Things to do / Travel Guide
While bourbon, bluegrass, horses, country music, Louisville Sluggers, and railroads are a big part of central Kentucky and Tennessee's story, the region is also defined by looking at the residents of the region's biggest cities and the ways in which they bring home the bacon.
Central Kentucky Culture
Many of the over-700,000 residents of Louisville, Kentucky's largest city, are employed by the University of Louisville, Humana Inc., two major Ford plants, and a major General Electric factory. Given its location on the Ohio River, Louisville has always been an important center for shipping and cargo transfer; today United Postal Services (UPS) maintains an air hub in Louisville. Also bolstering Louisville's economy is the bourbon whiskey industry; many of the country's major bourbon makers such as the Brown-Forman Corporation (Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort), Jim Beam, and Makers Mark are either located in or around Louisville. While Louisville's demographics are relatively predictable, 77% are Caucasian and 19% are African American, in recent years Louisville has also received a steady influx of immigrants, and over 64 languages are spoken by children in Louisville's public schools.
Some might assume that there are more horses than people, given the emphasis placed on horse breeding, horse farms, and horse races in Lexington, the “Horse Capital of the World.” But Lexington is actually Kentucky's second-largest city with a respectably large (human) population of over 260,000 - about 80% of which is Caucasian, 14% of which is African American, 3% of which is Hispanic, and over 2% of which is Asian. Not all Lexingtonians brush horsetails though. On the contrary, Lexington's industrial employers include Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), Amazon.com, the University of Kentucky, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky.
Central Tennessee Culture
Not everyone in Nashville can croon out a country tune - a healthy number of the residents work in the medical field, the city's biggest employer. While Nashville is undeniably the home of country music and is a major center for music recording, second only to New York City, only about 19,000 people actually make their living from the music industry. Nashville has a population of about 570,000 people; the Music City and capital city is Tennessee's second-largest metropolis (after Memphis). Caucasians comprise 67% of the population, African Americans constitute about 26%, and residents of other racial and ethnic backgrounds constitute the remainder. Nashville is also a well-educated place, the city boasting 16 colleges and universities, two medical schools, two law schools, and six graduate business schools.
These days, the train's immortal legacy in Chattanooga continues, as the city is still a major freight hub, employing many. This fourth-largest city in Tennessee has a population of just over 150,000 people, about 60% of whom are Caucasian, 36% of whom are African American, and about 2% of whom are Hispanic. Chattanoogans make their living by working for a diverse group of manufacturing and service industries including U.S. Xpress, Inc (the fifth-largest trucking company in the U.S.), BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and AT&T.
“How y'all doin'?” you'll likely hear slide out of someone's smiling mouth in that slow, smooth, Southern drawl that characterizes the Central Kentucky and Tennessee region. Politeness and kindness to strangers still reign in the region. At a time when many cities in the U.S. have melded into a globalized, multicultural mélange of tastes, sights, and sounds dominated by multinational corporations and national food chains, the traditions of Central Kentucky and Tennessee towns are suprisingly intact.
Louisvillians aren't just concerned with Southern style and cotillions; they are university-involved, politics-concerned theater-goers, symphony-supporters, and a cosmopolitan crowd in every right. Nonetheless, every May, Louisville dolls herself up for the Kentucky Derby horse racing celebrations. Old- and new-moneyed residents (men and women) go to hatters, as they always have, for the most elaborate and finely designed coifs, derbies, birettas, and bowlers in honor of the event. Cool mint juleps are sipped, burgoo is stewed, and everyone from the mayor to the man across the street hosts a Derby party to watch and bet on the races and revel in the season. Never left out from this fine and refined cultural tradition, Lexington, the Horse Capital of the World, grooms and breeds some of the nation's finest thoroughbreds, and their horse farms have claimed some of the race's most beloved winners. In addition, Lexington's ever-popular University of Kentucky Wildcats NCAA basketball team continually chalks up win after win, with plenty of titles to brandish.
Kentuckians are proud of their mom-and-pop restaurants and shops and colorful history. And why shouldn't they be? As the birthplace of bourbon, Abraham Lincoln, bluegrass music, Louisville Slugger baseball bats, the cheeseburger, the ubiquitous “Happy Birthday to You” song, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, it is safe to say that polite and pleasant Kentuckians have pulled their weight in shaping the nation's culture.
Tennessee should also be taken seriously for its strong and savory local flavor - and we're not just talking about the Tennessee Whiskey many of the locals enjoy. Widely considered the Buckle of the Bible Belt, Nashville has over 700 churches, is the headquarters for Christian music and publishing companies (the world's largest producer of Bibles is in Nashville), and many Tennessee counties (including the one where Jack Daniels is distilled) still vehemently prohibit the sale of alcohol. But the region is far more complex than this; the academic ambience of Fisk University with its art galleries and strong academic reputation and the equally fine Vanderbilt University, known nationwide for its writers and literary critics, pervades and refines Nashville in the most unexpectedly pleasant ways.
Though certainly accustomed to all of the country music fanfare, Nashville residents are undeniably proud of their Music City's legacy. They attend the Grand Ole Opry right along with the tourists, relish their yearly music festivals, and even enjoy a night out at the beloved Tootsie's Orchid Lounge or Wild Horse Saloon. While jazz was never a focal point for the city, the Nashville Jazz Orchestra is a local favorite, and the Christian music industry has its home in the Heartland. Tennessee's other cultural characteristics may also be music to your ears. Chattanooga is still tied to, defined by, and proud of its rich Civil War history. Locals enjoy the trendy restaurants of the Bluff District, hike up Lookout Mountain for exercise and panoramic views, and actively participate in their city's growth and welfare - Chattanooga was one of the first U.S. cities to enlist resident participation in defining its goals.
Whether it's the distinct flavor of smooth Southern culture that you're after or you are hoping to sample the offersings of some of the nation's finest and most refined cultural establishments, Central Kentucky and Tennessee is bound to leave you with a good taste in your mouth.
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