Kate O'Neill and then some

Visiting Nashville? Here's the local's guide to what's cool.

In the past year, a few friends from former towns and workplaces have begun to visit Nashville. I couldn't be more delighted, of course - I want to show off my adopted hometown - but invariably, the preparatory emails involve some sort of "what should I plan to do?"-type of question. Eventually, I wrote up a somewhat lengthy answer, and have since re-used it multiple times, and am now sharing it here, with you.

As far as where to stay, I generally find the Hotel Indigo locations are pretty nice, as somewhat higher-end chains go, and in Nashville there are two: one right downtown and one on West End, so parking is easier, but then there's not much within walking distance so you pretty much have to drive everywhere. So whichever you prefer. The downtown one is in a beautiful historic building right around the corner from my office so I meet folks for cocktails there every so often and at least the lobby and lounge have a nice feel.

You HAVE to schedule at least one late night to do a circuit of the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway (which means Broadway between the river and 5th or 6th Avenue), because as cheesy and OMG-touristy as they are, they are uniquely Nashville. Don't miss Robert's Western World, where you can hear some really quality Western swing music (because the music in Nashville is generally, even if you don't like it, at least played incredibly well) in a good old-fashioned dive that serves PBR unironically alongside deep-fried pickles, and shelves cowboy boots along the wall. I shit you not.

But then you have to get away from the tourist façade, too, and check out places like Five Points, the hipster-ish neighborhood in East Nashville, where you can do brunch at Marché and possibly spot Jack White or Ben Folds, or Hillsboro Village, where you can have locally-roasted coffee at Fido and probably see hit songwriters meeting up before or during co-writing sessions, not that you'll recognize them (but with training you can recognize the type), or the more suburban neighborhood of Green Hills, with its slightly upscale mall and new-ish shopping center anchored by Whole Foods, where you might spot Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman.

And you'll definitely have to come to my neighborhood -- Historic Germantown -- and see some of the beautifully restored antebellum homes and eat at my favorite restaurant in town, City House, where you might spot Robert Plant at the bar, or my second-favorite, Germantown Café, where you might spot country legend Marty Stuart, and buy a truffle or two from The Cocoa Tree. I've never spotted anyone famous at The Cocoa Tree, but that's probably because I'm too fixated on how good the chocolate is. :)

Other Nashville highlights:

Las Paletas popsicles, in the up-and-coming 12 South neighborhood, where you could also check out Burger Up, a deceptively named gourmet burger joint, Mafiaoza's for pizza, 12 South Taproom for a solid beer selection, or Rumours wine bar for, well, wine.
Our local craft brew favorite, Yazoo, has a taproom that's a local favorite, with the newer Jackalope brewery nearby. They're both very near the neighborhood known as "The Gulch" and there are some fun places to explore there as well.
Speaking of Yazoo, after they moved into their new location, the space they used to occupy was snapped up by the new Corsair Artisan distillery. They're located in the old Marathon Motor Works building, and it's got a great decaying brick factory feel about the place.
Oh, and if you find yourself walking around downtown, you should wander into the Hatch Show Print store. The Hatch style is immediately recognizable as the classic American letterpress poster, and you can browse older prints to buy here.

There's much, much more, but that's probably enough to get your planning started. :) Feel free to pass along to your traveling buddies, and if any of you have questions, definitely shoot them my way. I'm totally smitten with my adopted hometown.

Locals: what did I miss that you love?

Visitors: what did you discover that was really cool that isn't in this list?

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Another Nashvillian's perspective, America

Here’s the deal with our town. We have one particular industry here, the music industry, which isn’t really that big in the grand scheme of things, that has made a lot of money putting out an image that we’re a bunch of inbred hillbilly yokels who sing about sexy tractors and watermelon crawls. We know that’s what you think, and that’s OK. Meanwhile we are walking around in our regular clothes, not in cowboy hats and boots, going to our jobs in healthcare and publishing and tourism and tech, just living our lives in peace.

Now, it’s true that we aren’t entirely like some of you. We hold the door open for old ladies and say thank you to the cashier and get called “hon” by the waitress at the Waffle House. We say “y’all” and “all y’all” and we eat grits and biscuits. And here’s another thing, we’re quick to help people, but we’re also quick to mind our own business. There are a lot of famous people in this town. We leave them alone. I saw Jack White at my favorite watering hole recently. Everybody left him alone. I saw Michael McDonald at an Indian buffet recently. There were 100 people in that restaurant, everyone left him alone. We all know where Nicole Kidman buys her groceries and where Vince Gill eats breakfast on the weekends, yet you never see paparazzi hanging out in those places. This isn’t New York and it isn’t L.A. That’s how we like it.

via http://jimreams.tumblr.com/post/576346309/america-hello-from-soggy-nashville

Jim is my friend (I'd call him my "dear friend" but he has a bad reputation to keep), and we have a great time hanging out, drinking together, checking out women, cracking wise, and so on. I wrote my perspective here. We see this a little differently around the edges, and that's perfectly OK by me. I'll still buy him his next beer for writing such a wonderful post.

Filed under // flood friends nashville

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A Nashvillian's heart-to-heart with America

America, we need to talk.

A few days ago, while rain kept falling harder and longer than I've ever seen, in between cleaning up our flooded basement (my husband's art studio), I anxiously checked my iPhone (my laptop had been submerged that morning) for updates from local friends via Twitter and Facebook, watching the reports roll in of devastating flooding and loss. And I glanced through the updates wondering where, in all of the information about this disaster, were the reports from national news media. And their absence seemed curious.

As the hours passed into Sunday evening, and the skies eventually cleared, I thought maybe now. Maybe now it can be reported from outside, because until now this... this disaster was still underway but maybe now its effects can begin to be summarized.

And there were indeed a few news stories, but many were missing. And their absence seemed odd.

And the sun rose Monday morning, and the skies were bright but the river still rising, I thought maybe now. Maybe now the car explosion that didn't explode can be seen in contrast to the 500-year-flood that, well, flooded.

And a few more stories appeared, but still many were missing. And their absence seemed insulting.

We were dealing with the rising river and the rising panic of the possibility of whole neighborhoods submerged if a levee broke or the river crested higher than expected, and every passing minute seemed vitally important. And strangely, no friends or family from outside the area were calling to check in and be sure we were fine. They simply didn't know.

And as hours passed into Monday afternoon, and more landmarks flooded, and more stories of homes lost came to light, I began to think of what a lack of national coverage could mean: inadequate awareness would mean inadequate support from outside, whether public funds or private donations, and it was becoming evident that we would need significant help in rebuilding.

And a few more stories trickled through, but so many were still missing. And their absence seemed hurtful.

When we heard there was need for help laying sandbags on Monday evening to protect the city's water supply and we went to help, working side by side with convicts, we were overwhelmed by the sight and experience of how many other Nashvillians turned out to help. We were being overlooked by outsiders, perhaps even snubbed, but we were ready to take care of ourselves.

That spirit is strong - we're proud of our town, and proud of who we are and how well we cope - and that strength is commendable, but we deserve your support, America. Once articles did begin to appear in national news outlets, many that allow user comments online were full of hateful remarks openly expressing disgust for Nashville and its presumed political/social/religious population, equating all of us with the most unfortunately vocal and vitriolic minority.

The truth is, America, that Nashville is a place like any other place, with people like any other people, and plenty of differences of belief and opinion to go around, and most days, we all manage to live together and wish each other good morning. I have encountered plenty of disagreement with some of what I value and believe (and don't believe). But some of what I stand for - a lot of the stuff you think Nashville definitely doesn't stand for - is some of what is most widely defended here. And with those who disagree, I have still usually been able to have friendly drinks.

That's all we ask, America. We don't have to agree on everything. But can't we discuss our differences another time? Right now we're hurting, and we need help, and we hate to have to ask for it. Right now we just need you to step up, put down your grudges, and pick up some tools and help.

Heck, we might even write you a song to say thanks.

Want to help? Here's a great resource with a lot of ideas about how you can. Thank you sincerely.

Filed under // flood nashville

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Visiting Nashville? Here's the local's guide to what's cool.

Another Nashvillian's perspective, America

A Nashvillian's heart-to-heart with America