Your Daily Guide

⚡ Tips To Lower Your Energy Bill

On today’s City Cast Nashville podcast, we’re learning the best tips and tricks to lower your energy costs this winter from a TVA EnergyRight expert. Plus, she tells us about rebates and DIY home assessment programs that can help you save! [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏎️ Group Petitions Against Car Racing

The Restore Our Fairgrounds coalition filed paperwork with the Metro Clerk on Monday, requesting a voter referendum to end auto racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds in favor of more affordable housing and green spaces. [Tennessee Lookout]

• This follows an ethics complaint against Metro Fair Board chair Jasper Hendricks for his relationship with NASCAR and other racing entities. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
• What do you think the future of the Fairgrounds Speedway should be? Take this poll, and I’ll share the results! [Typeform]

🏘️ With Soaring Rent Prices, Evictions Are on the Rise

About 1,200 evictions are filed per month in Middle Tennessee, leaving many families without secure housing. The Eviction Right to Counsel program offers free legal services, mediation, and financial help with rent. Councilmember Zulfat Suara is looking into legislation to expand it. [Nashville Banner]

• Know your rights as a renter in Nashville. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

📚 Objections to Library Book Bans

PEN America has issued an open letter to Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett demanding clarification on Tennessee’s “age-appropriateness review” of library books. At a recent Rutherford County Library System board meeting, library system director Luanne James alleged that chairman Cody York pressured her to remove books targeted for banning, and to provide him with patrons’ personal information. [Nashville Scene]

The block of Buchanan Street between DB Todd and 9th Avenue N in North Nashville — pronounced Buh-kanan, if you please — is a microcosm of what some might call our city’s growing pains: New businesses stand next to abandoned buildings, on a street sandwiched by tall n’ skinnies, in a historically Black neighborhood desperate to retain its character and affordability. Happily, it’s also full of local restaurants and community spaces that make it worth a visit for anyone who thrives on supporting small businesses and eclectic charm.

🧑‍🍳 Try Some Awesome Eats

Start at the pizza parlor that launched an empire: Slim & Husky’s oblong pies and cinnamon rolls are now available in three states, but the OG location is still the best. Save room for bebidas and Mexican munchies (torta de chilaquiles? yes pls) at Tío Fun taqueria across the street. And if you want to venture slightly deeper into North, definitely hit up the 50-year-old neighborhood institution Ed’s Fish House or newcomer All or Nothing Bagels across DB Todd.

🍟 Try Some More Awesome Eats

If soul food is what you crave, try QC Kitchen Cafe — they relocated to Buchanan after the recent passing of their founder. New event space Chandelier has an all-you-can-eat “Run the Table” brunch on the 1st and 4th Sunday of each month that looks genuinely insane. For something more fast-casual, you can’t go wrong at Trap House Wingz or Bag Lady’s Fry Joint, a food truck that went brick and mortar.

☕ Drink Up Some Warm Fuzzies

Crossroads Cat Cafe serves up ice cream, warm beverages, and cute kitties; even better, it anchors the incredible Crossroads Campus, where young people overcoming trauma can obtain housing, grooming training, and employment opportunities. On the other side of the street, both The Loading Dock and Morning Glory Cafe will immerse you in local art and community while you sip.

🎨 Get Artsy and Involved

Wanna do more than feed your stomach? Visit a local art show at Elephant Gallery, try your hand at pottery in the Buchanan Arts Center, or attend classes at Nashville Jazz Workshop, where even non-players can learn about the genre. And finally, Inner G Juice & Yoga has been a stalwart safe space in the neighborhood for years — if you can, donate to their GoFundMe to get back up and running after a recent vandalism.