Where would you take a New Englander in need of culture?

[groovamos]

Originally Posted by stefinator

Can you recommend places to take him to show that Nashville is a great area to live with much more to see and hear than country music? Thank you!

I can't name venues since I haven't lived there in 30 years. You can challenge and ridicule the media-driven stereotype of any locale though, and Nashville folks have really had to deal with such stereotyping more than any other city. Why would there be more country music aficionados in Nashville than say, Charlotte? People in middle TN don't wake up in the morning deciding to like "country" because they live in/near Nashville. I lived there 3 times and grew up there, the idea never crossed my or anyone else's mind that a local industry should be THE major influence on our tastes.

I should mention that some music venues there are getting lots of dollars from tourists, and many tourists have something in mind when choosing where to go to get an evening's helping of "local culture".

Do you know the song "We're In This Love Together" popularized by Al Jarreau? Written by a Nashville area team.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by gbone

Start out with an evening at the Schermerhorn and a morning walk at Radnor Lake. Both will touch his senses.
Nashville won't compare to Boston or New York as far as a wide and deep range of cultural possibilities. However, in the end, one is only limited in these areas by their creativity, energy, and desire.
Enjoy!!

I agree with some of your post and disagree with some. I definitely agree that one is limited only by one's creativity, energy, and desire.

BUT to say that Nashville doesn't have as deep a range of cultural possibilities as New York or Boston is simply not true. There are a dozen universities in Nashville, many with excellent music and art colleges. By themselves, those universities offer a huge array of cultural opportunities.

Then of course there's the other typically high-brow stuff that Nashville has: an outstanding symphony hall, wonderful museums, parks, galleries, live theater, opera, ballet, etc.

But, unlike Boston and New York, Nashville also has outstanding country music and its close cousin gospel music. And country and gospel music are definitely "culture." As others such as my friend akm4 said, Nashville should embrace its music culture, country and otherwise. There is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. Country music is just as legitimate as classical music. It takes just as much talent to play a fiddle as it does to play a violin.

It is entirely possible to enjoy Nashville without ever stepping foot in the Country Music Hall of Fame or the Bluebird Cafe. But on the other hand, country music is the kind of music which put Nashville on the map. I'm not a huge fan of country music, but there is NOTHING like hearing it live, and there is nothing that can compare to attending a Grand Ole Opry performance and being part of such a legendary American institution. And during the winter months when it's at the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium, it's even more significant.

Neither Boston nor New York has anything like it, and for that I submit that Nashville's cultural landscape is actually more varied.

[oahawhool]

The speed limit is 70 here!

[groovamos]

Just remembered a post of mine comparing Nashville to one of Boston's peer cities, namely Houston. Houston is Very different from Boston obviously but I have met musicians here from Boston who like it here. The post:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/nashv...ml#post4616869

In the above I mention the Nashville central library http://www.library.nashville.org/locations/loc_main.asp and the Schermerhorn http://www.nashvillesymphony.org/main.taf?p=17 both of which apparently outclass what we have in Houston.

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by stefinator

Hello, my husband and I currently live in Boston and are considering a move to Nashville. He is from NY and is concerned about living in the Nashville area, specifically that it won't be "progressive enough" for him. Can you recommend places to take him to show that Nashville is a great area to live with much more to see and hear than country music? Thank you!

Honestly, no. Your husband is right and being from New York and comparing NYC to Nashville? No contest. Why move to nashville anyway? Just going for house because they are cheaper down here? You get what you pay for.... at best you'd get a version of higher end NJ burb in Brentwood. Good luck from an ex-New Yorker

[scottv]

We have a Trader Joe's now
And Whole Foods

[septimus]

We moved here from Boston. I miss the food. There are some very good restaurants here, but I miss good chinese, indian, ethopian, etc. This is my first experience living in the suburbs and it has been an adjustment. There is a bubble over this place. That said, we've made wonderful friends and this part of the country is beautiful. Lots of outdoor activities nearby like cycling, hiking, camping, etc. TN actually as the best state park system in the country. I miss the ocean and the mountains for skiing, but I love that we can go camping at the end of Oct and not freeze.

We have kids so this may put us in a different group, but I love that our subdivision has a swimming pool, park etc. Our park in Boston was awesome and the center of social life, but nothing like having rats play next to your toddler. Also the pool is much nicer and never seems to get that film that the DRC pool by our house did whenever it was over 90.

We have kids which has also made me disappointed in the schools. We came out of an urban school district that everyone claimed was so bad. It looks like Harvard compared to what we have here. The standards are much lower. I would say Mass probably has the best public school system in the US. There are some good private schools that are on par with the northeast prep schools. I'm scared to send my kids to a public school that has a Jesus Loves me club that meets after school.

I do have a lot of liberal friends here. There are more closet liberals than you would think, but again coming from a town in Mass that was 70% dem, 20% greeen, 8% socialis and 2% republican I thought I was conservative but apparently I lean more towards communist.

[callcondo]

Lots of Snowbirds are now called "halfways".
They go to Florida in the winter, stop here and stay.
Culture is in the eyes of the beholder I suppose but we have one of the very best Ballets in the South. Our symphony hall is rated as one of the "World's very best"....by those that don't live here. You can go to about any honky tonk or hotel bar and hear some of the best muscians in the country. We have a Jazz society that meets every Sunday afternoon in the summer...and these guys will blow you away.

[stefinator]

Thank you for all your replies and advice! I will look into Radnor Lake, the Frist, the Symphony, and the restaurant suggestions. We are getting 6 more inches of snow in Boston, so the warmth in Nashville will be so welcome.

Any other restaurant suggestions downtown or Midtown?

[denawilliams]

Considering he is a New Englander, I would definitely spend some time in Midtown and Downtown in the Gulch area. Definitely check out Hillsboro Village and around Vanderbilt. Hillsboro Village will have some places to eat (highly recommend The Pancake Pantry for breakfast). West End and 21st are streets filled with activities and great restaurants. If you head away from the honky tonks on Broadway, Broadway will split and on either side you'll find things you'll enjoy. Centennial Park might be nice if it's warm. Drive around in the Belmont and 12 South areas as well (some of the roads: Belmont Blvd, 12 South, etc.). There are a few other gems in coffee shops or local hangouts/eateries there as well. You also have a great vibe in Edgehill as well. Drive through Music Row near Demonbreum...access it right at the people statue on Demonbreum. Visit the Gulch on the edge of Downtown for a drink or a nice dinner at Sambuca or Watermark. (you'll run into it if you go north from the 12 South area.) East Nashville and the 5 Points area might be a nice place to visit for a meal and some music as well...