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I’d like to see them permanently banned from Nashville. They are a safety hazard and simply tacky.

Very disappointed and surprised that Google Fiber is ending live tv offering to focus on on Internet only. Apparently the cost of acquiring broadcast was too expensive even for Google . I’m not a fan of streaming services for live broadcast tv. As a result we are are dropping Google Fiber and going back to the dreaded Comcast. The pricing is almost exactly the same.

The British Airways nonstop to London will only return when the US gets COVID-19 under control. Sadly most the world does not welcome Americans at this time because of our failed response to the pandemic.

Not exciting indeed. I remember when this development was going to be two skyscrapers. Eight floors and bland design is a pity for such a prime downtown spot overlooking the river.

This video is enough to drive away any prospective tenants to Vertis Green Hills.

Just like Lipscomb University, the architecture at Lipscomb Academy is bland and very boring. Among the worst in Nashville.

It’s no surprise this project is “on pause” and in “redesign”. Similar to numerous other projects planned over the years for downtown. A large scale development like this is a huge financial risk in any city, especially in Memphis and during a pandemic and recession.

For such a prime downtown location this is totally underwhelming.

It is very good news for Nashville that the GOP convention is going to Jacksonville.

NO WAY should Nashville host the Republican National Convention. There would be rioting and looting in the streets. If you aren’t old enough to remember, please Google what happened at the DNC convention in Chicago in 1968. I’d say the fact that Tennessee is not a “swing state” will work against being selected.

NO WAY!

This is a property adjacent to the old Belle Meade Theatre building where a closed Harris Teeter Store remains vacant and Is located directly across Harding Rd. from the Publix at Hill Center Belle Meade. Jamie was a high end women’s store and the building was razed in recent weeks. It appears excavation and utility work is underway. The other closed Harris Teeter store at the Hwy 70/100 split is under construction as a new outpatient surgery and clinic for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The 6 story brick building is the former Baptist Hospital School of Nursing and was built in the 1950s. For the past 45 years it has been a multi-purpose facility known as the West Building for Baptist Hospital, now Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown.

This building at 2109 Ellison Place was once an office and supply depot for Southern Bell Telephone; in the 1960’s it was an office and warehouse for Wilson Quick Drug Stores, and later for another medical supply company. It was attached to another structure that was demolished.

IMO....Yes indeed, Nashville badly needs mass transit but new transit initiatives will now move even slower than in recent years because of the financial crisis and the sad state of Metro’s finances. A major property tax increase is definitely in order and it is needed ASAP. I see all of the many major developments that are currently under construction being completed but much of the new office space will be slow to lease however Amazon is likely ramp up it’s presence here. Tourism and conventions will recover slowly and aren’t likely to return to last year’s levels until 2021-2022. The airport is already as truly international as it needs to be. The British Airways nonstop to London won’t likely return until spring 2021 and a new flight to Paris or Amsterdam will not happen in this economic environment. Nashville is fortunate to have a highly diversified economy. As in past recessions, Nashville and Middle Tennessee will feel the economic pain but should weather the storm better than most cities and regions.

Surveys, rankings and travel polls like these have always been highly questionable. These were all developed months ago and are no longer relevant. The pandemic has totally uprooted all domestic and global travel.

The attached article outlined how Southwest Airlines is reconfiguring it’s network during the pandemic. It appears that Nashville BNA will remain one of the carrier’s top cities, even with a reduced flight schedule. Southwest does not operate “hubs”, however it will certainly be using BNA as a major connecting point to maintain flights throughout its network. https://crankyflier.com/2020/04/14/southwest-moves-toward-a-hub-model-with-may-schedule/

Metro Nashville has low property tax rates compared to most other peer cities. The property taxes should have been raised years ago.

This is a global issue. Things are not normal everywhere and uncertainty makes things worse. Nashville is well positioned with a diverse economy and robust development continuing. This crisis will pass and others will follow.

I think the transformation to the WeGo brand is quite good. The new name, logo and livery work well together. I only wish the new branding had somewhere included “Nashville” or “Music City”. I liked the old tag line “Your ticket to Music City”. The previous Nashville MTA logo and colors were extremely dated. Unfortunately many of the newer bus shelters still have the old MTA design incorporated into the bus shelter which will be expensive to update.

Memphis has always had a lot of potential but so much has been squandered over the years. The riverfront is an amazing asset. Poor government and civic leadership has been a big issue, along with the high crime rate. Memphis made a big bet on becoming a distribution center and the so-called “aerotropolis” that has not panned out well except to create acres of warehouses where people don’t live. As a result the city’s growth and regional economy have been mostly stagnant for years.

“Surely a "4-star" hotel has to be nicer and more spacious than a cabin on a riverboat.” This would largely depend on amount of hours in port stops. Viking will offer cabins and amenities superior to any hotel. In already paying top $ for the cruise, why pay extra for hotels? These are not the vessels of the Delta Queen era. Viking has been very successful in Europe with similar river cruises popular with American tourists.

Sorry, but none of the hotels cited above can ever be considered top quality by discerning travelers. The star system rating hotels is largely meaningless, and is primarily used by hotel chains and booking engines for marketing and to raise rates. Memphis badly needs at least one high end hotel, but none currently exist in the local market or pipeline. I’m talking about hotels like Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Conrad, Waldorf, or possibly even a JW Marriott.

Sadly, there are really no high end hotels in downtown Memphis. The Peabody bills itself as high end, but it’s actually very old and not super nice. Any informed passengers will certainly stay on the boat.

TN is truly the Volunteer State. How generous to share yourself in that spirit.