I feel blessed and fortunate to be able to call Nashville, Davidson County, Tenn. my home. When comparing Nashville to other cities or towns, Nashville is highly rated on so many levels. Nashville is far from perfect, but it ranks high when compared to other cities its size. Nashville is a beautiful city constantly growing as I write. It has yet to reach its peak and is innovative and exciting with its ever-expanding developments.
There are so many things to do in Nashville that it is no surprise it is one of the most visited places by tourists. It is also hailed as one of the top cities to live in. Nashville has so much to offer, the question should be: ‘What doesn’t Nashville have to offer?’ Nashville will not disappoint those seeking diversity, fine dining, sports, music, education, parks, libraries, museums, the arts, and nice places to live.
Educationally, Nashville boasts a multitude of colleges and universities (20) attracting students from all over the nation and abroad. Some of the best colleges found in Nashville include Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State University, Fisk University, Belmont University, Trevecca Nazarene University, and Lipscomb University.
Nashville is a mecca of sports venues, offering a professional football team (Titans), professional hockey (Predators), Minor League Baseball (Sounds), soccer, racing, etc. It seems, sports-wise, the only sport we lack is a professional basketball team like the Memphis Grizzlies) in Memphis Tenn.
Nashville may be known for country music but it is a major venue for recording all genres of music, so it’s also a concert venue for all major music idols. Any given weekend you can be privy to free concerts by major recording artists living in Nashville. And Nashville doesn’t have a shortage of noted singers or musicians living here.
I can’t imagine any city that can rival the multitude of good food found in the myriad of fine dining restaurants in Nashville. Name any type of food, and Nashville can accommodate you—and you will know that you have dined heartily.
Nashville offers a wide array of living conditions, whether it be in apartments or condominiums in areas affording residents all desired amenities within walking range. You can also find grass-encompassed homes in tree-lined neighborhoods, embracing growing families. Nashville has to be one of the best places to raise a family with its many parks, greenways, museums, and libraries. Nashville also offers one of the best places for retirees preferring downtown living.
The weather is great. We have some of the mildest winters on record when compared to other cities, especially up north. The state of Tennessee doesn’t have a state income tax, but we have a sales tax on food. It is said that we have some of the lowest taxes in the country prompting big corporations and businesses to gravitate to Tennessee.
The Nashville region is becoming known as the headquarters (or as a hub) for many major corporations, e.g., Amazon; HCA; Asurion; Regions Bank; Bridgestone; Dollar General; Community Health Systems; Cracker Barrel Old Country Store; Tractor Supply; ICEE; Nissan North America; St. Thomas Health; Vanderbilt University; Mitsubishi Motors; Acadia Healthcare; Louisiana Pacific; Surgery Partners; Verizon Wireless; Dell; AT&T; Walgreens; UBS; Kroger; State Farm Insurance; Lowes; GEODIS; TRG Customer Solution; Randstad; Deloitte; Core Civic; etc. These are companies offering good benefits, opportunities and good pay for residents within the Nashville area. It is a well known fact that Nashville has become a noted competitor for technology development.
While we can go on and on about what Nashville has to offer, the best is found in its residents. Nashvillians are not only friendly, but they are also basically liberal. The city is far ahead in manifesting diversity and inclusiveness when compared to many of its surrounding towns and cities. This diversity is found in the many communities in Nashville harboring people of all races and ethnicities living harmoniously in peace, unity, and love. This unity and openness is the result of many new residents coming from eastern, western, and northern cities who are not as prejudiced as some pro-Civil War descendants or die-heart Confederates born in the South who are still entertaining racist and White supremacy views.
Nashville (unlike many of the cities found in east and west Tennessee) is the flagship of what Tennessee should be. Nashville’s growth doesn’t come without rising crime, traffic congestion, and housing woes. But the good outweighs the bad, and Nashville continues to provide promise and hope to overcome whatever obstacles lay in front of us. Nashville makes me proud and makes me work harder to make it even better.
