A Day in Nashville If you have the time, there is much to see and do in Nashville, and all of it is accessible to you. While Nashville has grown a lot, we still have reasonable traffic and commutes.
Neighborhoods
Hillsboro Village - an immediate neighbor of the Vanderbilt campus, this area contains interesting restaurants and a variety of housing options. Many Vanderbilt students and residents choose to live here, often within walking distance of the hospital. Sylvan Park - a rapidly upgrading area that is home to a number of residents, and is about a 10 minute commute from the hospital. Also, has several good restaurants along Murphy Road that are popular and reasonably priced, including Cafe Nona and Park Cafe. For a burger there is McCabe Pub, a local favorite. Cafe Nona - http://nashville.citysearch.com/review/9328604 (615) 463-0133 Park Café - http://nashville.citysearch.com/profile/11491813/ (615) 383-4409 The Gulch - this area, along 11th and 12th Avenues South, is undergoing a rapid renaissance. It is home to a couple of Nashville's best new restaurants including the highly acclaimed Watermark and several apartment projects are currently underway, including at least one high-rise. Germantown - a small area a few blocks north of the Capitol along Fifth and Sixth Avenues North, Germantown has a number of nicely renovated old houses and a couple of popular restaurants including Germantown Cafe (www.germantowncafe.com 615.242.3226) and The Mad Platter 615.242.2563. Green Hills - a large area 2 or 3 miles south of Vanderbilt, Green Hills has some of Nashville's finest neighborhoods, but also has some housing that is affordable on a resident's salary. The area is home to the Green Hills Mall, a popular shopping area. There are many fine restaurants in this area, including F. Scott's, one of Nashville's finest and, unfortunately, most expensive. Belle Meade - home to many of Nashville's oldest families, Belle Meade is a community of lovely old homes and a few not so lovely new ones. At the end of Belle Meade Blvd. is the main entrance to Warner Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the country. Its nearly 3000 acres contain golf courses, running trails, hiking and horseback riding trails, and lovely picnic grounds. It is the home of the Iroquois Steeplechase, which is held the second Saturday of May each year. Bellevue - conveniently located about 20 minutes west of Vanderbilt and is a rapidly growing area for young people and families, including many of our residents. There is a wide array of affordable housing in apartments, condos, townhomes, and single family living. For families and the young at heart, there is the very popular Red Caboose Park. The playground was built by Bellevue resident volunteers in 1996 as part of Bellevue's Bicentennial Celebration. Restaurants In addition to those listed above, some favorites in the immediate vicinity of Vanderbilt include: Sunset Grill - a Hillsboro Village favorite spot. http://www.sunsetgrill.com/ (615) 386-3663 The Tin Angel - located on West End, a reasonably priced restaurant with a "homey" feeling. www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g55229-d434797-r7389693-Tin_Angel-Nashville_Tennessee.html (615) 298-3444 Midtown Café - a favorite among locals for 25 or more years. http://midtowncafe.com (615) 320-7176 Pancake Pantry - a Hillsboro Village landmark for 50 years or more, it is so popular that on weekends there is often a wait of 20 or 30 minutes to get a table. Fortunately, it's usually worth it. http://nashville.citysearch.com/profile/9334247 (615) 383-9333 Noshville - a delicatessen style restaurant a few blocks east of the campus, and a less crowded alternative to Pancake Pantry. www.noshville.com (615) 329-6674 And finally, although it is not near Vanderbilt, any listing of Nashville restaurants would be incomplete without Loveless Motel and Cafe. Located about 10 miles west of Vanderbilt on Highway 100, it is famous for its biscuits, gravy, and country ham. A great breakfast recommendation especially on a Sunday. www.lovelesscafe.com (615) 646-9700 Places to go The Frist Center - a beautifully renovated art deco style building, which was formerly the main post office, the Frist Center is home to traveling collections from major museums around the world. There are almost always two or three interesting shows there. The restaurant is a popular and reasonable place for lunch as well. www.fristcenter.org/ (615) 244-3340 Cheekwood - a combination museum and botanical gardens, this magnificent estate is located just west of Belle Meade and contains a good collection of art, furniture, silver, and porcelain. There are also local art shows in the botanic gardens main building. www.cheekwood.org/ (615) 356-8000 The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Nashville doesn't have the Metropolitan or the Art Institute, but New York and Chicago don't have a Country Music Hall of Fame, either. Located downtown across from the Schermerhorn Center, this museum is beautifully done. You can hear recordings of some of the greats in country music history and learn how Nashville became home to this unique American sound. www.countrymusichalloffame.com (615) 416-2001 The Library - a magnificent Robert Stern building located on Fifth Avenue downtown, the library is worth seeing just for the beauty of the building, but it also is home to lectures, readings, and children's activities. Parks In addition to the huge Warner Parks complex, Nashville is home to numerous well-kept and enjoyable public parks. They include: Centennial Park - Home of the Parthenon, an exact replica of the original, which was originally built to commemorate the Tennessee Centennial in 1896. Nashville was known as the "Athens of the South" because of its many universities, and the citizens liked the temporary version so much the current one soon followed. It contains an enormous statue of Athena by local sculptor Alan LeQuire and also has regular art shows. The park itself has nice gardens and is a good place to go to get away, although it is just across West End Avenue from the main Vanderbilt campus. McCabe Park - Home of a 27-hole golf course and a very nice greenway for walking or cycling, this large park is on Murphy Road, about 10 minutes from Vanderbilt. Shelby Bottoms - A very popular greenway adjacent to Shelby Park in East Nashville, across the Cumberland River from downtown. Radnor Lake - A large nature preserve on Otter Creek Rd. a few miles south of Vanderbilt. Contains hiking trails and wonderful places to just sit with a book and enjoy this very special, quiet place. SPECTATOR SPORTS Nashville has two major league professional teams, the Tennessee Titans of the NFL and the Nashville Predators of the NHL, plus a Triple A baseball team, the Nashville Sounds. Vanderbilt, of course, participates in the Southeastern Conference and is coming off of an outstanding year in athletics including a Sweet Sixteen performance in basketball. If you are interested, schedules are available at the links below: Tennessee Titans http://www.titansonline.com/press_box/schedule/index.php Nashville Predators http://predators.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=TeamSchedule Nashville Sounds (Baseball off-season - No games during the interview season)http://www.nashvillesounds.com/ Vanderbilt Football http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/vand-m-footbl-sched.html Vanderbilt Basketball:http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/vand-m-baskbl-sched.html |