Hotels/BnBs in Nashville

Old May 14th, 2013, 11:10 AM
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Hotels/BnBs in Nashville

We'll be on a 6-7 week road trip beginning in June. One of the first stops is Nashville. Have been hoping to find a hotel deal, but so far no luck. Any suggestions for places to stay under $200 per night for 2 adults for 2 nights? If we were to bid on priceline, what areas would be best? We will have a car and would like a place with free parking if possible. We would prefer to be walkable to downtown. I gather Nashville is rather spread out though, so driving would be fine. Thanks!
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Old May 14th, 2013, 11:33 AM
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I live here, so unfortunately have very few specific suggestions, but know the areas fairly well. If you're willing to drive, you should be able to find a hotel in that budget. As I mentioned on the other thread, downtown hotels can be pretty expensive, and I wouldn't bid in the downtown area on Priceline or Hotwire, because their "downtown" covers a much larger swath of town than the tourist areas. The Vandy/Music Row areas would be fine, though you'd still need to drive or take a cab or bus downtown. (Side note: Our public transit is not great, but I believe there is a bus that goes straight down West End/Broadway to downtown.)

If you're looking at suburbs, I think Brentwood or Cool Springs would be a good choice since they're a straight shot up I-65 to downtown and are nice areas in and of themselves (though definitely suburbia). If you plan to visit Franklin/Carnton Plantation, they're also convenient. West Nashville and the suburb of Bellevue is generally fine as well, and convenient if you plan to visit the Loveless Cafe, Belle Meade Plantation or Cheekwood.

If you're bidding on Priceline in the suburbs, I'd stick to the Brentwood, Cool Springs or West Nashville areas.

Parking can be expensive downtown, though, so make sure you account for that. The biggest garage on Commerce Street charged me $17 a day the last time I was down there. There are some cheaper lots and garages, but to spend a day downtown I'd allow at least $15 for parking.
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Old May 14th, 2013, 11:34 AM
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Oh, and yes - Nashville is definitely spread out. Unless you stay downtown the whole time, you'll be driving regardless!
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Old May 14th, 2013, 12:05 PM
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I have stayed in Brentwood and in Franklin and found both to be fairly easy drives to downtown and parking at the hotels in those areas is free--downtown not so much (i.e., at all!)
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Old May 14th, 2013, 12:35 PM
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Thanks for the info. Anyone familiar with the location of this BnB. We dont mind walking a half hour or so to get into town, but can drive if need be. Thanks
The Timothy Demonbreun House
746 Benton Avenue,
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Old May 14th, 2013, 12:46 PM
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I actually had some friends get married at that b&b, but had completely forgotten about it! It's a fine location - you can walk to a coffee shop and a few restaurants (Smiling Elephant and ML Rose on 8th among others, and if you really don't mind walking a ways, you can walk to 12 South where there are several restaurants).

I would NOT walk to downtown from there, though. First of all, it's closer to a 45-minute to an hour walk downtown per Google Maps. Secondly, the streets between Wedgewood and downtown are not built for walking - there are some very awkward layouts and few sidewalks, and you can see on Google Maps that there are interstate flyovers and railroad tracks. Third, you'd be going through some not-so-safe neighborhoods. These are areas I have no qualms about driving in, but would not want to be walking alone or with one other person at night. There's a Greyhound station and a couple of homeless shelters just south of downtown around Lafayette. This stretch of road might get built up in the next several years - the new convention center backs up to the roundabout at Lafayette, and the Melrose/8th Ave South area is getting better by the year. But right now, for a tourist visit, I wouldn't walk.
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Old May 14th, 2013, 12:50 PM
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Thanks so much for all the info. Very helpful. I think we will book there.
Any recommendations for local food - We live in DC so want to experience what is considered good local food.
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Old May 14th, 2013, 01:15 PM
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Oh, tons of recommendations. We eat well here. What sort of food and what is your budget? Near that b&b, Smiling Elephant is really great Thai food. ML Rose is a neighborhood pub - I wouldn't make a point of going there, but it's good if you're in the neighborhood. The coffee shop I mentioned is 8th and Roast.

On 12 South, Burger Up has great burgers with tons of local ingredients. Las Paletas is a Mexican popsicle shop right next door, and they are delicious. (The sisters who run it were on Throwndown with Bobby Flay a couple of years ago.) Frothy Monkey is a good coffee shop over there, and I like 12 South Taproom a lot.

For Southern food, the most popular recommendations are Loveless Cafe (way out of town, off I-40 west near the Natchez Trace Parkway); Arnold's meat and three, which is on 8th near you; and Monell's, which has a few locations (closest would be downtown or Berry Hill).

Some of my other frequently visited favorites:
- Fido - great coffee shop + restaurant with tons of local ingredients and seasonal dishes (21st Avenue; next door is Hot & Cold, owned by the same company, which serves drinks and desserts including Jeni's ice cream and Las Paletas). Their burger is amazing.
- Baja Burrito - mission-style burritos, tacos and salads with local meats and fresh ingredients (Thompson Lane in Berry Hill)
- DeSano - a new pizza place off the Music Row roundabout. They have a wood-burning oven, community seating and a BYOB policy.
- Marche - fantastic weekend brunch in East Nashville
- Mas Tacos Por Favor - delicious soft tacos in a shady-looking building in East Nashville (don't worry, it's fine). Only open for lunch except Friday nights. Tacos are great, I've heard the pozole is great, and the agua fresca is yummy.

For nicer places, I've only been to each of these once (I can't spend this much on dinner all the time!), but really enjoyed them. I'd make reservations at any of these.
- Rolf & Daughters - new restaurant in Germantown (just north of downtown). House-made pasta, local ingredients, bomboloni for dessert.
- Margot - one of the more established nicer restaurants, in East Nashville. The owner also owns Marche nearby. Delicious.
- Lockeland Table - newish place in East Nashville. They were recently nominated for a James Beard award for best new restaurant.

There are tons of other places, but that should get you started!
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Old May 14th, 2013, 02:08 PM
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Thanks for all the recs. We'd like to keep meals under $100. We are not really looking for "nicer" places as we have more than enough of those where we live. Looking more for casual cafe type restaurants. Barbecue and mexican is always good, so appreciate the Mexican ones. Does Nashville have any specialities?
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Old May 14th, 2013, 02:25 PM
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The main specialty would probably be Southern food (meat & threes, etc). I grew up eating my grandmothers', so it's not something that I seek out often, but the ones I listed above get recommended a lot. Barbecue is more of a Memphis specialty, but there are good places around (Martin's BBQ down in Nolensville for one).

If there are just two of you, under $100 would be doable just about anywhere in town except the Catbird Seat. My meal at Lockeland Table last week was about $35 all included (pizza, split dessert and a glass of wine).

Husk should be opening toward the end of this month - it's a Nashville version of a Charleston restaurant, and the chef (Sean Brock) is a big fan of using local/Southern ingredients. The opening is pretty highly anticipated.
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Old May 14th, 2013, 02:36 PM
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We ate at Husk in Charleston last year. Liked it.
What is the "threes" in meat and threes?
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Old May 14th, 2013, 02:48 PM
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"Vegetables" (the term is used very loosely - mac & cheese is a vegetable). A typical plate would be country ham or fried chicken with green beans, mac & cheese and baked apples or something along those lines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_and_three
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Old May 14th, 2013, 03:11 PM
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got it -- not my cup of tea, so think I will skip!
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Old Jun 4th, 2013, 05:38 PM
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@jent- thanks for your recs. we had a good meal @ Fido with dessert at Hot & Cold.
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Old Jun 10th, 2013, 10:23 AM
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I'm very glad to hear it! Fido is one of my very favorites.
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