shanky

I guess its because of the music thing, but I agree with you DND. I think 5th is a lot better location than among the trinkets on LB. If I were opening a museum of any sort, I think that LB would be one of the last places I would want it.

Before luring the professional teams and all the other stuff being mentioned here, the real game changer IMO was when Bredesen got Opryland to invest in 2nd Ave. At the time there wasn't much happening there, other than a couple of restaurants. I believe there was Prime Cut (where I bartended), Spaghetti Factory, and Laurell's. Lower Broadway was worse. It was mainly inhabited by adult entertainment businesses. What people today don't realize is that for the longest time, Opryland and the City were barely on speaking terms, which no doubt was a factor in Opryland leaving the Ryman in the early-mid 70s and head for the burbs. After they opened up their club on 2nd in the 90s; they would load up one of their boats with hotel visitors and literally unload them on 1st ave. It started the momentum that would result in the arena, the stadium, the entertainment, etc. Bredesen is as much as anyone responsible for Downtown's resurgence. It's as if knew that we had sold our soul to tourism a long time ago, so why not go all in.

Ahh the memories. Thought those brain cells were long gone. TGIF, Houstons, Ireland's, Gold Rush all represent the Nashville of my youth...Didn't Ireland's have a location on 21st as well as the old Harding mall?

Yeah I used to go in there. I would usually venture in when I didn't want to run into a big crowd. Unfortunately, the lack of a crowd probably had a lot to do with their closing

Speaking of Chicken, Prince's is opening up new location on South side, mere minutes from me, and they're serving beer as well! I have put my cardiologist on speed dial!!!

Ingram's attitude toward growth and development has been going on in this city for as long as I can remember. It is represented by a certain resident that clearly should be living in a rural area, as BNA Breaker suggests, but for whatever reason they stay. They hate anything that resembles growth. They didn't like it when 2nd ave started to develop; they didn't like it when the titans came to town; they didn't like it when the predators came to town; they sure didn't like building a stadium or arena for those franchises; they didn't like the public library being built on church street; they don't like their precious parking lots being developed; they think living in a city's downtown should be banned (which it basically was in Nashville for a time); they hate the traffic, but hate the idea of a functional mass transit system even more - I could go on but my fingers are getting cramped from typing......One thing they do/did like was HeeHaw. They definitely liked some HeeHaw. I recall during the Eighties, when Nashville was undergoing a modest growth spurt, reading a letter to the editor in the Tennessean, from someone who was clearly not pleased about it. This guy went on for about 6 or 7 paragraphs lamenting about Nashville's lost soul and such, and as I get to the end of this letter, I notice that he has signed off with his signature and an address in Cookeville. He didn't even live here!!!!

The more I look at this, the more I agree that this wall should not have been painted. There is some serious grittiness to it that cannot be replicated other than time and the elements. If I were a tourist wondering around the city and came upon that wall, I would be in awe of my good fortune. Its reminds me of a Pollock painting. They should have left this one alone.

From someone who used lived on 2nd ave; the hillbilly tourists were exactly the reason why I moved to suburban Davidson county 10 years ago.....Now the city is letting them roam around on a wagon pulled by a tractor. Incredible.

I think the AMP could have succeeded but the flaw with it, (as far as I'm concerned) was that the route was designed to go where it wasn't wanted. There are socio-economic factors to be considered when designing mass transit. It should be in place where people are going to use it. Had Dean taken a practical approach and proposed it for Charlotte as opposed to West End, there would have been much less resistence to the idea, and had it actually been built would have served a population that actually would have used it. The same could be said for MTA routes to Brentwood. There's a reason people in Brentwood don't use transit; their not poor enough. And to be perfectly honest, there's a stigma attached to using transit in areas like Brentwood. This isn't to say that it wouldn't succeed there eventually, but we need to start alleviating traffic in ways that are significant now, meaning taking it to those areas where people will use it. There are obvious political obstacles in the way for mass transit here, but till we consider the socio-economic advantages, transit will struggle to get going.

During the 90s I worked as a bartender at the Prime Cut restaurant. The entrance was on 2nd, but they had a courtyard that faced 1st ave. I'm quite sure its still there. During the fourth of July celebration, the staff, and many of the customers, would literally go out to the courtyard once the fireworks started and take in the show. After they were done we would all go back inside and pick up where we'd left off. Back in those days there were maybe 40-50k people taking in the fireworks. A café-like environment is a good idea along the river, but not sure how it would be achieved. It seems like a certainty, as previously noted, that 1st would have to go underground for that stretch along the river.

How is this an example of poor foresight by govt officials or corruption? Isn't this a private owner letting the place deteriorate? Are you talking about metro, the state? How are they involved in this? Personally, I'd have no problem with condemning the place especially if the conditions are the way they've been described.

I read with great interest the differing proposals for transit on this site, and in the local press. The problem is having a plan that can be executed. That isn't to say that it can't be done, but the political realities as they currently exist at the state level does not give me much hope in the near term. The majority political party are so philosophically opposed to mass transit in any form that it renders these ideas simply as a wish-list. Without funding from the state transit will not happen, and they have not shown any interest in funding. Some day this will no doubt change, but it may take 10 to 20 years. However, I do appreciate that mass transit is being discussed and some action is being taken. When the time comes and the city can finally take action and with the cooperation of the state, and do something, hopefully we will have a plan in place. In the meantime I hope that these guys spend a lot of time stuck in metro Nashville traffic as they meander back and forth from their rural outposts.

I find the comments about stix amusing and am reminded of something that some famous artist once said: "Art doesn't always come to you; sometimes you have to go to art."

I doubt if Mark Weidmer at the TFP can spell professional football. What does some columnist who has spent his career covering college know about the Titans. They're not going anywhere. As for the ownership, I don't recall any of them playing a down. I am critical of the fact that they were 20 million under the salary cap. This team needs talent. The good news is they have a quarterback. That is more than half the battle in the NFL. Now go build around him. There's nothing wrong with this team that winning some games wouldn't cure. Where do all this freaking speculation come from?

Question about that fifth photo in the series. It seems like there were plans for that parking lot (the one currently used by Asurion). Anyone know anything about that?

Couldn't agree more.

Your absolutely right. Lifeway will build something insignificant. I'm surprised they're not going to Brentwood. What will be interesting is what happens to the campus. Demolition could begin tomorrow and it wouldn't be quick enough

I live about a half mile from Lenox, and have to say that I am quite pleased with it. Granted there is a load of traffic on Nolensville, but there always has been, and the grocery never happened, but there are appx 5 grocery stores within a five minute drive from there. Actually just noticed the other day that there is a nice metro park that's ideal for walking dogs adjacent to the development. I frequent the sports bar and other eateries there, and know quite a few people who live in Lenox, and never heard a negative about it from them. For convenience, I find myself going there much more often than 12 south, east Nashville and other areas I used to go to. I second the notion about transit, and wished Dean's BRT plan had included nolensville rd.

I'm hoping that they put together something that does'ntt resemble their current HQ. That thing should be razed!

Take that Casada and Duncan!

Im not a urban planner but it seems plausible to me that increased density will eventually yield to taller buildings. If, for no other reeason, you have fewer desired addresses to build in. So, you build up.

I used to know one of Omni's architects rather well. For about a year I played tennis with this guy every Saturday morning out at the Maryland Farms Y before he moved back to Texas. I remember a conversation I had with him one day when Omni was just getting their hotel out of the ground. It went something like this: With the city practically begging you guys to build a bigger hotel, why aren't you? I was expecting something about the financial crisis, and too much risk associated with the convention business etc., which would have made plenty of sense. To my surprise what he said went something like this: This isn't Dallas, this is little ole Nasville, TN. We're not going to build a thousand room hotel here. Needless to say, I really enjoy sending him email with the news of luxury hotel development in little ole Nashville, TN.

What is it these rural TN state lawmakers have against this city? I don't know what options the mayor has - doesn't appear to be much - but if nothing else I would love to see him put the screws to that colossal prick, Lee Beaman before he leaves office