Nashville is the capital of the American state of Tennessee. With 716,000 residents in 2022, it is the state's largest city. Nashville is sometimes called the "Country Music Capital of the World" or more often "Music City, USA"; however, Nashville has done much to escape its country music image and become a regional center of culture and commerce. In fact, Dell, Nissan, and Amazon have all moved some operations to or near the city.
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Nashville was founded in 1779 and it grew rapidly because of its excellent location on the Cumberland River. It was incorporated in 1806 and became the county seat of Davidson County. Nashville was named the capital of Tennessee in 1843. Like many Southern cities, Nashville was not immune to the economic woes of the post-Civil War South but it quickly rebounded. It only took a few years for the city to reclaim its important shipping and trading position and to develop a solid manufacturing base. The post-Civil War years of the late 19th century brought a new-found prosperity to Nashville.
Nashville MTA (WeGo Public Transit), ☏ +1 615-862-5969. Operates routes throughout downtown and the surrounding area. $2 for an adult 2-hour pass. An all-day pass for an adult is $4. Nashville's bus system is designed around a central station. The schedule accommodates a 9AM-5PM schedule with limited late night service. Route maps and schedules are subject to change but are available from the Nashville MTA website. (updated Sep 2022) WeGo Star (formerly Music City Star), ☏ +1 615-862-8833. Commuter train runs Monday - Friday. The train runs from Lebanon to Downtown's 5 Riverfront Station. One-Way tickets purchased at the platform are $5 each.
Nashville is a very historic town and as such, many of its attractions are restorations or museums. Most attractions of interest to tourists are in the Downtown, Midtown, and Music Valley neighborhoods. 1 AT&T Building. An instantly recognizable downtown Nashville landmark, the AT&T Building, built in 1994 at 333 Commerce Street, is the tallest building in the state of Tennessee and can be seen from quite some distance if the hills aren't in your way. Its two tall spires on the building have earned it the nickname, "The Batman Building." 2 John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. Built between 1907 and 1909, the bridge was used for automobile traffic between East Nashville and Downtown.
1 Adventure Science Center (Formerly the Cumberland Science Museum), 800 Fort Negley Blvd, ☏ +1 615-862-5160, fax: +1 615 862-5178. 9AM-5PM except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. It has been remodeled. Interesting exhibits which change every few weeks. Adult: $18, Youth (2-12) $14. (updated Mar 2020) 2 Yazoo Brewery, 910 Division St, ☏ +1 615-891-4649. W Th 5PM, 6PM; F 5PM, 6PM, 7PM; Sa noon-7PM. Yazoo Brewing Company is brewed and bottled in downtown Nashville. The Brewery offers tours only on Saturdays, when they're not brewing. You'll get to walk through all parts of the brewery and learn how the beers are made.
The dominant local grocery chains in Nashville are Kroger, Publix, and Aldi. The city is also dotted with dozens of ethnic groceries, especially Hispanic, Kurdish, Indian and Vietnamese, around Nolensville Pike. For organic and/or specialty grocery stores, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, and Fresh Market also have locations throughout the city. Downtown 1 The Arcade. An open-air 2-level arcade that runs between 4th Avenue North and 5th Avenue North. The Arcade primarily caters to the local downtown workers during the work week, but many great lunch restaurants can be found here. There are also several hairstylists, jewelers, florists, and other businesses.
1 Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea, 1886 Eastland Ave, ☏ +1 615-915-0675. A locally-owned coffee house residing in historic East Nashville, Ugly Mugs brews the local roast Drew's Brews and displays artwork by local artists as well as live music on Saturday nights. Known for serving coffee in a vast collection of quirky and non-cosmetic coffee mugs. Toys available for children. Wifi friendly. 2 Barista Parlor, 519 Gallatin Ave, ☏ +1 615-712-9766. The first in a chain of serious-minded coffee shops, the original is based in East Nashville, Barista Parlor is already a staple for local coffee lovers and has attained a reputation of style and quality. 3 CREMA, 15 Hermitage Ave, ☏ +1 615-824-3855.
Avoid walking in North Nashville, especially the Bordeaux and MetroCenter districts, and use caution when driving through the district at night. Use caution when walking around Downtown Nashville at night, especially along the avenues south of Broadway. Use designated parking and avoid leaving valuables in your vehicle. Panhandlers do exist around these areas as well.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Nashville typically sees ~34°C daytime highs and 19 rainy days.
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