From the Publisher

Over the last few years, I have heard much debate amongst old-school Nashvillians about whether Nashville’s changes over the previous two decades or so have been for the good or the bad. Although I consider myself a native Nashvillian, I am somewhat of a hybrid. My parents and I moved from Chicago to Nashville in 1965 when I was six. The lens through which I saw Nashville was filtered by my Mother’s culture shock, moving to the comparatively insular Nashville. Nonetheless, she eventually came to love Nashville. After receiving my MBA from Vanderbilt, I moved to New York City in 1986, where I worked, got married, and had my two sons before we returned to the Athens of the South in 2002. The one constant in the world is change. I believe one should embrace change while remembering what was great about the past.

Some of the aspects of old Nashville that I appreciated were the slower pace, lack of traffic issues, and old Southern culture, which is hard to articulate unless you came from the region. Hospitality, honesty, and a gentile approach to life are vital tenets of being Southern. It was also such a small community where everyone knew each other. Some of the little things that I miss about that era are the Moon Drug Store and Wilson Quick Pharmacy lunch counters in Belle Meade, the Hippodrome roller rink, the brownstones on West End, and the countryside being just on the outskirts of the city. I remember growing up that there were limited dining options, but I didn’t know any better back then. Although we had Nero’s Cactus Canyon and Jimmy Kelly’s for steaks, looking back, Belle Meade Cafeteria and the Cross Keys were not my favorite culinary experiences.

Being a hardcore rock and roll fan, I was frustrated that many of my favorite acts (Paul McCartney & Wings, for instance) would skip Nashville. Back then, our primary performance venue was the Municipal Auditorium. There were no professional sports to watch live, with the closest thing being Vanderbilt football and basketball. There was very little reason to go downtown after hours; Lower Broad hosted peepshows, pawnshops, and real dive bars. There was very little in the visual arts except for the occasional traveling exhibit at Cheekwood (Cheekwood is on fire these days. Check out our article on the Chihuly exhibit in our Nov/Dec 2020 issue).

Sure, the new Music City has its share of issues. I think everyone will agree that the traffic situation has gotten out of hand, although still not nearly as punishing as Atlanta’s. Property values are increasing at an astronomical rate which could be good or bad depending on your circumstances. For me, I’ve lived in my current house for 19 years and don’t plan on moving anytime soon, so this means ever-increasing property taxes. Becoming a big city brings big-city problems; crime has increased significantly over the years, the likes of which I never saw growing up here. I miss some of the old-fashioned Southern charm; however, with the influx of different people and cultures, Nashville has become much more cosmopolitan with some wonderful things those new folks have brought.

For me, the new Nashville has many of the things that I came to love about New York and other large metropolises. Our culinary scene has exploded and continues to do so sometimes at the expense of old favorites (we miss you, F. Scott’s and Rotier’s). We love Yolan (see Jan/Feb 2021), Chauhan, and anything from Sean Brock and can’t wait for Jean-Georges Vongerichten to revamp the Capitol Grille at The Hermitage this fall.

With Bridgestone Arena and Nissan Stadium, we now have two professional sports teams and soccer is on the horizon. Music City has many music venues beyond the Municipal Auditorium, from the renovated Ryman, the Ascend Amphitheatre, City Winery, 3rd and Lindsey, and the Cannery, just to name a few. Now, more concerts come to town than I have the time or the money to attend. With our Frist Art Museum, Cheekwood, OZ Arts, and art galleries that continue to open, Nashville now has a dynamic and varied art scene (read about the art at The Joseph on page 15). TPAC celebrates its 40th year, and the Symphony, Ballet, and Opera are poised to perform in front of eager local audiences. We all know what a tourist destination Lower Broad has become; however, I, like many of my friends, only “do” Lower Broad when we have out-of-town guests (just like we did with attractions in NYC). Nashville has so much to offer both locals and guests; I suppose it’s our unique modern brand of Southern hospitality, and we should be proud of that.

William Arthur Ward, an often-quoted 20th-century writer of inspirational maxims, once said, “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” Change is inevitable. Embrace what is right about the new Nashville, adjust to handle its challenges, and appreciate its past.