Future Famous Country Singers, Broadway Bridesmaids, and really freakin hot, hot chicken. That’s right, today we’re talking about Nashville, TN.

During my undergraduate days, I lived fairly close to “Music City”. At the time, Nashville was the first big city I ever visited. I’ll never forget how the cityscape on the drive-in took my breath away (it never got old).

Any spare afternoon and almost every weekend, my friends and I would make our way down to Nashville to totally tourist it up.

But we Gallivanters can’t help ourselves, we want to live like the locals and make our mark on the cities we visit in a new way.

So here are some of my favorite things to do when in Nashville, TN.

#TimeToGetNashty

#OhYeah

Food

I will tell it to you straight, I’ve had both Hattie B’s and Prince’s and both do Nashville hot chicken justice. But if you are in the mood for something different, let me introduce you to your new favorite restaurants in Nashville, maybe even the world.

312 Pizza Company

I can’t talk about good eats in Nashville without mentioning 312 Pizza Company.

Located in one of the neighborhoods in Nashville known as Germantown, 312 Pizza Company has some of the best Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza I’ve ever had.

As someone who went to Chicago with the intention of trying all the famous deep dishes that I could, let me just say that nothing came close to what I’ve had from 312 Pizza Company (don’t worry: deep dish ventures in Chicago coming to the blog soon).

Just a heads up, they aren’t kidding when they say it’ll be 45 minutes for a regular deep dish to be ready, but I’m not kidding when I say I would wait hours.

Every time I’ve gone to 312 I’ve gone in hungry, and I’m always glad that I did. After one slice, you could stick a fork in me because I was more than done. That’s even without ordering an appetizer. But order the beer cheese and pretzels as an appetizer anyway.

The Pharmacy

When I first started hearing about The Pharmacy, it was from people coming back to campus from a long weekend in Nashville raving about their lunches/dinners from The Pharmacy.

When I finally got to try The Pharmacy for myself, it did not disappoint!

Located in East Nashville, The Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden is the place for those who want to try something unique like Bratwurst with Curry Ketchup, or for those who just want a great burger.

Honestly, order anything you want – it’s all excellent, but if you’re feeling froggy finish off your meal with a classic malt shake or cream soda.

If the weather is nice, I encourage you to sit outside under the lights and imagine what it would be like to live in East Nashville yourself. Would you start wearing cowboy boots ironically, or slowly over time find yourself slipping them on no longer as a joke?

Play

There is no shortage of nightlife activities for you to do – if you have the cash money.

Want to have the time of your life for free? Head over to your new favorite hangout: Game Terminal.

Game Terminal is home to vintage pinball machines and retro arcade games that you can play all night completely free.

Before 8:00 p.m., Game Terminal is for all ages! After that, it’s 21 plus, and for good reason. Game Terminal has some serious nostalgia in the form of their cocktails like “Donkey Kong” and “Princess Peach Tea”.

I could spend my whole night at Game Terminal happily, but this could make for a great kickoff to your night before heading to Broadway if you so choose.

Stay

Since I lived so close to Nashville, I don’t have as much experience with stays and rentals in the area.

The two times I did stay in Nashville were excellent: once for a bachelorette weekend in Berry Hill and once at a cabin getaway in Ashland City.

Some advice? Choose your stay wisely by considering your itinerary.

If you plan on relying on Uber a lot, staying in Berry Hill or Germantown allows you to stay close enough to the action without being right in the middle of everything.

If you want to hit the highlights of Nashville but still end up with a quiet night in, get a cabin in Ashland City. Ashland City is about a 30-minute drive from downtown Nashville and is incredibly scenic.

Art/ History

Art

You probably could guess, but Nashville’s favorite medium to use for its local art is its music. If you aren’t a fan of country music (you’re wrong but I digress), Nashville is a place where all genres of music are alive and well.

You definitely can walk into some local joints that have a live band or singer/songwriter that could one day headline the Super Bowl.

Just walking along the streets of Nashville will allow you to find some great work local artists’ have done by painting murals.

When I went to Nashville for the first time, I really wanted to find this mural and have an impromptu photo shoot! This one is located outside of the Frothy Monkey Coffee Shop in 12 South.

History

Nashville has a rich history and many different kinds of museums for you to enjoy.

Although I think everyone needs to hit the Johnny Cash Museum at least once, my favorite museum is the one located at The Parthenon in Nashville’s Centennial Park.

An incredible feat and a replica of The Parthenon in Athens, Greece, The Parthenon in Nashville doubles inside as a museum. It showcases not only Nashville’s history and local art scene but also some replicas of Ancient Greek statues, like a 42-foot-tall statue of the Goddess Athena.

Centennial Park itself is worth seeing and I encourage you to explore it! Especially via Bird Ride Scooter which can be found at locations all around Nashville and Centennial Park.

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So if you find yourself in Nashville, have an amazing trip! I hope that some of my favorite hangouts end up on your itinerary.

And please, have a slice of deep dish for me.

-Allison