Centennial Park

Yes, this is one of the hot nightlife spots in Nashville. But there are also a few apartment buildings tucked in here and there -- some of those, and some of the hotels in the neighborhood, can be quieter than you would expect.

I was 40, single, and doing a mid-life reassessment when I found the building of studio apartments on Louise Avenue. The building is surrounded by businesses, which turned out to be a real advantage: the area was usually deserted on weekend mornings. There was no problem with sleeping late whenever my schedule allowed.

And even though I was across the street from a 24/7 coffee house, and the Exit/In _et al._ were around the corner, a stroke of luck had me avoiding most of the night noise, too. A narrow strip of lawn separated my side of the building from the old two-story brick fine dining restaurant next door. The effect was a “sound tunnel” that funneled away most of the night noise and let me hear the crickets and tree frog that had taken up residence in the sparse greenery around us.

The area had other advantages, as well. I was within walking distance of two major city bus lines, plus a third connector route. I was also within walking distance of Vanderbilt University, Centennial Park, a branch of my bank, and my doctor’s office. Talk about convenience!

There were a few disadvantages, of course. First, I had a long bus ride to an affordable grocery store – the little mom and pop store in the area had great prices on some organic staples, but it just couldn’t compete on most other products.

Second, mine was an old-style building, with the apartments on the inside and combination locks on the doors – and those locks were needed. Louise Avenue was quite safe – the night life meant there were always people around. But the night life also meant that drifters were always around. I would get stopped twice a week or so and asked for change. The locks on the apartment building doors kept those unfortunate folks from coming in and sleeping (or worse) under the stairs.

And then there’s the fact that a studio apartment is no place to raise kids if you can help it. That is why I finally moved from Elliston Place. I met my current husband, he moved in with me, and we wound up “in the family way.” We tried to stay in the neighborhood, but other apartment buildings in the area either had no laundry facilities – which ours did – or were out of our price range, or both.

So we regretfully left Louise Avenue and Elliston Place. Had we stayed childless, we might still be there – despite the disadvantages, this was a great place to live!

City bus routes 3 and 10 serve this area. The #25 connector route also goes through the neighborhood.

When most people think of Nashville, they think of "po’ white folks" doing twangy things with fiddles and guitars. But while country music is definitely an important part of our heritage (and our local economy), there is so much more to Nashville! Centennial Park is part of that "so much more."

More on that in a minute. First, a note: the area that the locals know as the Centennial Park area doesn’t match what you see in StreetAdvisor. StreetAdvisor has chopped away most of the residential area that we associate with Centennial Park. What's left is an area that’s mostly the park itself, its facilities, and various local businesses. A couple of apartment buildings sit down in the southeast corner of StreetAdvisor's mapped area.

If you're looking to live there, you should know that those buildings look decent enough, and one is even downright attractive. In addition, that corner is on a major bus line, and it's convenient to nearly anything one would want to do in Nashville. But I personally would not want to live there unless I could have one of the top floors.

That’s because the buildings sit at the busy intersection of West End and 31st. The view is depressing brick and concrete -- unless you can snag a floor high enough to give you a view of the park.

And the park, of course, is a place that you need to get to know -- a place that you _will_ get to know if you stay in Nashville for any length of time. Centennial Park is a haven of greenery, yes; but it’s also a haven of the Arts in Nashville.

There is of course the Parthenon -- the world’s only to-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. In addition, the Tennessee Association of Craft Artists holds a Fair here every spring and fall, and various other events and attractions are hosted in the park throughout the year.

My favorite event in Centennial Park, though, is the four weeks of Shakespeare in the Park that’s presented by the Nashville Shakespeare Festival each summer.

It’s Shakespeare the way his plays were meant to be enjoyed -- families bring blankets and picnic suppers, while some folks settle for trying to snag bleachers in the back. You have not lived until you have watched a six-year-old sit in rapt wonder as Puck uses stunning acrobatics to make his way across a nighttime outdoor stage!

Other, random note: at one point, Centennial Park was offering free wireless. Whether or not it still is, there are plenty of other free hotspots nearby. So there's really no excuse to not get out and enjoy the place, even if you need to bring your work along.

City bus routes 3 and 25 go past Centennial Park. I imagine that several tour services will also show you the place, if you care to ask.

Sept 2010

Located near Vanderbilt University is Centennial Park. Situated between West End and Charlotte Pike you will come across the 132 acre park. Here the visitors can enjoy a day out with their children who can play on the playgrounds while you sit and picnic. If you just want a area to take your dog to run and play catch with, Centennial Park offers that as well. Many visitors choose to rent a paddle boat to take out on the lake as well while visiting the park. During the year, there are several times a year that you can catch a performance by one of the local bands in town, attend a classic car show, or other local event in the city of Nashville. While stopping into the park, you will not want to miss out on the Parthenon. Known best by being the replica of a actual Parthenon in Athens, Greece. This location is chosen among many new newlyweds as being the location in which they have their wedding photos taken.

There are many fine restaurants nearby that are well known for their top quality cuisine. One of the local restaurants that you will not want to miss out on is the J. Alexanders restaurant. Offering one of the best steaks in town, this restaurant is worth stopping by when visiting the Centennial Park area. The Kobe Steak House is also nearby which is one of the best in all of Nashville and the surrounding areas.

Located nearby are also two very well known hospitals, Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital and Baptist Hospital which are known for delivering the babies of the local Country Music stars such as Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

The area of Centennial Park features a number of the new upper scale condo buildings as well as offering the nicer historic homes as well. If you are looking to rent a condo or home in this area, this is a nice area of Nashville to be. With low crime rates and plenty of things to do, Centennial Park area is the place that you will want to be in.

I used to frequent Elliston Place quite a bit a number of years ago. I spent many a night going to the original TGIF (no longer there), the Gold Rush restaurant, famous for its bean rolls, and the Exit/In, a longstanding live music venue. Part of the reason it was so neat was it was the only hip place in town. Now with the resurgence of Hillsboro Village, downtown, and the Gulch, Elliston is not quite the draw it once was, but still has a lot going for it.

First--want to hear some great live music? Check out the Exit/In. The End, across the street, is also good for local bands. The Gold Rush has yummy food and a fun game room upstairs. Looking for an old book or special edition?Then you must go to Elder's bookstore. Buy some edgy duds at Smack Clothing--the name says it all. And if you are hungry, also consider La Paz Mexican, Obie's pizza, or Elliston Place Soda Shop, where you can get a meat and three and the world's best milkshake. For finer dining, check out Jimmy Kelly's. For a late night coffee, Cafe Coco is just the thing. A little farther down the street, towards Vanderbilt and Centennial Park, is the venerable Rotier's, famous for its great cheeseburgers on French bread. In the small strip mall across from Rotier's was my favorite gift store--Ginette's boutique--but unfortunately it is now closed.

There are not a lot of places to live near Elliston, except for a few condo buildings and apartments. But it is very close to the Vanderbilt area, and the nearby hospital and medical complexes.

If you have a need to get away from concrete, you may want to check out Centennial Park. The 132-acre park is situated between West End (across the street from Vanderbilt University) and Charlotte Pike, and next to Elliston Place. Visitors can picnic, play at the playground, exercise, walk or play with their dogs, rent a paddle boat, or explore the sunken gardens. The Arts Center is a gallery and visual arts teaching center, but sometimes you can catch a musical performance there. The bandshell offers live music and dancing. The dog park at the top of First Amendment Hill is one of the biggest in town. A variety of events, including fine craft fairs, are held throughout the year.

Ther centerpiece to Centennial Park though is the Parthenon, a replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Inside is the breathtaking Athena statue. The building houses other art exhibits as well.

Good restaurants nearby are J. Alexanders, Flemings, Latitude, Bricktops, and Kobe Steak House. A traditional favorite is Rotiers, which has a great cheeseburger. A more seedy but fun place is Springwater, a former speakeasy and a good place to hear a variety of music. Check out their Working Stiff Jamboree.

Luxury condo buildings have sprung up in areas adjacent to the park, and there are also some nice older homes nearby too.