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| What Nashville's Talking About |
| | | 🧑🍳 Nashville Bakeries To Hit This Summer | Want to make your summer in the city sweeter? On today's podcast, celebrity chef (and Nashvillian) Christina Tosi gives us the lowdown on what bakeries are worth the splurge, from great sourdough to the perfect neighborhood fritter pop-up. [🎧 City Cast Nashville] | | 🚔 Police Make Policy Progress But Not Much More | The Community Review Board presented a forthcoming report during a community meeting Monday night, detailing that while 18 out of 23 of the Metro Nashville Police Department’s use-of-force policies align with best practices, there continue to be racial disparities and concerns about transparency. CRB executive director Jill Fitcheard says that MNPD is currently “less transparent than it has ever been,” while MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron says the board’s recommendations will be “reviewed for a response.” The CRB also highlighted that MNPD never responded to a similar report in 2024. [Nashville Banner] | - MNPD hosted a closed-door meeting to discuss their recently concluded Drones as First Responder pilot program. Several Metro Councilmembers were in attendance, but the public was not allowed to attend, which may violate the Tennessee Open Meetings Act. [Rich Text]
- Here’s what we know about the drone pilot program so far. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
| | ❌ Calls To Permanently Close Lower Broadway to Traffic | Following the death of a tourist who was struck by a driver while crossing Lower Broadway, a Transportation Licensing Commissioner started a petition to close the street to vehicle traffic between First and Fifth Avenues. Metro leaders have already approved funding for pedestrian safety improvements like bollards on Broadway as Nashville continues to see a rise in pedestrian deaths, but the improvements are still in the planning stages. [NewsChannel 5] | | 🏢 Keeping Data Center Decisions Local | State Sen. Heidi Campbell is proposing legislation that would leave the decision to approve or reject new data centers up to local governments. Data centers are unpopular in both conservative and liberal parts of the state, but Campbell is concerned that state lawmakers may try and preempt local governments. [Axios Nashville] | - Metro Council recently passed a local data center moratorium with strict regulations following a data center proposed next to the zoo. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
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| How To Make Friends in Nashville |
|  | City Cast Nashville members hanging out at The Lipstick Lounge for karaoke. (Margaret Kingsbury / City Cast Nashville) |
| I frequently see people on social media asking how to make friends in Nashville. It used to be so easy as kids! While we Southerners tend to be plenty friendly and talkative in the grocery line, sometimes it’s harder to make real relationships. Whether you’re new to Nashville or have been here a while, here are some tips. | | | Pick something you feel passionate about — food insecurity, unhoused folk, children, animals, etc. — and find a local organization within that area to volunteer for. Hand On Nashville is a great place to find volunteer opportunities, and you can sort by issues that interest you. I also frequently post volunteer activities on City Cast Nashville’s event page. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, and volunteers tend to be pretty darn friendly! | | 🧶 Follow Your Interests | Search for clubs, groups, and classes that interest you. Love arts and crafts? Many library branches have craft meetups and activities. A runner? Join a running group! Reader? Join a book club at one of our local independent bookstores. Hiker? Join a group hike at one of our parks. This is going to take a little bit of research on your part, but your people are out there. | | 🏙️ Get Out of Downtown | Downtown is populated by tourists, and while some of us might occasionally venture there for a show or event, it’s not a great place to make friends. If you enjoy listening to live music, try one of these music venues outside of downtown. If you like a drink after work, go to your neighborhood bar instead of Lower Broadway. If you hang out there regularly, you’ll start seeing some familiar faces. | | 🍼 Advice for Parents | I know it’s often isolating to be a new parent, and that it’s harder to get out and make friends with children in tow. I found many new friends as a mom by attending my local library branch’s children’s storytimes. You might start seeing familiar faces by going to a neighborhood playground instead of one farther away. There are also several local parenting Facebook groups, where parents can ask if anyone wants to hang! | | | I’m definitely biased here, but we just had our first City Cast Nashville members-only event, and it was so much fun! I made new friends, and I hope everyone else did, too. Becoming a Neighbor costs $10 a month, and we have regular meetups throughout the year. | | |
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| – Elizabeth Kauma | Today’s article about making friends was written by City Cast Nashville newsletter editor Margaret Kingsbury. |
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