Nashville is the city capital of the state of Tennessee. It is also the most populous city in the state. Being the most crowded city means that the tourism of the city is very alive. If you’re planning to visit Nashville for the first time as a tourist, then it is much better to know the city first before setting foot into the city known for its entertainment.
Starting with the very basic information for travelers, Frommers wrote the most basic information every first-time visitors must know at least before visiting Nashville. Check them out below.
Getting your bearings in a new city is often the hardest part of taking a trip, but in the following pages you’ll find everything you need to know to get settled in after you arrive in town. This is the sort of nuts-and-bolts information that will help you familiarize yourself with Nashville.
Visitor Information
On the baggage-claim level of Nashville International Airport, you’ll find the Airport Welcome Center (tel. 615/275-1675), where you can pick up brochures, maps, and bus information, and get answers to any questions you may have about touring the city. This center is open daily from 6:30am to midnight. In downtown Nashville, you’ll find the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau Visitors Center, Fifth Avenue and Broadway (tel. 800/657-6910 or 615/780-9401), the main source of information on the city and surrounding areas. The information center (open daily during daylight hours) offers free Wi-Fi service and is located at the base of the radio tower of the Sommet Center.
Nashville Notables
Music stars such as Amy Grant and Vince Gill aren’t the only celebrities who hang their hats in Nashville. Other superstar locals include Jack White, Kid Rock, Reese Witherspoon, Sheryl Crow, Ashley Judd, Peter Frampton, Michael McDonald, Kirk Whalum, Donna Summer, and Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. Among the city’s best-known former residents are Oprah Winfrey, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, and Fred Thompson, the Tennessee-senator-turned-actor (Law and Order).
Those are the most basic, but very vital information you should know before visiting Nashville. At the airport, you can find brochures, maps and other important information about the city. The posted telephone number is also very useful once you’re already there.
Next things you must know are the information the locals living in Nashville know unique to their city and wanted to share to all tourists visiting their lovely city. Liza Graves wrote some of the things locals know about Nashville they want to share with you.
15 Things Locals Know About Nashville
Here’s a list of 15 things that Nashville people know about Nashville, but others may not. We’ve seen many Nashville lists in the past couple years, but none really hit the spot for us, so we came up with 15 that we haven’t seen listed anywhere. So, while this list may not talk about Pancake Pantry or Hot Chicken, or much about our music scene, know that’s because those things have all been covered, plenty of times. This is more about our everyday life kinda stuff.
So, you know you’ve become an official local if …
1) You’ve correctly conquered how to mispronounce Lafayette, Lebanon and even Sante Fe.
Don’t come to Nashville and try to pronounce our downtown street the way the French general in the Revolutionary War did. No, sir. Here, we pronounce the street “la-FAY-it.” And, Lebanon? Yes, our town just to the east of Nashville. It’s pronounced with just two syllables, as in “Leb-nin.” And, just south of Nashville is a tiny town that is supposed to be pronounced “Santa fee.” Yep, no telling why as to any of this.
We take our outdoors seriously and embrace the walks and hikes, with our crown jewel being The Warner Parks: Percy and Edwin. Together, they cover 2,684 acres of land within Nashville’s city limits. Hiking trails, paved walking and biking trails, picnic areas, a nature center, horse trails, a golf course, cross country trails and more … When you hear someone say that ran they ran the 5.8, you know they meant a specific loop at this park. A million people visit this park each year.
3) You know what Area 2 means.
This real estate term basically means parts of west Nashville. No one uses the term to describe where they live, but after looking for a house to buy or rent, the term does pop up. But, when someone asks where you live, hardly anyone says west Nashville either, and simply breaks it down to neighborhood — Oak Hill, Belle Meade, Green Hills, Sylvan Park, HWEN, RWEN, West Meade, and more … all of which are really southwest Nashville, for those who are picky. So, while people earnestly say, “I live in East Nashville,” and wear t-shirts proclaiming this (which implies you’re hip, cool and possibly artistic …), no one on the westside of town does the same for their compass point in the city.
4) You know where 37206 is.
37206 is East Nashville. People who live here embrace it, put 37206 bumper stickers on their car, wear East Nashville t-shirts and eat very well, as East Nashville has more than its share of good restaurants.
The list above was only known to locals in the city, but they wanted to share these things with everyone with the purpose of promoting Nashville in its entirety. They may seem to look simple, but they are part of what makes Nashville an awesome place. What’s even more amazing is that a lot of popular persons came to this city, mostly music stars. That speaks of the quality of entertainment that can only be found in Nashville.
And for some reason you liked Nashville so much and decided to move in, here are the most important things you need to know about Nashville according to Effective Coverage.
If you’re considering moving to Nashville, there are a ton of things you’ll need to know. But we’re not here to write a book, so we’ll stick with giving you twenty-four facts everyone should know about Nashville. Why that number? I-24 runs through Nashville. Choosing a number based on I-40, I-65, or US-41 would have turned this from an article into a full-length book. So twenty-four it is!
#24 – Everyone Else Is Moving Here Too
That’s right, you’re not the only one with a great idea. You’ll find stiff competition for decent apartments in many areas. It’s not San Francisco or anything, but there are plenty of other people who want to live here too. On one hand, it sort of validates your decision to come here, because if everybody else is jumping off a bridge… Wait, that’s not how it works, is it? We think not.
Joking aside, the number of people moving to Nashville in droves does speak to the quality of life in the city. The local economy and the lifestyle in general are all positive. The local drivers aren’t bad, most tourists have the sense not to drive downtown, and there’s always something to do after work. It’s a great place to live!
#23 – If You Want To Sing, You’ll Have Some Competition
But you probably knew that already. You’ve undoubtedly been looking at Craigslist for apartments and to get an idea of what the local job market looks like (pretty decent). While you’re there, you should check out Craigslist’s section for musicians. This section is extremely helpful for people who are looking to sing, find the perfect band member, or find a gig.
And with all the singers, band members, and people who make music happen in this city, everybody’s your friend, you can never be sure. Showbusiness can be cutthroat for sure, especially when competition is fierce. In Nashville, there’s always a gamble, but everything in life is, really.
#22 – Hot Chicken
Nothing else needs to be said.
If you’re not from around here, hot chicken is a cayenne-peppered, fried chicken. Once you’ve tried it you’ll just never look at fried chicken the same way again. But be warned, although you can find it on nearly any menu in the city, not all hot chicken is created equal. We suggest Prince’s Hot Chicken for a tasty introduction.
#21 – Politics Can Be A Testy Topic
Nashville (and Davidson County) are pretty solidly Democratic. Not edgy liberal Democratic, mind you. Sensible Southern Democratic with a great deal of conviction, but also a great deal of thought behind those beliefs. As to the rest of the state, well, suffice to say they didn’t vote for Bernie in 2016.
Politics aren’t an off-limits topic by any means, but it’s good to know what you’re getting yourself in for when you open that conversational door. Learn more about Nashville here…
It is relatively easy to know the most important thing about Nashville and what it has to offer to tourists. Nashville locals also wanted to promote their beloved city by sharing Nashville trivia they know off, even the smallest ones. This city is indeed among the best cities to live in.
If you plan to move into Nashville and you’re looking to buy a house in the city, Dependable Homebuyers can help you find an affordable house for sale. To learn more, visit https://www.dependablehomebuyers.com/tennessee/nashville/ and let’s get started.
