Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee is more than the country music mecca of the world. The culture and history of this southern city is rich and deep. Founded in 1779, Nashville today is the second largest city in Tennessee. The historic district of Nashville boasts many antebellum period houses that appeal to lovers of architecture, history, and of course, romance. No period in American history is so romanticized in popular fiction than that of the South before the Civil War, and Nashville is an architecturally strong reminder of this beautiful period.

However, today's Nashville does indeed have its eyes on the future. With the largest metropolitan area in the state, there is enough of the "big city" feel to Nashville to keep visitors and residents from feeling too immersed in country. While the music industry is alive and well, the largest industry in Nashville is actually healthcare. There are more than 94,000 jobs being filled in Nashville's booming healthcare industry.

While the residents here may speak a little slower, and have a twang to their speech, do not assume they are uneducated. Nashville is often referred to as the Athens of the South due to its many universities and colleges. The most well known of which are Tennessee State University, and the prestigious Vanderbilt University.

In addition to the auditory arts, Nashville is also home to a great number of museums displaying art of the visual variety. For recreation, the lovely Centennial Park even boasts a full-scale recreation of the Parthenon.

Who needs to go to Greece, when you can just head on down to Nashville?