East Nashville
Often justifiably compared to Brooklyn’s Williamsburg or the Bay Area’s Oakland, East Nashville draws both locals disillusioned with the outside investment that they feel is changing the city’s character and new-in-towners searching for livable rents. The houses are smaller, the streets are more intimate, and the food is unquestionably divine. It would be truly impossible to tick off the number of establishment eateries that have remained rooted in this neighborhood in the face of the appeal of flashier locations in more urban areas, and that gives this part of the city its deserved self-satisfaction. Music venues, while less common, also frequent some corners, and attract an different type of musician than those Downtown: not so much honky-tonk, but no further away from the melodic pulse of the town.
Downtown
While many locals bemoan the swarm of goofily-smiling, camera-wielding tourists that prowl Downtown streets like the coyotes in Forest Hills, at the end of the day, their presence (and open wallets) have brought an unprecedented amount of prosperity to what is arguably the most classically Nashvillian neighborhood in the city. Along the river, fresh investment has funded urban parks and another pedestrian bridge; elsewhere, new hotels, bars and restaurants add to the burgeoning skyline. Undoubtedly the most prominent project is the erection of the Music City Center, a building so massive it dwarfs the Titans’ stadium in size and most Vegas casinos in cost. All of this foreign interest has not compromised the area’s character, however. Thanks to pointed conservation efforts, Nashville retains many of its most recognizable structures; namely, the historically singular Ryman Auditorium. If sports is your bag, you couldn’t find a better area—both of the city’s professional teams, the Predators and Titans, play within walking distance. These days, Downtown’s got it all.
12th Avenue South
Several years ago, Nashville was rated as the No. 1 Driving City in the United States, with commuters staring down an average 37 mile daily roundtrip journey. 12th Avenue South, or simply “12th South,” is the city’s answer. One of the few regions that is entirely walkable, this stretch of retail, food, and activity is surrounded by compact neighborhoods graced with sidewalks throughout, another Nashville rarity. It’s home to some old city favorites like Mafiosa’s, a top-notch pizza and beer spot or coffee lovers’ The Frothy Monkey, and outside franchises that fit the local vibe: Taqueria del Sol and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Biking is very popular as well. For the academically inclined, this neighborhood sits near both Lipscomb University and Belmont University, and can satisfy both sylvan and urban-styled city lovers.
Midtown/West End
Vanderbilt dominates this scene. From the iconic Hawkins Field, home to the defending NCAA Baseball Commodore Champs, to the heart of Nashville’s college Greek scene, Frat Row, the lifeblood of this area runs Vandy black and gold. Midtown remains well-connected to the rest of the city through West End, which heads both Downtown and to West and Belle Meade, and Interstate 40, which wraps snuggly around the city. Due to the college atmosphere, restaurants run the gamut from extremely expensive to reasonably priced and late-night, and are usually quite tasty. You'll find a lot of great public parks and tree lined wide streets with beautiful old 1920s style bungalows and craftsmen houses in the West End area as well.
Hillsboro Village
Hillsboro Village leads the pack in neighborhoods that unapologetically cling to their roots. Sprinkled amongst the smoky bars and other typical urban sights are distinctly Nashville hotspots: the Belcourt Theater, known for their Stanley Kubrick-fests over the month of October and their local microbrews on tap in the lobby, or the Pancake Pantry, home to the longest consistent line of any eatery in the Tri-State area. To be fair, their silver dollar flappies and homemade maple syrup are to die for. With the Children’s Hospital rising to its south and the rest of Vanderbilt’s campus hovering to the North, this little slice of squat, rustic storefronts feels homey and a little perplexing. But its pride is well-deserved, as any collection of shops and restaurants this unique should indeed be preserved.
The Gulch
The influx of new money into the Nashville scene is nowhere better personified than by the uprising of this hip and thoroughly lively area. Nestled very near downtown, surrounded by the Cumberland River and the train tracks that once serviced the historic Union Station (now an upscale hotel), one would think that young urbanites would have always wanted to live in an area so conveniently located. Yet the Gulch’s rise to prime real estate status has been meteoric, with most of the bars and restaurants springing up only in the last five years. The relatively small enclave is now dotted with taprooms and boutique clothing shops. Still, those who inhabit the Gulch would say that the uptick in cost pays dividends in both personal and commercial entertainment, and is embodies the positive side of the national hot-spot wave that Nashville is currently riding.
Green Hills
Home of the as-seen-on-TV Bluebird Cafe, Green Hills has long been the urban meeting place of Nashville’s southern suburbanites. Though the commercial area runs perhaps a mile along Hillsboro Road, it contains everything needed for comfortable living: plenty of restaurants, the city’s largest mall, which has been acquiring upscale stores right and left over the past several years and now sits as one of the most luxurious in the state, grocery stores, gyms, schools, and doctor's offices. Green Hills, more than most neighborhoods, sees the intersection of family, young and older adult crowds due to the presence of Hillsboro High School and the surrounding suburban streets from which the students hail. That school also weighs heavily over the traffic; beware Hillsboro during morning and afternoon rush hours as it can easily be the most impassible route in the city proper.
Belle Meade
Pristine sidewalks. Impeccable landscaping. Hauntingly beautiful estates caped in their own misty history. Belle Meade is Nashville’s most affluent neighborhood and it shows. Home to numerous homes dating back to the Civil War, its roots are inescapably tied to the city’s. The golf course and surrounding country club facilities have for years played host every year to the largest fireworks locals can find outside of Downtown, where the 4th of July crowds gather. It also provides the route for the city’s favorite Thanksgiving Day tradition, the Boulevard Bolt—a morning 5k race that provides one last stand against the waves of calories sure to follow. The Bolt is, furthermore, not merely happenstance; this neighborhood is one of the most jogger-friendly areas around. Belle Meade is as authentically Nashvillian as any neighborhood you can find.
Hillwood/West Meade
Forest Hills
Belle Meade’s neighbor to the east of Hillsboro Road, Forest Hills’ geography mirrors that of Nashville’s southern ‘burbs. Its streets race long, patient hills that weave through the trees because the landscape does not long allow for paths uncurved. This area boasts one of the city’s only easily-accessible lakes, Radnor Lake, whose paths are furnished with the chopped remains of winter’s Christmas trees. Forest Hills feels more rural than it is, as Interstate-65 cuts the commute to Downtown or other hubs significantly, but it is easy to get lost in the endless rises and falls during a nighttime drive that the more sylvan regions have to offer. Do not be surprised to see deer, foxes and wild turkeys scuttling across the road year-round.
Brentwood
Franklin
