Nashville, Tennessee, is definitely country music and all that goes with it—cowboy hats and elaborate, custom boots, songs about heartbreak and crying over beer. Bumper stickers reading "Eat More Rhinestones" and "Viva Nashvegas" reflect the shiny, glitzy surface of Music City. But Nashville's repertoire is wider than many visitors assume.
Nashville business is flourishing in a variety of industries, including publishing, health care, automobiles, finance and professional sports. The city also does a booming business in conventions and trade shows, especially with the opening of the mammoth new Music City Center downtown. With 353,000 sq ft/32,795 sq m of exhibition space, this new convention center can vie with Las Vegas and Atlanta for the biggest conventions in the country. Nashville is also home to Vanderbilt University and other colleges, and these days is hosting more and more people who would just as soon attend a performance of the Nashville Opera as the Grand Ole Opry.
The city is enjoying a place in the national spotlight, as it comes into its own as a culinary center in the South and as an appealing alternative to people ready to relocate from congested bigger cities. It is a popular alternative for younger travelers including bachelor and bachelorette parties. From the New York Times to W to tourism websites, the press is touting Nashville as a top choice for visiting, relocating or doing business. It doesn't hurt that ABC's (and later CMT's) hit drama Nashville placed the city in the public eye.
New residents from around the world have brought to Nashville a diversity of cultures that has changed the social fabric for the better—especially when it's time to go out to eat. The result is a city that not only lives up to its reputation but also surpasses it.
To request access to the full version of this destination guide, please provide your email address below. Your email address will only be used for verification purposes and will not be used for marketing purposes.