in downtown. Pretty happening place. 

- Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, John Rich, and Kid Rock have all opened bars recently. Google them to find their location. I believe they’re all downtown, on or just off of Broadway. 

FOOD

- Jack's BBQ, on Broadway. Big light-up neon sign. Supposed to have really good BBQ. I've had it once, and it was ok. 

- Rippy's, another good BBQ place, on the corner of Broadway and 5th, across from Legends and Bridgestone Arena. They have frequent live music (as do many restaurants in town), including my friend Kaitlin Walker, who plays there on Mondays and Tuesdays, I believe. 

- The Row, another cool bar in midtown, just down the street from Loser's (on Lyle Ave; Loser's is on Division Street, which Lyle dead-ends into in front of Loser's). They appear to have a restaurant side and a bar side, but you can get food on either. The bar side has a small stage, and is a good place to watch live music in an intimate setting. 

- The Southern Steak and Oyster, on 3rd Ave South, near Demonbreun. There are several places you can go to get good southern cooking; this is one of them. Pick your time of day wisely, though, because they only offer certain menus at certain times of day. 

- Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant, at the corner of 5th Ave North and Church Street. Another good place for southern food. 

- Martin's BBQ. There are multiple locations, but the closest is probably the one on 4th Ave, a few blocks south of Broadway. Edley's is good too; I have been there once. They have multiple locations, as well - I went to their location in the 12 South neighborhood. 

- Hattie B's Hot Chicken. If you're in Nashville, you gotta try their signature hot chicken, and this is one of many places to get it. 

- Monell’s, in Germantown; and Loveless Cafe, a few miles from downtown. Both are excellent places to experience authentic southern cooking. Monell’s is particularly special, because it features family style dining (where you will share a table and meal with friendly strangers), and because it is in a beautiful and historic area of Nashville (Germantown). The restaurant is over 100 years old, is next to a Victorian garden, and the surrounding area includes beautiful Victorian architecture, over 100 types of trees, the Nashville Capitol, Bicentennial Mall State Park, and Farmers Market. And if you happen to be there in September or October, you can experience Oktoberfest. 

MUSIC VENUES

- Grand Ole Opry. About a half hour from downtown, but a must-see if you're in Nashville. They have shows at least once a week, on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Visit Opry.com for more details. They sell backstage and VIP tours, too

- Ryman Auditorium, "the mother church of country music", on 5th Ave North, between Broadway and Commerce, just down the street north of Bridgestone Arena. The Opry has shows there, too, sometimes, and they sell tours, as well.

-Bluebird Cafe, about five miles from downtown. It's a famous place for songwriters to play, you may have seen it on the show "Nashville" on ABC/CMT (that's a good way to find other places of interest, too, by the way). It's very intimate, and they take the shows very seriously. It's what is known as a listening room, which is a venue where singer-songwriters play their original material, and people actually stay quiet and listen, as opposed to a lot of other places, where the musicians are basically background music. 

- Bridge Bar, a bar inside the Renaissance Hotel, on Commerce Street, in downtown. I haven't been to it, but I know they host some cool singer-songwriter shows. 

- Listening Room Cafe, on 4th Ave South. It’s a great venue for live music, hosting singer-songwriter shows just about every day. On Mondays, they host an all-female singer-songwriter showcase, called Song Suffragettes. Song Suffragettes is a weekly showcase every MONDAY at 6pm CT, that features very talented female singers and songwriters who are trying to make it, but haven't broken through yet. 

-  Belcourt Taps, a cool, small bar & grill in midtown, that has daily singer-songwriter shows that are very intimate. 

- 12th & Porter, a larger music venue (though I've never been in it) that hosts many genres of music, not just country. Other similar venues are Exit/In, 3rd & Lindsley, The Basement, The Basement East, City Winery, Marathon Music Works, Cannery Ballroom, Limelight, Mercy Lounge, and Schermerhorn Symphony Center. 

- Whiskey Jam. I mentioned it above, but it takes place every week, usually at Winner’s Bar in midtown, and usually on Mondays and Thursdays, though there are exceptions to both the day and location. Among the recurring weekly singer-songwriter nights in midtown bars, this is perhaps the favorite among locals, and easily the most popular and famous. There are a ton of acts who have played Whiskey Jam, both before and after they became famous. 

SHOPPING

- Boot Country, on Broadway between 3rd and 4th Ave, and Nashville Cowboy, their sister store, on 2nd Ave North, between Broadway and Commerce. They both have a buy ONE, get TWO FREE (equal or lesser value) policy on boots!!!!

- The Nash Collection, on Broadway, between 2nd and 3rd Ave, on the second floor at 212 Broadway. They are a very popular Nashville-themed clothing and apparel line, which has an extensive online store, as well. Visit www.thenashcollection.com, or look them up on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

- I’m not much of a shopper, haha, so the above is about all I got, but a few areas I’ve heard are good are The Gulch (which includes a Lucchese Boots flagship store), 12 South, Green Hills, and Opry Mills.

PARKS AND OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST

- Centennial Park, about 2.5 miles from downtown. They have a replica of the Parthenon. 

- Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, aka Bicentennial Mall. Near the State Capitol building, it has a lot of civil war and World War II history, including a museum. I haven’t been to it yet, but I hear it’s really cool. This is also where Keith Urban has headlined a New Years Eve concert the last couple years. 

- Ascend Amphitheater, on 1st Ave South, a little bit south of Demonbreun. I don't know if you'll get a chance to see inside, unless you attend a show here, or view from a distance higher on the hill, but it's a really cool new venue that opened recently. Great addition to the city for concerts and festivals. 

- Riverfront Park, at the corner of Broadway and 1st Ave. I haven't seen much of it, other than during CMA Fest, when they turn it into a music venue with a big stage on the edge of the river, but I'm sure it's a cool and pretty place to walk around and hang out anytime of year. They have a party pontoon now that floats down the river, called Pontoon Saloon! It's BYOB, and is really fun! Kinda like the pedal taverns that can be found all around town, but bigger and less work, and on water! I did it for my birthday in 2018.

- Music City Center, at the corner of 5th Ave South and Demonbreun. Not sure you'll have a reason to go in here, either, but it's basically the new convention center (the old one is a couple blocks north, at the corner of 5th and Broadway/Commerce). One of the most notable events held here, is Fan Fair X during CMA Fest, which features tons of exhibitors, artist autograph signings, and live music.

- Music Row, an area of streets in midtown, around the intersection of Demonbreun, Division, and 17th Ave South. This is where many of the recording studios and offices are located. Don't be expecting high rises or office buildings. Many of them are actually old houses, that are converted into studios and offices. 

- SiriusXM The Highway has their studio inside the tall glass cone in front of Bridgestone Arena, on the corner of Broadway and 5th Ave. I don't think it's open to the public, but it's worth knowing its location. 

- Pontoon Saloon. As mentioned above, they are a BYOB party barge that floats down the Cumberland River, with their dock being located just across the bridge from downtown, next to Nissan Stadium. They’re a great way to celebrate a birthday, bachelor/bachelorette party (Nashville is now the #1 destination for bachelorette parties in the USA, by the way), or Sunday Funday. Visit www.pontoonsaloontn.com to learn more. 

- Pedal Tavern. I haven’t done one, but these are very popular, and you’ll see them all over town. They are basically a bar on a bicycle, and you ride with a group through the streets of Nashville, drinking and singing and pedaling all the while. Visit www.nashvillepedaltavern.com to learn more. 

- I've come to accept that Nashville is all about live music, but if you do want to DANCE, one place you can go is Silverado, which is in Goodlettsville, about 20 mins from Nashville. There are others as well, from what I hear, but none in or close to downtown. I do have friends, though, who are trying to develop a dance scene, so if interested in dancing, contact me, and I will ask them about their latest/current dancing events that they have going. 

- There’s a really cool mural, located in the 12 South area, that says “I Believe In Nashville”. It’s a popular spot to stop and take photos. The whole 12 South area is another cool spot to hang out, with many restaurants and coffee shops, such as Frothy Monkey

- Even though Nashville is known for its music, it has a booming food scene, as well as arts. I've named a few good places on here, but I recommend googling to find others, because just like the bars and music venues, there's just so many!!! I've been to Nashville eight times as of September 2018, and I'm still finding and checking out new spots every time I go. 

- There are also lots of great hikes and other places to observe all the natural beauty out here. I'm not too experienced in this regard, as of yet, but there is a park only about five miles from downtown, called Edwin Warner Park, that has some cool places to hike, or you could just take a drive on one of the interstates, such as I-65, either north or south. Radnor Lake and Percy Priest Lake are also nearby. You could also walk around the campuses of Vanderbilt or Belmont University. Both are beautiful, both in terms of nature and architecture. 

- If visiting during CMA Fest week (second week of June every year), I want to give you a heads-up on the most amazing resource I’ve ever found in my five years of attending the festival: Look up “Music City Meet and Greets – Unofficial Guide to CMA Fest.” They have a Facebook page, Twitter page, website, email newsletter, and more! They are easily the most extensive resource I’ve ever found for all things CMA Week, from meet & greets and fan club parties for EVERY artist, to stage schedules, to other amazing shows and events not officially affiliated with the festival, and more! You won’t know what to do with yourself after browsing through their website, nor find any other website (including the official festival site) with anywhere close to this much info! Trust me, whether you’re a first timer, or 10 year festival veteran, everyone has something to gain from their services. www.musiccitymeetandgreets.com