I don’t know what it is about the early onset of summer, but it always reminds me of one of Nashville’s more forgotten “neighborhoods,” Music Valley. Some of you might read this piece and think, “why the fuck would I want to go get in all that mess, Stoney?” Some of you might read this piece and think, “where?” I get it. It’s not the trendiest part of town. But, folks…that is precisely why I enjoy it so much. It feels like the one part of town I can go to that still feels like home in a weird way. It’s like traveling back in time.
I’ve grown up in Nashville…born in 1986. We went to Opryland in the summer, and we went to the Opryland Hotel at Christmas to see the Christmas lights. When I was in high school, Opry Mills opened after decision-makers had elected to flatten Opryland and build a mall on top of it. That’s probably a different story for a different day, but for the purposes of this reflection, all that matters is that once Opryland was gone, Opry Mills became the de facto hangout spot for my friends and me on Friday nights. We’d go see a movie and then eat that Applebees that was in the Radisson. Going to the mall at Christmastime for shopping became a bit of a tradition. In 2020, my father-in-law brought my niece down to surprise my wife – when they made it to town, they got a room in that Radisson. In fact, the featured image of this post is me in 2022 eating some ungodly concoction at the shaved ice stand that was at Grand Old Golf those last couple of years before it ultimately closed. That may have been the last time I felt true happiness. Now, Opry Mills houses the only Yankee Candle around. I never really realized it, but that part of town has always been a regular part of my life in one way or another.
Just a couple of weeks ago, my wife, mother, and I were there shopping at all the vintage stores. That’s become a favorite pastime of mine. You can find a parking spot and really burn an afternoon if you choose to take your time stopping at every booth in every store. Then, you can get a cold one and some sort of fried food at Scoreboard. Hell, I just met my buddy Tim at Tooth N Nail Cigars & Ale a couple of Sundays ago to drink a couple of beers and puff on our pipes.
And, I realized driving out there on that last trip that something about Music Valley always feels like summer break or the holidays. I love it. For a long time, my #1 most anticipated summertime activity was playing 18 at Grand Old Golf. Something about being out there while the sun set, hearing the frogs and crickets, seeing the lightning bugs dance around, feeling the early summer humidity (totally different from the relentless late summer humidity), and hearing the smack of a putter against a ball just always felt like that was what summer was supposed to be. It reminded me of my childhood. I miss Grand Old Golf greatly since it closed. I miss Opryland too for that matter. But for nearly 40 years now, I could always count on that area not changing.
I like New Nashville. It’s fun to live in a town that friends and family want to come visit and sightsee in. I’m always happy to play tour guide, and I’ve planted roots here as strong as any roots in existence. I love the convenience…the entertainment options…the food scene…it’s all well and good. But, sometimes….fuck, I just miss Old Nashville. Music Valley seems like the one area around town where the gentrification hasn’t touched just yet. In Music Valley, I feel like I can still connect to Old Nashville, and that’s a valuable experience to me…one that I’d recommend everyone try at some point this summer. Music Valley just feels like the good old days.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, 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, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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