Music City, Minus the Music

Photo Courtesy of joshunter on Flickr

Depending on which way you look at it, the weekend of both Bonnaroo and the Country Music Association Festival is either the worst or greatest time for an unsuspecting tourist to visit Nashville. Both of these titanic music festivals draw thousands of fans to Tennessee to get wild for the weekend — and I was their unsuspecting victim, somehow not knowing about either in advance.

While Bonnaroo is out in Manchester, CMA-Fest proudly takes over the city’s center. It is impossible to sleep, eat, drink, or read a newspaper downtown without noticing the revelers. So as a fair-weather country music fan at best, I opted to avoid the crowds and stick to Nashville’s more peripheral neighborhoods. That meant missing the Ryman and the Opry and many of those institutions that would likely make it onto any must-see list. Nonetheless, I still discovered a whole lot of soul. And the biggest crowd I encountered was the line for the city’s most popular popsicles.

With some good luck, I landed in an area called Hillsboro Village. For a sun- and space-deprived New Yorker, Hillsboro Village quickly becomes a southern Shangri-La, full of adorable brick bungalows, cafes and shops — and it’s all blissfully walkable. After many hours spent cloistered in my car, I was thankful to leave it behind to explore a bit of Nashville à pied.

I got my start mid-morning at Fido. With a menu that extends way beyond breakfast, fast and free Wi-fi, and several brews on tap, it acts as the Village’s hub both day and night. I feasted on a Fish Bomb sandwich (less violent than it sounds: smoked salmon, cream cheese, onion, and capers) while deciding which of the shops across the street to visit next. I popped into the well-stocked boutique Posh, checked out the shelves of Bookman/Bookwoman and lingered among the global trinkets at Pangea. Souvenirs for everyone!

Photo Courtesy of abbyladybug on Flickr

While the haunts of Hillsboro Village have been well trod by locals and visitors for years, a nearby area dubbed 12 South has recently provided some healthy competition. Years ago, it was yet another neglected urban neighborhood, a casualty of mid-century suburban sprawl. It’s now a happy entrepreneurial playground that’s drawing Nashvillians to rediscover the charm that was always there, but just needed a little gussying up.

Though it’s a new addition, the boutique/workshop of Imogene + Willie is already a 12 South cornerstone. Owners and designers Matt and Carrie Eddmenson gutted a gas station, refitted one side of it with all the trappings of a small denim factory from yesteryear, and lovingly filled the other half with their favorite denim, boots, tees and international tackle. The smell of diesel has been replaced with the pleasantly intoxicating smell of twill and musty leather. Am I in heaven?

When I see the Mas Tacos Por Favor truck parked out front, I realize that yes, I must be. While working at a restaurant in Oaxaca, Mexico, I cultivated a love for aguas frescas — a hydrating and only mildly sweet blend of fruit, water, and sugar — and this turquoise and orange taco truck, helmed by Teresa Mason, was said to have the best. After sampling the cilantro-pineapple and the watermelon varieties, I can verify. Not to mention those tacos — homegirl knows her carne asada!

Down the block is Halcyon Bicycles, a shop that restores and restyles used bicycles that might have been left by the dumpster. While selling bikes is their chief business, Halcyon—like many of the businesses I’ve encountered—is much more than a place to just spend money. They have a workshop where riders with the know-how can repair their own equipment. They throw parties, like their bike-in movie series, and host music shows. The shop even partners with a youth center to teach kids in the community bike safety and basic repairs. Were there more room in my car, I would have swiftly snatched up one of their celeste Bianchis, and have been the envy of all Fort Greene. I leave bikeless but inspired.

Photo Courtesy of ruse_laris on Flickr

Based on the recommendation of every single person I met in Nashville, I wrap up my 12 South tour at Las Paletas, a popsicle shop with a Mexican twist. Thanks to Las Paletas, it seems like any minute the mayor will name “The Paleta” Nashville’s official frozen treat. No matter what hour of the day, season of the year, people line up to sample their nostalgia-inducing popsicles with inventive flavors like avocado, chocolate-chile, honeydew, and cucumber.

I linger on the porch slurping up my lollie and enjoy a moment of reflection. Though officially I may not be Downtown, I’ve found that downtowny feeling in 12 South. There’s commerce and community, a bit of history, hospitable trees and sidewalks, and clearly a lot of love. It’s a reminder that the heart of a city can be found in unexpected places.

Hallie Davison recently left a consulting job in New York to travel across the country in an old Volvo, documenting the ways liberal arts graduates find happiness for her alma mater, Williams College.