Music roots run deep in Nashville. Step back almost 200 years to the early 1800s when Davy Crockett came to town to play the fiddle and buck dance. In the late 1870s, Nashville was a gospel music center. In 1925, the Grand Ole’ Opry started broadcasting. Country stars like Minnie Pearl, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams took the stage. New talent soon began making its way to this music Mecca. While country remained king, rock and roll, jazz, R&B, folk music, reggae and recently hip-hop are on the scene. Top-recording artists like Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Brenda Lee, Roy Orbison, Joan Baez, Jimmy Buffett, R.E.M., Matchbox Twenty, India.Arie and Bon Jovi recorded in Nashville. Today, Nashville is known as “Music City.” It is home of 180 recording and 80 different record labels. Music takes the spotlight; however, there’s more than music in Nashville. The city draws accolades and recognition in many areas. Nashville is a cultural center, known as the “Athens of the South.” It is a health care center, home to over 250 health care companies. It is an educational center for dozens of universities and small colleges. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine cites Nashville as the “ #1 Smartest Place to Live," based on affordability, culture, hospitality and climate.
Nashville International Airport, located eight miles from downtown, is served by 17 passenger airlines offering around 400 flights per day. Ground transportation is provided by rental car, taxis, limousines, shuttles and Nashville Metro Transit Authority bus service. Nashville transportation is available by bus; however, getting around Nashville is best by car. It is typically an easy driving town if you use a good map indicating one-way streets and avoid morning and evening rush hour traffic.
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