Midtown Nashville

Midtown Nashville is a densely urban neighborhood situated directly west of Downtown Nashville, serving as one of the city's most culturally and historically significant districts. Sandwiched between downtown, Music Row, West End, and Hillsboro Village is Midtown, an area adjacent to the prestigious Vanderbilt University. The neighborhood functions as a crossroads between Nashville's storied music industry, its legacy of higher education, and a thriving contemporary dining and nightlife scene. 12,716 people live in Midtown, where the median age is 29 and the average individual income is $49,729. Whether visited for its historic landmarks, live music venues, or walkable restaurant corridors, Midtown occupies a central role in the life of Nashville.

Geography and Boundaries

Midtown, which is located directly west of downtown, is a bustling area that contains a number of Nashville's best hidden gems and local hangs. Its approximate boundaries are formed by Charlotte Avenue to the north, Interstate 440 to the south, 21st Avenue South to the west, and the edge of The Gulch to the east. Nestled between I-40, I-440, 21st Avenue, and Charlotte Avenue, Midtown/West End offers a central location that makes navigating the city straightforward.

The neighborhood encompasses several distinct sub-areas recognized by locals, including the stretch of Elliston Place known informally as the "Rock Block," the Demonbreun Hill entertainment corridor, and the West End Avenue commercial spine that runs through the heart of the district. Midtown real estate includes a mix of gorgeously elegant antique estates and high-rise condos, and residents enjoy a quick commute to downtown Nashville to get a glimpse of big-city life. With a prime location just two miles from downtown Nashville, residents can seek out all the amenities of the big city whenever their hearts desire.

History

Early Settlement and the Tennessee Centennial Exposition

The land that now forms the core of Midtown has deep roots in Nashville's development. The site of what is now Centennial Park previously had been a farm purchased in 1783 by John Cockrill, the brother-in-law to James Robertson, then became the state fairgrounds after the Civil War and from 1884 to 1895 became a racetrack known as West Side Park.

The most transformative single event in the area's early history was the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition of 1897. The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition was held in Nashville from May 1 – October 31, 1897 in what is now Centennial Park, and celebrated — a year late — the 100th anniversary of Tennessee's entry into the union in 1796. Construction of the buildings for the 1897 Centennial began in 1895 with the laying of the cornerstone for the Parthenon replica on October 8, and a large number of elaborate structures were built to serve the 1.8 million visitors to the Exposition.

Nashville's nickname, the "Athens of the South," influenced the choice of the Parthenon building as the centerpiece of the 1897 Centennial Exposition. It was designed by architect William Crawford Smith and built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Originally built of plaster, wood, and brick, the Parthenon was not intended to be permanent, but the cost of demolishing the structure combined with its popularity with residents and visitors alike led the city to preserve it. The Parthenon replica built for the exhibition was made of temporary materials, and because of its popularity, it was reconstructed using permanent materials in a project lasting from 1920 to 1931.

When the Exposition closed on October 30, 1897, its leadership called for preservation of the Parthenon replica and the Centennial grounds as a public park, initiating the city park movement in Nashville. The Park Board built a swimming pool, stocked Lake Watauga with fish, planted flower gardens and shrubs, built drives and walkways, and opened the park to the public in 1903.

Vanderbilt University and the Growth of West End

One of the most enduring institutional forces shaping Midtown is Vanderbilt University, which predates the Centennial Exposition by more than two decades. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school with its initial $1 million endowment in the hopes that his gift, and the greater work of the university, would help to heal the sectional wounds inflicted by the American Civil War. The Vanderbilt campus is located approximately 1.5 miles southwest of downtown in Midtown along both the city's bustling West End Avenue and 21st Avenue corridors.

The campus site was selected "west of the city," for its beautiful location, ease of access, and proximity to Capitol Hill. The university's presence on the western fringe of the city effectively anchored Midtown as a zone of residential and commercial growth throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The oldest part of the Vanderbilt campus is known for its abundance of trees and green space, which stand in contrast to the surrounding cityscape of urban Nashville; the campus was designated as a national arboretum in 1988 by the Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta.

Music Row and the Nashville Sound

The portion of Midtown that borders Music Row became one of the most significant addresses in American popular music history during the 1950s and 1960s. Music Row began developing in 1954, when the first commercially successful recording studios and music offices were established along 16th Avenue South. In 1954 Owen and Harold Bradley moved their recording studio to Sixteenth Avenue South to become the first business on what would be known as "Music Row." Bradley's studio was in a Quonset Hut, built to film songs for TV.

Built in 1957, RCA Studio B became known as the birthplace for the "Nashville Sound," a style characterized by background vocals and strings that helped establish Nashville as an international recording center, located on Nashville's Music Row. Once the recording home of popular music titans such as Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold, and the Everly Brothers, the studio helped define the sound of a generation of country and pop recordings. In the two decades the studio was in operation, RCA Studio B produced 60 percent of Billboard magazine's Country chart hits.

By the early 1960s, many national labels were completing a significant share of their country releases in Music Row studios, and the district expanded rapidly as record labels, publishers, and producers concentrated their operations there, helping Nashville emerge as a major center for country music recording and music publishing. As more artists flocked to the area, record labels, talent agencies, publishing houses and radio stations began setting up shop in surrounding buildings. By the 1960s and 1970s, Music Row was home to nearly every major name in country music.

Landmarks and Attractions

Centennial Park and the Parthenon

Originally built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition, the replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. The Parthenon stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville's premier urban park. Inside, visitors can view the monumental 42-foot-tall statue of Athena Parthenos, the tallest indoor artistic work of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, meticulously reconstructed in gold leaf. Donations for the Athena accumulated over the years and in 1982 the Park Board commissioned Nashville sculptor Alan LeQuire to recreate the 42-foot statue for the interior. This monumental task took almost eight years, and the statue was finally unveiled on May 20, 1990.

The Parthenon also serves as Nashville's art museum. Visitors can stop inside the Parthenon to admire the Cowan Collection of American Art and current rotating exhibits; general admission is $10. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Parthenon is the centerpiece of Centennial Park.

The park itself offers a wide variety of amenities beyond the Parthenon. They've got a performing arts stage, sand volleyball courts, a dog park, Sunken Gardens, Lake Watauga, and trails to explore. Midtown residents also look forward to Musicians Corner, a free Friday concert series in late spring and early fall.

RCA Studio B

RCA Studio B was a music recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee, established in 1957 by Steve Sholes and Chet Atkins for RCA Victor. Built in 1957, RCA Studio B became known as a birthplace for the "Nashville Sound," a pop-oriented style of country music characterized by smooth instrumentation, background vocals, and string sections that helped establish Nashville as an international recording center. Thousands of sessions were recorded within its walls, including more than 240 songs by Country Music Hall of Fame member Elvis Presley.

Since 1992 the studio has been under the ownership of the Country Music Hall of Fame, which offers scheduled tours of the facilities. Today, visitors can tour RCA Studio B as part of their experience at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Exit/In and Elliston Place

Among the neighborhood's most storied live music institutions is the Exit/In, a venue located at 2208 Elliston Place. It opened in 1971 under the management of Owsley Manier and Brugh Reynolds. Over the years, Exit/In evolved from its humble beginnings as a "listening room" to a 500-capacity rock club, anchoring what became the famous "Rock Block," a stretch of road on Elliston Place that is now home to a wide variety of bars, restaurants, music venues, tattoo shops and more.

Some of the legendary musicians who have graced the stage at Exit/In include The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Etta James, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Muddy Waters, and R.E.M. Now recognized as an official Nashville Historical Landmark, Exit/In's legacy is preserved for the next generation of music lovers.

Demographics and Housing

With its close proximity to Belmont University, Vanderbilt University, office buildings, and local hospitals, Midtown is home to many young professionals, college students and musicians. The neighborhood's youthful character is reflected in its census data: 12,716 people live in Midtown, where the median age is 29 and the average individual income is $49,729.

Large glass condominium complexes are starting to dominate the Midtown skyline. Prospective buyers will find properties around the neighborhood's perimeter, and options are generally limited to condo units. Condensed one-bedrooms in communities like Vanderbilt Place start in the high $300,000s, and monthly fees include access to outdoor pools and fitness centers. Two-bedroom units in glass high rises can sell for upwards of $1.5 million, and monthly fees in these upscale communities sometimes surpass $1,000.

Prices for homes in West End/Midtown Nashville generally start at $850,000 and can exceed $1 million, reflecting the upscale nature of the neighborhood and the rarity of detached homes for sale in this part of the city.

Dining, Nightlife, and Culture

Containing nearly 30 bars and restaurants, Midtown provides a more casual atmosphere for locals and students trying to escape the crowds of tourists that flood Lower Broadway nightly. Students, music industry folks and business executives converge with visitors in the neighborhood's many chef-driven restaurants and bustling bars.

Among the neighborhood's most prominent dining destinations is Hattie B's Hot Chicken. The original Hattie B's location, a Midtown mainstay, first opened in 2012. Elliston Place Soda Shop is a true Nashville staple, serving malt milkshakes, meatloaf, and coconut meringue since 1939.

Midtown is a nightlife hub, with Patterson House serving craft cocktails in a speakeasy-style setting and Winners & Losers, famous for its lively atmosphere and celebrity sightings. Venues like Exit/In and The End have hosted legendary performances from iconic musicians, offering everything from rock and indie to alternative acts.

Transportation

Traversing around Midtown on foot proves a good mode of transportation since so many bars, restaurants and parks sit right in the neighborhood. Biking also serves as a relatively popular way to commute, run errands and do social activities, as many of the streets provide bike lanes.

WeGo public buses run regularly along West End Avenue, connecting Midtown residents to surrounding Nashville neighborhoods like Sylvan Heights and The Gulch. Drivers take U.S. Route 431 or West End Avenue north into downtown or southeast to other areas of the city and more rural suburbs. Eight miles — or about 15 minutes — from Midtown via Interstate 40 is the Nashville International Airport.