At 4 o’clock, the bars were alive, music was pouring out into the streets, and Nashville had my heart almost instantly. The weather was unfavorable (below freezing with a wind chill), but the sky was blue and the city was beautiful.
We ate dangerously — a huge pasta feast in our Aloft hotel beds from Roma’s Pizza & Pasta, mahi mahi tacos and sinful cookie dough eggrolls at Jackson’s Bar & Bistro were particularly memorable (and delicious) highlights. On the Saturday of our visit, we spent some time on the stunning Vanderbilt campus and followed it up with a trip to the bizarre replica Parthenon.
The Victorian architecture on our first overcast day reminded me so much of Seattle; so did all the musicians, but in Tennessee hipsters strum guitars with a twang. Nashville is an eclectic, vibrant, and sophisticated city. It’s one of those places that feeds off the energy of its inhabitants and becomes charged with that energy. The streets are alive with the music, the buildings swell with sound. And as you walk around Broadway in the heart of downtown, it’s easy to imagine the weight of a guitar strapped to your back. Soaking up the lights and the tunes and the people. Like you came to the Nashville to cash in on your dreams, too.
