What is Nashville's claim to fame other than country music?

[Investing In Chicago]

Originally Posted by DCReid

I don't think it has as much to do about race as you think. If it did, I do not think cities like Atlanta would be growing, even in the city itself at this point. Many midsize cities are the growth magnets if they are cheaper, have a strong knowledge base, have a big university and/or are a state capital. Many are also attractive to businesses which can serve their clients just as well as big cities and have cheaper costs. Most of the cities you mention as growth are state capitals and stronger tech and university driven cities/ Columbus is doing better than Cleveland because it is a state capital, has a large university, and has a good location, among other things. There are plenty of African-Americans in Columbus, and plenty of blight. Nashville has a leg up on Memphis because it has better universities and is a state capital, among other things...I see blog posts about Nashville not having a decent streetscape and etc, but I don't think that matters as much as you think. I remember in the 1980s there were complaints that Houston was flat and muggy, had flying roaches, freeways everywhere, houses next to office buildings, and was basically a mostly unattractive city. Those perceived drawbacks have not prevented it from continuing to grow even when its economy collapsed in the early 1980s.

I generally agree with you.