Nashville Community
Vanderbilt’s hometown has emerged in the past two decades as a vibrant, progressive, modern city – often dubbed as “Music City USA” and “Athens of the South.”
As the city of education, Nashville boasts 14 colleges and universities, attracting some 30,000 students from the United States and around the world (about a third of them to Vanderbilt) and an impressive mix of public and private elementary, middle and high schools. Vanderbilt’s Peabody College (education and human development) works closely with Metropolitan Nashville’s Public Schools. And for K-12 educators throughout Nashville and across the country, Vanderbilt’s Virtual School delivers presentations from faculty, staff, and students using videoconferencing technology: The city claims one of the largest urban parks and greenway systems in the United States. The region’s abundance of lakes and rivers make fishing, boating and other water sports a signature aspect of recreation and life in the region.
The Arts
The arts flourish, too. Within a 10-minute drive from campus:
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 919 Broadway. Presents exhibitions of the world’s greatest art in a spectacularly renovated former Post Office building.
The Tennessee Performing Arts Center, 505 Deaderick St. Hosts performances by the symphony, opera, ballet, and theater groups, including its annual “Broadway Series.”
The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, One Symphony Place. The Nashville Symphony offers over 200 concerts a year in the Schermerhorn Center, a grand four-story neo-classical structure, and various locations around town, including free outdoor concerts in the summer.
Sports and Entertainment
Nashville has emerged as a home of professional sports, entertainment and fun. The Tennessee Titans bring NFL action to the downtown riverfront. The NHL’s Nashville Predators offer 70-plus home games a year on the ice at Bridgestone Arena, which is also the venue for many rock and pop concerts and other events. Nashville Soccer Club is a Major League Soccer team that plays in Geodis Park. The Nashville International Super speedway offers NASCAR action from its state-of-the-art facility in neighboring Wilson County. First Horizon Park is home to the Nashville Sounds baseball team. And, of course, Vanderbilt’s sports teams are members of the highly competitive Southeastern Conference.
If you are a music fan, Broadway is a major tourist attraction where you will find many options for live music. The street is also home to many restaurants, retail and dessert shops, and entertainment.
Events in Nashville
Make sure you stay up-to-date on the events in Nashville!