ONE Downtown. MANY Neighborhoods.
Once upon a time, a Nashvillian talking about downtown was likely to mean one thing: Broadway. The center of commerce in the 19th and early 20th centuries, lower Broadway and its cross streets IS where it all began, with a frenzy of river trade and wholesale activity. Today, downtown encompasses eleven neighborhoods in 2 squre miles, each with a unique personality and energy. Read on and plan your next outing - have you been to all eleven?
ONE Downtown. MANY Neighborhoods.
Once upon a time, a Nashvillian talking about downtown was likely to mean one thing: Broadway. The center of commerce in the 19th and early 20th centuries, lower Broadway and its cross streets IS where it all began, with a frenzy of river trade and wholesale activity. Today, downtown encompasses eleven neighborhoods in 2 squre miles, each with a unique personality and energy. Read on and plan your next outing - have you been to all eleven?
Capitol View
Just northwest of the downtown core and behind the Tennessee State Capitol is a bright, bustling new neighborhood. Capitol View welcomes visitors and locals alike to parks, trivia nights at locals’ hangouts, and blocks of shopping and amenities. Grab the whole family for a full afternoon exploring Capitol View – and don’t forget to bring the pooch – Frankie Pierce Park has a turf dog park!
East Bank
Downtown’s east bank has long been known best as the home of the Tennessee Titans, Cumberland Park, and where to go for the best shots of downtown’s growing skyline. But the area has been largely industrial. But today, the East Bank is a vision that is the product of the city’s most intensive community engagement process since NashvilleNext (2005). This in-the-making live-work-play community will have multi-modal connectivity, dedicated bus lanes, a pedestrian bridge, accessible parks and greenways, and a mass transit route to the airport.
Historic Core
The Historic Core is the heart of downtown Nashville—where the city’s past and present converge. Stretching from Broadway to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, this district is home to some of Nashville’s most iconic landmarks, including the Ryman Auditorium, the Arcade, and historic Printer’s Alley.
Marked by its walkable blocks, early 20th-century architecture, and vibrant street life, the Historic Core blends old Nashville charm with urban energy. It's a hub for dining, shopping, live music, and cultural experiences, making it a favorite for both locals and visitors. Office towers, boutique hotels, and loft-style residences sit side by side with timeworn brick facades and restored buildings—each with a story to tell.
Whether you're grabbing coffee before work, enjoying a rooftop view, or exploring historic alleyways, the Historic Core is where Nashville’s legacy lives on while the city continues to grow and evolve around it.
Hope Gardens
Progressive in every way, Hope Gardens is the residential urban signature of downtown Nashville. Located north of Capital view and adjacent to Germantown, Hope Gardens gives residents access to all amenities of downtown Nashville, while enjoying a quiet neighborhood where you’ll find the only single family homes downtown. The progressive combination of sustained vintage homes that preserve the great history of the area, new apartments, and condos offers diverse residential options to all.
James Robertson
Named after one of Nashville’s founding pioneers, the James Robertson neighborhood sits on some of the city’s most historically significant ground. Stretching from MLK Jr. Boulevard north to the railroad tracks, this area blends civic importance with quiet, green spaces and sweeping skyline views.
Anchored by the Tennessee State Capitol and Legislative Plaza, the neighborhood serves as the heart of state government. Grand monuments, landscaped grounds, and dignified architecture create a formal, almost campus-like atmosphere—especially around War Memorial Plaza and Victory Park.
This district is also home to the Municipal Auditorium, a mid-century modern venue with a rich legacy in music, sports, and civic events. While fewer in residential and retail density than neighboring areas, the James Robertson neighborhood plays a vital role in downtown’s rhythm—with government offices, courts, historic churches, and public gathering spaces forming its backbone.
Lafayette
Learn how to pronounce this neighborhood (also a street) like a Nashvillian and you’ll receive praise from the locals. Lafayette (la-FAY-it) offers primarily an industrial and business services environment with great connectivity to the Gulch, SoBro, and Midtown. The neighborhood is primarily low-rise and acts as a transition from the height of the Core and SoBro to the single-family neighborhoods south of downtown. Residential projects are planned for this area, and we know Lafayette is one of downtown’s fastest transforming areas.
North Capitol
Downtown extends north of the Tennessee State Capitol before reaching Germantown, giving this area its name. The neighborhood boasts residential enclaves, amazing views of the Capitol and some of the city’s best attractions: Bicentennial Mall and First Horizon Park where the Nashville Sounds play ball. Retail continues to grow, thanks to a thriving Farmer’s Market, with recent additions that include Toastique, Social Cantina and SolidCore.
Pie Town
Aptly named for its shape on a map, this funky neighborhood is east of The Gulch and south of the Historic Core. Home to some beloved destinations, such as Jack White’s Third Man Records and City Winery, the area has a rapidly growing residential scene. Pie Town is a recently reinvigorated area where old warehouses have been transformed into uniquely Nashville locales – like Tennessee Brew Works and Carter Vintage Guitars.
SoBro
Just south of Broadway, extends the iconic Music City life in SoBro. SoBro is Home of The Country Music Hall of Fame, City Winery, Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery, Goo Goo Chocolate Co., multiple live music venues, exquisite dining and hotel options, unique arts and entertainment experiences like House of Cards and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, home to GRAMMY-winning Nashville Symphony. With so much to offer, SoBro is the kind of place you can spend an entire day and night!
South Bank
Long known as Rolling Mill Hill and Rutledge Hill, the downtown neighborhood that hugs the Cumberland River south of Broadway has seen rapid transformation. Now known by locals as the South Bank district, this area holds many of downtown’s newest and upcoming development projects – retail, residential and commercial. Major projects like Peabody Union are transforming the neighborhood, but you don’t have to wait for them to be complete. A stroll through South Bank today means dining at the trendy Harper’s Steakhouse, or a family outing at the Nashville Children’s Theatre – the longest running children’s theater in the country!
The Gulch
The Gulch is a dynamic mixed-use LEED certified community in the heart of Nashville with a strong focus on connectivity, walkability and public transportation. Conveniently located on the southwest border of Nashville’s Central Business District and just two blocks from Music City Center, this vibrant neighborhood is home to the very best in urban living: creative office space, luxury hotel brands like Thompson Nashville and W Nashville, and a diverse array of locally owned boutiques like E.Allen and Blush.