A Guide to Music City
There aren’t many cities in the U.S. that I’m absolutely dying to visit, but Nashville was one of them. Ever since the show Nashville aired, my country music-loving soul knew it had to see this city for itself. I had always heard great things and was told that it’s the sort of town people head to for their bachelorette parties. Instead, I decided to go for my 30th birthday, although I did get a taste of Nashville when I went for a business trip a few months ago.
Whatever the occasion, Nashville is an amazing city to visit. It’s alive with music that will tear at your heartstrings, has decent weather (from what I’ve seen), and it’s easy to navigate. Here are my tips for visiting Music City.
HOW LONG TO STAY & WHERE
For starters, there aren’t a TON of things to do in Nashville, so I would suggest going for a quick weekend, maybe even a three-day weekend like I did. We arrived Friday evening and headed home Monday afternoon, and by then we were pretty ready to go. Luckily one of my close friends was in town at the time so getting to see her made staying an extra day worth it.
As for where to stay, I would suggest anywhere close to downtown. For my birthday we stayed at the Holston House and the hotel staff went above and beyond to make the weekend special for me. As in, they went to a Baskin-Robbins to pick up my favorite childhood ice cream cake because Jean couldn’t get it himself because he wanted to surprise me. Then the staff stored the cake for us all weekend in their freezer and brought it to us so we could eat it each morning for breakfast (you only turn 30 once!). Long story short: the hotel was perfect. It was super modern, comfortable, and a 10-minute walk from Broadway.
AREAS TO CHECK OUT
Broadway: The first thing anyone wants to do when they arrive in Nashville is head down Broadway, which is the music-filled flashing lights street that is busy with crowds even at 1 pm on a Monday afternoon. When I first walked down Broadway I was captivated. I had never seen such a lively street, with live music pouring out of bars’ windows. The best part is that you can enter any bar, free of charge, and listen for a few minutes. You’d be surprised at how well these guys can perform!
When on Broadway, don’t forget to make it to bars’ top floors to enjoy rooftop views with live music. Most locals will tell you to avoid Tootsie’s - a three-story bar (and rooftop) with different music on each floor - but don’t miss it! It’s part of the Broadway experience. I also really enjoyed Layla’s, which felt more genuine than some of the other bars, and Redneck Riviera. I saw an extremely talented girl band perform there my first time in town. Wherever you stumble into though, no bar on Broadway is a bad choice. My advice? Let your ear guide you.
A view of Broadway and its neon lights.
East Nashville: Unfortunately I visited East Nashville the weekend after the city was hit with really bad tornadoes. East Nashville actually suffered a lot of damage, so we didn’t get to see it the way it usually is. We went anyway since it’s known for its murals, which were really cool to see, and while there we grabbed a coffee at a little hipster cafe. I would say that it’s definitely a good idea to explore this area when you’re looking for something a little bit less Nashville, a little bit more Brooklyn. I’ve heard East Nashville offers a wider variety of live music (perfect if country music isn’t your thing), and that it has a more diverse selection of restaurants and bars. Think unique cocktails and craft beer, not Budweiser.
The Gulch: I don’t really love the Gulch area. It feels a bit commercial, and fake. It has some stores worth checking out if you’re into shopping and even some stores that influencers opened as well as famous country artists. Other than that, it strikes me as the area you live in, with good restaurants and bars spread out. I didn’t actually experience the Gulch at night, but I imagine it’s nothing like Broadway bars so I would suggest going here if you’re seeking something a bit calmer, and perhaps more local.
12 South: This is a cute area, and I like it more than the Gulch. There’s not tons to see, but there are a few stores as well as restaurants. I went mainly to see the “I Believe in Nashville” mural, and popping into Draper James (Reese Witherspoon’s store) was an added bonus. It’s just a nice, authentic area to walk around in.
WHERE TO EAT
BBQ: When in Nashville, not eating BBQ would be like not eating fried chicken. I tried BBQ on my first visit to the city, right before my flight home at Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint downtown. The space itself was actually awesome, half brewery half live music space. When I was there it was empty, but the BBQ was pretty good! I’m biased perhaps since I’m from NC and BBQ actually tends to make me feel sick (so.much.meat), but this place is legit.
On my second trip to Nashville Jean and I had dinner at Puckett’s (no, not the island in Thailand), which at the time had live music. This always makes a difference. The space felt very family-friendly, and busy. Unlike Martin’s airy outdoor space, this was indoors. The BBQ was great, and I remember devouring the mac n’ cheese. I’d say the food was slightly better here, but the ambiance of Martin’s was younger and trendier.
Biscuits: Head straight to Biscuit Love, no questions asked. I actually first went here during my first time in Nashville when I was exploring based on a friend’s recommendations. At that time there was no line and I thought the biscuit was the best thing in the world. It reminded me of the homemade biscuits my friend’s mom would make when we were growing up. The sweet tea was perfectly southern as well. When I returned here a second time during my birthday weekend, there was a massive line that we accidentally cut (ok sort of accidentally), but it’s still probably worth the wait for a genuine southern biscuit. The chicken and gravy are good too, albeit heavy.
Hot Chicken: Apparently there is a huge debate around where to eat hot chicken in Nashville. Some will say Prince’s Hot Chicken is the place to go, and others will guide you to Hattie B’s. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the stomach to try both but Jean and I did make it to Hattie B’s (after a first failed attempt because of a three-hour line… where we wasted one hour before giving up). What is it with Nashville and lines? We went back the next day to Hattie B’s second location closer to 12 South on a Sunday, which had no line at all. I'll be honest, we were both disappointed. The chicken was greasy, and the mac n’cheese was a shame. I don’t think we even finished our food.
We did, however, have hot chicken the night before at Acme Feed & Seed on Broadway, where we celebrated my birthday. I had a hot chicken sandwich with candles on it, and no it’s not just the candles that made it special (though this helped)! The chicken was just really very good, much better than Hattie’s. We ate at the bar while we listened to live music, and the whole experience was way more pleasurable than the fast-food vibe of Hattie’s.
Something that isn’t greasy and fried: After a few days in Nashville, you’re going to want something that isn’t deep fried — trust me. Skull’s Rainbow Room is the answer. It’s one of Nashville’s oldest bars and in Printers Alley — which has more of a jazz vibe, less of a drunken cowboy one. According to its website, Skull’s Rainbow Room has “featured artists such as Etta James, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, and Bob Dylan on the legendary checkerboard stage.” We had dinner here on Sunday night, and I highly recommend it. The live music took us back to a different decade, as did the dimly lit restaurant and its decor. It felt intimate and romantic, and the food was excellent. Skull’s Rainbow Room also has a burlesque show on Fridays and Saturday’s which we never made it to, but if you can you should.
THINGS TO DO
Buy cowboy boots and go line dancing: Jean surprised me on my birthday with the idea of buying cowboy boots and then going line dancing. I’ve always dreamed of owning my own pair of cowboy boots, but could never really justify it. Nashville really is the best place to get them. They’re affordable, and there are so many options to choose from. Just head to Broadway and you’ll find tons of stores selling boots, hats, etc. We ended up getting three pairs for… $200.
Boots, boots, and so many boots!
Once we had our boots, we went line dancing at Wildhorse Saloon. At first, I was a bit startled by the swarm of teenagers on the dance floor, but in the end, I had a blast and learned a new dance. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all, so don’t plan your day around this, but if you have the time and want to learn some moves Wildhorse has sessions every day.
Ride a bull: I rode a bull at Nashville Underground, which is a bar off of Broadway, on my birthday. This was super fun, except that I lasted about 10 seconds on the bull! Maybe even less. I also managed to completely tear my skirt in multiple places… so maybe dress accordingly if you’re going to do this.
Take a tour of the Ryman, or better yet, see a show: I visited the Ryman when I was in Nashville the first time and had a few hours to spare. The tour of the Ryman isn’t something I can rave about. It’s visiting an auditorium and learning some of its history, but I’m happy I did it. From what I learned, artists love performing at the Ryman thanks to its amazing acoustics and intimate setting, so if you have the chance to see a show there - do it! And if you can’t, take the tour (ideally the backstage tour so you get to see the dressing room of Johnny Cash and other such artists). If not, the self-guided tour will have to do.
Go to an actual country concert: We went to a country concert at Bridgestone Arena. I didn’t know the artists performing (Dan + Shay) very well, but it was a blast. I’m used to sitting far away from the stage at Barclay’s Center, but here in Nashville, we couldn’t have asked for better seats. The energy was contagious, and the sheer size of the arena was mind-boggling.
Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame: If you like country music, the Country Music Hall of Fame is fun to check out. It’s nothing crazy, but it’s exciting to see country artists’ costumes, notepads, cars, etc. I wouldn’t go twice, but if you have nothing else to do then you may as well!
Don’t visit the Music Hall of Fame: The Music Hall of Fame really wasn’t worth the entrance fee. It’s an old exhibit with nothing that interesting to share. I can’t really tell you one thing that I learned… overall, it was disappointing.
Visit The Parthenon: The Parthenon in Centennial Park “is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens.” I would rather see this in Athens, but it was nice to see and the park itself was pleasant to hang out at for an hour.
THINGS I DIDN’T GET AROUND TO
Station Inn: Station Inn has a live show every night. I’m not sure if it’s touristy, or worth it, but I wanted to go here during both my trips but somehow found myself on Broadway, which is easy and alluring. Nevertheless, this one remains on my future to-do list.
The Bluebird Cafe: Bluebird Cafe is a little venue in the outskirts of Nashville where artists and songwriters have been discovered. I don’t know how much of this is fact versus fiction (it was featured throughout the Nashville TV series), and the only reason I know about it. I did just read that Taylor Swift was discovered there though, among many others, so someone needs to do me a favor and check it out.
The Grand Ole Opry: The Opry is a “weekly American country music stage concert,” and the “longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history.” It was held at the Ryman auditorium for many years before moving to the Grand Ole Opry House, which is on the outskirts of Nashville. It’s a little confusing, and I’m not sure whether the Opry House is as worthwhile as the Ryman, but it’s very famous nevertheless. It’s also my understanding that the Grand Ole Opry performs at the Ryman on occasion, so it’s probably best to just see the show there!
Party Bus: Ok, I’ve never been on a party bus (well, maybe once), but if you want to go on one - THIS IS THE PLACE TO DO IT. There are so many different trucks, fake fire trucks, tractors, “pedal pubs,” etc. that you’ll see in Nashville. It’s actually hilarious and would be really fun if you’re a group looking for a wild time. When in Nashville, right?