Nashville's culturally diverse and friendly environment makes it a favorite place for conventioneers and tourists alike, as well as a great place to work, live and raise a family. The following honors and rankings are just a few of Music City's shining accolades.

ARTS

• AmericanStyle Magazine named Nashville as one of the top 25 Art Cities in the big city category.
• Black Enterprise magazine named Nashville as the 4th best place to retire in 2008. Music City also received high marks for its arts and culture scene.
• The Hermitage Hotel’s Art Deco men’s restroom was voted “America’s Best Restroom” in 2008 by Cintas Corporation.
• MSN.com included the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in its Top 10 list of the “World’s Wildest Architecture” in June 2008.
• Nashville ranked 22nd in AmericanStyle magazine’s annual Top 25 Arts Destinations reader poll.

ATTRACTIONS

• Travel+Leisure Magazine's America's Favorite Cities survey awarded Nashville with #1 Live Music/Concerts and Bands, #1 Affordable Getaway #5 Antique Stores and #6 Vintage Shops and Flea Markets
• Lane Motor Museum was named as on of the "12 car museums worth a detour" by msnbc.com.
• Livability.com ranked Nashville 5th in its "Golf's Best Kept Secrets: 10 Great Golf Cities."
• Nashville's Music City July 4th celebration was ranked #1 Booms with a View by aol.com.
• The Academy of Country Music named Nashville's Ryman Auditorium the "Venue of the Year" in 2009
• MSN.com included the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in its Top 10 list of the “World’s Wildest Architecture” in June 2008.
• Ernest Tubb Record Shop and Grimey’s New & Preloved Music earned a spot on Paste Magazine’s “Coolest Record Stores in America” in 2008.

DINING/BARS/NIGHTLIFE

• Nashville was named #8 in the America's Best Cities for Nightlife by Travel + Leisure.
• Travel+Leisure Magazine's America's Favorite Cities survey awarded Nashville with #4 Barbecue and #7 Hamburgers
• Travel+Leisure Magazine names Prince's Hot Chicken Shack as one of the best place for fried Chicken in America.
• Nashville ranked number 8 on the 2010 Traveler's Choice Destinations for "Top Ten Nightlife Destinations in the United States."
• 360 Bistro was an awarded the Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator Magazine fir their "well-chosen selection of quality producers."
• Patterson House has been named one of the Top 10 new cocktail bars in the country by Bon Appétit Magazine.
• Nashville's Springwater Supper Club made an appearance on "Playboy's Guide to America's Greatest Bars," landing the "Best Dive Bar."
• The January issue of Southern Living features the Reader's Choice Awards. Nashville's awards include:
  Best City: Nashville #5
  Best Breakfast/Brunch: Loveless Cafe #5; Pancake Pantry #6
  Restaurants: Southern Favorites: Loveless Cafe #5
• Draft magazine ranked Beer Sellar as one of the top 200 beer bars in America in 2009.

HOTELS

• The Hermitage Hotel was listed as one of the top 10 hotels in the United States by US News.
• Travel+Leisure Magazine's America's Favorite Cities survey awarded Nashville with #1 Affordable Getaway and #1 Affordable Hotels
• The Nashville CVB was awarded the 2009 Pinnacle Award by Successful Meetings Magazine. The Pinnacle Award recognizes the nation's best convention and visitors bureaus, hotels and convention centers.
• In TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice 2010 survey, Nashville's Hermitage Hotel was ranked #4 in the Top 10 Luxury Hotels and Hutton Hotel was ranked #9 in the Top 10 Trendiest Hotels.
• The Hermitage Hotel’s Art Deco men’s restroom was voted “America’s Best Restroom” in 2008 by Cintas Corporation.
• The January issue of Southern Living features the Reader's Choice Awards. Nashville's awards include Best Hotel: Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center #2

LIFESTYLE

• Women's Running Magazine ranked Nashville among the Top Five Trail Running Destinations in the U.S.
• Nashville is #1 on TripAdvisor's 15 Destinations on the Rise.
• Businessweek named Nashville #28 in America's Best Cities in 2011.
• Travel + Leisure named Nashville #6 in the Best Cities for Fall Travel.
• Bundle ranked Nashville #3 among the Top 10 Shopaholic Cities in the U.S.
• Nashville is America's Manliest City in 2011, as ranked by COMBOS and Bert Sperling.
• Kiplinger ranked Nashville #3 in the Best Value Cities of 2011.
• Parade Magazine named Nashville as one of the Top 14 City Destinations for a Family Road Trip.
• U.S. News & World Report ranked Nashville the #4 Best Affordable U.S. Destination for vacations.
• Forbes Magazine ranked Nashville the #3 Best City for Minority Entrepreneurs.
• Travel+Leisure Magazine's America's Favorite Cities survey awarded Nashville with #1 Live Music/Concerts and Bands, #1 Affordable Getaway, #1 Affordable Hotels, #3 Friendly, #4 Barbecue, #5 Antique Stores, #6 Vintage Shops and Flea Markets, #6 Safety, #7 Hamburgers, #7 Wild Weekend and more.
• Nashville was named one of the top CVB Twitter accounts by CheapoAir.com.
• Nashville ranked number 8 on the 2010 Traveler's Choice Destinations for "Top Ten Nightlife Destinations in the United States."
• News Channel 5's coverage of the 2008 "Let Freedom Sing" 4th of July concert and fireworks show won the Emmy Award for Live Special Event at the 2010 Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards.
• Nashville was named America's Friendliest City in 2009 by voters in Travel + Leisure's annual America's Favorite Cities survey.
• The Nashville CVB was awarded the 2009 Pinnacle Award by Successful Meetings Magazine. The Pinnacle Award recognizes the nation's best convention and visitors bureaus, hotels and convention centers.
• News Channel 5's coverage of the 2008 "Let Freedom Sing" won the Emmy Award for Live Special Event at the Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards.
• Men's Journal named The Gulch one of the "30 Coolest Neighborhoods in America" in 2009 in part because it received the first LEED Neighborhood Development certification in the South.
• Nashville's Music City July 4th celebration was ranked #1 Booms with a View by aol.com.
• Next Generation Consulting ranked Nashville #14 in a list of best cities above 500,000 population for next gen workers.
• MSN Real Estate ranked Nashville as one of the Top 10 places to retire in 2009, due in part to the tax perks offered to seniors in Davidson County.
• Travel research firm, D.K. Shifflet & Associates, named Nashville #4 among the Top 10 Value Cities for Couples.
• MSN Travel ranked Nashville 13th on the coolest American Cities list. "Nashville, Tenn., is the heart and soul of country music in America. A newly revitalized downtown district, however, features several clubs that showcase emerging and established rock and blues acts."
• Nashville ranked #13 on TripAdvisor's list of Best Family Friendly Vacations.
• The Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau was named 2009 Prime Site and Top Destination in Facilities & Destinations magazine’s March edition.
• The January issue of Southern Living features the Reader's Choice Awards. Nashville's awards include:
  Best City: Nashville #5
  Best Breakfast/Brunch: Loveless Cafe #5; Pancake Pantry #6
  Restaurants: Southern Favorites: Loveless Cafe #5
  Best Public Gardens: Cheekwood Botanical Garden #10
  Best Neighborhood for Shopping: Green Hills, Nashville #7
  Best Hotel: Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center #2
• Travel + Leisure magazine and CNN Headline News ranked Nashville as the 2nd most affordable city and 4th friendliest city in 2008 in a survey that asked travelers to rank 25 top U.S. cities in 45 categories, ranging from food and shopping to people, culture, nightlife, and more.
• Nashville International Airport was ranked 6th in its size class in a survey performed by J.D. Power and Associates on Airport Customer Satisfaction in 2008.
• Black Enterprise magazine named Nashville as the 4th best place to retire in 2008. Music City also received high marks for its arts and culture scene.
• In 2008, The Today Show on NBC named Nashville one of the five friendliest cities in America.
• Fortune Small Business magazine ranked Nashville as one of the Top 100 places to live and launch a business in 2008.
• Forbes magazine ranked Nashville as the No. 15 best city for business and careers based on job and income growth, as well as the No. 14 best city in migration trends for jobs in 2008.
• In January 2008, www.bizjournals.com ranked Nashville as the the No. 3 best city in terms of cultural amenities behind New York City and San Francisco.

MUSIC

• Pollstar ranked Bridgestone Arena 6th in the U.S. for concert attendance in 2011.
• Forbes named Nashville one of the 10 Best Weekend Vacation Cities, due in large part to the incredible music scene.
• Travel+Leisure Magazine's America's Favorite Cities survey awarded Nashville with #1 Live Music/Concerts and Bands
• Nashville was named as one of the "World's Best Cities and Festivals for Music Lovers" by MSN Travel.
• The Academy of Country Music named Nashville's Ryman Auditorium the "Venue of the Year" in 2009
• MSN Travel ranked Nashville as the 13th coolest city in 2009 stating that “Nashville is the heart and soul of country music in America. A newly revitalized downtown district, however, features several clubs that showcase emerging and established rock and blues acts.”
• Richard Florida’s 2008 book Who’s Your City? How the Creative Economy is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life describes Nashville as “home to much of the world’s best studio talent and has eclipsed even New York and Los Angeles as the place for music writing, recording and publishing.”