Places of Interest in Greater Nashville (Memphis, Franklin: apartment, buy, movie theater)

[Rutt Roh]

Yesterday I put my foot on the gas pedal and left Michigan early in the morning. So now I am officially a resident of TN, living at the Preserve at Brentwood. My household goods are being delivered tomorrow so I'm all excited to not be sleeping on an air mattress, although it's comfortable.

I've done some exploring around the vicinity and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions of good places (relatively close by) that you would recommend. From my list below, you can kinda see what I like. So far, I've found:

• Barnes & Noble off of Moore's Ln in Brentwood
• Borders on Franklin Rd
• Sushi/Hibachi on Old Hickory Rd
• Starbucks on Old Hickory/Bell Rd
• Best Buy on Bell Rd
• Mall on Bell Rd
• Chain restaurants (Applebees, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, etc.) on Old Hickory Rd
• Various Parks (haven't found one with a lake though)
• Coin Op Car Wash off of Bell Rd (I do not like the automatic washes)

I haven't seen a movie theater around except around the mall on Bell Rd. Is there another one close by that's decently priced?

Any other places you would recommend? I'm open to any and all suggestions - good local restaurants, coffee shops, places to hangout, parks, other shopping areas, etc. I plan to visit downtown Nashville when I get a chance to hookup with my friend who lives in Bellevue.

Thanks for your help! I can't wait to unpack and really begin exploring the area before I start work

[BirdieBelle]

Welcome to Nashville! I know you've done a ton of research on your move, and you will have fun exploring.
First things first: The Bell Road area isn't your best choice for retail/services. The Nippers Corner area at Edmondson and Old Hickory is fine, but you need to turn right from Edmondson and head west, and south to do stuff. (And north to Nashville, of course.)
As for parks with lakes, if you Google map your apartment and look across I-65, you will see a green area that says Radnor Lake. Head over there for a nice walk around the lake trail and even a couple of moderate hikes in the woods around the lake. It gets REALLY crowded on weekends with good weather, but it's a neat place. It's a manmade lake that used to be the water reservoir for Radnor train yard.
Also, Centennial Park on West End across from Vanderbilt has a little lake with ducks, but it's an urban park. It's not like going to Percy Priest.
There is the Hollywood cinema at 100 Oaks, Thoroughbred Cinema on the south side of Cool Springs (Cool Springs Blvd.), and Green Hills cinema. I can't say if they're better priced.
If you were on Moores Lane, you were very close to Cool Springs Galleria, the biggest mall in the area. The mall at Green Hills is more "upscale." You should go to Cool Springs for regular mall stuff. Avoid Hickory Hollow (Bell Rd.)
For Asian cuisine, Fulin in the Target shopping center on Old Hickory at I-65, is very good. I saw Jack White getting take-out there once.
You can see celebrities sometimes at the Starbucks on Cool Springs Blvd. If that interests you at all. The Perch coffee shop on Franklin Road in Brentwood is great and has great crepes and really good coffee. There is a Baskin Robbins in that same shopping center, which is my favorite kind.
You should go to the Best Buy on Moores Lane.
This is just off the top of my head. Have a great time exploring.

[Rutt Roh]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

Welcome to Nashville! I know you've done a ton of research on your move, and you will have fun exploring.
First things first: The Bell Road area isn't your best choice for retail/services. The Nippers Corner area at Edmondson and Old Hickory is fine, but you need to turn right from Edmondson and head west, and south to do stuff. (And north to Nashville, of course.)

Thanks! I figured Old Hickory/Bell Rd had a lot of little plazas with everything.

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

As for parks with lakes, if you Google map your apartment and look across I-65, you will see a green area that says Radnor Lake. Head over there for a nice walk around the lake trail and even a couple of moderate hikes in the woods around the lake. It gets REALLY crowded on weekends with good weather, but it's a neat place. It's a manmade lake that used to be the water reservoir for Radnor train yard. Also, Centennial Park on West End across from Vanderbilt has a little lake with ducks, but it's an urban park. It's not like going to Percy Priest.

Nice, I'm definitely going to have to check out these parks. Seems like there are plenty around.

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

There is the Hollywood cinema at 100 Oaks, Thoroughbred Cinema on the south side of Cool Springs (Cool Springs Blvd.), and Green Hills cinema. I can't say if they're better priced.

From reading your post, it seems like Cool Springs is the place to be. The only thing I really noticed (but was looking intently for it) was the Barnes and Noble there. I did see some other plazas with a bunch of different stores and places to eat.

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

If you were on Moores Lane, you were very close to Cool Springs Galleria, the biggest mall in the area. The mall at Green Hills is more "upscale." You should go to Cool Springs for regular mall stuff. Avoid Hickory Hollow (Bell Rd.)

What else is around the Cool Springs area? And why do you say to avoid Bell Rd? Is it because it gets congested a lot?

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

For Asian cuisine, Fulin in the Target shopping center on Old Hickory at I-65, is very good. I saw Jack White getting take-out there once.

Nice. Haha!

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

You can see celebrities sometimes at the Starbucks on Cool Springs Blvd. If that interests you at all. The Perch coffee shop on Franklin Road in Brentwood is great and has great crepes and really good coffee. There is a Baskin Robbins in that same shopping center, which is my favorite kind.

It would be cool to see some GOOD celebrities every now and then just doing the everyday thing. I'll definitely check out the Perch coffee shop on Franklin. The reason why I want to experience local coffee places is because I want to compare them with your commercialized Starbucks... just want to be able to sit around, surf the internet via free wi-fi, and sip on a latte haha. Is there a small local chain around here? I know in Michigan there was a Bigby coffee.

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

You should go to the Best Buy on Moores Lane.
This is just off the top of my head. Have a great time exploring.

Really seems like Cool Springs is the place, as I said earlier. What other places would you recommend that I check out? I'm open to anything and am willing to try new things as well.

Thank you so much for your suggestions!

[DonCorleone]

Cool Springs is definitely a great place to shop. I think you just scratched the surface with the Barnes and Noble. Pretty much every major chain store and restaurant that you could want are there.

I'd also suggest Pei Wei in the Maryland Farms area, just off of Old Hickory Blvd in Brentwood for good Asian. It's a chain (owned by PF Changs) but is very good.

[boingolover]

peter's sushi is a really good sushi option in Brentwood, off of Franklin Rd across from REI.

[vivelafrance]

Originally Posted by Rutt Roh

It would be cool to see some GOOD celebrities every now and then just doing the everyday thing. I'll definitely check out the Perch coffee shop on Franklin. The reason why I want to experience local coffee places is because I want to compare them with your commercialized Starbucks... just want to be able to sit around, surf the internet via free wi-fi, and sip on a latte haha. Is there a small local chain around here? I know in Michigan there was a Bigby coffee.

Thank you so much for your suggestions!

Bongo Java is a local coffe chain with 3 locations in Nashville and their coffee is served at other cafes throughout the area.

[Memphis10AC]

As you all can see from my user name, I live in Memphis. I'm always hearing about how the Nashville area has sooooo much more to do and is way more fun than the Memphis area. Yet all of the stuff you all have named so far is just the same, generic, run of the mill stuff that we have here in Memphis (chain restaurants and coffee shops, generic plazas and shopping centers, etc.). What are some places and things of interest in the greater Nashville area that are UNIQUE to the greater Nashville area, and that would justify all these claims that Nashville blows Memphis out of the water entertainment wise? And when you name things, please give valid reasons why you think they are better besides just the typical, childish, spiteful "Memphis is dangerous and it sucks!!!" responses that folks from Nashville have been conditioned to give anytime something Memphis related is brought up...

[vivelafrance]

Originally Posted by Memphis10AC

As you all can see from my user name, I live in Memphis. I'm always hearing about how the Nashville area has sooooo much more to do and is way more fun than the Memphis area. Yet all of the stuff you all have named so far is just the same, generic, run of the mill stuff that we have here in Memphis (chain restaurants and coffee shops, generic plazas and shopping centers, etc.). What are some places and things of interest in the greater Nashville area that are UNIQUE to the greater Nashville area, and that would justify all these claims that Nashville blows Memphis out of the water entertainment wise? And when you name things, please give valid reasons why you think they are better besides just the typical, childish, spiteful "Memphis is dangerous and it sucks!!!" responses that folks from Nashville have been conditioned to give anytime something Memphis related is brought up...

Well, upon reading the post again they seem to be asking (mostly) about the Cool Springs area which is chain city.

They also didn't ask about entertainment.

I don't know if I would say it blows Memphis out of the water but it definitely holds its own...

Maybe you should read some other posts where people specifically asked for local options or were specifically asking about what to do in Nashville (entertainment options)

[Memphis10AC]

Originally Posted by vivelafrance

Well, upon reading the post again they seem to be asking (mostly) about the Cool Springs area which is chain city.

They also didn't ask about entertainment.

I don't know if I would say it blows Memphis out of the water but it definitely holds its own...

Maybe you should read some other posts where people specifically asked for local options or were specifically asking about what to do in Nashville (entertainment options)

Well maybe it's just me, but when you ask people about points of "interest," in a particular area, I would think that would---and definitely could---include entertainment options. Maybe I misunderstood the original post somewhat, but I would still like my question answered...

[vivelafrance]

Maybe you should start a thread for it....