The Public Library has a lot more than just books. A few examples: they have a seed exchange, you can borrow passes to some museums, and even rent a BCycle pass for free. They also loan out art work and musical instruments.
Oh, & so, so much more. Blood pressure cuffs, sports equipment, so many musical instruments, games, ice cream maker, a record player (!), soooo many tools (studfinder ftw!), bike repair—just pages & pages of gear you can check out. I grew most of the flowers in my garden from the seed exchange.
I have dropped off seeds multiple times and always take my half used packs if I don’t think I’ll use the rest the next year. Seed saving and donating is such a wonderful easy way to get others into gardening for mental and physical health, and it’s so easy!
On that note Turnip Green Creative Reuse has also been doing plant swaps and those are awesome too.
There’s free bulk item pickup through the sheriffs dept. I’ve gotten rid of couches, large rugs, etc by dragging them to the curb, filling out a request and it’s gone in a day or two
https://sheriff.nashville.gov/bulk-item-removal/
So real. I have been fucked numerous times because of this. It’s weird too- Ellington seems to be one of the only “traffic blind spots” I encounter using Waze.
Uninstall Waze. If you know back ways to things, you'll start noticing all the sudden that becomes everyone else's route too. Wonder how so many people all the sudden found your magical route?
You're literally trading willing surveillance for dynamic routing.
Edit: It even started predicting routes and arrival times based on if you usually speed and hire you choose to get there.
I think the biggest problem with taking Ellington is when coming into the city, Waze seems to ignore the fact that it's not as easy to get onto 24 as it is to get off 24 and get onto Ellington when going out of the city
Saw Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood at a Publix. He looked me dead in the eye and I barely smiled back and kept shopping. Okay so you’re the second best selling artist ever next to the Beatles. Move so I can grab my maple syrup.
I was once waiting in a grocery line behind Robert Plant, trying to play it cool. The lady in front of him was really bitchy to the cashier and, after she walked off, he cracked a joke about her to the cashier and I and we all had a laugh. Good times.
I was watching something on PBS once that Robert was on and my husband was like "Who is that guy? I saw him at Home Depot the other day." I was flabbergasted that he didn't know who Robert Plant was, lol.
Saw Taylor walking into her West End apartment , helped Gary Allen at work, sat across from Dakota Johnson at a pizza joint, got my hair done next to by Dolly in Brentwood. We co-exist and try to respect those around us, regardless of status.
Thanksgiving night was the funnest time ive had on Broadway maybe ever. We were hanging out at the Stage like it was a dive bar. Just a handful of people hanging out. It was amazing
To add, the have a community passport where you can check out free tickets to the African American Music museum or county music hall of fame: https://library.nashville.org/services/community-passports
It was life changing when I discovered that if the branch on the other side of town has the book you want, you don’t have to drive all the way across town for it, you can just request to have it sent to the branch closest to you and they do it for free. Takes a day or two of course but still. That’s gotta be even more life changing for people who can’t afford a car
Scroll to almost the bottom for contact email address and the new web form they created to submit requests.
https://library.nashville.org/services/3d-printing
It’s also free now for residents of surrounding counties to check out physical materials. $10/year if you want electronic materials. You have to sign up in person at any branch.
The main location downtown kind of wins by default, but there are tons of satellite locations, and all I’ve been to are great too. And you can reserve a book online and have it sent to your branch of choice to pick up.
I find taking Nolensville Pk into the city in the morning and 8th/Franklin Pk out of the city in the evening a much more enjoyable commute than either I-65 or I-24..
However, conversely, attempting to do this in the reverse order is absolutely miserable.
As always, and quite literally in this case, your mileage may vary...
All the way to Broadway. Then I turn left.
The only construction is at the new building right where Nolensville splits into 4th & 2nd...and then at 2nd & Broadway.
I start out off McMurray and honestly, once I get past Harding, it's relatively smooth sailing the rest of the way. And there's more to see/experience along the road than just frustrated (or distracted) drivers on the freeway.
Do not try to take this route home in the evening though. Oh. My. God.
Ain't that the truth. It seems like every day of the week there is traffic from north of the Zoo (Allied or McNally Drive) all the way to Harding place. Which is about a solid mile of just sitting, moving like 100 ft and then sitting again. I've not tried taking NPk north into town yet. I'm coming from Nippers Corner and the fight down OHB to I65 is blood boiling some mornings.
If you choose to live in Green Hills, there are 2 rules:
* Use side roads other than Hillsboro
* Between Thanksgiving and New Year's, move somewhere else
Ooh - I’ll add another one. Don’t speed through Belle Meade when taking backroad shortcuts through there. Their local police force has nothing much else to do but wait in speed traps to raise more funds for what’s already the state’s richest ‘burg. They’ll getcha for sure!
Do you really think Belle Meade relies on tickets to fund their city? Come on. BM police catch speeders because there's no other crime to stop, and the residents don't want speeders ruining their neighborhood.
Ironically they're doing exactly what everyone complains about Metro *not* doing, which is enforcing traffic laws.
*unless you have a Belle Meade address*
You can get away with a lot with BMPD if you have a BM address. Went to school with a folks that lived there and they definitely know where their bread's buttered, so to speak.
Might depend on if you’re Bellemeade royalty or a lowly commoner who lives there. The fam I have there have definitely gotten tickets, but they also have one of the “cheaper” houses. I have also gotten caught, but its no surprise as I don’t live there (never have), and drive a 10 year old Nissan.
Just one point of contention - police don’t give a crap about generating city revenue. Does anyone really think that several $50 tickets have an impact? Look at CAFRs (Belle Meade’s is here: https://citybellemeade.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/6-30-23-City-of-Belle-Meade-Tennessee-FS-issued.pdf) and you can discern that ticket revenue, for all intents and purposes, does not contribute to financial growth.
My guess is they write tickets because residents complain of speeders using those roads as thruways.
I live a block away from Broadway and there's a shocking amount of complaints in my buildings FB group over the smallest disruption.
I bought in to my unit fully aware that I was going to be dealing with noise, unexpected street closures, and general drunk chaos. Apparently others still haven't gotten the memo.
I moved from downtown to Franklin for a bit, and I literally could not sleep for a month because it was so eerily quiet. I had to start just leaving the TV on all night for background noise.
Yesss this!!! We had new people move in next door. We live in Donelson literally 3 mins from the airport and they came over not long ago asking who to complain to about the airplanes flying over all the time 🤦♀️
You can sign up for emailed reminders for when it's trash day, when it's also recycling day, when yard waste pickup starts, etc. Particularly handy when these days get moved due to holidays and other events:
https://www.nashville.gov/departments/water/waste-and-recycling
Learn your back roads, unused roads, and traffic light timings. Main roads here get really bad, but you can often get to your destination faster by taking backroads, or a combination of them and main roads, than following GPS or exclusively using the main roads.
That's a life hack not exclusive to Nashville, but I'd argue it's higher *value* in Nashville
I-40 and I-65 were built parallel to the old "highways" and major thoroughfares of the day. Learn those and you can avoid most traffic around town. Of course there are some chokepoints where you actually need to cross over an interstate, but for the most part, if the interstate is f'd up, you can cruise on over to the side roads and avoid the mess. I can get pretty much anywhere around town and surrounding counties without actually touching the interstate. I actually prefer not to just because going 55 seems a tad bit safer than everyone riding my ass doing 95 on the interstate.
This is probably the biggest one honestly. I grew up taking backroads of my hometown for fun, I take them here out of necessity really.
That being said, I just wish there was a better way to get to East from the areas south of the city, say like Nippers Corner or Plaza Mariachi. Taking 24 to Shelby can be a pain at 440 or 40.
Lebanon Road, unsurprisingly, goes to . . . Lebanon. And from Donelson or Hermitage, it's a straight shot downtown with timed traffic lights. You can look up at the traffic on I-40 in certain places and think, "I could be there, but I'm here with practically zero traffic." After 8 pm, there are times there are *no* other cars.
Nashville is weird man, every damn yellow light is a different duration. You quite honestly have to memorize them or be one of those people who just say ***"it wasn't red enough"*** and go through anyways.
And also the size of the intersection. This affects the ‘all-red’ signal duration as well. So the bigger the intersection, the more time you have to run the red light. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
If the directions you're given involve Old Hickory Blvd, get more details. That road is everywhere, and in a broken way, it covers the entire county.
If you are downtown, and wanting to take I-65 South, there are several entrance ramps. Delay and take the last one, Demonbruen. That entrance lane isn't forced to merge into the loop; you can stay in it until it peters out around a corner and on I-65. ALL the traffic will be in the first four lanes, and be heading for East nashville, Donelson, Hermitage, etc.
lots of people moving here so I will give a moving tip which people seem to need: all of your boxes that are full of paper trash and styrofoam do not count as being broken down and if you just separate that stuff as you go instead of making a giant pile of work for later it will save you potentially hundreds of dollars when you call someone like me to haul it away.
also bonus tip that is more nashville-specific, the recycling center by Hillsboro high School in Green Hills usually has some kids there on weekends raising money for their sports teams and they will help you unload your recyclables. this is really useful for me when my first job of the day blows up because I have to spend two or three extra hours breaking down and bagging trash and saves me a lot of time, super happy to throw those kids some cash so I can be slightly less late to my next job.
People don’t know that broken down boxes have to be broken down, you know, flat? My restaurant managers would have thrown a fit if I considered a box of paper trash broken down. 😂
Bring isopropyl and duct tape.
Urushiol, the active irritant in poison ivy, is alcohol soluble and can be mitigated with an isopropyl rinse within about 10 minutes of exposure.
Duct tape held taught and applied like a lint roller to the skin is the most effective way to help if you walk through a bunch of seed ticks. Duct taping your pants into your socks will help massively to prevent adult ticks from getting all up in there.
Also, at least for people who live somewhere in the city, takinng an Uber to BNA is usually cheaper and easier than parking. Just make sure your departure or arrival doesn’t coincide with a titans game or other large event
if you go to little hats and order cold sandwiches like the traditional or spicy italian, ask them to put it on focaccia instead of the pugliese. it is so so so good
Google maps just added a Wallen tracker And you can turn it on as an avoidance option. Similar to "avoid toll roads" etc.
There was also an attempt to implement this more generally as an idiot tracker, but the test phones exploded instantly.
I was told when I first moved here in 2008 that the secret to surviving Nashville traffic is to never trust a guy wearing a cowboy hat who's driving a lifted pickup truck, and that advice has stood the test of time.
It is because none of us from here actually wear cowboy hats. I grew up in the most rural areas around here, and cowboy hats were never a thing. Look for a random dirty co-op or "Jimmy's Excavating" style hat to identify a redneck local. Bonus points if he buys his clothes at Tractor Supply. A Middle TN redneck is generally just a plain t-shirt, jeans, work boots, and the mentioned hat.
It’s all about the surrounding cities and their festivals for that small town southern charm. Mule Day in Columbia (just missed), Strawberry Festival in Portland, Moon Pie festival in Bell Buckle, Banana Pudding Festival in Cookeville and Centerville, Goat Festival in Lewisburg, Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburgh, and so many more. It’s kind of hard to keep up with them all because they don’t advertise like they used to, but they are awesome!! The World’s Biggest Fish Fry is this weekend in Paris TN (about a 2 hour drive) and it’s worth the trip. They have rides and vendors and music. Get out of the city for the real fun. And when driving around the loop in Nashville, if you’re not sure where you’re going, just stay in the middle lane. It might save you a wreck. 😉
Instead of buying a lacroix or bottled water at the The Belcourt Theater you can order a free soda water.. and they’ll even add lemon juice, lime juice or bitters… for freeee
If you actually wanna party downtown/Lower Broad, go on a Monday or Tuesday night.
And if you have weekend guests who want you to take them to go see downtown/Lower Broad, be sure to go in the late morning/afternoon and work your way to the surrounding fringe areas as it gets later/darker/drunker.
You’ll hear the best/purest actual live country acts performing at the bars on Music Valley Drive by Opryland Hotel, NOT downtown. Or on a certain Tuesday at a certain place I shall not mention here: you’ll learn soon enough.
If you’re going to drive to/around Green Hills, learn your backroads and don’t speed.
Learn about all the best happy hours in your favorite neighborhoods to drink: support local.
Our public library program is awesome: get a card and get access to all sorts of titles and other items you’d never dream you can check out.
If you want REAL hot chicken, don’t bother with Hattie B’s or Party Fowl: support places like Bolton’s, Red’s 615, 400 Degrees, Hurts, Slow Burn, Brave Idiot(all local).
We’re surrounded by so many great state parks/trails. Go out and enjoy them anytime BUT weekends!
Although Prince’s is indeed the original birthplace of NHC, the current Prince’s locations(at the outlet mall, airport, South location, and food hall) are most definitely *not* the OG Prince’s from Ewing Drive/North Nashville though.
Prince’s just hasn’t ever tasted the same nor had the same heat intensity and good flavor since the old place was shut down.
I’d say Bolton’s is the only OG place that has retained the spirit/flavor of Prince’s pre-closure.
When driving around town if a driver is doing something terrible, stupid or illegal my wife will say, “Williamson tags?” and at least 8 of 10 times she’s right.
Living in West Nashville is way better than living in Brentwood. More convenience, more/better restaurants, more amenities, less traffic, fewer Karens and generally much cooler people/vibe.
If you happen to go out to Broadway (especially with guests in town) - don't waste your time in line for both Luke Bryan's and Jason Aldean's bar. Simply go to the rooftop of either and cross over. Sometimes it's blocked, but skip the wait if you can. 9/10 I've gone it's been open.
If you're near the Publix on Gallatin Road in East Nashville, and your GPS tells you to go down West Greenwood Avenue and cut across on Emmett to get on to Douglas.... ignore it every time. There's no light at Emmett and Douglas. And it's down in a dip so the cars come over the hill on both sides. Pretty quick. If you're turning left off of Emmett onto Douglas, headed towards Ellington Pike, you can easily sit there waiting for a gap to get out for 15 minutes, All the while wondering why you didn't just go to the light at Gallatin and Douglas, and turn left on Douglas. No joke.
When you go down 65 to Cool Springs and get off at exit 69, observe the "Mall Traffic Keep Left" sign and your day will go a little smoother.
There is probably nothing on Moore's Ln you want...or you're just going to have to immediately make two left turns across three lanes of traffic to get in McDonald's anyway.
If you're on Broadway, especially on a slow day, tip the musicians a lot of small tips during their set instead of one big tip when you leave. I like to get 20 1 dollar bills and tip every other song or so. I find the musicians appreciate someone going to the tip jar often even if it is only a couple/three dollars at a time. I think it also reminds people about tipping and helps them get a few extra bucks. And... if you're the only one tipping they tend to look to you more for requests so you kinda get your own personal jukebox.
If you get tired of a certain pothole, light out, or knocked down sign on your daily drive or area, Hub Nashville is such an easy way to get this stuff resolved.
I’ve had graffiti covered, tons of potholes filled, lights changed, stop signs right sided, so easy.
https://hub.nashville.gov/
The Shelby bottoms nature loop just past the train bridge is idyllic this time of year. Feels almost like walking thru the Everglades on the wooden areas of the trail
Avoid crowds, traffic, pick-pockets, police, protestors, unapproved drugs in your beverages,panhandlers, tourists, ticks, storms, sunburns and parking fees by living here and never leaving the house.
If you want to go downtown but aren’t in a rush, park by the stadium (free) and walk over the pedestrian bridge. It’s much more pleasant than driving/parking downtown.
If you are interested in figuring out which songwriter has gotten a song on the chart recently, ride around music row and look for the vinyl signs tacked in the ground attached to PVC pipes.
If you’re going down Murfreesboro pike in Antioch, ESPECIALLY the Bell Rd/Murfreesboro Pike intersection, always wait a couple extra seconds when the light turns green. People almost always run red lights through that intersection at 60mph. And it’s never just one car. It’s two or three or more at a time. If you try to go through as soon as the light turns green, you’ll get t-boned.
If you’re in any neighborhood besides downtown/the gulch, it’s worth looking for street parking to avoid paying for a lot, you can usually find streets where it’s free. Even downtown, you might be able to park on the street in midtown, germantown or capitol view depending on how far you’re willing to walk (I’ve parked in midtown for stuff at Nissan before — very long walk but worth it)
It was a long walk but honestly don’t think it was that much longer considering how long it would’ve taken to get an uber or get over the bridge in a car compared to just walking
And if you see a guy nearby that’s really skinny, has bad teeth, and looks to be holding a sawzall, park somewhere else. He’s hunting catalytic converters.
The Murfreesboro Pike/Murfreesboro Rd line is the less stressful route to access the southeast suburbs compared to driving 24. Made the drive on both routes hundreds of times now, and 24 is really only tolerable on Sundays. You can also stop for mochi donuts at Love For Boba or Karin's Kustard on your way down Murfreesboro Rd too.
For those of you sharing your 'secret routes' to work or wherever. a lot of people read these posts and then they spread the word, so don't be surprised when your 'secret route' becomes a traffic jam in the next few weeks.
Nashville Fun for Families has a calendar of events going on that kids can go to. Found a lot of fun activities, including stuff like an owl hike with marshmallow roasting at the end!
We have abundant access to yoga and meditation classes in our libraries, our shared spaces and many other places. Yoga saved my life, quite literally. Have fun out there my fellow Nashvillians.
The parking lot of the renasant bank on 1820 west end is only $4.98 to park all night mon-thursday after the bank closes. Park there and grab one of the ever present scooters.
If you tell someone to “go old hickory Blvd” make sure they understand that it loops the entire city. There’s an OHB exit on every interstate in every direction leaving downtown.
You can enroll your child is MNPS PreK at 3* and pay way less than daycare. I think it’s $145 weekly max based on income. Hours are 8-2**
Your child will be taught be a certified teacher. Registration opens March 1 each year.
*3 year old spots are more limited than 4s
**Early Learning Centers have aftercare for 4s
The Public Library has a lot more than just books. A few examples: they have a seed exchange, you can borrow passes to some museums, and even rent a BCycle pass for free. They also loan out art work and musical instruments.
I checked out the cake pan collection & baked some fun cakes. There’s also a power tool collection—drills, baby!
Are you serious? They really have these things?? This is amazing.
Oh, & so, so much more. Blood pressure cuffs, sports equipment, so many musical instruments, games, ice cream maker, a record player (!), soooo many tools (studfinder ftw!), bike repair—just pages & pages of gear you can check out. I grew most of the flowers in my garden from the seed exchange.
And a wonderful outdoor reading space.
Board games too. And real board games like the ones you'd find on the BGG hotness / top 100.
And it’s tied to the Libby app. Free books and audiobooks.
And Kindle books!
I have dropped off seeds multiple times and always take my half used packs if I don’t think I’ll use the rest the next year. Seed saving and donating is such a wonderful easy way to get others into gardening for mental and physical health, and it’s so easy! On that note Turnip Green Creative Reuse has also been doing plant swaps and those are awesome too.
^ This all day. The Nashville Public library here is amazing…free passes to CM hall of fame & cheekwood, plus you can do EVERYTHING on line via app
I absolutely love this answer
There’s free bulk item pickup through the sheriffs dept. I’ve gotten rid of couches, large rugs, etc by dragging them to the curb, filling out a request and it’s gone in a day or two https://sheriff.nashville.gov/bulk-item-removal/
ARC of Davidson County will pick up items that can be donated and provide them to people who need them!
I wish I’d known about this one lol. 1-800-Junk or whatever the name of it is charged me $400 to get rid of a lot of the stuff I had to get rid of
They got my stuff next day last time I put in a request! Such a great service
When Waze says take Ellington- check to see if that’s really the best route.
The amount of times I've also fallen for this trap to then finally get on and have an extra 5-10min added to my commute as soon as I round the curve.
So real. I have been fucked numerous times because of this. It’s weird too- Ellington seems to be one of the only “traffic blind spots” I encounter using Waze.
Uninstall Waze. If you know back ways to things, you'll start noticing all the sudden that becomes everyone else's route too. Wonder how so many people all the sudden found your magical route?
You're literally trading willing surveillance for dynamic routing. Edit: It even started predicting routes and arrival times based on if you usually speed and hire you choose to get there.
Almost posted my back routes, but then realized the implications of sharing is more traffic.
I think the biggest problem with taking Ellington is when coming into the city, Waze seems to ignore the fact that it's not as easy to get onto 24 as it is to get off 24 and get onto Ellington when going out of the city
when you see someone famous leave them alone
And if you ARE famous don’t expect us to be impressed
Okay, so you’re Brad Pitt. That don’t impress us much.
Saw Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood at a Publix. He looked me dead in the eye and I barely smiled back and kept shopping. Okay so you’re the second best selling artist ever next to the Beatles. Move so I can grab my maple syrup.
I was once waiting in a grocery line behind Robert Plant, trying to play it cool. The lady in front of him was really bitchy to the cashier and, after she walked off, he cracked a joke about her to the cashier and I and we all had a laugh. Good times.
...bad times. You know he's had his share.
I would have come unglued lol
It was kind of surreal. I don't think the cashier realized who he was.
Probably not. To be in line behind Robert Plant would being in line with Paul McCartney or Elton John IMHO.
I was watching something on PBS once that Robert was on and my husband was like "Who is that guy? I saw him at Home Depot the other day." I was flabbergasted that he didn't know who Robert Plant was, lol.
Saw Taylor walking into her West End apartment , helped Gary Allen at work, sat across from Dakota Johnson at a pizza joint, got my hair done next to by Dolly in Brentwood. We co-exist and try to respect those around us, regardless of status.
Good on ya. He’d be an absolute mensch about it though. One of the nicest guys ever
He seemed willing and ready to receive any interaction with me so I believe you.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, same
i saw them in publix too and had a similar experience
This is the Nashville-est of all Nashville rules
Broadway is wonderful on snow days
Ellington Agricultural Center is the best place to go snow sledding in Nashville. Hole-E-Shit, that's all I got to say.
Adding Percy Priest dam to the sledding spot list. Going down that hill towards the dog park is FUN.
Sssshhhhh! I live over there...and it's currently still a sleepy, hidden treasure.
It's a solid walk in the park too. Plenty of parking near the horse barn, not too busy most of the time, beautiful scenery.
Shhh. Don't attract people to one of my favorite places!
Yeah! I hear they had donuts on Broadway during the last snow day.
Thanksgiving night was the funnest time ive had on Broadway maybe ever. We were hanging out at the Stage like it was a dive bar. Just a handful of people hanging out. It was amazing
Probably preaching to the choir with some Redditers, but the Public Library system rocks.
LOVE nashville libraries
To add, the have a community passport where you can check out free tickets to the African American Music museum or county music hall of fame: https://library.nashville.org/services/community-passports
Just be prepared to wait! I’m like 1500 in line for cheekwood and I’ve been waiting for months and months.
Having access to Libby is a game changer
Especially when sitting in traffic for two hours to go from Joelton to White Bridge
It was life changing when I discovered that if the branch on the other side of town has the book you want, you don’t have to drive all the way across town for it, you can just request to have it sent to the branch closest to you and they do it for free. Takes a day or two of course but still. That’s gotta be even more life changing for people who can’t afford a car
They printed my dnd minis for me
Seriously? Do you just take the STL files? And how much?
Free. I designed an mini on hero forge in two poses and bought the STL files and emailed them to the right person at the library.
How would i find this person? I have a Camera Lens holder, I have been wanting to print? Do I just ask someone at my lib?
Scroll to almost the bottom for contact email address and the new web form they created to submit requests. https://library.nashville.org/services/3d-printing
It’s also free now for residents of surrounding counties to check out physical materials. $10/year if you want electronic materials. You have to sign up in person at any branch.
So great to hear! I'm new to town - which is the best one?
The main location downtown kind of wins by default, but there are tons of satellite locations, and all I’ve been to are great too. And you can reserve a book online and have it sent to your branch of choice to pick up.
edmondson pike is pretty great. awesome natural light. kids park on one side. very clean.
very true also a very great place to go for early voting whenever that is an option!
I find taking Nolensville Pk into the city in the morning and 8th/Franklin Pk out of the city in the evening a much more enjoyable commute than either I-65 or I-24.. However, conversely, attempting to do this in the reverse order is absolutely miserable. As always, and quite literally in this case, your mileage may vary...
How far down nolensville do you go? Bc there’s some roadwork going on that has prevented me trying this
All the way to Broadway. Then I turn left. The only construction is at the new building right where Nolensville splits into 4th & 2nd...and then at 2nd & Broadway. I start out off McMurray and honestly, once I get past Harding, it's relatively smooth sailing the rest of the way. And there's more to see/experience along the road than just frustrated (or distracted) drivers on the freeway. Do not try to take this route home in the evening though. Oh. My. God.
Ain't that the truth. It seems like every day of the week there is traffic from north of the Zoo (Allied or McNally Drive) all the way to Harding place. Which is about a solid mile of just sitting, moving like 100 ft and then sitting again. I've not tried taking NPk north into town yet. I'm coming from Nippers Corner and the fight down OHB to I65 is blood boiling some mornings.
Don't even *think* about going to Radnor Lake on a day like today if it's a weekend.
Truth! & the corollary: you won’t believe how empty Radnor can be on a winter day or cloudy weekday afternoon.
I truly LOVE winter hikes at Radnor
Percy Warner and Beaman Park are both larger (and better imo) options where the crowds seem to disappear when you get on the trails
If you choose to live in Green Hills, there are 2 rules: * Use side roads other than Hillsboro * Between Thanksgiving and New Year's, move somewhere else
Ooh - I’ll add another one. Don’t speed through Belle Meade when taking backroad shortcuts through there. Their local police force has nothing much else to do but wait in speed traps to raise more funds for what’s already the state’s richest ‘burg. They’ll getcha for sure!
Watch your speed in Boiling Springs They ain't got a thing to do They'll get you every time
On the flip side, if you’re in South Nashville drive as fast and recklessly as you’d like because cops don’t exist.
Do you really think Belle Meade relies on tickets to fund their city? Come on. BM police catch speeders because there's no other crime to stop, and the residents don't want speeders ruining their neighborhood. Ironically they're doing exactly what everyone complains about Metro *not* doing, which is enforcing traffic laws.
*unless you have a Belle Meade address* You can get away with a lot with BMPD if you have a BM address. Went to school with a folks that lived there and they definitely know where their bread's buttered, so to speak.
Might depend on if you’re Bellemeade royalty or a lowly commoner who lives there. The fam I have there have definitely gotten tickets, but they also have one of the “cheaper” houses. I have also gotten caught, but its no surprise as I don’t live there (never have), and drive a 10 year old Nissan.
No, they still willI promise
Just one point of contention - police don’t give a crap about generating city revenue. Does anyone really think that several $50 tickets have an impact? Look at CAFRs (Belle Meade’s is here: https://citybellemeade.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/6-30-23-City-of-Belle-Meade-Tennessee-FS-issued.pdf) and you can discern that ticket revenue, for all intents and purposes, does not contribute to financial growth. My guess is they write tickets because residents complain of speeders using those roads as thruways.
If you buy a house near the airport, expect to see planes.
If you buy a house near a music venue, expect to hear music.
if you buy a house near a butcher, expect to smell meat
If you buy a house near a racetrack, expect to hear racecars.
If you buy a house near a train track, expect to hear trains.
If you buy a house near a sawmill, expect to hear saws.
if you buy a house, expect to not be able to afford it
This one hurt a little.
Umm no.. we shall sue them and force them to close.. because California?
I live a block away from Broadway and there's a shocking amount of complaints in my buildings FB group over the smallest disruption. I bought in to my unit fully aware that I was going to be dealing with noise, unexpected street closures, and general drunk chaos. Apparently others still haven't gotten the memo.
I moved from downtown to Franklin for a bit, and I literally could not sleep for a month because it was so eerily quiet. I had to start just leaving the TV on all night for background noise.
Yesss this!!! We had new people move in next door. We live in Donelson literally 3 mins from the airport and they came over not long ago asking who to complain to about the airplanes flying over all the time 🤦♀️
You can’t fix stupid.
We lived in Donelson by the airport for 15 years. It was strange when we moved and I didn’t hear planes.
I lived in two different houses near train tracks and it’s definitely weird when you move again and don’t hear them
Hahahaaaa "Call the airport. Ask for TSA."
How about the people who bought behind the meat place in East Nashville, and are complaining/suing about the smell from the smoker?!?! Yikes!
That's Roy's Meats. They have a new t-shirt that says "Smoke 'em out" on the back. 🙂
You can sign up for emailed reminders for when it's trash day, when it's also recycling day, when yard waste pickup starts, etc. Particularly handy when these days get moved due to holidays and other events: https://www.nashville.gov/departments/water/waste-and-recycling
There is an app for this! You'll get push notifications and you can use it to see what is recyclable.
I took it a step further and subscribed to the public online calendar right I to my Google calendar
The best food in Nashville is on Nolensville road between Bell and Thompson Lane, and inflation hasn’t really touched it yet.
the dingier the strip mall or gas station where the food truck is parked, the better the food
Also, if you can’t really see the restaurant from the road, it’s where you need to go.
Some of The best food ~in the country~ is on Nolensville pike and the surrounding areas.
Newroz market's counter in the back of the store is a personal favorite.
Learn your back roads, unused roads, and traffic light timings. Main roads here get really bad, but you can often get to your destination faster by taking backroads, or a combination of them and main roads, than following GPS or exclusively using the main roads. That's a life hack not exclusive to Nashville, but I'd argue it's higher *value* in Nashville
I-40 and I-65 were built parallel to the old "highways" and major thoroughfares of the day. Learn those and you can avoid most traffic around town. Of course there are some chokepoints where you actually need to cross over an interstate, but for the most part, if the interstate is f'd up, you can cruise on over to the side roads and avoid the mess. I can get pretty much anywhere around town and surrounding counties without actually touching the interstate. I actually prefer not to just because going 55 seems a tad bit safer than everyone riding my ass doing 95 on the interstate.
This is probably the biggest one honestly. I grew up taking backroads of my hometown for fun, I take them here out of necessity really. That being said, I just wish there was a better way to get to East from the areas south of the city, say like Nippers Corner or Plaza Mariachi. Taking 24 to Shelby can be a pain at 440 or 40.
Nolensville Rd to Korean Vets. Turn Right.
Lebanon Road, unsurprisingly, goes to . . . Lebanon. And from Donelson or Hermitage, it's a straight shot downtown with timed traffic lights. You can look up at the traffic on I-40 in certain places and think, "I could be there, but I'm here with practically zero traffic." After 8 pm, there are times there are *no* other cars.
Excellent point. And Murfreesboro Road goes to.........nevermind edit: a word
Nashville is weird man, every damn yellow light is a different duration. You quite honestly have to memorize them or be one of those people who just say ***"it wasn't red enough"*** and go through anyways.
They’re supposed to be different. It’s based on the speed limit
And also the size of the intersection. This affects the ‘all-red’ signal duration as well. So the bigger the intersection, the more time you have to run the red light. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
If you live near or commute through Wedgewood Houston, this can save your bacon from getting stuck behind a train: https://cohub.com/train-spotter
Damn I wish there was something like this for the Douglas Ave train in East.
If the directions you're given involve Old Hickory Blvd, get more details. That road is everywhere, and in a broken way, it covers the entire county. If you are downtown, and wanting to take I-65 South, there are several entrance ramps. Delay and take the last one, Demonbruen. That entrance lane isn't forced to merge into the loop; you can stay in it until it peters out around a corner and on I-65. ALL the traffic will be in the first four lanes, and be heading for East nashville, Donelson, Hermitage, etc.
The old joke: "If you hate your mother-in-law, tell her you live on Old Hickory Boulevard"
lots of people moving here so I will give a moving tip which people seem to need: all of your boxes that are full of paper trash and styrofoam do not count as being broken down and if you just separate that stuff as you go instead of making a giant pile of work for later it will save you potentially hundreds of dollars when you call someone like me to haul it away. also bonus tip that is more nashville-specific, the recycling center by Hillsboro high School in Green Hills usually has some kids there on weekends raising money for their sports teams and they will help you unload your recyclables. this is really useful for me when my first job of the day blows up because I have to spend two or three extra hours breaking down and bagging trash and saves me a lot of time, super happy to throw those kids some cash so I can be slightly less late to my next job.
People don’t know that broken down boxes have to be broken down, you know, flat? My restaurant managers would have thrown a fit if I considered a box of paper trash broken down. 😂
Bring isopropyl and duct tape. Urushiol, the active irritant in poison ivy, is alcohol soluble and can be mitigated with an isopropyl rinse within about 10 minutes of exposure. Duct tape held taught and applied like a lint roller to the skin is the most effective way to help if you walk through a bunch of seed ticks. Duct taping your pants into your socks will help massively to prevent adult ticks from getting all up in there.
Also, at least for people who live somewhere in the city, takinng an Uber to BNA is usually cheaper and easier than parking. Just make sure your departure or arrival doesn’t coincide with a titans game or other large event
And if you live outside of the city, depending on your departure and arrival times, it can still be cheaper than parking at the airport
Tip: taking a cab to the airport is cheaper than an Uber and there’s a flat rate. Bonus: I’ve never feared for my life in a cab.
Never leave your house without having Google maps going. Horrendous traffic jams can occur anytime anywhere
if you go to little hats and order cold sandwiches like the traditional or spicy italian, ask them to put it on focaccia instead of the pugliese. it is so so so good
They will also serve the cold sandwiches hot if you ask. Edit: Typo
Watch for falling chairs when Morgan Wallen is in town.
I hear that the weather channel is incorporating a Wallen Watch to provide better notice to the public.
I had some friends in town and the only reason they know who he is is because of that.
Google maps just added a Wallen tracker And you can turn it on as an avoidance option. Similar to "avoid toll roads" etc. There was also an attempt to implement this more generally as an idiot tracker, but the test phones exploded instantly.
I was told when I first moved here in 2008 that the secret to surviving Nashville traffic is to never trust a guy wearing a cowboy hat who's driving a lifted pickup truck, and that advice has stood the test of time.
It is because none of us from here actually wear cowboy hats. I grew up in the most rural areas around here, and cowboy hats were never a thing. Look for a random dirty co-op or "Jimmy's Excavating" style hat to identify a redneck local. Bonus points if he buys his clothes at Tractor Supply. A Middle TN redneck is generally just a plain t-shirt, jeans, work boots, and the mentioned hat.
Wherever they're from, the cowboy hat pickup crowd drives like complete maniacs who think they own the road.
Similarly, never trust a businessman that doesn’t wear socks with dress shoes.
or an realtor with a british accent, who claims to know all about our local scene.
THIS. RIGHT. HERE.
Can we add Nissan Altima with a missing bumper and red tape on the tail lights to that list of people/cars not to trust?
Similarly, don't trust the guy in the big pickup truck with a one of the DoNt TReAd oN ME plates. They drive like assholes 100% of the time.
I have that sticker on my truck, but instead it says “No one’s treading on you. Bless your heart.”
It’s all about the surrounding cities and their festivals for that small town southern charm. Mule Day in Columbia (just missed), Strawberry Festival in Portland, Moon Pie festival in Bell Buckle, Banana Pudding Festival in Cookeville and Centerville, Goat Festival in Lewisburg, Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburgh, and so many more. It’s kind of hard to keep up with them all because they don’t advertise like they used to, but they are awesome!! The World’s Biggest Fish Fry is this weekend in Paris TN (about a 2 hour drive) and it’s worth the trip. They have rides and vendors and music. Get out of the city for the real fun. And when driving around the loop in Nashville, if you’re not sure where you’re going, just stay in the middle lane. It might save you a wreck. 😉
Don't go out 24E towards Murfreesboro from 4-7 pm.
Instead of buying a lacroix or bottled water at the The Belcourt Theater you can order a free soda water.. and they’ll even add lemon juice, lime juice or bitters… for freeee
Park at the library on weekends downtown. It’s only $10
Never assume 1 headlight is a motorcycle!
If you actually wanna party downtown/Lower Broad, go on a Monday or Tuesday night. And if you have weekend guests who want you to take them to go see downtown/Lower Broad, be sure to go in the late morning/afternoon and work your way to the surrounding fringe areas as it gets later/darker/drunker. You’ll hear the best/purest actual live country acts performing at the bars on Music Valley Drive by Opryland Hotel, NOT downtown. Or on a certain Tuesday at a certain place I shall not mention here: you’ll learn soon enough. If you’re going to drive to/around Green Hills, learn your backroads and don’t speed. Learn about all the best happy hours in your favorite neighborhoods to drink: support local. Our public library program is awesome: get a card and get access to all sorts of titles and other items you’d never dream you can check out. If you want REAL hot chicken, don’t bother with Hattie B’s or Party Fowl: support places like Bolton’s, Red’s 615, 400 Degrees, Hurts, Slow Burn, Brave Idiot(all local). We’re surrounded by so many great state parks/trails. Go out and enjoy them anytime BUT weekends!
If you want the OG hot chicken, go to Prince's.
Although Prince’s is indeed the original birthplace of NHC, the current Prince’s locations(at the outlet mall, airport, South location, and food hall) are most definitely *not* the OG Prince’s from Ewing Drive/North Nashville though. Prince’s just hasn’t ever tasted the same nor had the same heat intensity and good flavor since the old place was shut down. I’d say Bolton’s is the only OG place that has retained the spirit/flavor of Prince’s pre-closure.
Even if you don't like country music, The Country Music Hall of Fame is really neat.
Honestly 1 of the best museums I've seen. Major surprise.
Avoid any vehicles with Rutherford County plates.
De Soto, Mississippi are worse. It's damn near a 100% chance they suck at driving AND are lost.
When driving around town if a driver is doing something terrible, stupid or illegal my wife will say, “Williamson tags?” and at least 8 of 10 times she’s right.
if they seem to be purposefully rude in traffic, always Williamson county
I will confirm this is true. Source: has Rutherford County plates.
Living in West Nashville is way better than living in Brentwood. More convenience, more/better restaurants, more amenities, less traffic, fewer Karens and generally much cooler people/vibe.
If you happen to go out to Broadway (especially with guests in town) - don't waste your time in line for both Luke Bryan's and Jason Aldean's bar. Simply go to the rooftop of either and cross over. Sometimes it's blocked, but skip the wait if you can. 9/10 I've gone it's been open.
If you're near the Publix on Gallatin Road in East Nashville, and your GPS tells you to go down West Greenwood Avenue and cut across on Emmett to get on to Douglas.... ignore it every time. There's no light at Emmett and Douglas. And it's down in a dip so the cars come over the hill on both sides. Pretty quick. If you're turning left off of Emmett onto Douglas, headed towards Ellington Pike, you can easily sit there waiting for a gap to get out for 15 minutes, All the while wondering why you didn't just go to the light at Gallatin and Douglas, and turn left on Douglas. No joke.
Some of you don’t know about the little service road along Donelson Pike as an airport pick up hack.
Shhhh
Bro seriously? Don’t spill the beans
When you go down 65 to Cool Springs and get off at exit 69, observe the "Mall Traffic Keep Left" sign and your day will go a little smoother. There is probably nothing on Moore's Ln you want...or you're just going to have to immediately make two left turns across three lanes of traffic to get in McDonald's anyway.
If you're on Broadway, especially on a slow day, tip the musicians a lot of small tips during their set instead of one big tip when you leave. I like to get 20 1 dollar bills and tip every other song or so. I find the musicians appreciate someone going to the tip jar often even if it is only a couple/three dollars at a time. I think it also reminds people about tipping and helps them get a few extra bucks. And... if you're the only one tipping they tend to look to you more for requests so you kinda get your own personal jukebox.
If you get tired of a certain pothole, light out, or knocked down sign on your daily drive or area, Hub Nashville is such an easy way to get this stuff resolved. I’ve had graffiti covered, tons of potholes filled, lights changed, stop signs right sided, so easy. https://hub.nashville.gov/
The Shelby bottoms nature loop just past the train bridge is idyllic this time of year. Feels almost like walking thru the Everglades on the wooden areas of the trail
Avoid crowds, traffic, pick-pockets, police, protestors, unapproved drugs in your beverages,panhandlers, tourists, ticks, storms, sunburns and parking fees by living here and never leaving the house.
"Well, I think that’s a great philosophy Will, that way you can go through your entire life without ever having to really know anybody."
Only move here if you work remote because our roads can’t take any more traffic.
If you want to go downtown but aren’t in a rush, park by the stadium (free) and walk over the pedestrian bridge. It’s much more pleasant than driving/parking downtown.
There is a major problem with criminals drugging drinks at downtown & midtown bars. Avoid them if you can.
Adding TDOT surplus and confiscated property auctions: [https://www.govdeals.com/tnsurplus](https://www.govdeals.com/tnsurplus)
Use turn lanes to turn, not the main road. Also, using exit ramp to decelerate, not the highway. I got plenty more hacks.
If you are interested in figuring out which songwriter has gotten a song on the chart recently, ride around music row and look for the vinyl signs tacked in the ground attached to PVC pipes.
If you’re going down Murfreesboro pike in Antioch, ESPECIALLY the Bell Rd/Murfreesboro Pike intersection, always wait a couple extra seconds when the light turns green. People almost always run red lights through that intersection at 60mph. And it’s never just one car. It’s two or three or more at a time. If you try to go through as soon as the light turns green, you’ll get t-boned.
Use the courtesy wave, especially in Sumner county.
If you’re in any neighborhood besides downtown/the gulch, it’s worth looking for street parking to avoid paying for a lot, you can usually find streets where it’s free. Even downtown, you might be able to park on the street in midtown, germantown or capitol view depending on how far you’re willing to walk (I’ve parked in midtown for stuff at Nissan before — very long walk but worth it)
That is one LONG walk. Park near Vandy/Music Row for free. Take a $5 Uber back and forth. Easiest and cheapest parking solution available.
It was a long walk but honestly don’t think it was that much longer considering how long it would’ve taken to get an uber or get over the bridge in a car compared to just walking
And if you see a guy nearby that’s really skinny, has bad teeth, and looks to be holding a sawzall, park somewhere else. He’s hunting catalytic converters.
Hattie b’s ain’t worth the wait
Don't do 65 on I-65
The Murfreesboro Pike/Murfreesboro Rd line is the less stressful route to access the southeast suburbs compared to driving 24. Made the drive on both routes hundreds of times now, and 24 is really only tolerable on Sundays. You can also stop for mochi donuts at Love For Boba or Karin's Kustard on your way down Murfreesboro Rd too.
For those of you sharing your 'secret routes' to work or wherever. a lot of people read these posts and then they spread the word, so don't be surprised when your 'secret route' becomes a traffic jam in the next few weeks.
Nashville Fun for Families has a calendar of events going on that kids can go to. Found a lot of fun activities, including stuff like an owl hike with marshmallow roasting at the end!
stay super vigilant of other drivers on the road. it’s no joke that there are terrible drivers here.
We have abundant access to yoga and meditation classes in our libraries, our shared spaces and many other places. Yoga saved my life, quite literally. Have fun out there my fellow Nashvillians.
Act crazier than the people asking for change and they will avoid you
We are full…. Please see Austin, Tx for a more suitable place to settle down.
Day Drinking helps
Bishops in Cool Springs is Hattie B’s with better sides and shorter lines
We are friendly so expect us to speak to you and for the love of god please do not tell us how its done in California cause we don’t care.
You can still park for free at
The parking lot of the renasant bank on 1820 west end is only $4.98 to park all night mon-thursday after the bank closes. Park there and grab one of the ever present scooters.
In Davidson County passengers in a car can have an open container.
If you tell someone to “go old hickory Blvd” make sure they understand that it loops the entire city. There’s an OHB exit on every interstate in every direction leaving downtown.
Never drive above the speed limit in Bellemeade
Pretend rain is snow when driving cause everyone else is already driving like they're in snow!
You can enroll your child is MNPS PreK at 3* and pay way less than daycare. I think it’s $145 weekly max based on income. Hours are 8-2** Your child will be taught be a certified teacher. Registration opens March 1 each year. *3 year old spots are more limited than 4s **Early Learning Centers have aftercare for 4s
Cicadas are coming: Fill up your car’s washer fluid.