Going to East Nashville

56 years ago I was born in Nashville. I am a native- a rare and vanishing breed here. But there is one part of Nashville about which I know very little- East Nashville- across the bridges over the Cumberland River. I had never been to East Nashville until last week! Susan called me to go have brunch there and look at the cute shops. She wanted to know if I knew where this restaurant was. "Susan", I said, "I've never BEEN to East Nashville. My mother told me NEVER to cross that bridge!" Now I must tell you that it was a reasonable warning back in my younger days. Now, East Nashville is undergoing a rejuvenation, and lovely homes are being renovated and restored. There are some great restaurants and cute shops. But I really didn't know how to get there (other than crossing the river). So, I picked up another friend who was going and we decided to get lost together. We found the restaurant after being a little lost, and we all looked at "cute" shops afterward. It was just like going to a completely different city! I know that there is still a lot of crime there, but East Nashville deserves to come back strong and safe. Maybe I'll even go back there one day.