🚗 The essential rules for driving in Nashville

🚗 Are You Good at Driving in Nashville?

Welcome to driving in Nashville, where turn signals are optional, and no one knows how to merge. We’re chatting about everything you need to know to survive behind the wheel on today’s City Cast Nashville podcast. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏘️ High-Density Housing

City planners have pitched creating higher-density housing to close the gap between our housing shortage and population growth, with Nashville needing at least 70,000 additional units. However, Black-majority neighborhoods argue they have unfairly carried the burden of higher-density housing compared to neighborhoods like Green Hills. [Nashville Scene]

• Why Nashville needs more middle housing [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏳️‍⚧️ Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill Passes TN House

A bill requiring educational institutions housing minors overnight to segregate restrooms “by immutable biological sex” has passed the TN House, with no debate allowed. The Senate will consider the bill next. [Nashville Scene]

• The Tennessee General Assembly is considering more anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏛️ Immigration Enforcement Division & Public Records Laws

The recently passed law creating an immigration enforcement division largely exempts the office from public records laws, to the dismay of First Amendment experts. [The Tennessean]

• Some state employees have been told to let ICE officers access private areas with or without a warrant. [WPLN]
• Immigrant rights in Nashville [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

Close to a million people visit The Warner Parks every year. Located in the Bellevue and Belle Meade neighborhoods, the parks have more than 3,100 acres between them, making it one of the largest park areas contained in a single city in the U.S. Named after two brothers and first opened in 1927, The Warner Parks have two sections divided by Old Hickory Blvd.: Percy Warner and Edwin Warner. Today we're exploring Edwin. If you've got suggestions for a future guide to Percy, email me!

🚗 Tips

• Parking is located in two main areas. When you turn by the stone pillars off Hwy. 100, you can either turn left and park behind the Nature Center, or turn right for parking by several trails. When the park is busy, a field between the two serves as extra parking. Parking for the Burch Reserve is across the street. You can also park at picnic shelters located on Vaughn Road.
• Check out this trail map. There’s also a trail map located behind the Nature Center.
• It’s usually quite busy. People will be walking dogs, trail running, riding bikes, chasing after children, bird watching, and more. Be aware that you share this space with others. There’s still plenty of space for everyone, and the wildlife doesn’t seem to mind.
• Bathrooms are located at the Nature Center and picnic shelters four and seven, on the other side of the park.
• The Nature Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• While some hikes are sunny, most are quite shaded, so it’s still hikeable in the summer heat.
• Keep an eye on its events page for group hikes and festivals.

🥾 Where To Hike

I’ve hiked every trail at Edwin Warner Park; you can’t go wrong. My favorite way to hike is to choose routes at random, but if you like a more planned hike, here’s some advice.