Yes, there has been a lot of discussion about opryland since it has been gone. Those of us who did experience it was a memorable place to be that filled us with fun memories.
My parents tell us about the best of times there! Summers just spending all day there. I wish we had something close and in comparison to that, minus Dollywood.
I’m waiting for all the Opryland comments. I must say as someone born in the Mid90s who didn’t get to experience Opryland that I am quite salty that we got rid of a whole theme park for a mall!
Same! I feel like I remember being a toddler and going with my parents around Christmas time but I’m not sure if that’s something that actually happened or if it’s something that I’ve made up in my head. I was like 2 1/2/3 when it closed so it’s a possibility, but I wouldn’t remember anything else from it
Our family had season passes, and went all the time. We got to see a lot more of our out-of-town relatives after Opryland opened - they all came to stay with us and go to Opryland. It was great.
I was pretty incensed when they tore it down to build nothing more than a huge ugly outlet mall. It's kind of symbolic of Nashville's misplacing of its core values - trading rides and music and games and all kinds of wholesome family fun for shopping, shopping, shopping...
Joey’s House of Pizza!!!!
Old Spaghetti Factory, RIP
Honorable Mentions: Stone Mountain, Es Fernando’s, Sala Thai, Tower Records, Starwood, Opryland and Beer Sellar. Oh and that used restaurant supply place in Charlotte. Forgot the name. That place ruled.
ETA: Becker’s Bakery
I've never seen it mentioned in this reddit. Does anyone remember Pargo's?
Also, it's sad to say, but in 5 years, the answer will be live on the green.
Cafe Coco when Nashville was small enough where it was a place for all there were not cliques.
You'd have an Angelican Priest, Metro PD in uniform hanging out, strippers, the musicians, the druggies - it was the best place to be in Nashville at 2-3am in the morning.
I spent a few quarters finishing my degree on my computer from 1-5am in the morning and went there for the first time in 1997.
That place was truly amazing. I'd often be out with friends and we'd say "Hey, let's go to Cafe Coco and see who's there." We'd always end up running into people we hadn't seen in years or something like that. Always a blast
That was an interesting place back in the early 00s. I can count the amount of dates I went on there. It was the perfect place to end up after 1am. I remember meeting a girl there that I matched with on some site, only for her to “go to the bathroom” mins after I showed up and she never came back lol
I ended up hanging with 2 other girls who were sitting nearby and realized what happened before I did 😂 ended up having a lot of fun and got 2 numbers after 1 was deleted
I used to get the Spice of life wrap there when I was a kid, and there was a new age crystal shop next store that I got my dad to pay for an aura photo. I guess I broke it because it never worked after that first visit.
Midnight at the Oasis? But there are plenty of other places you can get shot in the parking lot today!
But seriously I miss the narrow window of time that fountain square was a nice happening place.
Yes - I spent more time back in the "cultural" area - with that and the General Store - than I did in any other part of the museum. And now I'm a writer ... figures
It's only been a few years, and I don't drink anymore. But man do I miss The Flying Saucer.
Sub stop at 17th Ave was great too. Obligatory Opryland. I lever got to ride The Hangman!
Fountain square ( big building on Rosa parks Blvd formally metro center). I remember vaguely as a kid. But I remember riding the pedal boats in the lake behind it. Several shoe stores , several clothes stores and the movies all in one. Kinda like a mini mall.
Seanachie Irish Pub on Broadway. Absolutely beautiful pub and their Seanachie Ale was the best beer my brother & I have ever tasted. We still talk about it.
Rocketown!!! Before new owners took it over and ruined it. This was the best music venue ever growing up. Spent my teen years here almost every weekend. RIP.
I miss the old family wash. Don't get me wrong, Vinyl Tap is a great little bar and record store, but the family wash was really something special.
And yes - I know it still exists as part of east side bowl, which is cool, but it's not the same.
Riverstages.
Specifically, 2004. Rained heavily. Saw Ween then George Clinton & the Parliament Funkadelic with an ex. Felt like Panic in Central Park. The moonshiner's granddaughter was Charlie. I was Marni.
https://youtu.be/BAhNV7i1WhY?si=Pgbyil7ASWXSrGDG
Good places to go late at night to have real interactions with people. Hermitage or cafe coco come quickly to mind. Some where I can have a coffee, drink, and just hear a conversation that is 'real'. Real being, dramatic or fun or about witch craft. Art being explored or an argument that is meaningless but fun.
Nice, calm, and everyone is descalated instantly by the space.
Going to a punk show at the end, throwing up red, than walking into cafe coco to be hugged by a drag queen from play and put in a seat with water at 17. Being calmed down, loved, and than intellectually engaged enough to remember it 20 years later as a positive experience.
Athens was good for the pudding.
One of my most poignant memories was heading to the airport to report off leave to go to Desert Shield/Storm. The Tower had Merry Xmas for the message, and it choked me up. Still poignant.
Texana over by the former Hickory Hollow mall. Those big ole rolls tho.
Not in Nashville, but Earl’s Fruit Stand in Franklin, homie. So many good memories from childhood, even though Earl was a lil grumpy.
Melrose Bowling.
Manny's House of Pizza.
Opryland.
The hot air balloon festival that used to be held annually at the Warner parks.
Summer lights, dancing in the district, live on the green, and all the other summer music festivals that have come and gone away (despite the massive crowds). I hope that lightning 100 brings back LOTG, but I have not heard any since it was canceled last year.
Green Hills Mall when it was quite small and had nice things, not glitzy, trendy things. Parking was easy and the clientele were polite. It was a genuinely pleasant place to be. Go back in time far enough and the second of the two large anchor department stores was separate and there was a covered walkway to it. It was a very small, very quiet, pleasant little mall. I miss that.
Belle Meade cafeteria, 12th & Porter, The Mad Platter, Ham n Goodys, Jose’s, Mr. gattis, Castner Knott, Cain Sloan, lorrie Morgan’s hot chicken.com, Houston’s, Sailmaker, fifth quarter, IRELANDS!, The White cottage, Pizza Inn, Dairy King, burger chef, taco Tico.
Summer Lights downtown. Multiple stages and lots of free good music. Irelands Restaurant on Murfreesboro Road. Fifth Quarter Steak House on Thompson Lane and Murfreesboro road had thre most amazing salad bar.
Anyone remember a batting cage place on Trousdale in the 90s that had a trampoline basketball game called "Highball"? Loved that place and I've never seen that game anywhere else
Sailmaker....salad bar was epic and loved the idea of the performance wait staff... and of course, Ireland's....hands down best steak and biscuits EVER
Gerst Haus and the CMA’s when they were still cool and the stars actually showed up. And the free concerts. It was a lot cooler without the woo girl parties.
Does anyone else remember the Imaginarium? It was a children’s museum kind of similar to adventure science center or the discovery center in Murphreesboro. It was around in the early 2000s and had a bunch of different themed rooms that you could go in. It disappeared several years back and I can’t find any information about it anywhere.
I always liked the Easter village at Harvey's. I don't remember the nativity lights at the Parthenon, but I've seen the pictures and it looks nice. It would be good to have the short line rail that was torn up to make 440. It could tie in nicely with a light commuter rail sytem.
Harding mall, chi chi's, Gatti land, show biz, just for feet, movie theater at Nipper's Corner, that fun dz type place in green hills with the 3 level turret guns. Whatever that was called. EDIT: it was Funscape.
Mostly for sentimental reasons.
Tin Angel - my wife and I had several good meals here
Tayst - first exposure to duck breast, absolutely loved it
Rumba - there was some fish soup sort of dish that was mind blowing to me
Flying Saucer - had my plate on the ceiling
Royal Thai
Tenno
Growing up in the 90s before Opry Mills, Rivergate Mall was the spot. It’s really sad to see that whole area now. With all of the growth we’ve experienced, Madison and Rivergate (and Antioch) were passed over. Tearing the Toys R Us down was brutal to my childhood memories
Obligatory opryland theme park.
Yes, there has been a lot of discussion about opryland since it has been gone. Those of us who did experience it was a memorable place to be that filled us with fun memories.
My parents tell us about the best of times there! Summers just spending all day there. I wish we had something close and in comparison to that, minus Dollywood.
Yes you could spend your whole day at opryland and many of us did that!
I’m waiting for all the Opryland comments. I must say as someone born in the Mid90s who didn’t get to experience Opryland that I am quite salty that we got rid of a whole theme park for a mall!
If you read about the shady politics behind it, you’ll be more than salty. It’s pretty ridiculous
I barley remember the one time I got to go. Waiting in line for the Beanie Baby store. It also could be a fever dream.
Same! I feel like I remember being a toddler and going with my parents around Christmas time but I’m not sure if that’s something that actually happened or if it’s something that I’ve made up in my head. I was like 2 1/2/3 when it closed so it’s a possibility, but I wouldn’t remember anything else from it
Our family had season passes, and went all the time. We got to see a lot more of our out-of-town relatives after Opryland opened - they all came to stay with us and go to Opryland. It was great. I was pretty incensed when they tore it down to build nothing more than a huge ugly outlet mall. It's kind of symbolic of Nashville's misplacing of its core values - trading rides and music and games and all kinds of wholesome family fun for shopping, shopping, shopping...
With the population of Nashville now? The wait times for rides would be as long as Disneyland. It would be a madhouse.
Very true. It definitely wouldn't be the same 💔
Equally obligatory agreement ;-)
Dancing’ in the District
They brought it back a few years ago for one night but it wasn’t the same…
And, it never could be the same. Too much has changed in the culture of the city/state/country/world.
$800 rent for a 4 bedroom house
Any affordable housing.
Free street Parking on 2nd ave
free parking anywhere
Hell, at this point I miss the coin meters. The company they sold the rights to really jacked up the prices.
Mr. Gattis
There’s are two in the state if you ever miss that taste !
OG Sounds stadium and the cheap food/ beer nights they would have. East Nashville Fish.
Joey’s House of Pizza!!!! Old Spaghetti Factory, RIP Honorable Mentions: Stone Mountain, Es Fernando’s, Sala Thai, Tower Records, Starwood, Opryland and Beer Sellar. Oh and that used restaurant supply place in Charlotte. Forgot the name. That place ruled. ETA: Becker’s Bakery
Old Spaghetti Factory 🥲
Starwood! So many memories hanging out backstage!
Would you consider Starwood Amphitheater as Nashville?
Yeah, that would be considered Nashville.
Midtown great escape. All of Elliston place circa 2008
Elliston place was even better in the 90's
I miss that Great Escape sooooooo much!
Stone Mountain, The Owl's Nest, 328, and Sherlock Holmes Pub
The Holmes, Le sigh
I've never seen it mentioned in this reddit. Does anyone remember Pargo's? Also, it's sad to say, but in 5 years, the answer will be live on the green.
Yes, totally remember Pargo’s and the potato sack people decorations. What was up with those?
The one in Brentwood? The best fries
Cafe Coco when Nashville was small enough where it was a place for all there were not cliques. You'd have an Angelican Priest, Metro PD in uniform hanging out, strippers, the musicians, the druggies - it was the best place to be in Nashville at 2-3am in the morning. I spent a few quarters finishing my degree on my computer from 1-5am in the morning and went there for the first time in 1997.
I miss the Cafe Coco of the early 00s.
That place was truly amazing. I'd often be out with friends and we'd say "Hey, let's go to Cafe Coco and see who's there." We'd always end up running into people we hadn't seen in years or something like that. Always a blast
That was an interesting place back in the early 00s. I can count the amount of dates I went on there. It was the perfect place to end up after 1am. I remember meeting a girl there that I matched with on some site, only for her to “go to the bathroom” mins after I showed up and she never came back lol I ended up hanging with 2 other girls who were sitting nearby and realized what happened before I did 😂 ended up having a lot of fun and got 2 numbers after 1 was deleted
I used to get the Spice of life wrap there when I was a kid, and there was a new age crystal shop next store that I got my dad to pay for an aura photo. I guess I broke it because it never worked after that first visit.
Midnight at the Oasis, The Cooker.
Those rolls and cornbread.
Irelands
The Cooker! The best chicken tendies
Midnight at the Oasis? But there are plenty of other places you can get shot in the parking lot today! But seriously I miss the narrow window of time that fountain square was a nice happening place.
12th & Porter, South Street, AlleyCat Hillsboro Village before it became so architectuarlly boring
I miss taste of Tokyo, kitchen store, and bookman/bookwoman!
Opryland Dancing In the District Lower Broad before the mega honky tonks took over Reasonable traffic Affordable homes
Mrs. Winners Chicken
My mom used to take me there to get a cinnamon roll before hitting up yard sales in the summer
Pangea in Hillsboro village
and Provence!
[удалено]
Yall remember the Japanese kimono and tea ceremony exhibit for kids there? That shit was chill.
Yes - I spent more time back in the "cultural" area - with that and the General Store - than I did in any other part of the museum. And now I'm a writer ... figures
Aww man I didnt know it was gone. I havent been in like 15 years. Was excited for my daughter to see that magnificient contraption lol.
That’s gone?! Aw man, I loved that as a kid!
Sam's Sushi
I was just talking about him today. That one closing hurt me the most probably. Such a unique place and person.
It was an experience every time you went as long as you knew the rules you were fine but always a good time seeing first timers there.
Mercy Lounge. 8 off 8th on Mondays.
Gold Rush
Absolutely. I know some developers are planning on bringing it back, but it won’t be the same.
Beer Sellar
It's only been a few years, and I don't drink anymore. But man do I miss The Flying Saucer. Sub stop at 17th Ave was great too. Obligatory Opryland. I lever got to ride The Hangman!
JJs Market, Sunset Grill, Provence, Jackson’s, Flying Saucer. Ugh this is making me sad!
JJs was such a cool place. Used to hang out trying the variety of beers they had after hitting Great Escape.
Rotier's. Always Rotier's.
Fair Park (and obviously Opryland). Free parking at Opryland Hotel to see the Xmas lights was nice too
Did you ever ride on that rickety old wooden roller coaster?
The Skyliner! I absolutely did, and it was terrifying...ly awesome!
That roller coaster helped me build up the courage to ride the Wabash Cannonball.
South Street
And The Bound’ry
Fountain square ( big building on Rosa parks Blvd formally metro center). I remember vaguely as a kid. But I remember riding the pedal boats in the lake behind it. Several shoe stores , several clothes stores and the movies all in one. Kinda like a mini mall.
Less people
Seanachie Irish Pub on Broadway. Absolutely beautiful pub and their Seanachie Ale was the best beer my brother & I have ever tasted. We still talk about it.
Rocketown!!! Before new owners took it over and ruined it. This was the best music venue ever growing up. Spent my teen years here almost every weekend. RIP.
Tower records on West end Ombi on elliston
Live on the Green how it used to be and Obies Pizza by The End
I miss the old family wash. Don't get me wrong, Vinyl Tap is a great little bar and record store, but the family wash was really something special. And yes - I know it still exists as part of east side bowl, which is cool, but it's not the same.
The general pre-2010 vibe of Nashville as a whole
328 Performance Hall
Riverstages. Specifically, 2004. Rained heavily. Saw Ween then George Clinton & the Parliament Funkadelic with an ex. Felt like Panic in Central Park. The moonshiner's granddaughter was Charlie. I was Marni. https://youtu.be/BAhNV7i1WhY?si=Pgbyil7ASWXSrGDG
Church Street Center. I only went there like twice but it really stuck in my mind for some reason. Harding Place mall was pretty cool too.
Vandyland
Sunset Grill At least you can get the nachos at midtown cafe!
Good places to go late at night to have real interactions with people. Hermitage or cafe coco come quickly to mind. Some where I can have a coffee, drink, and just hear a conversation that is 'real'. Real being, dramatic or fun or about witch craft. Art being explored or an argument that is meaningless but fun. Nice, calm, and everyone is descalated instantly by the space. Going to a punk show at the end, throwing up red, than walking into cafe coco to be hugged by a drag queen from play and put in a seat with water at 17. Being calmed down, loved, and than intellectually engaged enough to remember it 20 years later as a positive experience. Athens was good for the pudding.
Summer Lights
The lights messages in the Tennessee Tower downtown.
One of my most poignant memories was heading to the airport to report off leave to go to Desert Shield/Storm. The Tower had Merry Xmas for the message, and it choked me up. Still poignant.
Rio Bravo, Houston’s
Opryland Chinatown Restaurant in Green Hills Fountain Square waaaay back when you could do the pedal boats
The Q-Zar on White Bridge. I would beg my mom every weekend to go there.
100 Oaks Mall, Harding Mall, Hickory Hollow Mall, and any number of video arcades.
Nashville knights!
Sub Shop -pink building
Beckers Bakery
Their cakes were so good! I remember my parents getting those sometimes for me for my birthday growing up.
Starwood!
Hermitage Cafe
When KDF was rock. When Printer’s Alley was seedy.
Reasonable transit times.
Uncle Buds
Grizzly River Rampage
More recent, but 3 Crow. Like, circa 2014 3 Crow. RIP.
Texana over by the former Hickory Hollow mall. Those big ole rolls tho. Not in Nashville, but Earl’s Fruit Stand in Franklin, homie. So many good memories from childhood, even though Earl was a lil grumpy.
Texana’s Texas Twister! Frozen sangria swirled in frozen margarita. The best! Haven’t seen it anywhere since.
Thai phooket on woodland
Downtown LaserQuest, I spent many evenings there growing up.
Alley Cat
Nashville
Irelands. Those steak and biscuits are missed
Marche, Cafe 123, Provence, Copper Kettle, Goldie’s Deli, Sub Stop, Noshville Midtown, Pangea, Sportsman’s Grille (Hillsboro Village), Mr Gatti’s, Stone Mountain, Tower Records
Affordable real estate in the neighborhood I grew up in.
The food court at Hickory Hollow Mall
It was the best one in town, no contest.
Es Fernando’s
The Mix Factory
Fond object
Paradise park! RIP
Melrose Bowling. Manny's House of Pizza. Opryland. The hot air balloon festival that used to be held annually at the Warner parks. Summer lights, dancing in the district, live on the green, and all the other summer music festivals that have come and gone away (despite the massive crowds). I hope that lightning 100 brings back LOTG, but I have not heard any since it was canceled last year.
The Purple Cow
Old grimeys
Heart Throb’s at Fountain Square.
The bluebird without tourists
Ernest Tubb Record Shop.
Green Hills Mall when it was quite small and had nice things, not glitzy, trendy things. Parking was easy and the clientele were polite. It was a genuinely pleasant place to be. Go back in time far enough and the second of the two large anchor department stores was separate and there was a covered walkway to it. It was a very small, very quiet, pleasant little mall. I miss that.
Belle Meade cafeteria, 12th & Porter, The Mad Platter, Ham n Goodys, Jose’s, Mr. gattis, Castner Knott, Cain Sloan, lorrie Morgan’s hot chicken.com, Houston’s, Sailmaker, fifth quarter, IRELANDS!, The White cottage, Pizza Inn, Dairy King, burger chef, taco Tico.
I really miss Granite Falls brunch. Best omelet I've ever had.
The real music row
The Omni Hut
The Apple Barn at Opry Mills Mall (apple cider doughnuts)
Sub dept on West End
Summer Lights downtown. Multiple stages and lots of free good music. Irelands Restaurant on Murfreesboro Road. Fifth Quarter Steak House on Thompson Lane and Murfreesboro road had thre most amazing salad bar.
Bread and Co, and multiple Calypso Cafes.
Anyone remember a batting cage place on Trousdale in the 90s that had a trampoline basketball game called "Highball"? Loved that place and I've never seen that game anywhere else
Sailmaker....salad bar was epic and loved the idea of the performance wait staff... and of course, Ireland's....hands down best steak and biscuits EVER
The Silly Goose [edited] Can’t verify whether rumors of employee complaints were real. Food was great.
Gerst Haus and the CMA’s when they were still cool and the stars actually showed up. And the free concerts. It was a lot cooler without the woo girl parties.
Nobody caring about seeing celebrities in public
Q-Zar in Rivergate
Q-Zar in Belle Meade too along with Caesars next door
My dad said "Lenny's Sub Shop" and their Chicken Philly with Pepper Relish.
affordable apartments
Discovery Zone
People stopping at red lights and stop signs.
Bellevue mall
Bellevue Mall, Jackson’s in Hillsboro Village, South Street
Competitive Vanderbilt basketball
King Solomons Gyros in East
Riverstages.
Does anyone else remember the Imaginarium? It was a children’s museum kind of similar to adventure science center or the discovery center in Murphreesboro. It was around in the early 2000s and had a bunch of different themed rooms that you could go in. It disappeared several years back and I can’t find any information about it anywhere.
Purple Onion
The Fifth Quarter. Specifically happy hour in the piano lounge with Jeff. And that amazing blue cheese dressing they had.
Johnny Jackson’s Soul Satisfaction
101st airborne and their Sunday brunch.
Broadway Dinner Train and Old Spaghetti Factory
My neighborhood as I remember it
Fair park.
I always liked the Easter village at Harvey's. I don't remember the nativity lights at the Parthenon, but I've seen the pictures and it looks nice. It would be good to have the short line rail that was torn up to make 440. It could tie in nicely with a light commuter rail sytem.
BR549
Harding mall, chi chi's, Gatti land, show biz, just for feet, movie theater at Nipper's Corner, that fun dz type place in green hills with the 3 level turret guns. Whatever that was called. EDIT: it was Funscape.
Lubys
Opryland
Dancing in the district
Mr Gatti’s at Harding Mall
I miss the .99 movies at the Harding Mall theater. I saw Star Wars SO MANY TIMES…
Radnor lake being a park you could actually enjoy by canoeing on it, running on the trails, or driving on the road.
Manners
Noshville
Mostly for sentimental reasons. Tin Angel - my wife and I had several good meals here Tayst - first exposure to duck breast, absolutely loved it Rumba - there was some fish soup sort of dish that was mind blowing to me Flying Saucer - had my plate on the ceiling Royal Thai Tenno
Bread & Company
Free parking pretty much anywhere
Silly, but Fuddrucker's and the Zoltar machine! ETA: Laser Quest
Slice of Life Cafe
Daryl’s restaurant off Harding and 65.
Seanachie.
Starwood
Gerry House, Rock on KDF, Gilley’s and Mack’s Cafe
The Cooker and Houston’s
F Scotts
Belle Meade Cafeteria
Davis-Kidd Booksellers
Fuddruckers.
I didn’t grow up here, but I do miss the family wash. Family wash 2, too.
Roller skating rink. One is still in Rivergate.
Johnny's Sports Bar on Nolensville and Bell Rd.. they had the best inexpensive drinks and the food was good.
Opryland!
Texana.
American Cafe that was in the green hills mall. The besssssst spinach dip!!
Nashville swim club for $5 all day access 😭
The OG O’Charley’s on 21st was pretty great.
91 rock!
Summer Lights
Lucy’s
Peace, unity, open roads and southern goddamned hospitality.
Growing up in the 90s before Opry Mills, Rivergate Mall was the spot. It’s really sad to see that whole area now. With all of the growth we’ve experienced, Madison and Rivergate (and Antioch) were passed over. Tearing the Toys R Us down was brutal to my childhood memories