The New York Times has discovered Nashville in the last five years and has contributed to the city’s hype. I am old enough to care about print journalism, and I am enough of an East Coast snob that I consider the New York Times to be the paper of record.
In my head, the Times’ positive attention to Nashville validates my decision to move here. I care what it says about my new hometown because I envision my friends and former colleagues back in NYC reading these pieces, thinking of me, and hopefully understanding that I’m not living in a backwater town. However, I worry that the Times’ depiction of Nashville over-inflates just how cool this town is.
For no reason other than I thought it would be a fun exercise, I’ve summarized and analyzed the New York Times’ articles on Nashville that have been published since I moved to Nashville in 2011. The articles in the Travel, Food, and Style sections are particularly amusing to me. One even calls Nashville the “6th Borough” and another calls it the “Williamsburg of the South.” Those that appear in the U.S. section are generally much more straight forward.
So here is what the Grey Lady has to say about the 7th Borough:
Nashville’s Skyline Being Rebuilt by Building Boom
October 14, 2015
Section: Real Estate
Quick Summary: A round-up of the development boom in Nashville, with particular attention on large scale office, hotel, and residential development. It includes a slide show.
Most Annoying Line: “Nashville’s consistent attractiveness as a place to live and work, especially to young professionals and musicians, and to the millennial generation’s allegiance to active, walkable urban neighborhoods”, quoting former Planning Department head, Richard Bernhardt. The percentage of Nashville that is walkable is really, really small. Much of the city, even urban neighborhoods, lack sidewalks. Let’s not go crazy.
Eye Roll Rating (1 being not so annoying and 10 being over the top annoying): 3. The article mercifully excludes making Nashville seem like the 7th borough.
Megan Barry Becomes First Female Mayor of Nashville in Runoff
September 11, 2015
Section: U.S.
Quick Summary: The article describes the contentious campaign between Mayor Megan Barry and her opponent, David Fox. Most Annoying Line: The Times offered a correction: “A picture caption with an article on Friday about Megan Barry’s winning the race for mayor in Nashville misstated, in some editions, the surname of Ms. Barry’s opponent. He is David Fox, not Cox.” Come on, Times, that’s a pretty big oversight. Where’s the attention to detail?
Eye Roll Rating: 1. The article does a good job of summarizing the campaign and also describing the mix of liberals and conservatives here in Nashville.
36 Hours in Nashville: The Food Scene
August 24, 2015 Section: Travel
Quick Summary: A Q & A with Kim Severson, a food writer for the Times who also lives in the south. There is also a video feature on the Loveless Café.
Most Annoying Line: “It is important to think about the South as the Italy of America when it comes to food.” Comparing the South to Italy? Have you been to Italy?
Eye Roll Rating: 4. Ms. Severson is the author of some of the articles below on Nashville. I don’t know if I should thank or curse her. I think she is a more of a Southern food fan than I am, but I appreciate that she also thinks that fancy restaurants serving a “hot chicken” homage dish for $20 is ridiculous.
New Walking Tours Explore Nashville’s Food Scene
July 10, 2015
Section: Travel
Quick Summary: A short piece on a company offering tours of “artisanal” food places in Nashville
Most Annoying Line: “Nashville is famous for its country music. But its food scene is hopping, too.” I’m still not convinced that Nashville food is really anything special in the U.S.
Eye Roll Rating: 5. The article itself is really an advertisement for this “Walk Eat Nashville” company, which I’ve never heard anyone talk about. The underlying implication is that Nashville is a culinary destination, and I’m still not convinced it should be.
Deal Saves Historic Nashville Studio
October 3, 2014 Section: U.S.
Quick Summary: The article reports on the sale of the RCA Studio A to a preservation-friendly developer, Aubrey Preston.
Most Annoying Line: None to be found
Eye-Roll Rating: 1. I’m always happy to see preservation success stories reported in the Times¸ particularly when it involves Nashville.
As Music Row Shirts to Condo Row, Nashville Cries in Its Beer
September 27, 2014
Section: U.S.
Quick Summary: The article describes how Nashville’s hot real estate market is pushing out music businesses and studios along Music Row. It also describes Nashville’s unprecedented growth in recent years.
Most Annoying Line: “You can walk out of one door and into the next, and borrow a guitar, or write a song, or get a record deal, or find a touring musician,” Mr. [Ben] Folds said. “It’s unlike anything else in the country.” Sure. Record deals are really easy to come by. Just walk down music row, and they’re handing them out. It’s just like ABC’s Nashville. Everyone gets a record deal.
Eye Roll Rating: 6. The article itself is good, but it hit a preservation nerve with me that made me roll my eyes pretty far back. “City officials explored the idea of a new historic protective zone, but determined that one was not feasible under current local law. And Mr. Kopp said the coalition did not want to burden property owners with such a zone, anyway.”
36 Hours in Nashville
September 3, 2014
Section: Travel
Quick Summary: A travel guide for what to do in Nashville on a weekend visit.
Most Notable Pun: “it’s hard not to conclude that the city is changing its tune — or at least adding a few new riffs. “
Most Annoying Line: “You might even see a young family in broad daylight practicing their line dancing on the sidewalk outside a bar downtown — all in cowboy boots, including the toddler who just learned to walk.” Really? Toddlers learning to walk don’t line dance. Believe me. I have one at home.
Eye Roll Rating: 7. Hey, the Times just called Nashville the “6th Borough” and “Nashville on Hudson”. This is actually a pretty good guide to the city, but there are still some pretentious NY Times lines. Also, I added an “eye roll” point because the author name drops the Woodland Wine Merchant (which I love) under its Sunday activities, and a true Nashvillian knows you can’t buy wine on Sundays in Tennessee.
Style in Nashville’s 12South Neighborhood
July 23, 2014
Section: Fashion
Quick Summary: Primarily a video featuring three, white hipsters talking about their fashion choices and how they relate to Nashville.
Most Annoying Line: “I also have a 615 tattoo, which is the area code.” On his hand. Although he does admit that it wasn’t a good idea and he should cover it up.
Eye Roll Rating: 7. I’m not convinced there is a Nashville style. It’s just hipster style, usually done less well, 3 years later than NYC.
52 Places To Go in 2014
January 10, 2014
Section: Travel
Quick Summary: A paragraph blurb about why one should visit Nashville in 2014.
Most Notable Pun/Cliché: “Leather jackets and skinny jeans join cowboy boots”
Most Annoying Line: “And a youthquake is transforming scruffy neighborhoods like 12South and East Nashville into hipster hubs.”
Eye Roll Rating: 10. This was written in 2014. 12 South was no scruffy by a long stretch. Also, “youthquake”? Ugh.
Feeling For: Nashville, New and Improved
September 4, 2013
Section: T Magazine
Quick Summary: A paragraph about new, hip restaurants and stores opening, primarily in the Gulch.
Most Notable Pun/Cliché: “Nashville has spent the past few years slowly cultivating a more hipster-friendly identity, not unlike that of Austin, Tex., its spiritual compadre to the west.”
Most Annoying Line: “ This fall, the city ups the ante in its bid to become the Williamsburg of the South.”
Eye Roll Rating: 7. The Times forgets that most Americans thinks of an historical reenactors and when it hears “Williamsburg.” And I just can’t get on board with calling the Gulch a hip area. I find it too douchy. However, I do love Pinewood Social, which they promote in the article.
Nashville’s Latest Biggest Hit Could Be Itself
January 8, 2013
Section: U.S.
Most Notable Pun/Cliché: “I think Nashville is a big unfinished song.” (quoting John Egerton)
Most Eye-Rolling Line: “It is not uncommon to see the power couple Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman s show up at a popular restaurant, or to pass Vince Gill on the street.” Actually, it is not common. I’ve never seen them in my five years here.
Annoyance Rating: 2. This article does not inflate how great Nashville is, and it does reference many of Nashville’s problems, like its public schools, racial divides, and the controversy of the convention center. There is thankfully no mention of a “foodie” scene.
Nashville’s East Rebounds from Tough Times
February 24, 2012
Section: Travel
Most Notable Pun/Cliché: “Nashville cuisine is more than just barbecue.”
Most Annoying Line: “Mixologists dole out shots and cocktails melded with house-made sodas and fresh juices, like the William Burroughs (a cola-infused vodka shot, $5), and the excellent Yardbird (bourbon, orange, lime, nutmeg and a whole egg, $9) .”
Eye Roll Rating: 2. It’s actually a nice piece on the East Nashville neighborhood that doesn’t overhype it (maybe because it was just 2012)
The 7th Borough 