The Brooklyn
of Nashville is
East Nashville.

See the 24 venues →Where to stay
The case for East Nashville

Woodland Street is the spine of East Nashville, lined with restaurants that care more about the food than the Instagram. Tattoo shops sit next to natural wine bars. Saturday mornings start slow at a coffee shop on Gallatin Ave, and Sunday nights end at a honky-tonk that doesn't feel like a tourist trap. The songwriters live here. So does everyone else worth knowing.

Shelby Bottoms Greenway threads nearly 10 miles of paved trails through a 960-acre Cumberland River floodplain, all inside the neighborhood.
Close contenders

Other cool neighborhoods in Nashville.

Wedgewood-Houston (WeHo)

Wedgewood-Houston is Nashville's gallery district with concrete floors and serious cocktails. Old warehouses now hold contemporary art spaces and some of the city's best new restaurants.

Germantown

Germantown has the architecture and the brunch crowds to prove it. Gorgeous brick row houses, a solid farmers market, and restaurants that book up weeks out.

The Nations

The Nations is quieter and more residential, with a few excellent breweries and taco joints scattered along Charlotte Ave. New mixed-use developments along the corridor are about to change the math entirely.

Three sides of the neighborhood

Where to go in East Nashville.

01
Stay

Woodland Street is the address that matters in East Nashville.
02
Eat & Drink

East Nashville eats refined Southern at Lockeland Table, drinks prohibition-era cocktails at The Fox Bar, and ends up at Folk when the wood-fired ovens are humming.
03
Do & Shop

Ugly Mugs on Eastland for the songwriters' vibe, then Grimey's for vinyl - the used jazz shelf alone justifies the trip.
All 24 spots mapped out

East Nashville, corner to corner.

Open in Maps →
Our 24 top picks

The East Nashville guide.

Practical info

Good to know.

The boring numbers that decide whether you stay three days or four.

CurrencyUSD
LanguageEnglish
Cost level $$$Moderate to expensive
Best monthsOctober, with April and May close behind
Local time UTC-5
Plug type US plug · 120V/60Hz
Emergency911
Local tip
The Shelby Bottoms pedestrian bridge from the greenway gives you the best skyline view in Nashville, and almost nobody's there at sunset.
North America · USA

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Head to head

How does Nashville stack up?

All comparisons →

Austin vs Nashville

North America

Nashville vs New Orleans

North America

Nashville vs Portland

North America
Common questions

Things to know about East Nashville.

What is the Brooklyn of Nashville?
The Brooklyn of Nashville is East Nashville. Woodland Street is the spine of East Nashville, lined with restaurants that care more about the food than the Instagram. Shelby Bottoms Greenway threads nearly 10 miles of paved trails through a 960-acre Cumberland River floodplain, all inside the neighborhood.
What is the coolest neighborhood in Nashville?
East Nashville is widely considered the coolest neighborhood in Nashville. Woodland Street is the spine of East Nashville, lined with restaurants that care more about the food than the Instagram. Tattoo shops sit next to natural wine bars. Saturday mornings start slow at a coffee shop on Gallatin Ave, and Sunday nights end at a honky-tonk that doesn't feel like a tourist trap. The songwriters live here. So does everyone else worth knowing.
What is the hippest neighborhood in Nashville?
East Nashville is the hippest neighborhood in Nashville. Woodland Street strings together natural wine bars, tattoo shops, and restaurants that prioritize the plate over the camera, with the songwriters who actually live here filling the bar stools.
What is the trendiest neighborhood in Nashville?
East Nashville is Nashville's trendiest neighborhood right now. The energy is still emerging rather than arrived, measured in slow Saturday mornings at Gallatin Avenue coffee shops and honky-tonks on Sunday that locals haven't surrendered to tourists.
Where do creatives live in Nashville?
East Nashville is where Nashville's creatives live, especially the songwriters. Woodland Street anchors it, with restaurants built around the food and live music running nightly along Forest Ave. Mornings start slow over coffee on Gallatin Ave. The people worth knowing are here, working and writing.
What is the most bohemian neighborhood in Nashville?
East Nashville is Nashville's most bohemian neighborhood. Tattoo shops sit beside natural wine bars, and a honky-tonk that doesn't read as a tourist trap closes out Sunday nights. Vinyl, craft beer, and Monday night dance parties set the texture. Shelby Bottoms Greenway threads ten miles of trails through the floodplain inside it.
Where should I stay in East Nashville, Nashville?
The best boutique hotels in East Nashville include The Russell, Waymore's Guest House, and Urban Cowboy Nashville. A boutique hotel on Russell Street with only a handful of rooms, each one designed with real intention.
Is East Nashville in Nashville safe at night?
East Nashville is a lived-in creative neighborhood, not a tourist compound. Bars and restaurants here stay busy late, which keeps streets active. Use normal city awareness.
Is Nashville expensive?
Nashville rates $$$ on a global travel scale. Moderate to expensive, but East Nashville's independent spots offer better value than tourist areas.
When is the best time to visit Nashville?
October is the clear winner: highs around 70F, low humidity, and fall color along the greenways. April and May are nearly as good but pack in thunderstorms. Avoid June through August, when 90F heat and high humidity push you to morning walks only. Winter stays mild but wet, with the odd ice storm that can shut the city down for a day.

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