Nashville is one of America’s fastest growing cities, but it is also among the most livable. A growing skyline hugs the river, towering over world famous music venues including the historic Ryman Auditorium. This 100 year old theatre, the Mother Church of Country Music, has hosted concerts by everyone from Coldplay and the Pixies to Elvis, Dylan, and James Brown.  Below, we've offered a brief snapshot of Nashville, as well as two student resource guides (at the bottom of the page) to assist you in getting settled in to the Nashville area.

Nashville At A Glance

• 533 square miles with a population of nearly 570,000

• Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses eight counties — Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson — and has a population of more than 1.5 million

• Major industries include tourism, printing and publishing, technology manufacturing, music production, higher education, finance, insurance, automobile production and health care management

• Named one of the 15 best U.S. cities for work and family by Fortune magazine

• Ranked the most popular U.S. city for corporate relocations by Expansion Management magazine

• Named by Forbes magazine as one of the 25 cities most likely to have the country's highest job growth over the coming five years

• Named by Kiplinger as the #1 Smart Place to Live

• Mild and pleasant climate with only a few days of either very hot or very cold conditions each year

• If a snowfall occurs, it is usually in January or February and is seldom heavy.

Rigorous, challenging—these should describe your program, not your living conditions. Nashville packs a lot of options into a compact, easy-to-navigate city with basic benefits: low cost of living, a diverse cultural scene, affordable neighborhoods with character, and many recreational opportunities.

Nashville—one of the country’s fastest-growing cities—is accessible, too. Airport and other transportation options keep New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and many other cities just a quick flight away.

Average Apartment Rentals

• Boston $1,411
• New York $3,487
• Nashville $682
• Palo Alto $1,873
• San Francisco $1,147
Sources: ACCRA Cost of Living Index, First Quarter 2005; Move.com

Attractions
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Country Music Hall of Fame
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville’s Main Public Library
Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art
The Parthenon
The Belcourt

Sports & Recreations
Vanderbilt Commodores
Nashville Predators – NHL
Tennessee Titans – NFL
Nashville Sounds – Triple A baseball
Metro Parks locations
Tennessee State Parks
Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau

Dining
Nashville Originals is a dedicated band of local restaurateurs, dedicated to the challenge of sustaining the independent restaurant as a feature and a fixture of local culture and community.

The Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau maintains a database of Nashville–area restaurants. Searches of the database can be done based on area of town, cuisine, and price range.

Local print media outlets
The Tennessean (daily newspaper)
Nashville City Paper
The Nashville Scene (weekly newspaper)
All The Rage (weekly entertainment guide)

Local broadcast media outlets
WPLN (Nashville Public Radio)
WRVU (Vanderbilt student-operated radio station)
WNPT (Nashville Public Television)

 

For more information, please see our student guides:

• Guide to Nashville Housing
• Getting Settled In
• A Student's Guide to Life at VDS

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