Speaking from my own experience, halfway through the semester is when college students start to go a little stir crazy. After a busy stint of midterms, assignments, and academic commitments, fall break seems to ring in at the perfect time. This long weekend is extremely necessary for us all to take a step away from our laptops and spend some time resetting. To some, that reset may be a trip back home to pet your childhood dog and sleep in your own bed, but to others, that reset happens on Broadway in one of America’s most lively cities: Nashville, Tennessee.
I just got back from my first time in the Music City, and I can confirm that it’s just as fun as people claim. From amazing live bands to delicious Southern food to insanely cool bars, Nashville really has it all, and also seems to be quite the hotspot for college students on fall break. If you’re a college student trying to decide how to correctly do a long Nashville weekend, look no further because this guide will give you a round up of all the best spots I hit during my fall break.
The Broadway Bars
You can’t do Nashville correctly if you don’t check out the Broadway bars at least once. We spent a majority of our weekend here, going in and out of all of the awesome and unique spots, and what I loved most was the different themes in each bar. Since they’re typically owned or co-owned by country artists or celebrities, the bar is decorated inside to include elements from that person’s music, hobbies, hometown, and more. Some of my favorite spots to visit on Broadway were Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, Morgan Wallen’s This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen, and Chief’s (owned by Eric Church). Each of these bars had so many floors with different music and themed drinks, but the coolest part was the views from every rooftop. You can see all the people lining up Broadway to hop from place to place as well as the lights and music blasting from every bar. Although drinks are more expensive than your average college dive, the beauty of no covers or entry fee makes bar hopping a very necessary activity during your Nashville stay. And since it’s Nashville, bar hopping has no time limit – enjoy these bars during the daytime or night for an equally awesome, lively time.
The Food Scene
Nashville may be a city known for drinking, but don’t sleep on the incredible food there either. While some people swear by certain Tennessee delicacies like hot chicken, my friends and I went a little off the beaten path in terms of eating. Since we were traveling with a group of 10, we focused on restaurant recommendations that could accommodate our large party as well as the dietary restrictions of everyone. And as college students balling in this city on a budget, we scoured for the best options that were delicious and not too over the top. We spent mornings eating breakfast at Proper Bagel and Hearts, but also checked out the coffee from Flora + Fauna Cafe and Roaster and Frothy Monkey. Dinner was honestly our biggest concern with a 10 person party, but we found great food and accommodation at Love and Exile Bar and Assembly Food Hall. You can’t go wrong with food at any of these places, and it’s obviously important to eat up before long nights drinking on Broadway.
The Leisure Activities
There is so much more to Music City than just going out! While many activities like the pedal bike and tractor tour (which is SO fun btw) involve alcohol, there are plenty of other things to do that don’t. I personally wanted to live out my Taylor Swift dreams at Centennial Park, which was a lovely area for a hot girl walk and soak up the sun. They even have the only true replica of the Parthenon there! Kind of random for such an iconic site to be in Nashville, but this green space genuinely feels like a breath of fresh air in between many nights of staying out too late. It’s also located right near Vanderbilt’s campus, which was another favorite spot of ours to walk.
The Shopping
Shopping is a major point of focus for many Nashville visitors, and neighborhoods like The Gulch and 12South are great for that. The Gulch has tons of name brand clothing stores like Anthropologie, lululemon, Tecovas, and more, but you can find cuter, more local boutiques in 12South. Both were great for times when our group needed a break from Broadway and we found great fashionable keepsakes to remember the trip by. The Gulch was also walkable to Music Row, another area we spent some time eating, drinking, and walking around in. While the city itself isn’t the most walkable, picking one of these shopping neighborhoods to stay in for a chunk of the day is a great way to find new pockets within the city.