5th & Broadway

jwoodovetail
Mar 28, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Apr 1, 2021

Oh what glorious times we live in. As Nashville is getting ready to open up from the year long Corona Virus quarantine, social awareness, distancing and mask mandates. Stimulus checks from the Government being sent out to the American citizens to boost the economy. What better way to spend your money to kick start the economy than by visiting the new mega complex that seems to have just popped up overnight. If you live in Nashville and haven’t been by Downtown Broadway recently, you’ll be surprised to discover a huge 6 acre multi purpose mega complex has just opened across from the Bridgestone arena on March 4th of this year. After seven years of construction, it’s a relief to finally see what this huge undertaking is all about. More than 30 restaurants and shops will open at the $450 million meandering two story development in the heart of Nashville’s honkytonk district.

The massive project includes luxury apartment and office towers. Global investment firm Alliance Bernstein will open its new headquarters at the site, relocating from New York after the apartment tower begins filling up this summer.

There will be nine standalone restaurants and an upscale club, The TwelveThirty Club (12/30) rumored to be a collaboration of partners from the former Jimmy John's freaky fast sandwich mogal, restaurateur genius and mastermind Sam Fox and someone named Justin Timberlake.

An Apple Store deemed to be the biggest in the US has also opened, adding yet another stop on your 5th & Broadway adventure!

The honkytonks that line the lower Broadway downtown houses some of the wildest bachelorette parties and country music up and coming stars of tomorrow, but the raucous noisy and wild persona of downtown doesn’t appease everyone. The parties and wild offerings of Broadway seem so one sided and doesn't really offer diverse things to do. When you're done partying at a honkytonk, what else can you do? The more upscale 5th & Broadway being more “uptown” provides a family friendly alternative to the more raucous “girls gone wild” parties that usually happen. This is similar to the transformation “Sin City” had to transform gamblers, drunks, and degenerates from what Las Vegas has transformed into, a global family destination. Downtown Nashville is slowly evolving into the complete entertainment destination with all the new developments that are opening and planned for the near future. You have the original honkytonks all bunched up on lower Broadway with newer more hip establishments opening on the upper Broadway area that I like to call Uptown Broadway. Being at this new 5th & Broadway, I've never experienced seeing and running into so many locals all curious as to this new evolution and transformation they are witnessing. Talking to many of them, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that many of them would continue to come back with friends and family. No longer are locals just coming to downtown to entertain their out of state relatives and friends. They don’t need any excuses or reasons to stop by and marvel and just have a good time at any of the well curated establishments.

The nearest shopping destination for visitors was the Green Hills Mall, but 5th & Broadway provides guests of Nashville a closer locale for shopping and dining as well.

The honkytonks are still going to be a draw, but when people need a break from all that excitement and just want to chill with ambience and elegance, well now you have a place to go to.

Top 5 Spots 5th & Broadway

Blanco

Assembly Food Hall

Shake Shack

Hattie B’s

National Museum of African American Music

Top 5 Things to do at 5th & Broadway

Eating a spicy Pad Thai from Thai Esane and sitting at the Homegrown bar in the Assembly Food Hall drinking a cold Homestyle IPA or a Mojito listening to a local singing artist performing on stage.
Sipping a Strawberry Habanero Margarita munching on house made guacamole and chips while people watching on the open aired porch at Blanco as a party bus strolls on by with the latest bachelorette party girls hooting it up.
Eating a delicious burger and fries with a thick shake from the Shake Shack before going across the street to watch a Predator’s game.
Experiencing a Nashville hot chicken sandwich at Hattie B’s. Nuff’ said.
Wanderlust! This complex is so huge that you can literally walk around the complex and get lost. If you do have a moment of clarity, get to the rooftop of either the Assembly Food Hall or the TwelveThirty Club (12/30) and enjoy the panoramic view of downtown Broadway.