It is no secret Nashville is booming. I noticed recently that even Google is hiring in Nashville- Google!
I love my daily commute. It’s a 35-40 minute gift each day when I find myself drifting through thoughts where nothing is off limits and everything is random. I was approaching my street in the 12th South neighborhood, reaching the tail end of my commute home, when I reached the 12th South Farmer’s Market. It was about 78 degrees, my windows were down, and people flooded the normally empty Sevier Park. It was the first Farmer’s Market of the season. It was picturesque- watching the families walking around, children on bikes, couples lying on blankets on the hill.
As I drove by I noticed that the Grilled Cheeserie line was longer than the fresh vegetable table that constituted this gathering as an actual farmers market. It gave me a sense of satisfaction. In a time where Nashville is experiencing one of the largest growth spurts of its time, people still look to our local farmers for fresh produce, and have no shame in gathering around a truck selling (not your mama’s) grilled cheese sandwiches.
I love the way the people of Austin, TX took to the “Keep Austin Weird” campaign. For a campaign originally created to help the small businesses of Austin, it turned into the glue that holds the city’s identity. And now, with national eyes our beloved city we’re coming to the brink of needing to decide, who is Nashville?
So what can we do- the happy citizens of Nashville holding on to it’s “small-town vibe” as our city grows beyond our wildest imaginations? Being vocal and involved in our community is a great start. Supporting the local farmers markets and food trucks. I love it here. I’m committed to growing and changing right along with this little big town of ours. So bad traffic be damned and constructions zones be damned! We’re so Nashville, and I don’t think anyone is going to change that.
Organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Downtown Partnership are great ways to build a voice on matters that you’re passionate about. Find people who are living and working in Nashville and get to understand this amazing community that is attracting attention from all over the world. It’s an exciting time to be a Nashvillian, and I can’t wait to keep this town…. just so Nashville.