Fernweh, An Ache for Distant Places

South Nashville is a different side of Nashville than I’m used to.

It is not the world-famous honky tonks of Broadway, and certainly not the gritty East Nashville with dimly lit dives, vintage shops, goth/industrial clubs, and late night jukebox bars that my friends and I have haunted over the years.

12 South aka 12th Avenue South is a literal street, but it also refers to a trendy neighbourhood in South Nashville. It spans about eight blocks along half a mile of 12 South, wedged in between the Belmont and Melrose neighbourhoods.

It is said to be one of the most walkable neighbourhoods in the Nashville area, which could be due to its tiny size, but there is a surprising number of businesses in the tiny district.

I really love all the historic craftsmen/bungalow, Victorian, Greek Revival, and Foursquare homes.

12 South is known as one of the hottest shopping experiences in the city, if that is your thing.

There are lots of boutiques with people names like Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James, Judith Bright, Ceri Hoover (now online only*) Imogene + Willie, Emerson Grace, Vinnie Louise, Allyn Vaughn, Gabby & Summer, Finnley’s, Paige, Buck Mason, and Grace Loves Lace. Kinda weird.

Outdoor Voices, Bullets & Pearls Jewelry store, and Love Shack Fancy are all pretty interesting.

The coolest shop is White’s Mercantile, set up in an antique gas station. There is an old truck outside that has been selling plants and garden decor for years. I think it was blue last time I saw it.

Bussin Around Nashville is a clothing store with a cool set up and tour bus that started the whole show on display.

In the middle of all of this, is the glorious Savant Vintage with its band of taxidermized animals aggressively flying out of the ceilings and every uncouth thing you could imagine.

Savant was way more fun than some of the stuffy and hilariously overpriced stores we passed through, like Moda asking $10-15 for a single tea light. They are like 10 for $2 at the Walmart, girl bye.

This area was originally called the Waverly Belmont community when it was first developed in the early 1900s. 12th Avenue South was known as Granny White Pike, and there was a streetcar that connected it to nearby communities and farms. Commercial buildings and the Belmont Baptist Church started setting up around 1920.

Later this part of town was annexed into the Belmont-Hillsboro neighbourhood, but redevelopment in the 1990s led to 12 South being designed and constructed as its own vibrant and independent neighbourhood.

The Belmont Mansion is a historic 1949-era mansion.

It was the residence of a wealthy cotton heiress, and remains one of the most popular sites to visit near 12 South.

The mansion is surrounded by the Belmont University campus, beautiful gardens, and dozens of statues.

Be sure to visit Sevier Park and the Sunnyside Mansion, the 1852-era residence of Jess Benton who was notorious for getting into a gun fight with President Andrew Jackson (boy I wish he had won), and stop by the 12 South Farmers Market each Tuesday.

12 South has a lot of great coffee shops and restaurants. White Bison Coffee is small regional chain with several locations around Nashville, and a few near Huntsville, AL.

They have one of the best chocolate cookies ever!

Five Daughters Bakery are one of the great pioneers of the Cronut; giant, heavy doughnuts made of buttery, flaky croissant layers that are filled with cream cheese. When I first visited about seven or eight years ago, I had never even heard of a Cronut.

Chamomile vanilla, maple bacon, chocolate cream cheese, and rocky road were our picks.

Portland Brew was, surprisingly, not a national chain. They have two locations; one here in 12 South and another  one in East Nashville.

Frothy Monkey is another small, regional chain with several locations in and surrounding Nashville, and one in Huntsville.

Their most recently opened location is in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee.

HATTIE B’s is, you guessed it, another small regional chain that has several locations within driving distance of Nashville.

They spearheaded the commercialized Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich, and I love it, especially with extra pickles and pimiento macaroni and cheese.

Nashville Hot is not like the vinegary sting or instant scorch that you get from most hot sauces, unless you get some knockoff version that uses some kind of napalm oil to season it.

Nashville Hot is subtle and smoky. It takes its time, like the man in the suit who sends a drink your way and watches you sip it, but doesn’t get up and walk over yet.

I really love MAFIAoZA’s, and despite going a handful of times, I always fail to take photos. Too busy eating is a good review for them, though.

Other restaurants around 12 South include Josephine, Edley’s (again with the people names!), Ladybird Taco, Locust, Butter Milk Ranch, bartaco, Hearts, Epice, and Urban Grub.

Most restaurants also serve alcohol, but check out Filling Station, 12 South Taproom, Bottle Cap, and Ember’s if you are looking for more of a bar scene with fewer children running around screaming.

Embers Ski Lodge has a “Pacific-Northwest theme” that appealed to my Alpine longing and odd nostalgia for lodges. It was raining quite hard when we visited, the four rounds of coffee had long worn off, and it was a good time for a St. Germaine’s seltzer.

For a sweet tooth, stop by Wanna Spoon Cereal Bar or The Tennessee Cobbler Company.

Sinema is where you go for brunch, but consider making a reservation in advance. It is located about a mile east from the main drag of 12 South.

In the 40s, the Melrose Theatre was a glamourous twin theatre to the Belle Meade, but for unknown reasons it never seemed to become as popular.

It sat unoccupied for many years and in 2014 it reopened as a restaurant called Sinema. It retains the Art Deco glamour of the Melrose and is the place to go for an elegant bottomless brunch experience.

As guests enter the foyer, they are invited to tour the theatre while filling their plates. Climb the green velvet stairs with shiny gold rails up to the omelette and crepe station. Sit and eat while you watch a classic film in the upstairs lounge.

Order a Bloody Mary and sip it as you descend the stairs, and admire both the film projected overhead and your reflection in the mirrored walls while looking classy as hell.

Revisit the foyer for biscuits and gravy, fried chicken and waffles. Sample the various sausages, ham, bacon, roasted potatoes, eggs, and panini at the main table.

Smile at the babe behind you who compliments your dress and tattoo, and says they love peacock feathers too. Sinema is the type of place that makes you want to talk to people.

And of course, the powder room is glamorous.

As we waited in line, many women took the opportunity to stretch out on the leather loungers and strike their best cheesecake poses.

The price point for bottomless brunch was $28 when they first opened years ago, and now it is $39. Not bad at all for an extravagant all-you-can-eat buffet, bottomless mimosas, and a bonus a la carte menu that includes unlimited spare ribs, peanut butter pancakes, stuffed peppers, and more.

One more place you absolute must visit that is near 12 South but not technically in 12 South is the Frist Museum.

My first visit to the Frist Museum was many years ago. My friend knew that Nick Cave is one of my favourite musicians so she planned a surprise trip to his exhibit.

We had a good laugh when we realized it was a totally different artist named Nick Cave.

This particular Nick Cave is a featured Smithsonian visual artist who incorporates fabric, found objects, dance, sculpture, music, and textiles into his art.

Though his work is no longer on display at the Frist, he continues to create art and showcase it around the world. This also gives you an idea of the kind of fun place the Frist is.

Works by other artists with the same vibe were on display in collaboration or standalone.

Cave also experiments with illusions and multi-dimensional layering of found objects and every day artifacts of human life.

Reflecting on his work provokes awareness of how the items and images in our lives could appear to be art or ancient deities to an objective species.

He is notorious for his “sound suits” which are equal parts artistic expression and social experiment. I was not able to record video of this exhibit, so I will share this one from Youtube instead.

We were lucky to catch the final day of the Frist’s Rome relic exhibit as well.

Just as many pieces were imported from Rome as were created in the style of ancient Roman sculpture.

Walking around 12 South, look out for murals and more art.

The nashville looks good on you mural is one of the most popular photo ops in Nashville.

In the area for a while? Follow me to the vintage mecca, East Nashville!

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