If you're coming to Nashville for the Final Four

[mtsuraider06]

Here are some links you should check out if you want to experience the REAL Nashville. We are more than cowboy boots, belt buckles, and the Grand Ole Opry.

I would plan on staying some extra days, and renting a car, if you want to get a feel of the city. Nashville does have bus routes that go all over the city, as well as a large number of cab companies. Renting a car for a few days would probably be cheaper than getting a bus pass and paying cab fares though.

http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/move-to-nashville/#.UoOtJFiIC2A.facebook

http://www.visitmusiccity.com/visitors

PS...there are several different discounts available on the Visit Music City link.

 

[stwainfan]

I live in the area.

 

[mtsuraider06]

So do I...this wasn't for you. It was for people who don't live here...

 

[Kibitzer]

I would think anyone going to Nashville for the first time would make it a point of viewing Robert Altman's masterpiece, "Nashville," starring...............the culture of Nashville, circa 1970.

[Best scene: Keith Carradine singing and three ladies in the audience (including Lily Tomlin) about to wet their pants, all three convinced he is focused totally on (one of) them.]

I confess. My very favorite movie.

 

[UcMiami]

MTSU raider - thank you for the info. Now stick around a while and join in the discussions! Could always use a non-vol view from TN

 

[mtsuraider06]

Well, I am a Vol fan first and foremost. I graduated from MTSU because they offered me more scholarship money, and I didn't want to pay off student loans after graduation. I've lurked here for a longtime but signed up to give info on Nashville and the Final Four.

 

[cabbie191]

Well, I am a Vol fan first and foremost. I graduated from MTSU because they offered me more scholarship money, and I didn't want to pay off student loans after graduation. I've lurked here for a longtime but signed up to give info on Nashville and the Final Four.

No need to lurk - we don't bite too hard! Welcome aboard.

If you're familiar with the arena where the FF is being played, do you have any suggestions as regards seat selection? Any parts of the arena to avoid?

 

[mtsuraider06]

Any seats in the 100 or 200 level are good. The 300 level aren't bad, but are high. I sat in them for the CMA awards a few years ago and got dizzy from the height. The 100 level are numbered double letter to single letter, so row AA is closest to the floor and that goes to KK before going to row A-N. The double letters are cushioned seats as well.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I live in the area.

So, dinner at your house, Saturday night?????

And lordy, I just took the time to decipher your handle... (I always read it as St. DOH!)

 

[CannonVol]

Two other things to know about Nashville for the Final Four. Like most other areas that have events that bring in a crowd, the hotels near the arena are taking advantage and have raised their rates significantly over the norm (and I mean by $200.00 a night significant). You would be better off making reservations in the Vanderbilt area or in the Donelson Pike/Airport area and driving in for the games. The other thing is that, if you choose to/end up driving in and parking around the arena, almost, if not, all of the surface lots are automated pay and if someone is on the lot and insists on you "buying" a pass from him/her, it is probably a scam and you will be given a used ticket from that or another lot which will get you nothing but a ticket to be towed or booted. Don't fall for it. Just go to the machine for your parking pass.

Jim

P.S. I agree with the positive things that MTSURaider says about Nashville!

 

[pppggg]

I live in the area.

Will Elvis be at the game or is he still working at the Burger King on the Strip in Vegas?

 

[stwainfan]

So, dinner at your house, Saturday night?????

And lordy, I just took the time to decipher your handle... (I always read it as St. DOH!)

I am in a apartment. Nashville has some nice reatraunts. Before the SEC Tournament last time Tennessee fans met at BB Kings. I have been to two games in the arena. I was on the second level both times. The seats were not bad.

 

[stwainfan]

Will Elvis be at the game or is he still working at the Burger King on the Strip in Vegas?

No not the real Elvis. There is a Elvis statue on Broadway standing in front of a store. The Country Music Hall of Fame did have one of his Cadillacs in it. I am not sure if it is still in there.

 

[ocoandasoc]

If money is no object, stay Downtown. You'll be in the thick of things, and can walk to lots of attractions (and scores of honky tonks!). You won't need a car, and there's lots of places to eat. But room rates are high -- comparable to other major cities when there are big events going on. Or you can check out some of the B&B's -- the nice ones aren't cheap, but if you want something quiet with southern charm, that's the way to go.

To save money you can book a hotel a bit out of town. Near the airport. Or down Rt. 24 or along US 40 or off I-65 in Brentwood. Nothing deluxe, and not a lot of amenities, but - trust me - in Nashville you're not going to spend much time in your hotel. As long as you're not commuting during the rush hour, the driving time won't be bad -- 20 or 30 minutes, and gas here is a whole lot cheaper than CT, especially south and southeast of town. Then you can come into downtown in your rental car and park for the day/night and enjoy the festivities. Just make sure someone goes easy on the adult beverages and is in good shape for the drive back to the hotel.

Something else you should know. Metro Nashville is huge by CT standards. I'm in southeast Nashville five minutes from the airport and I can drive 35 minutes and still be in Nashville. Metro Nashville includes about a dozen zip codes. some sections of Nashville have separate names -- Antioch, Woodbine, Cane Ridge, East Nashville, Berry Hill, Donelson, etc. So just because a hotel is in "Metro Nashville" doesn't mean it's close to downtown. (You can't walk from Opryland to the Ryman Auditorium or Bridgstone Arena -- it's a 20 minute drive!)

There are lots of great attractions around Nashville if you're here for a while. And if you're the kind that would fly to Hartford to visit the Mark Twain Museum then you should check out The Hermitage, Belle Meade, and maybe the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg. But they don't refer to this town as Nash Vegas for it's cultural attractions -- it's all about the nightlife, and there's nothing in CT that comes close (I lived there for 38 years). Lower Broadway in Nashville on a Saturday night is like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. (Most of the locals go on weeknights and leave the weekends to the tourists... except when we have guests in from out-of-town.)

One last piece of advice: be well-rested when you get here., 'cause you'll be tired when yougo home.