Dr. McLaughlin's Favorites in Nashville:
Good Eats:
If you are in the mood for Chinese and pizza, you are definitely in the wrong town! But excellent BBQ abounds. Our favorite is Mary’s Old Fashion BBQ (1108 Jefferson St.). But don’t go there for the atmosphere! There’s also tons of great brunch spots including Monell’s (1235 6th Ave. N.) which is fun with a group, Loveless Café (8400 Highway 100) and Le Peep (5133 Harding Rd.)
Nashville Escapes:
Radnor Lake and Edwin Warner Parks are the best places to find walking trails, play Frisbee and hang out with the trees.
Nashville Necessity:
If you haven’t taken the Nash Trash Tour (phone: 615-226-7300) with the Judd sisters (no, not those Judds) you haven’t experienced Nashville at its rednecks’ finest. It’s a BYOB tour on a giant pink bus! They also serve Ritz crackers with cheese whiz and dish all the dirt you need to know about the city. It’s a great tour for visitors and wet your pants funny!
Fun Nashville Factoid:
There are tons of discounts for Vanderbilt students and employees that you can find out about on the web by going to http://hr.vanderbilt.edu/benefits/perqs.htm. Also, caspase activation doesn’t necessarily kill cells, but that’s just a science factoid!
Jeannette’s Favorites in Nashville:
Good Eats:
If you are in the mood for sushi, I highly recommend Rusan’s (505 12th Ave S). Also, Lemon Grass (7108 Highway 70 S # 1) in Belleview has fantastic sushi and Tai food. For steak, I would suggest either Ruth’s Chris (2100 West End Avenue) or Morton’s (618 Church Street). If you are looking for good beer (and are of age, of course) go to Flying Saucer (111 10th Avenue South). It has a fun pub feel and literally hundreds of beers from around the world.
Fun Activities:
If you are a runner, or even if you are just looking for a nice place to take a walk or hang out on the weekends, you are in luck because Centennial Park on West End is the perfect place and its right next to campus! Also, for one stop shopping, I like to go the Green Hills Mall (2126 Abbott Martin Road) or Nashville West (on Charlotte Pike). Nashville West is a convenient outdoor shopping center with lots of stores such as World Market, DSW, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Amy’s Favorites in Nashville:
Nashville Escapes:
Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson County has some amazing mountain biking trails ranging from beginner to expert including single track. They also have nice camping accommodations and lots of hiking trails with really nice scenery. Likewise, Fall Creek Falls State Park in Pikeville also has some great hiking trails and is nationally recognized as one of the most scenic parks in America. This park also has nice camping accommodations.
Fun Activities:
If you are interested in the music scene, or are a novice musician yourself, the Listening Room Café often has songwriters nights where up and coming stars showcase their talent. This place has amazing sound quality and a small, cozy but exciting feel to it. And the food isn’t bad either!
Anthony’s Favorites in Nashville:
Good Eats:
For some original country and acoustic music teamed with great food, be sure to check out the Blue Bird Café (4104 Hillsboro Pike). Also, the Loveless Café (8400 Hwy 100) is a Nashville favorite for home cookin’. Everything is served family style and the mac n’cheese is to die for! I would also highly recommend the City House Restaurant (1222 4th Ave N) for awesome Italian food. It’s a bit more expensive but the food is delicious and it has a really cool atmosphere. And last but certainly not least is Gigi’s Cupcakes (1816 Broadway). They have the biggest and best cupcakes around!
Fun Activities:
The Cheekwood Botanical Gardens (1200 Forrest Park Drive) is a beautiful place to visit and I would definitely recommend going to check it out. The property includes a Japanese garden, herb, perennial and wildflower gardens, as well as a woodland sculpture trail and a nature sanctuary.
Jake’s Favorites in Nashville:
Good Eats:
Nashville is cool because you can feel like you're in the Deep South one moment and in a major cosmopolitan city in the next. At Monell's (1235 6th Ave. N.) you sit at family style tables and where they serve endless plates of awesome southern cooking, or you can get some of the best fried chicken at Prince's Hot Chicken Shack (123 Ewing Dr.). In addition, head to Cha-Chas (2013 Belmont Blvd) for tapas or the International Market (2010 Belmont Blvd) for authentic Southeast Asian food.
Nashville Escapes:
Nashville is also incredibly close to the real outdoors. Thirty minutes to an hour in any direction will take you out beyond the suburbs and into rural Tennessee. Out there you get farms, small rural towns, and most importantly state parks - Rock Island (82 Beach Road, Rock Island, TN), Burgess Falls (4000 Burgess Falls Drive, Sparta, TN), and Old Stone Fort (732 Stone Fort Drive, Manchester, TN) are my favorites.
Cozette’s Favorites in Nashville:
Good Eats:
There are tons of wonderful places to eat in Nashville and some of them are very close to campus such as Samurai Sushi (2209 Elliston Place) where you absolutely must try their Happy Roll, Rotiers (2413 Elliston Place), and Goten (1719 West End Avenue) which is perfect for large groups. Closer to downtown in the Gulch is a dressier restaurant called Sambuca (601 12th Avenue South). It is a bit on the pricey side but has both amazing food and atmosphere. Along with the fantastic food in Nashville there are also great local coffee shops where you can study or just catch up with a friend over a latte. Some of them include Fido (1812 21st Ave S) and Dose (3431 Murphy Rd.) And, we also can’t forget about sweets! Gigi’s Cupcakes (1816 Broadway) has the best cupcakes in town but if you are looking for something on the lighter side, Sweet Cece’s (1708 21st Ave S) frozen yogurt and fresh fruit toppings are definitely the way to go.
Nashville Escapes:
If you’re looking for a great weekend afternoon outdoors, Tip-A-Canoe in Kingston Springs (1279 Hwy 70) is the perfect activity. This is not a white water rafting outing. Rather, it has more of a lazy river type feel. It is great fun and very scenic!
Evan’s Favorites in Nashville:
Good Eats:
For some good southern cooking filled with all your favorites including fried chicken, baked apples, and macaroni and cheese, Monell's (1235 6th Ave North) can't be beat. For closer options, nearby Hillsboro Village offers Sam's Bar and Grill (1803 21st Ave S), Fido's Coffee (1812 21st Ave S), and Jackson's Restaurant (1800 21st
Ave S).
Fun Activities:
Centennial Park hosts an array of things to do including an arts center, a life size replica of the Greek Parthenon, and beautiful scenery. Bring a Frisbee, your dog, or simply yourself for a relaxing afternoon. If nightlife is your thing, downtown has a variety of clubs and bars ranging from pop culture discos to honky-tonks and everywhere in between. For those who enjoy art, I would recommend the Frist Center (919 Broadway) for the stunning
galleries it hosts throughout the year.
Nashville Necessities:
Anybody who lives in Nashville should experience a laser show at the Adventure Science Center (800 Fort Negley Blvd), a Titans football game, and a trip to the Opry (currently under renovation due to the floods).