Nashville was coined “Music City” in 1950 by David Cobb, a radio producer for WSM radio, during Red Foley’s NBC radio show and it continues to live up to the reputation. The city is continually host to music events, concerts, and festivals for every type of music lover and is consistently raising the bar for the country’s music scene.

Nashville’s music industry generates more than $2 billion annually, but there’s much more to the city. Over the last decade, Nashville has experienced an arts renaissance, with new venues opening to critical success and acclaim. Galleries, museums, a world-class zoo, opera, ballet, theaters, and two orchestras provide a growing number of nightly and annual arts events. Nashville is also home to professional, college, and amateur sports leagues, several theme parks, and championship golf courses.

The Music City’s arts scene is complimented by 16 colleges and universities. Many of America’s major corporations are taking advantage of this well-educated workforce and below-average cost of living by relocating their headquarters and operations to Nashville.

Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from 50 FABULOUS GAY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO LIVE (www.FabCities.com) © 2005 Gregory A. Kompes. Published by Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ. 800-227-3371. All rights reserved.