Whether you travel for culture, food, the arts, or something more personal, it’s time you take a trip to Nashville.
Also known as Music City, Nashville is a vibrant hub of culture, creativity, and Southern hospitality right in the heart of Tennessee. My first time visiting the city was last year, and I was pleasantly surprised at how lively and full of character the city is. Renowned for its rich musical heritage, from country to blues, Nashville draws visitors with its lively nightlife, historic landmarks, and delicious culinary scene.
While the city is often labeled a bachelorette destination because it really is a lit place to host one, it offers so much more than just that.
Even just a weekend in the city is enough to experience a lot of what Nashville offers. Most people associate Nashville with traditional country music, but Nashville holds a deep connection to Black artists who also helped shape its music scene, contributing to genres like gospel, soul, and country. There are opportunities throughout the city to take a walk down memory lane and learn the history of how music expanded and changed the city. Nashville is also underrated for being a foodie city, even though it boasts some delicious local favorites like smoking BBQ and hot chicken.
Nashville is the type of city that can be great for a more chill solo trip or a turned-up girls' trip. This guide will showcase all the places to visit and things to do in Nashville that are Black girl-friendly. From museums to rooftops to must-eat restaurants, you’ll be able to plan the perfect trip to Music City.
Where to Stay in Nashville:
Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville
Courtesy of the Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville
The Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville, newly opened in 2021, is a contemporary hotel that places you right in the heart of the action. I loved staying here because it was within walking distance of Broadway and a lot of other popular attractions, so I had less of a need for a car or taxis. The rooms were chic and modern, and the floor-to-ceiling windows offered views of the city skyline. Some of the larger suites are perfect for families or groups, and I loved that they include record players complete with a selection of music to fit your taste.
The hotel boasts a rooftop pool and bar, as well as an on-site restaurant called Ella’s, which emphasizes locally sourced ingredients. After a long day of exploring, it was nice to have a food option right in the hotel so that I could go from dinner to my pajamas in a matter of minutes. Plus, its prime location makes it easy to access major music venues, vibrant nightlife, and diverse dining options, ensuring a well-rounded Nashville experience. When you stay here, you have to try the housemade mozzarella sticks or salmon piccata at Ella’s. Absolutely delicious!
Hutton Hotel
The Hutton Hotel is another great option for anyone looking for a cozy stay that has a lot to offer. Located in the West End, the hotel was recently upgraded, and the interior gives off a blend of comfort and sophistication. The hotel has its own music venue, Analog, which hosted an R&B show while I was there and gave off sexy speakeasy vibes.
Throughout the year, they have a calendar full of other live performances and events available for both guests of the hotels and non-guests. This is a great option for anyone who doesn’t want to be directly in the mix of Broadway and Downtown, but still within a reasonable distance to the fun.
Where to Eat & Drink in Nashville
1. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken
No trip to Nashville is complete without a trip to Hattie B’s to indulge in a local staple, Hot Chicken. This popular eatery serves up crispy fried chicken in the form of wings, tenders, and sandwiches, with varying levels of heat, from mild to "shut the cluck up!" Hot Chicken’s origin in Nashville has a funny backstory that can be traced back to the 1930s when it was created as a way to spice up fried chicken for a jilted lover.
Today, Hattie B’s not only celebrates this local tradition but also highlights the contributions of Black women like Chef B, who helped put Hot Chicken on the map. Outside of chicken, Hattie B’s also serves up sides like mac n cheese, dirty fries, and fried pickles. No matter what else is on the agenda, it’s a must-try experience that encapsulates Nashville's culinary spirit.
2. Pancake Pantry
For the best start to your day, head to Pancake Pantry for a breakfast that will leave you full and satisfied. They have locations in both Downtown and Hillsboro Village, but the quality of food is consistent across locations. Famous for its fluffy pancakes that are made from scratch every morning, there’s no wonder a line wraps around the block every day.
During my visit, I tried their classic pancakes with some candied bacon on the side, and it was worth the wait. If pancakes aren’t your thing, they have a well-balanced menu with offerings for everyone, including kids.
3. The Cupcake Collection
There’s always room for dessert, which means a stop at The Cupcake Collection, a Black-owned bakery that specializes in gourmet cupcakes and other treats. Founded by a mother who turned her passion into a business, this shop features a rotating selection of flavors made with love and quality ingredients.
From classic vanilla to unique creations like sweet potato and peach cobbler, grab a couple of different ones to satisfy your sweet tooth. The sweet potato cupcake came highly recommended and was likely the best cupcake I’ve ever had in my life. You don’t want to skip this place!
4. Suite Twelve25
No trip of mine is complete without a stop for brunch and mimosas, and Suite Twelve25 brought not only good food but the vibes as well. This is definitely the kinda spot that you go to with the girls to start off Sunday Funday correctly. They have a menu that features brunch faves like chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and breakfast tacos.
A DJ spins tunes throughout, and we heard everything from hip-hop to reggae to R&B throwbacks. The inside is Instagrammable so come dressed to impress for the content. And if you really want to get the party started, opt for one of their mimosa towers and get ready to turn up Nashville style!
5. White Limozeen
Nashville has the rooftop game on lock, and White Limozeen is an absolute must-visit for everyone. Located on top of The Graduate by Hilton Nashville, this Dolly Parton-themed rooftop is a whole vibe. The aesthetic and decor are largely pink, giving it a stylish and quirky feel. You can go to enjoy a meal or just pop up to the rooftop for drinks and a view. They have unique and girly cocktails to try out, and the champagne Jell-O shots are too cute to pass up.
There’s limited outdoor seating, so a reservation is a must. Before you leave, make sure that you get a picture with the large Dolly Parton head figurine.
Things to Do in Nashville
1. National Museum of African American Music
The National Museum of African American Music is a must-see for anyone interested in the rich musical legacy of African Americans. This museum showcases the profound impact of Black artists across various genres, including jazz, blues, R&B, and hip-hop. It was inspiring to see the trajectory of the relationship between Black people and music across time and genres. I learned a lot about prominent figures in music that I was unfamiliar with, as well as the history of some of the musical icons that we all know.
This is an interactive museum, so expect exhibits and engaging storytelling, but also opportunities to create your own music beats and even practice recording in a pretend studio. It’s an enlightening experience that highlights the cultural contributions of Black musicians and their influence on the music we love today.
Courtesy of Robin D. Thomas
2. Nearest Green Distillery
A visit to the Uncle Nearest Distillery is essential for whiskey enthusiasts. This is located outside of Nashville, in Shelbyville, but is 100% worth the drive. This historic distillery pays tribute to Nearest Green, the first known African-American master distiller, who taught Jack Daniel the art of whiskey-making. It was inspiring to learn about the legacy of Mr. Green, who was born into slavery, especially considering the barriers in an industry that was largely unwelcoming to Black individuals.
The distillery offers guided tours that delve into Green's life and contributions, educating guests about the historical significance of Black distillers in America and also curated tastings so that visitors can sample their award-winning spirits. If you get hungry, on-site is a BBQ spot that has the most amazing brisket grilled cheese and collard greens, plus some other BBQ favorites. Also on the property is the Humble Baron, a bar that currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest-continuous bar in the world. It boasts a 514-foot-long bar and also has live music at certain times.
3. Hit Up Broadway
No visit to Nashville is complete without experiencing the lively atmosphere of Broadway’s honky-tonk bars. This iconic strip is home to numerous bars featuring live music, dancing, and vibrant nightlife. This is where you’ll see all the bachelorette parties and even locals just looking to have a fun night out.
The street is typically closed to traffic, so at night, you can stroll down the strip, popping in and out of different bars and taking in the true Nashville music scene. With each bar offering a different vibe, it’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in Nashville's renowned music scene.
4. Live Music at Historic Venues
Nashville’s music scene is legendary, and experiencing live music at some of its historic venues really encapsulates the full Nashville experience. Some of the most well-known venues include Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry, but throughout the city, you can also catch shows at smaller spaces. No matter what genre is your favorite, you’re likely to be able to find a show that fits your interests. These venues not only offer great music but also rich histories that tell the story of Nashville’s musical evolution.
Nashville’s blend of rich history, culture, and culinary delights makes it a fantastic destination for those looking to explore somewhere new. Once known as mostly a party city, Nashville has been expanding and rebranding as a place that offers so much more. There’s so much you can do during a solo adventure or a curated girls' trip.
Whether you’re sipping whiskey at Uncle Nearest or indulging in delicious hot chicken, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in Music City.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by f11photo/Getty Images
RELATED
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Luckily, there are some things that you can do to either speed up the healing process of a cold or make having one more bearable than usual. Things that are affordable, all-natural, and easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
Are you ready to know how to nip a damn cold in the bud…before you even get one?
Here ya go.
1. Fire Cider
Unsplash
Two drinks that I am gonna drink all the way down, each and every fall season, are hot chocolate and apple cider (that’s warmed up). So, when I read about something called “fire cider,” it absolutely caught my attention. If you’re not familiar with it, fire cider is a homemade drink that consists of things like apple cider vinegar, herbs and other ingredients that are specifically designed to boost your immune system.
I won’t lie to you — since some of the traditional recipes contain things like onion and garlic (sulfur has potent medicinal properties) and sometimes even hot peppers (which help to clear up congestion) — although fire cider might not be your favorite as far as your palate is concerned, the viruses (because there are reportedly somewhere around 200 of ‘em) that cause colds will lose a lot of their impact if you drink this; and that makes it worth a shot — well, swallow. Some fire cider recipes can be found here, here and here.
2. Probiotics
A few years ago, I wrote an article for the platform entitled, “80% Of Your Immunity Is In Your Gut. Take Care Of It Like This.” — and that alone should explain why and how a probiotic can help to prevent colds and make it easier to get over them. The reality is that a healthy gut is what helps to monitor how your immune system reacts and responds to harmful pathogens that may try and get into your system, including ones that cause the common cold.
And since probiotics feed your gut with “good bacteria,” this gives your gut the ability to be better (and quicker) at fighting off the bad. So yeah, take a probiotic — all of the time and definitely while you have a cold. It helps.
3. Peppermint (or Eucalyptus) Oil
Unsplash
Although I rarely get sick (praise the Lord!), when I do catch a cold, I think what I hate the most is not being able to comfortably breathe. Well, something that is proven to help with that is peppermint essential oil. That’s because it contains properties that act as a natural decongestant as well as a fever reducer. Another essential oil that can hook you up in this department is eucalyptus oil. It’s bomb because it helps to soothe a nagging cough, it can clear up chest congestion and ultimately makes it easier to breathe.
So, before turning in at night, either mix a few drops of one (or both) of these oils with a carrier oil like grapeseed, avocado or jojoba, warm it up for 10 seconds in the microwave and apply it to the sides of your nose or on your best or back. Or put the oil in a diffuser. It can quickly ease cold-related symptoms while also making it so much easier for you to rest (which is something else your body needs to get over a cold; more on that in a sec).
4. Zinc Lozenges
Zinc is a mineral that helps to keep your immune system healthy and strong — and since a weakened immunity is directly connected to having more colds (2-4 a year is considered to be “normal,” by the way), it’s always a good idea to have some zinc in your body. As it relates to colds, specifically, aside from the fact that zinc can help you from catching one to begin with, there are also studies which say that sucking on zinc lozenges can help to shorten the timespan of a cold as well.
To be fair, some people have said that zinc lozenges make them feel nauseated; however, everything has its pros and cons and so, how would you know if you’re one of these folks unless you try it? Oh, and while we are on this topic, there are also zinc supplements and foods that are high in zinc (like red meat, lentils, hemp seeds, cashews and quinoa) if you want to try and get more zinc into your system that way (although lozenges are gonna be your best bet on the shortening tip; just sayin’).
5. Foods Rich in Vitamin C
Unsplash
Speaking of foods that can fight a cold, out of all of what you’ve read here, probably what you are quite familiar with is the fact that vitamin C and colds are mortal enemies. In fact, one pretty significant study says that by taking one gram of vitamin C a day during a cold, you can reduce the severity of your symptoms by as much as 15 percent.
That’s because vitamin C is packed with antioxidants, it helps to reduce bodily inflammation and it helps to strengthen your immunity too. Foods that are full of vitamin C include chili and yellow peppers, kale, kiwi, papaya, broccoli, kale and citrus fruits.
6. Elderberry Tea
If you’re someone who likes to put preserves on your biscuits or toast, have you ever tried one that is made from elderberries (recipe here)? It’s actually pretty good — and good for you because elderberries are high in vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. And that is why they are great whenever you are trying to hurry up and get over a cold because they also contain properties that are literally antiviral — and since a cold is a virus…well, there you have it.
One of the best ways to get elderberries into your system? Elderberry tea. If you add honey to it, honey can help to shorten symptoms like a stuffy nose, sore throat and cough by 1-2 days. Very cool.
7. REST
Unsplash
Did you know that even one day of not getting the sleep that you need to weaken your immune system and increase bodily inflammation at the same time too? That’s because one of the benefits of a good night’s rest is it rejuvenates and recharges your system, so that your immunity can work at its optimal level.
Not only that but, according to science, if you already have a cold, getting plenty of rest can benefit you on a few different levels as well. First, your cytokines (proteins that boost your immunity) are released when you sleep.
Second, your body temperature elevates enough to kill some of the bacteria and viruses that are making you sick. Finally, sleep provides you with the energy that you need in order to get through the day while you are healing from your sickness. So, if you want to get through your cold ASAP, be intentional about getting as much rest as you possibly can.
BONUS: A Humidifier
When you get a chance, please check out “10 Really Good Reasons To Get Yourself A Humidifier This Fall”. There really are all kinds of solid reasons to invest in a humidifier around this time of the year — and one of them is to make getting through the cold (and flu) season so much easier for you. Since humidifiers bring moisture into the air, that can help to loosen up congestion, soothe an irritated throat, decrease coughing, help with the healing process of respiratory infections and it can help you to sleep better — so that you can get past your cold sooner.
So, if you don’t already have a humidifier, cop one ASAP. Your future colds will absolutely hate that you did. LOL. For a list of some highly recommended humidifiers that are currently on the market, click here.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Casper1774 Studio/Shutterstock