Last week, Erica Ciccarone put together one hell of a piece on the Arcade in downtown Nashville for the Nashville Scene. Just an absolutely delightful and thorough trip down Memory Lane (why do I feel like I’m the only writer that capitalizes ‘Memory Lane’ – I don’t see that a lot, but isn’t it technically a proper noun? Anyway…) for old Nashvillians such as myself. I’m going to go as far as to say that you probably shouldn’t even read the rest of this blog until you’ve had a chance to sit down and really dive into Erica’s piece.
Reading about the history of The Arcade, the original vision, and the sun shining through the roof of that place in the early days of its arrival in Nashville – man, that’s that good good stuff that takes you back. I’m thankful that Erica put that information together because I was completely unfamiliar with how it all started. From childhood, from which I have faint recollections of hearing my family talk about The Arcade, to the time I started working downtown in a building that had alley access to The Arcade, I had always thought it was just kind of there. Like…it had just sprouted up one morning in the past and no one questioned it. So, hearing the story of how it all started and what it has become today (and a little bit of what’s next) gave me a newfound appreciation of the place.
Reading about this institution of old Nashville reminded me of another place that feels lost in all of the modification of Nashville: Music Valley. Last summer, I ventured out to Grand Old Golf for a little putt-putt action with my dear friend RHog. As we navigated the course, I caught myself looking around the area, watching the sunset, and thinking about how much I still loved this little slice of Nashville. It sounds so dumb if you’re familiar with the area, but outside of tearing down Opryland to build Opry Mills, that neighborhood hasn’t really changed a whole lot for the entirety of my 35 years on this planet and in this town. Music Valley feels untouched (yet, I know) by the growth of New Nashville, and in a way, it’s something that helps me stay grounded and connected to my roots here in the Nashville area. The Arcade is the same way – so, for any old-timers like me who get an itch for nostalgia, these pockets of Old Nashville do still exist around town. It’s just a matter of finding ’em.
I work from home now, and haven’t worked downtown since January of 2018 – but nothing hit like a quick walk to The Arcade to catch your breath and re-center yourself. I can remember stressed-out mornings at EOQ (end of quarter), when the early mornings meant loading up with a breakfast burrito from DeliDave’s, or biscuits from Maggie’s Cafe. I think every work function we held in that building had Manny’s pizza. You can keep all of your trendy pizza spots around town – not saying they aren’t worth a damn, but Manny’s is the gold standard in this city.
Then, there’s the Peanut Shop, which holds a special place in my heart. It was a hell of a spot to stop and grab a quick snack – of course, it usually hit during that 1-2PM crash. I remembered my mom telling me about the Peanut Shop and how my grandfather used to stop by whenever he had business to tend to in The Arcade and bring home some snacks for the family. So, one Christmas, before the office closed down for the holiday, I strolled over there to buy a bag of mixed nuts to take to him. We visited him out in Smithville, and when we arrived, I handed him the bag and said “guess where this came from…” He just looked up and smiled. I confirmed that it was indeed the work of the Peanut Shop down in The Arcade. I still remember the look on his face – as if memories of years past were flooding back to him. It wasn’t just as simple as getting a damn good snack. That place had memories tied to it.
Man, that’s special.
I know I sound like a broken record at this point if you’ve paid attention to our Nashville coverage throughout the years here on SoBros Network, but I really hope that we don’t lose some of the character that Old Nashville created in this city as we continue to grow and progress towards the future of the Music City.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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