🧑‍🌾 The best farmers markets in Nashville

🏫 Nashville School Board Eliminates DEI Policies

To comply with a new Tennessee law barring local governments from hiring practices that include diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Metro Nashville Public Schools board voted unanimously to eliminate two policies. “If not for state law, we would not be taking this action,” said District 8 Board Member Erin O’Hara Block. [The Tennessean]

🧑‍🌾 An Insider’s Guide to Nashville Farmers Markets

On today’s City Cast Nashville podcast, we’re talking with Nashville Food Project’s Rebecah Boynton about the city’s best farmers markets, how to navigate them like a pro, and the ins and outs of CSAs. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏘️ New Affordable Housing

Developers have unveiled Nashville’s newest affordable housing community, 445 Park Commons, a mixed-income apartment building near GEODIS Park. Many of the units are reserved for residents earning below 60-80% of Nashville’s Area Median Income. [The Tennessean]

• With Nashville’s high AMI, that could still mean pretty high rent prices. [NewsChannel 5]
• A city planner on Nashville’s affordable housing crisis [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🧑‍💼 Unscrupulous Companies Con Nashville Workers

Companies operating multilevel-marketing schemes have flocked to Nashville, with deceptive job ads promising benefits and good pay. These companies circumvent minimum wage and overtime pay requirements by hiring new workers as independent contractors. When the company’s reputation sours, they often regroup under a new name. [Nashville Scene]

• Nashville comedian Ben Palmer has created a YouTube series about these schemes. [YouTube]

While many of Nashville’s new businesses are wonderful, I know I’m not alone in mourning some of the places we’ve lost. Many of you wrote in to tell me about the places you miss most from Old Nashville. Here they are, plus some from the City Cast Nashville team and our families.

Opryland USA

Many of y’all emailed about the loss of our beloved amusement park. Opryland USA would also be at the top of my list; it was the subject of one of my first articles for City Cast Nashville! Now that I have a kid, I mourn the loss even more. To think, we traded an amusement park for a mall!!

Lucy’s Record Shop

This all-ages music venue was only open from 1992-1998, but it became THE place for '90s punk-rock teens.

Belle Meade Cafeteria

Bill T. says you could sometimes see celebrities at this meat and three, which closed in 2006 after 45 years.

Provence Breads

I know I’m not the only one who grabbed a sweet treat or lunch from this Hillsboro Village favorite. Dixie M. says her favorite order was the pesto turkey sandwich.

Every week, we highlight neighborhood recommendations from City Cast Nashville Neighbors.

😻 Tom C. recommends Paradeisos on West End: “Great coffee/food as well as a strong commitment to helping the unhoused find housing and income solutions!”

😻 Joyce R. shouts out I Was Hungry, “a community garden space where all the harvest is donated to local organizations.”

Want to shout out your Nashville faves? Become a Neighbor!