Nashville is booming and becoming the new mega city of the southeast for its quality lifestyle, natural beauty and economic development.  The 2005 population of the entire 13 county Nashville metropolitan area was 1,422,544 making it the largest and fastest growing metropolitan area in the state.  And with its ranking as the #1 city in the country to live and #1 city in the US for relocation business, the trend is here to stay.

Since 2004 the city has seen eight $100million-plus revenue corporations move to Nashville.  In addition, several 1 million sq. foot distribution center operations have begun operations.  The announcement of Nissan's headquarters move to the area has done nothing but bolster the fact that this is a city that will not only nurture a productive business environment but provide a quality of life that can be used to sway top executives and their families to the area.

One of the reasons for this phenomenal growth is the fact that the City of Nashville and Davidson County merged giving the government of Nashville a regional point of view.  The Metro government has worked closely with its neighboring counties to create a win-win situation when it comes to economic growth.  As an example, when Louisiana Pacific moved here they put their corporate headquarters in downtown Nashville (Davidson County), their research and development facility in Williamson County, their corporate jet hangar in Rutherford County and number of executives live in Sumner County.  "If you are squabbling and backbiting, nobody will land the deal", according to Janet Miller, senior vice president for economic development for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.  She continues, "At the end of the day, everybody in the region benefits if you work together on a project.

Culturally, Nashville has just opened the doors to its world class concert hall, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which will house the critically acclaimed Nashville Symphony.  In addition, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts has hosted Nashville art lovers to the classics of the art world with continuous exhibitions running throughout the year.  The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is the place to see great Broadway plays and special performances.  And when recounting the cultural attributes of the city how could anyone forget the home of country music, the Ryman Auditorium. With its rich musical heritage, the Ryman is still welcoming the musicians of today.

On the sports side of life, Nashville has become the proud parents of the Tennessee Titans NFL football team.  This winning football team has become a regional favorite not only with the fans of Nashville but with the inhabitants of the rest of Middle Tennessee as well.  Nashville has taken to the winter ice with its NHL Hockey franchise the Nashville Predators.  The Predators have brought a level of excitement to the city that's bound to keep the Gaylord Entertainment Center hot throughout their season.  The Gaylord Center also plays host to Nashville's indoor football team, The Nashville Kats, owned by Titans owner Bud Adams and county music superstar Tim McGraw.  Nashville is also home to the AAA Milwaukee Brewers minor league baseball team, the Nashville Sounds.

Nashville's call to education has always been strong, with 17 universities making their home here.  Vanderbilt University is a leader in medical research and has seen unprecedented growth over the last 5 years.  Belmont University is a prestigious Liberal Arts college with one of best music business programs in the country.  Tennessee's largest university, Middle Tennessee State University, is located just 30 minutes from Nashville. The university is home to more than 22,000 students with strong programs in education and health care.

Naturally, a synopsis of Nashville would not be complete without a mention of the tremendous musical talent and venues the city has to offer.  Spend a night on the town on Broadway and discover the history of the classic Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, the sounds emanating from Robert's Western World, great bluegrass in the Station Inn, and the blues that haunt Printer's Alley.  All in all, Nashville and its surrounding communities offer one of the most diverse, naturally beautiful and exciting living experiences in the world.