I've been to Nashville more times than I can count. I live about an hour up the road in Clarksville, so it's concerts, ball games, airport runs, the occasional night out that goes a little longer than planned. But I always came in by car, parked somewhere stupid expensive and walked. Now that I've got a boat coming I look at the city totally different. I want to know what's close to the water and what I can walk to after I tie up.
The city started on the river
Nashville began as a river landing, which I think a lot of folks forget. John Donelson's flatboats got to the Big Salt Lick in April 1780, after leaving East Tennessee in December 1779, and that spot is downtown now. Four months on a flatboat in winter. I complain about a 40 minute wait at a lock. I wrote more about that history in The Cumberland River in Nashville.
The neat part is the river still bends right through the middle of downtown, so the city still faces it. You come around the bend and there's the skyline, the Batman building and all of it, right there.
Riverfront Park and Fort Nashborough
On the west bank, right below Broadway, is Riverfront Park. The Downtown Nashville folks say the park has Fort Nashborough at its north end, a replica of the early stockade the settlers built. It's free and it's small and it's worth the ten minutes. It's kinda wild standing in a log fort with glass towers behind it.
Down the bank is Ascend Amphitheater, an outdoor venue that seats about 6,000. If there's a show on you can hear it from the water, which is either a perk or a problem depending on who's playing. There's a greenway along the river and a dog park too. Coco and Hootch would love that. Wither would not, but Wither doesn't love anything except the warm spot on the couch.
Walk across the river
The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge crosses the Cumberland and ties downtown to the East Bank. It's about 3,150 feet long. It used to be the Shelby Street Bridge and now it's people only. The views of the skyline from up there are about the best in town, and you get to look down and watch the river traffic go by, which is pretty much my favorite thing.
The East Bank docks
OK, here's the part for boaters. Nashville.gov says the riverfront dockage is run by Lock One Marina Services. The East Bank transient dock has 380 feet of space with reservations through Dockwa, and it's a short walk to Nissan Stadium. The West Bank dock was out of service in the city's last update, so I'd check before planning around it. There's no fuel at the city docks either, so top off before you come into town.
The plan in my head goes like this. Run up from Clarksville, tie up on the East Bank, walk across the bridge to eat, and run home before dark. Tess likes that plan a lot less when I'm the one doing the docking in front of a crowd. Fair. I've seen me park a truck.
What's close to the water
From the west bank you're right at Lower Broadway with all the honky tonks. Tori is 14 so that part of the trip will be short for us. Dorothy is 25 and would probably stay till close and find her own way home. A few blocks back you've got the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman if you want something with a little more history to it.
Food gets its own post because I have opinions. Short version, Monell's is number one and that's not up for debate. That one's here.
What I'd watch for
The river through town has current and barges, and event days can close the docks. The city also closes the river for big stuff like the Fourth of July fireworks. So check the Nashville.gov dockage page and the Corps notices before you go. I'd rather find out at home than at the dock.
Have you ever come into Nashville by boat? I want to hear how it went, good or bad. Especially bad.
Sources
- Nashville.gov, Riverfront Dockage
- Downtown Nashville, Riverfront Park
- Architect Magazine, Riverfront Park and Ascend Amphitheater
- John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, Wikipedia
- Donelson journal, Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Nashville from Cumberland River (King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0), Fort Nashborough (Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0), Shelby Street Bridge (Kaldari, CC0).
