On the corner of 11th and Forrest. Nashville’s First Green General Store. The Green Wagon houses a classic collection of general store merchandise, with everything from cleaning supplies to clothing to shampoo to crib mattresses. The store features a “refilling station” where customers can refill their bottles with certain products at a discounted price, instead of buying new containers. A large portion of the products in The Green Wagon inventory are made locally, therefore reducing the business’ and customers’ carbon footprint that would normally occur during the shipping process. Since the notion of “green” is relatively new and somewhat undefined, Jen uses a standardized assessment that will evaluate products based on their environmental footprint across the product’s lifecycle stages. This standard purchasing process will give The Green Wagon customers peace of mind and allow them the freedom to walk in and feel confident about any item they purchase. The Green Wagon hopes that defining its standards of “green” will simplify and enhance the shopping experience for customers. More info at Green Wagon Nashville.

Just off of Thompson Lane on Eugenia Ave (across from Pla-Mor Bowling Lanes). This place is amazing. 5′X7′ intricately framed mirrors for only $159! Tons of garden/patio stuff. They have a website, but it offers nothing more than store hours.

At the corner of 11th and Woodland, right at the heart of 5 Points. Wednesday and Sunday 2 for 1. Always lively. Best of 5 Points’ bars. More info at 3 Crow Bar.

Owned and operated by the guys at German Town Cafe. Located at the corner of 5th and Main. I had, quite possibly, the best Caesar Salad of my life. Fantastic service. Decadent desserts, including a chocolate mousse cake and a Bailey’s butterscotch cheesecake. Reasonable prices. Review at the Nashville Scene. More info and their menu at Allium Nashville.

The food is fantastic with reasonable prices. The guys that own it, Sean and Tom, are great. Check out their menu and other cool stuff at Nuvo Burrito. Great review at Nashville Restaurants.

Sapphire has a very modern urban feel, something that much of Knoxville lacks. The interior displayed IKEA chairs with glass tables, it seemed clean. The music was quite loud, don’t expect to be able to hold a conversation, and lighting was so minimal that I could barely read the menu. The sushi (crab roll) was fantastic. The drinks are considered pricey by Knoxville standards, but their list is extensive and the menu has nicely detailed descriptions of each, which I appreciated. All of the drinks that we had seemed strong, but that’s why we’re drinking ‘em, right? Overall, it is a great place for those from larger cities, it gets rid of that “town” feel that exists in a lot of East Tennessee. If you’re looking for a nice up-scale lounge, this is it. Their website has a menu with prices in PDF format. Image taken from the Sapphire Flickr Photostream..

Discover a unique vision through these witty, urban city guides that focus on locally owned eating, shopping, and lodging establishments. The numerous distinct businesses are hand-picked by the authors, giving these convenient references a personal feel that can be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Explorers will delight in the luscious photographs, easy-to-read maps, and compact size, making them perfect for throwing into a bag and taking on a tour of the town. Only 24 cities available as of yet.. Hopefully Nashville will be soon. Image borrowed from IS. More info at EatShopGuide.com. $11 at Amazon.

This is the best of the best, when it comes to haunted houses. More info on TennesseeScreams.com.

Located at 441 Broadway, The Big Bang is a dueling piano bar. It is a fun experience - the first time. It is supremely loud due to two people trying to out-sing one another – the pianists are very talented, but both times I visited this establishment, they sang the same songs. There is very little seating and absolutely nowhere to dance. Getting a drink at the bar is next to impossible, and the servers that tend to the seated area seem to come to you only once. On top of all of this, there is a cover charge just to enter the dank and overcrowded place. Try it once.

Top notch beer. Good atmosphere. One can usually find a seat at the central bar downstairs. I love the White Mule Ale. Join the Mug Club if you plan on making a return trip, it is worth it. Note – If you go to a place that brews their own beer and have it on tap, it is outrageously rude to order a bottled beer. Above image borrowed from KnoxFood.net. .