Downtown Nashville

Even though it's cold the day holds a beautiful clear blue sunny sky. Today we decided to travel into downtown Nashville and see all the sights we can possibly see. The first job was to find parking. Awe haw meter parking... lots of them... on Gay Street even better. So we parked took out my tourist map and started walking. Nashville is the second largest city in Tennessee next to Memphis, and has a population over 1.5 million people.

Nashville lies on the Cumberland River

Downtown Nashville

Several pieces of artwork appear throughout the city. This one called "Ghost Ballet for the East Bank Machinework" appears on the East Bank Greenway of the Cumberland River opposite the downtown. The artist is Alice Aycock  and the artwork depicts the transformation of an industrial area to a recreational and entertainment area. This piece is 100 ft tall, 100 ft wide, and 60 ft deep.



Ghost Ballet for the East Bank Machinework

Since the 1970's Nashville saw an economic boom focusing on urban development.

Bridgestone Arena home of the Nashville Predators

LP Stadium home of the Tennessee Titans

A contrast of old & new

The AT&T building which was completed in 1994 is currently the tallest building in the state of Tennessee. Because of it's distinctive design and dark colour combination it has the nickname "Batman Building" due to it's resemblance to Batman. Let your imagination wonder when looking at the picture below.

AT&T Building

Nashville is best known for it's country music clubs and honky-tonk bars. Most are located in the areas of Lower Broadway, Printer's Alley, and Second Avenue. Here are just a few.

Coyote Ugly Saloon & Grill

World Famous Tootsies Orchid Lounge

Legends

Hard Rock Cafe

Printer's Alley

We passed several stores with great deals on western boots

On the Cumberland River near the original site stands a reconstructed replica of Fort Nashborough.

Downtown Nashville has a huge populous of old buildings. The State Capital Building cornerstone was laid in 1845 and completed 14 years later in 1859. The 11th President of the United States James K Polk and his wife are intombed on the grounds.

Tennessee State Capital Building

The Union Station was built by L & N Railroad in 1898. In 1986 it reopened as a hotel.

Union Station

St Mary's Catholic Church in downtown Nashville was built in 1845 and is the oldest surviving church in Nashville.

St Mary's Catholic Church

The US Customs House cornerstone was laid in 1877 and housed  the federal court, customs, and the post office

US Custom House

The Ryman Auditorium which was built in 1892 has been referred to as the "Mother Church of Country Music". It was home to the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. Several artists including Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and Bruce Springsteen have been known to play at the Ryman because of it's outstanding acoustics. 

Ryman Auditorium

The Land of Honky-Tonk Heroes