Navigating Nashville: A Guide to the City’s Must-See Neighborhoods and Attractions

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a new resident, navigating Nashville feels like stepping into a music-filled whirlwind! From the neon-lit honky-tonks of Broadway to hidden gems in local neighborhoods, this city has a unique rhythm. 🏙️

✨ Nashville blends rich history, Southern charm, and unforgettable experiences—but knowing where to start makes all the difference! 🎸

📍 In this blog, I’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of Music City USA, highlighting the best spots to explore!.

This content is taken from the upcoming book Nashville Local’s Guide for Visitors and Newbies, which you can support on Kickstarter by clicking the link above. This article may contain affiliate links, which compensate me a bit for my time at no extra cost to you.

The Airport

Your journey to navigate Nashville likely begins at the airport, so I will do start there, as well.

📍 Baggage Claim & Directions – At the bottom of each escalator, signs direct passengers to the correct luggage carousel for pickup.

🚗 Rental Car Services – After retrieving luggage, travelers renting a car should proceed to the bottom level, where rental car desks are located. Elite status passengers may be instructed to bypass the rental counter and go directly to the rental garage for vehicle pickup.

🚖 Taxis, Rideshares & Shuttles – Those not renting a car can exit the building and turn right to reach the transportation center, where taxis, rideshares, and shuttles are available.

Navigating Nashville Airport Transportation 🚖

🚗 Lyft pickup is directly in front, while limos are positioned to the right upon entry.

🚙 Uber pickups are at the first island, and taxis queue at the second island—no need to call ahead.

🏨 Hotel shuttles are at the third island, providing easy access to local accommodations.

🚍 Public transit is on the far side of the transportation center, where charter & employee buses are located.

🔍 Look for the WeGo symbol to find the correct bus. Most travelers head downtown after arrival.

Navigating Nashville: Breaking it Down

Nashville and Davidson County are essentially one and the same. While areas like Belle Meade and Goodlettsville have separate local governments, all Davidson County residents can vote in metro elections, regardless of their local governing body.

📍 Overview & Layout – The accompanying map features an adjusted version of the city’s official planning map, providing a clear view of Nashville’s structure

1. Downtown
2. Music Valley/Opryland
3. Midtown, Music Row, Hillsboro Village, 12 South, and Green Hills
4. East Nashville
5. South Nashville
6. West Nashville
7. Airport/Antioch
8. Bellevue
9. Southeast Nashville
10. North Nashville/Bordeaux
11. Madison
12. The rest of the county

I will be focusing on the first five (5) areas here as these are either heavily touristy areas or places where visitors are likely to go due to proximity. I will finish with some notes on the rest.

Navigating Nashville Downtown (1)

Downtown Nashville is centrally located within the Interstate Loop formed by I-24, I-40, and I-65. Depending on your destination, you will enter via different routes—2nd Avenue is ideal for those staying in SoBro, Broadway leads to Downtown and The Gulch, while Charlotte Avenue is best for Germantown and Capitol View. A common question on social media is, “Where is [name of area]?”

Downtown Nashville Map

The following map provides a visual guide to the city’s inner Interstate Loop and its key neighborhoods to make it easier to navigate Nashville.

NOTE: The purple numbers are the surrounding areas. Consult larger map.

Downtown Neighborhood Guide 🏙️

📍 Lower Broad (A) – The heart of honky-tonks & museums, featuring star bars, Country Music Hall of Fame, Johnny Cash Museum, NMAAM, Bridgestone Arena, and Assembly Hall.

🏨 SoBro (B) – Home to 7,000+ hotel rooms & short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO), making it a top spot for downtown stays.

🍷 Pie Town (C) – Features City Winery, Bad Axe (axe throwing), Fogg Street Lawn Club (lawn bowling), and Tennessee Brew Works.

⚠️ Rolling Mill Hill (D) – Offers Batter’s Box & rentals but is less safe—consider rideshare at night if heading back from Lower Broad.

🍖 The Gulch (E) – Divided into Middle, Lower & Upper Gulch, with favorites like Peg Leg Porkers, Arnold’s Country Kitchen, Pins Mechanical & PuttShack.

🏛️ Capitol View (F) – Walkable to Marathon Village, with a hotel, restaurants, and shops.

🎶 Printer’s Alley (G) – Features Skull’s Rainbow Room, Bourbon Blues & Boogie Bar, and live band karaoke at Blueprint Supply Underground Cocktail Club.

🎨 The Arts District (H) – A hotel hub with boutique options near Printer’s Alley.

🏛️ The Capitol District (I) – Houses the Tennessee State Capitol (free tours), quiet at night except for ghost tours.

🌳 Capitol North (J) – Includes Bicentennial Mall, TN State Museum, Farmer’s Market & Sounds Stadium.

🍽️ Germantown (K) – Known for high-end restaurants, including Rolf & Daughters, Tailor, 5th & Taylor, Henrietta Red & The Optimist.

🏈 East Bank (L) – Home to Nissan Stadium & Tennessee Titans. Budget hotels available, but walking at night isn’t advised unless there’s an event.

The rest of the inner loop is part of North Nashville and not recommended for visitors. For more information on Nashville Hotels, see Where to Stay in Downtown Nashville: Hotels & Short Term Rentals.

Music Valley/Opryland (2)

Due to having the Grand Ole Opry here, this is a spot that visitors often go to. It is also an area with plenty of hotels and there is a shuttle to downtown for $15 round trip (which might be going up shortly). If you are planning on spending all of your time at the honkytonks, this is not your best option, but it works if you plan on getting around the city, as you can park for free at most of the hotels here.

Highlights:

• Opryland Hotel: For visitors with kids, this is a great hotel as you can add on the indoor/outdoor waterpark. And there are ample indoor gardens here that are very nice. Restaurants are average to slightly above, but dining in the middle of a garden is certainly a treat.
• Cooter’s Place: This Dukes of Hazzard store and “museum” is run by Ben Jones, who played Cooters on the show. Free to peruse, but a fee for taking a picture with the General Lee and other cars. Ben is often in the store and a great person to have a convo with.
• Nashville Palace and Texas Troubadour Theater are over here and often focus on old school country. Nashville Palace is one place that offers line dancing lessons.
• Nashville Armored Combat: Want to learn to fight in armor? Or watch a match? This is your spot. Check their website for details.
• Opry House: This is where the Grand Ole Opry is when it is not at the Ryman.
• Opry Mills Mall: Largest mall in the area. Can find wine tasting, moonshine tasting, bu-1-get-2 boots, the escape game, and a wax museum.

As for the rest of this area, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage is the prime spot (D), especially for history buffs. The airport hotels are located at (B), and Percey Priest Lake is at (C).

Midtown to Green Hills (3)

• Midtown (A)- For the “woo girls” (bachelorettes), you can find White Limozeen here.
• further west, you can find Brown’s Diner, which is an iconic spot for burgers.
• Music Row -(B) this is not as cool as you might think, as it is all about music business, but you can find Bobby Idle Hour (dive bar) here.
• Centennial Park (C) – see a full-scale replica of the Green Parthenon in Athens, Greece.
• Hillsboro Village (D) – Shopping and the original The Pancake Pantry location in Nashville. A bit
• Belmont University (E) – Belmont Mansion, The Gallery of Iconic Guitars (The GIG), and The Frederick Hart Studio Musuem are here.
• Edgehill (F) is largely a spot to miss, although the Basement is here on 8th Ave S and you have the Old Glory speakeasy near Barcelona tapas restaurant.
• 12 South – (G) A great spot for restaurants and shopping. Also a nice cluster of murals in this area.
• Melrose (H) has Zanies Comedy Club and a few notable restaurants, like Mangia which does a weekend feast that is worth visiting.
• Green Hills I()- Shopping and home of The Bluebird.

The Rest

Navigating Nashville will also focus on the following areas of town, with their most notable features outlined.

📍 East Nashville – A blend of boutique hotels, unique shops, & local dining. Stay at Urban Cowboy or The Russell, browse The Fatherland Shops, or explore Hail Dark Aesthetics.

🎭 South Nashville – Home to Adventure Science Center & Fort Negley, plus craft beverage spots like Diskin Cider, Bastion, & Jackalope Brewery. Lane Motor Museum and Nashville Zoo add variety.

🌅 West Nashville – Features Blue Moon Waterfront Grill, Tee Line curling, Belle Meade Mansion, and Cheekwood Estate & Gardens.

✈️ Antioch/Airport – Mostly defined by Nashville International Airport, with standout eateries like King Market & Hai Woon Dai.

🍽️ Bellevue – Known for Loveless Cafe’s famous biscuits and the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway.

🛍️ Southeast Nashville – Tanger Outlets offers great deals for budget shoppers.

🎶 North Nashville & Bordeaux – Best avoided at night but includes Marathon Village, Jefferson Street Sound Museum, & Urban Arts.

🍺 Madison – Home to Yazoo Brewery’s craft beers and Shotgun Willie’s legendary brisket.

I don’t see a lot of reason for visitors to venture through the rest of the county. For more information on keeping safe in Nashville, see Essential Tips for a Secure and Enjoyable Nashville Visit.

Join the Conversation!

Love exploring Nashville’s best spots? Drop a comment and let me know your favorite places, hidden gems, and must-try experiences!

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Peace and Grace,