Boots

Cowboy boots can be found by the thousands on a busy weekend night on Broadway.

When I say ‘boots,’ I am referring to two things about Broadway: the multiple boot stores and the boots that walk down the street every day. There are a crazy number of boot stores on Broadway. There are 4 within that 5 block unit (6 if you include the new stores at Fifth and Broadway).

I find the boot stores fascinating. There are currently four of them but there used to be a few more of them (which is even more wild to me). A couple of them are family-owned local type places, but a couple of them are big companies that aren’t based out of Tennessee. One of them is based out of California, and I can’t think of anything more fitting for the trajectory of Nashville than to have Californians sell boots on the Honky Tonk Highway. The two locally owned stores are sister companies; one caters to all people and one caters to only women. In fact, they claim to be the first women-only western store in the United States. The locals used to own another boot store but the building recently sold for a whopping $20 million dollars to a group of local and out-of-town investors. I can only imagine that we can expect another honky tonk to spring up soon. If you want boots, in my opinion, support the local places: Big Time Boots and Betty Boots. They’ll treat you right.

Cowboy boots can be found by the thousands on a busy weekend night on Broadway. Paired with a pink cowboy hat, you’ll spot a ‘Woo Girl’ from a mile away. Many wonder when the rough and dark honky tonks of Nashville turned into cramped loud bars that smell of beer and sweat. I don’t think there is any one good explanation for that transition. It has been a recent and quick explosion of people. In 1998 about 2 million visitors trekked to Nashville; in 2018, that number multiplied to 15 million. The past few decades have seen unprecedented and almost unbelievable growth. On one hand, the tax revenue and attention has helped Nashville turn into a gorgeous, modern city with many fantastic amenities. But with that we have lost a lot of the Southern charm that Nashville was known for. It was hailed for a long time as a “big city with a small town feel.” I can remember it being that way growing up in Tennessee but the developments seem to have sprung up virtually overnight.

Although I can’t confidently address the ‘why’ of the changes, I can tell you about the ‘when.’ 1998 was a pivotal year in Nashville for many reasons. Most notably, this was the year that the Houston Oilers (renamed the Tennessee Titans) and the Predators moved to the city. The buzz that came with them was infectious. 1998 was also the year of a destructive and deadly tornado that was eerily similar to the one just a little while ago in 2020. Growth ensued after the storm. It was also around this time that people began to live in the downtown core. Previously, it was all but deserted after 5 pm. But after the city allowed residential developments to be built, the environment was changed extensively for the better. The Cumberland on Church opened in this year. Things were growing, but it wasn’t at an exponential pace just yet. We reach the year 2010 when the Flood ravaged portions of the city. As horrible as it was, it unified the city, and growth surged afterwards.

I would mark 2013 as the year that the explosion really began. This was the year when the New York Times published its infamous article hailing Nashville as the “It City.” ABC’s new drama series Nashville was in its first season, and it developed into a love letter of sorts to the city and country music. (Side note: I unabashedly love that show. Yes, it was a cheesy drama that was sometimes ridiculous, but the stories they told and the music they wrote is remarkable. Check it out on Hulu.) Well at this point it’s hard to keep up with everything that was going on. Commercialized honky tonks sprung up all over Lower Broad and a cultural shift brought by transplants spread greatly. We are continuing to feel the effects through our stupidly high rents and all-day long rush hours. Now with the strong possibility of a new Titans stadium and many riverfront developments, it will be interesting to see where we head next.