The Steel Guitar Forum

Alot of people have asked me if the closing of Opryland theme park has hurt tourist trade at the Nashville Palace. My answer has always been yes. They said whan they closed it and started the mall that it would bring in tourists from all over. Well I can't speak for everyone else but I know I'm not alone but I'm not going to pack up my wife and I and drive across the country so I can shop for something I can buy in my immediate area and eat in a food court. In my opinion it was the stupidest thing I've seen in a long time. Not only did it keep tourists out of town and divert them to Dollywood,and Six Flags in Louisville. But it knocked alot of folks out of work. I know several people who worked at the park from day one,my father-in-law included. It not only hurt the Music Valley Drive area but all of Nashville. It is a shame that some people that already have more money than they or their family will ever need think they can play with peoples lives. The park turned a proffit every year it was open so it's not like it was losing money. That is what is wrong with music today they worry more about the bottom line and less about keeping music honest and pure. I try to be optomistic about the future and hope that Music Valley doesn't become a Death Valley. I hope it turns around soon because it's getting sicker every day. Mike Sweeney

Mike well said, and the HEADLINE remains the same...."GAYLORD STRIKES AGAIN". "Stand by for future undevelopements".

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CJC

No Art, all money....Pat

Yes Mike ,
All of Nashvilles music trade feels the pain.Maybe someday this can be known as music city once more
Bobbe (while were still around to see it)

Mike,

Gaylord is only shooting par. Most corporations are mismanaged. Fortune magazine admits that three fourths of the corporations in the U.S. are mismanaged.

Gaylord should have kept the theme park and made the mall as an addition.

Rick

I had posted this response in the Music secion on a post about Nashville.
It's also appropriate here.

Is there any "tourist" areas left in Nashville for the fans??? When I was there Printers Alley was the "in" place, but a lot of the patrons were locals. Later, they set up a tourist area near music row on Demonbreun, then it was music valley area when Opryland really got going. There used to be a couple of places around Twittyland but I understand all of them are gone.
The weekend traffic on lower Broadway was usually pretty good, with the Opry still at the Ryman. We did a lot of tourist business at Little Roy's music store on the weekends.

But, "from a distance" there doesn't seem like any incentive for the tourists to flock to Nashvul anymore. Obviously there are still places to go and see, but not like it was when "country was country".

I'd hate to be a musician trying to survive there today. It always was tough but it has to really be painful today.

I was born in Nashville,and always looked forward to visiting my grandparents and aunts and uncles on holidays. My grandparents lived on Franklin Rd.not far from Harding Place. I remember the Music City tour buses would drive by as my dad and I walked in my grandparents frontyard .We would wave at the buses and sometimes see flashbulbs!!!! This is a childhood memory of mine that stuck with me and,I guess led me to want to play music. This is the Nashville I remember. Last Oct. I had the opportunity to play Tootsie's and enjoy something I had looked forward to do since I was little. I hope that stories like this one are not ruined for future generations by "FAT CATS" that only want to get fatter!!!!!!! I know that there were plenty of people in the club that day and were probably from out of town. They were here to listen to MUSIC not SHOP.I have never been to the new mall and should not critisize it but,it seems to me that if "THEY" wanted another mall in town,why ruin a profit making business to take a chance on something else???????? Plus put many talented people out of work???Build it somewere else fellas!!!!!!!!I knew people that worked there and thought that Opryland was an institution that would never go away.Hopefully those of us that are tired of the garbage will speek with our wallets and purses and say enough is enough,leave country music alone and go away!!!!!!!!!!!! <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by GORDY NICHOL on 11 April 2001 at 01:17 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by GORDY NICHOL on 11 April 2001 at 01:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

As far as I am concerned the people of Nashville have been who-dooed by the likes of Phil Bredesen,Ma'and Pa'Gaylord,and Bud Adams.
First thing,the Convention Center on lower Broad was built to replace the old Convention Center.Than the giant Gaylord Arena was built right across the street from the convention center and right across the river the stadium was built.Now word has it the convention center is not big enough and the city planners want to build an even bigger convention center down town.When are the people of Nashville going to wise up?We already have the Oprylad Hotel and Opry Mills and more than enough shopping malls here to choke a horse.
The point I am trying to make is...when the new wears off,the people of Nashville will be paying for this crap for the next 50yrs and our great grand children will be asking...What in the hell were these people thinking? To the Gaylords of the world...Go away and leave us alone!
I have lived here since 1968 and I don't like it here anymore.If I'd have wanted the big city life I could have stayed in Phila.
Just my 2 cents worth.

...and another thing,don't try and get anywhere fast in this town during rush hour.The traffic grid lock is almost as bad as Atlanta.

It's not just in Nashville. Here in Indy the taxpayers built a new arena, called Market Square Arena, several million dollars worth. That was 18 years ago. Today they are planning on turning it into dust along with a few hundred parking places in the garage area. The reason, It just wasn't fancy enough for the mulit-million dollar ballplayers to use and their owners just couldn't slip by on a few million profit each year. So, we taxpayers, along with a few of you out there who eat in our friendly restaraunts and sleep in our motels,(taxed extra for this) will pay for the new one just built, called Conseco Fieldhouse. We also just built a new Convention center, about 2 or 3 years ago, and aready it isn't big or nice enough, so we are going to cough up some more taxes to enlarge and remodel it. They never considered firing the politicians and their cronies who made the big mistake with our money. Politicians just love to spend money and buy votes, as long as it is mine and your money. It's not about the music or anything else.

So does Austin now hold or should hold, the distinction of being "Music City"? (I know it's known as the "live music capitol").

Could be...I know that "Austin City Limits" is the best music show on TV...(IMHO).

I see that the Opry will be moving back to the Ryman in November for an "extended" stay. If the Opry eventually permanently moves back to the Ryman and it wouldn't surprise me if it does, that will be the end of the Music Valley shows and shops. We'll be hearing the ET Midnight Jamboree back at the Lower Broadway shop permanently too.

While the opry moves back to the Ryman the opry house will be home to a divison of the Rockettes. With prerecorded music no less.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Remember my prediction, on the Opry, moving back to the Ryman, PERMANENTLY. And it's now coming true, just like I said, a long, long time, ago.

"Little" Buddy.

This is so sad. I can't believe how short sighted the city planners have been. I visited Nashville in '93 and loved the place.
The thing that got me on a plane to go half way round the world was the music. I'm not going to fly thousands of miles to go shopping! Nashville's music is a world treasure, Tennessee fat cats should not have been allowed to wreck it.
Downtown was pretty good then too. It was quite depressing in a way to see people who played and sang better than I will ever do playing in bars for tips only.

Jack Stoner, I wouldn't bet that John Hobbs wil close up the Palace or his other buisnesses in that area if the Opry goes downtown permently. He is the type that would stay open just to spite Gaylord. I'm not worried about it yet. Besides they are taking the idea of riverboat casinos to the polls for a vote this year and guess where the docks are? Yes one is the Gen. Jackson dock at Opryland. Now it may not fly but they are widening Music Valley dr. already and we'll just set back and see what happens. I said in my orriginal post that it had hurt but it aint dead yet. Mike

Mike, I hadn't heard about the "Riverboat" gambling, but if it passes it might help the area. I was living in Kansas City, Mo when they legalized "riverboat" gambling. The companies such as Harrah's built their gambling complexes but it did nothing for the business' in the surrounding areas or no other buisness built close to the casino complexes. There are four casinos in Kansas City and each one is in an area by it'self. There was even one, a Sam's Town Casino, that went belly up because it was in a poor accessable area.

All of the places you mentioned, Hooters, etc., were there before the boats. I don't see anything around that area that has been built, expanded or opened since the boats started operating.

I've lived here 5 years and I don't really see any changes to speak of on US19 from Holiday to SR52, except the new super wal-mart that just opened. It's pretty much the same as it was 5 years ago.

Wintertime bumper to bumper traffic, and when the snowbirds leave the traffic returns to being tolerable.

I don't look for it to help the Palace in my opinion. I think they will have their money for gambling and if they do well they will drink or whatever in the casino. It might generate some work for other people though. One thing the people behind this are not counting on is this; Nashville is in the heart of the bible belt and there are folks who never vote in any kind of election because they don't think it's important but they will go to the polls to vote on this because they don't want gambling in middle Tenn. They are very adament about this subject. We'll just have to wait and see. Mike

Mike, I used to live in Kansas City, Mo and I was there when we voted on "riverboat" gambling. There is a big "bible belt" in Missouri too but it was voted in.

Real riverboats didn't last long (about a week or two) and the state made them permanently dock, for safety. They didn't have any realistic way of rescuing people if something would happen out on the river. Now, in Kansas City, none of the "riverboat gambling casinos" are actually boats. They are built to look like riverboats and they "float" but in reality are permanent buildings along the river.

There has been some work for local musicians but very little for country musicians in Kansas City. Station Casino does bring in some name country acts from time to time. It may be different or a little better there in Nashvul.

In my business I drive by Shopryland two to three times a week.When I look over,I say to myself,...I used to work in that f*****g place...then I laaaaugh!