When you’re a freshman at Vanderbilt you always have to find the perfect balance between wanting experience everything Nashville has to offer and actually experiencing it. Without having a car on campus and unlimited funds it can seem like there’s nothing you can actually do. So instead of conceding to the boring lifestyle of never leaving Commons, here are a few ways you can get to know Nashville without your own car and a wallet overflowing with cash.
1) Hillsboro Village
Hillsboro is about a five minute walk from Commons and has a variety of cute little boutiques and places to eat. Fido is one of my all-time favorite Nashville restaurants and is a great place to study with a friend. Jeni’s Ice Cream is also a great place to stop by on a Monday night after a hot day. Stores like Tennesse Chic, UAL, Posh, Impeccable Pig, and Pangea are scattered across Hillsboro’s main street and have really cute clothing accessories, and even dorm decorations.
2) Mercy Lounge and The Ryman Auditorium
Both Mercy Lounge (which houses the Cannery Ballroom) and Ryman Auditorium have a concert every weekend. Instead of looking for concerts at Bridgestone Arena (which can be super expensive) check to see what who’s going to be performing in the Cannery Ballroom or the Ryman. Tickets usually fall below $30 for both mainstream and indie artists. Lana Del Rey, Tori Kelly, Janelle Monae, and Alessia Cara (who I got to see last year!) have all performed at either one or both locations.
3) Postmates
Sometimes it’s just unreasonable to spend $15 on an Uber twice a month to go out to eat with your friends, Every now and then it’s a great way to get out and really see the city of Nashville, but other times it’s great to just have a little piece of it in your dorm room and save that $15 for something better. Postmates is a delivery service that pretty much caters from over 100 restaurants in Nashville. Once you download the app you can find the restaurants entire on-the-go menu and place an order for whatever you want in about 45 seconds.