[The Jackson-Crockett Company]

Musicians graphicAROUND THE USA

Nashville, Tennessee, isn't so country any more

Yes, Nashville is Music City. But that includes a vast array of music types such as classical, jazz, rock and alternative in addition to country and bluegrass.

Nashville surprises people by being more diverse and cosmopolitan than they expect. And you'll encounter some of the nicest people in your life, even the ones who can't carry a tune in a bucket.


[Topics]

On this page:

On companion pages:

One click away:

Jackson-Crockett's
 Tennessee Guide
A description of the Volunteer State

A key to enjoying Nashville is to realize that country music is a big part of its image and a minor segment of its economy. And while it's a significant segment, the complete mosaic of Nashville includes the non-music businesses, the politicians, the educators and the arts other than country music.

Even the country music industry has different facets. There's the faux Nashville represented by Opryland. There's the real country music industry on Music Row. There are hangers on and wannabes all over town. There are industries such as tours and hotels that depend on the music industry without contributing to it.

The Grand Ole Opry radio show is an American institution. You can attend live performances several nights a week; the schedule varies seasonally. The Opry lineup isn't announced until a few days before each show and is heavily weighted toward older stars. The best seats are sold months in advance. You can sometimes get last-minute tickets at the door, but call ahead before driving and parking.

Country music fans might want to start with the web site of the Country Music Association. [slow site] The CMA organizes Fan Fair, the annual event for fans to meet the stars. Non-fans should visit during one of the other 51 weeks of the year.

Opryland

The Opryland complex is the center of marketing to outsiders who visit Nashville. In concert with Nashville's largest ad agency (the head of one was married to the head of the other a few years ago), Opryland has created an antiquated, antiseptic, ever-smiling image of the capital.

The complex includes the Grand Ole Opry House, Opryland Hotel and a Scottish-style golf course. The Opryland theme park -- and only the theme park -- closed in 1997 to be replaced by a shopping promenade in 1999. Shuttles run from the hotel to the other facilities and the airport, and water taxis connect the hotel with downtown Nashville. Opryland also owns the Wild Horse Saloon and the Ryman Auditorium downtown.

Opryland Hotel is a sprawling, first-class convention hotel. The conservatories -- gardens under glass -- are stunning for their beauty and for the engineering feat of building them. The many restaurants at the hotel range from good to better; none are great.

Politics & Government

Although most of local government is nominally elected on a nonpartisan basis, Nashville -- the home of Andrew Jackson -- is unabashedly a Democratic bastion. This is a city where the New Deal Democratic coalition perseveres in the 21st Century -- blacks, blue-collar whites, liberals and Jews united by a blend of social and economic issues.

The rivalry in Nashville is between the populists and the good-government types, known as Goo-Goos, the name of a local confection. It's a seesaw balance with the Goo-Goos currently holding the upper hand, as personified by successive mayors Phil Bredesen (1991-1999) and Bill Purcell (1999-___ ).

Most local elections are decided in the Democratic Primary. Republican office holders tend to slip in the back door -- a gubernatorial appointment to a mid-term vacancy, perhaps -- only to be sent packing in the next election.

The Goo-Goos won an important and nearly irreversible victory in 1963 when Nashville and Davidson County merged to become the first Metro government in the nation. Today, Metro is a resounding success, having reduced overlap between city and county services and eliminated the city vs. county issues common for other cities nationwide.

Most of Metro government is covered by civil service, and only two department heads automatically change when a new mayor is elected -- finance director and legal director. Positions like police and fire chiefs are supposedly filled on the basis of merit and not affected by elections. While less political, this system tends to entrench some dead wood in key positions.

Blacks and women are politically active, visible and successful in Nashville.

In Tennessee, counties are regarded as subdivisions of the state while cities are autonomous entities created by the General Assembly. Metro Nashville fills both roles. Every county is required by the Constitution or by law to have certain offices -- trial judges, register of deeds, property assessor, county clerk and a few others. These offices are elected on a partisan basis in even-numbered years.

The state Capitol is downtown, too, so Nashville is on the front row for state politics. It is neither illegal nor unprecedented for one person to hold seats in the Council and in the Legislature simultaneously.

Put it all together, and some kind of election is always less than 12 months away. The political stew pot is constantly simmering in Nashville.

More about Nashville is in our Tennessee political overview.

 

Metro Government

Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County -- the official name -- is governed by a 40-member Metro Council. Thirty-five members are elected from districts; five are at-large members elected countywide.

The city has a strong mayor form of government. The mayor and council are elected to four-year terms on a nonpartisan basis, but nearly all are acknowledged Democrats. The next mayoral election will be in 2003 along with half of the council. The other half of the council terms will be up two years later.

Mayor Phil Bredesen didn't run for re-election in 1999, despite high approval ratings. Bill Purcell, an activist Democrat from the Legislature, was elected over former mayor Richard Fulton (1975-1987).

Metro Council is seen by many as so big -- larger than the Tennessee Senate, for example -- as to be unwieldy. Others counter that the small districts bring government closer to the people. Nearly everyone agrees Metro Council can be reckless at times. A mayor once likened the council to "40 jealous whores."

For more about government services in Metro, see our section on Relocating. Also, Metro has a list of departments on the web.

Athens of the South

Vanderbilt University is the crown jewel of the city's wide array of colleges and universities. Besides their economic impact, they have a positive effect on the city's attitude and culture. Directly and indirectly, they enhance the city's diversity and tolerance and provide a strong force for progress and enlightenment.

Other traditional colleges and universities in Nashville:

The Campus Corner web site has a longer list of Tennessee colleges and universities.

Two uniquely Nashville institutions also deserve mention:

In nearby cities

Local Economy

Professors and the Chamber of Commerce can cite statistics until you go to sleep. Just take our word: This area is a cauldron of economic activity and one of the richest entrepreneurial environments in the nation. Remember: Our founder created the Nashville Small Business Awards and was founding Editor of Nashville Business Journal.

Besides education, government, music and tourism, Nashville is big in:

  • Health care -- Columbia/HCA is based here
  • Transportation -- major rail, truck and air terminals
  • Manufacturing -- Nissan, Saturn and General Motors factories and a myriad of their suppliers are within 60 miles. Dell Computer opened a new factory near the airport.
  • Printing and publishing -- major religious and secular facilities

    Nashville is a major financial center, but all of the major institutions have been gobbled up in the past decade. Large banks such as NationsBank, AmSouth and SouthTrust have a formidable presence. Venture capital firms are around.

The cumulative effect is a local economy replete with opportunities and resources for creative, skillful and visionary entrepreneurs and professionals. Any group of 1 million people has cliques, but Nashville is increasingly open to outsiders.


[Topics]

On this page:

On companion pages:

One click away:

Jackson-Crockett's
 Tennessee Guide
A description of the Volunteer State


The restored Hermitage Hotel downtown is across the street from the Performing Arts Center and one block from the Capitol. It's our favorite Nashville hotel.

Lodging

Nashville draws a lot of tourists, so it has plenty of lodging, spanning the spectrum from dives to five stars.

Nearly every significant motel chain has at least one Nashville location. Better-quality chains with multiple sites include Hampton Inn and Courtyard by Marriott.

The better hotels are generally in three clusters:

0 Downtown

Except for the historic Hermitage Hotel, the downtown hotels are typical modern high-rises built since the 1970s. All have first-class amenities.

The downtown hotels have a cooperative shuttle service to/from the airport. All of these hotels are in the heart of the business and government areas and about four to six blocks from The District, the entertainment area centered around Second Avenue and Broadway.

Clustered around the Capitol and Performing Arts Center:

  • The Hermitage Hotel (Sixth Avenue at Union Street) is a grand hotel in the classical tradition. The ornate lobby and the Capitol Grille restaurant downstairs are worth the price of a cocktail, at least. All rooms are suites, the result of a total renovation in the early 1980s. We recommend a room facing the Capitol, which is one block away. All things considered, this would probably be our first choice for a place to stay in Nashville.
  • Sheraton Nashville Downtown (Seventh Avenue at Union Street) was built by Hyatt and has a soaring lobby and glass elevators. Many rate the rooms as noisy because lobby noise echoes upward.
  • Doubletree (Fifth Avenue at Deaderick Street) is the most intimate of the downtown high-rises

Contiguous to the Convention Center and near the Arena (two to five blocks from the group above):

At Church Street and Fourth Avenue, which most regard as the heart of the downtown business district, is the Courtyard by Marriott, which renovated an old high-rise bank building.

At the same corner is the L&C Tower office building, an Art Deco treasure and Nashville's first skyscraper (1956).

Across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Gaylord Entertainment Center is the new (2001) Nashville Hilton Hotel. This is a very convenient location to the Hall of Fame, the Ryman, Gaylord Entertainment Center and The District (restaurants and entertainment)

For information about numerous B&Bs in the Nashville area, check out Bed & Breakfast Inns Online.

0 Broadway-West End Avenue

These hotels are the most convenient to Vanderbilt University and Music Row. If you'll have a car and won't be spending a lot of time downtown (where parking can be a hassle on weekdays), these are convenient locations.

  • Union Station Hotel is the former train station and was converted to a beautiful hotel in a heavy renovation in the late 1980s. Sort of halfway between downtown and the Vanderbilt-Music Row area; near the U.S. Courthouse and The Tennessean newspaper but not much else. Both downtown and the Vanderbilt-West End-Music Row areas are an easy drive away. [ View antique postcard ]
  • Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel is Nashville's most elegant hotel. Directly across the street from Vanderbilt University; many excellent restaurants within a stone's throw.
  • Courtyard by Marriott has a facility in this area, and Hampton Inn has two, including a suites hotel.

0 Airport-Opryland

Convenient to Opryland Hotel, the Grand Ole Opry and Nashville International Airport -- and not much else.

  • Opryland Hotel is stunning, if a bit cheesy. It's virtually a complete city under one roof, and the indoor gardens (conservatories) nearly defy description.
  • Sheraton Music City is better than average for a Sheraton and very close to the airport.
  • Embassy Suites
  • Holiday Inn on Elm Hill Pike
  • Marriott
  • Courtyard by Marriott

Other Observations about Lodging

We strongly recommend a lodging reservation before arriving in Nashville. In addition to the busy tourist season of May-August, happenings such as sporting events, graduations and conventions can put a head in every bed, as Conrad Hilton would say, nearly any night of the year.

Weekend bargains can be found, if you're flexible about when you go or get lucky and hit a slow weekend.

Prepare for tax shock when you check out, though. A combination of sales taxes and lodging taxes will add 12.25 percent to all hotel bills in Nashville. We have a more extensive report on Taxes.

A major cluster of motels is at Trinity Lane and Interstate 24/Interstate 65. These are the typical brand names and are supported by a full cast of Interstate-quality restaurants. You'll need a car to get anywhere, and in 2001 there is a big interstate construction project just north of the interchange.

A few motels on Music Valley Drive are very convenient (across the street) to Opryland Hotel.

Good Links

First, have you Bookmarked this page yet? Once you have, take a look at:

News media links

  • The Nashville Scene is an alternative newspaper with info on clubs and entertainment of all types. Its award-winning web site can help you plan a trip. After you get to town, pick up a free copy nearly anywhere you look.
  • Nashville Business Journal follows local business developments and is a good source of lists published as books and on CD-ROM.

[TOP] [HOME] [AROUND THE USA] [TENNESSEE] [TENNESSEE ELECTIONS] [ABOUT US]

e-mail icon Click here to send e-mail to us

© Copyright 1996-2001 The Jackson-Crockett Company. All Rights Reserved.