Great job and congratulations to my friends Ernie Haase and Signature Sound on an amazing national anthem rendition at the September 5, 2010 Labor Day Atlanta NASCAR race, celebrating 50 years of that speedway.  We’re proud that many of you call Nashville home!

Happy September! What a beautiful time of year to be out and about on your bicycle, for a ride with family or friends or a bit of alone time. Greenways in Nashville are growing, but in traffic or not, bicyclists should keep these tips in mind for safety while riding.

1. Wear your helmet. The best way to protect yourself from serious injury.

2. Obey traffic laws. Just like you were driving a car.

3. Use signals. Be sure those around you know when you’re planning to make a turn.

4. The three-feet rule. This is one I didn’t know.  When passing a bicyclist, drivers must give the biker three feet of clearance, by law.

5. Use bike lights and reflective clothing. The more visible you are, the better.  Bike shops and stores like Target and Wal-Mart carry small blinking lights that you can attach to your bike and turn on at night.  Make sure your bike has several reflectors that will show from different angles, and wear light colors or reflective clothing.

I can honestly admit I never imagined that the quick food dining options at Lenox Village would ever be so amazing. When the community was announced years ago and the concept was unveiled, I was skeptical. Now that Lenox Village is a full-fledged neighborhood (with an amazingly low supply/demand ratio even in the 2009-2010 challenged market), it has blossomed into one of my favorite places to show and sell.  A few of my favorite restaurants there are:

Blue Coast Burrito (6900 Lenox Village Drive, Suite 16, Nashville, TN)

With roots on Thompson Lane as Baja Burrito, Blue Coast is the franchised version of the original.  While the original has few seating spots and virtually no parking, this location shatters that objection.  For a healthy, tasty burrito, try the wheat or spinach tortillas in lieu of the traditional flour.  Don’t miss the Baja Fruit Tea and (my favorite) mild salsa.

Pie In The Sky (6917 Lenox Village Drive, Nashville, TN)

Don’t come expecting your stereotypical chain pizza.  The toppings taste like your favorite Italian grandma prepared them herself in her home.

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt (6900 Lenox Village Drive, Nashville, TN)

Multiple brain freeze is inevitable.  You honestly have to pace yourself with this YummyFest.  With flavors changing every 2 weeks, you have 21 flavors on any given day.  Mix that with fresh fruit, brownies, sprinkles or spoonfuls of sugar love and you have a big ol’ bowl of happiness.  The light shades are cool, too.

There are a lot of exciting things happening in Nashville in September.  From Nashville favorite “Shakespeare in the Park” to the band-packed Next Big Nashville/Leadership Music Digital Summit, we are gearing up for a month of entertainment.  Get your calendar out, its about to fill up!

Through 9/12 Shakespeare in the Park: Love’s Labor’s Lost

9/1 She and Him at the Ryman

9/9 Faces of Change @ 3rd Avenue for Transition Housing Agency, Inc.

9/10-9/11 The Pixies at the Ryman

9/11-9/12 Fall Fest at Belle Meade Plantation

9/12 The Black Crowes @ Ryman

9/20 Hands on Nashville Benefit @ Rutledge

9/22 Straight No Chaser @ TPAC

9/23-25 Michael McDonald @ Nashville Symphony

9/24 Chelsea Handler @ Bridgestone Arena

9/25 Will Hoge, Angie Aparo, and Josh Hoge at Tin Roof

9/25 Wine on the River

9/21-26 “9-to-5 The Musical” @ TPAC

9/29-10/2  Next Big Nashville feat. Madi Diaz, Mother/Father, Run with Bulls, Mikky Ekko, many more.

As summer begins to cool off, there’s no better way to celebrate milder temperatures than the great Nashville outdoors. Our fair city boasts numerous beautiful parks both in and on the outskirts of town.  Running, frisbee, picnicking, golf…the possibilities are endless!  Here is our list of Nashville’s best parks and what to do there.

Edwin Warner Park and Percy Warner Park span over 2600 acres of athletic areas, hiking trails, an equestrian center and horse trails, and more. This is definitely a park to spend some time exploring, rather than just stopping by. You can even practice your golf swing on the links at Percy Warner Park.

Centennial Park is the best park in the city for Frisbee, kite flying, or football throwing.  Centennial Park also has some of the best paths for strolling along a pond where you can feed the ducks and beautiful blooming flowers.  Weekly concert series Musicians corner runs every Saturday from 3-6. Check out the lineup here: http://www.musicianscornernashville.com/

Bicentennial Mall is a hidden gem downtown, backing up to Capitol Hill.  It has beautiful historic monuments, fountains, and a 2000-seat ampitheatre. Grab a picnic lunch at the Farmers Market and walk to the park.

Sevier Park is a great park for a small picnic or some time alone with a good book. Also, every other Saturday from 6-9 is the 12th South Concert Series. Next up is August 28th. Grab dinner at one of 12th south’s great restaurants and walk down to the park.

Radnor Lake State Park has several beautiful walking trails of all different levels. I love the one-mile hike over a steep hill. The trails are well kept and the views are beautiful.

Shelby Bottoms is an East Nashville favorite known for its Greenways, which can take bicyclers on miles of scenic and traffic free rides.  Shelby Dog Park is one of Nashville’s dog parks, where you can let the pup off his leash for a little while.  Other dog parks are at Edwin Warner and Centennial Park.

In honor of the start of the school year, we wanted to remind you to follow school zone safety rules to ensure the safety of you and your children in our beautiful neighborhoods.  Here are some things to remember as you drive through school zones or near school busses, and also important rules to remind your children to keep them safe.

Remember:

• It is against the law to pass a stopped school bus while its lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended.
• On undivided roadways, with no physical barrier or median, vehicles must stop on both sides of the roadway.
• Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
• Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and children are getting on or off. Motorists approaching from either direction must wait until the red lights stop flashing before proceeding.

Remind Your Children:

• Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
• Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.
• When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten giant steps away from the bus. Keep a wide distance between you and the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are away from the bus.
• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus along the side of the road, until you can turn around and see the driver.
• Make sure that the driver can see you.
• Wait for a signal from the driver before beginning to cross. When the driver signals, walk across the road, keeping an eye out for sudden traffic changes.
• Do not cross the centerline of the road until the driver has signaled that it is safe for you to begin walking.
• Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses, however, not all do. Protect yourself and be on the look out
• Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
• There should be no drawstrings on hoods or around the neck.  Drawstrings at the waist or bottom of the jacket should extend no more than 3 inches to prevent catching in car or bus doors or on playground equipment.

When walking to school:

• Cross the street at marked crosswalks and intersection whenever possible.
• Always stop at the curb or the edge of the road and look left, then right, and then left again before crossing.  Continue looking in this manner until you are able to cross safely.
• With your parents, choose the quickest and safest route with the fewest street crossings.
• Use intersections with crossing guards when possible.
• If vision is blocked by a parked car or other obstacle, pedestrians should move out to where drivers can see them and they can see other vehicles — then stop, and look left-right-left again.
• Obey and follow all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard.
• Never cross the street against a light, even if you don’t see any traffic coming.
• Walk your bike through intersections.
• Walk with a buddy.
• Wear reflective material…it makes you more visible to street traffic.

Tips for parents and other motorists:

• Stop for pedestrians at crosswalks – it’s State Law.  Crosswalks exist at all intersections – even if they are unmarked.
• Remember pedestrians have the right of way at crosswalks; motorists must yield to them when turning.  Stop for pedestrians when making a right-turn-on-red or left-turn on full green, leaving enough room at intersections so that pedestrians can cross safely.
• Drivers must vigilantly watch the roadway at all times, and always follow the speed limit, which may be lowered in designated school zones.
• Drivers need to remember the unpredictability of children and be on the look out for all pedestrians.

The month of August holds several opportunities for Nashvillians to be out and about, throwing tomatos, eating BBQ, or giving back to the community. We hope to see you at one of these exciting events!

August 14th: Tomato Art Festival
East Nashville hosts the 7th annual Tomato Art Fest in and around the 5 points area. Music, contests and games, art, and plenty of tomatoes make for a fun day for the whole family. The day starts with a Kids Fun Run and a 5K at 7:00am and festivities continue to late in the evening.

August 22nd:  Family Brunch at Urban Flatts
We can’t wait for Family Brunch at Urban Flatts in the Gulch!  Join Faith Family Medial Clinic and Giving Back is the New Black for a delicious brunch and a cocktail for $15.00 from 12:00 – 2:00.

August 26-28: Music City BBQ Festival
Taste all kinds of BBQ confections and hear music by Lee Roy Parnell, Delbert McClinton and others at The Music City BBQ Festival at Riverfront Park.  A portion of the proceeds benefit Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Shriner’s Hospital, and the American Cancer Society.  Volunteer for the event through Hands On Nashville.

One thing we love about Nashville is that there is always something new to try.  2010 has been an excellent year in fresh and delicious cuisine in Nashville, from the Coke-a-Cola skirt steak at Holland House to Po’Boy tacos and Mexican street corn at Taco Mamacita.

We’ve taken it upon ourselves to find the best new food in town.  Here are our favorite new eateries.

Burger Up
We know you’ve heard about 12th South’s new Burger Up by now, but have you been there yet?  Tall windows let in lots of light as you chow down on the crab cake burger or a chili cheeseburger and sweet potato fries with Jack Daniels ketchup.

Holland House
A vast  menu of old fashioned libations accompany catfish and chips, new bedford scallops, Coke-a-Cola skirt steak, or an olive sampler, plus a super-friendly staff and great happy hour specials make us happy to welcome Holland House to East Nashville.

Taco Mamacita
A strawberry margarita will add some sweetness to your summer on this Edgehill Village patio.  A combo of two tacos like the California Club taco or Baja Fish taco comes with a side of Mexican street corn or sweet potato fries, or you can choose from other dishes that range from traditional to fusion.

City House
Check out this gorgeous space in Germantown for a well selected menu, an open kitchen, a staff that knows the wine list well, and a nod to the cocktail standards that are popping up everywhere (like the dark and stormy), and party friendly options like pizzas and pork snacks.  A great place for a birthday dinner!

The Blind Pig
Bringing upscale southern fare to 12th south is The Blind Pig, serving fried oysters, shrimp corn dogs, bourbon soaked peaches, Memphis baby back ribs, smoked and pulled pork, and much more.  Stop by here whether casual or dressy, and sit outside if you can.

Has there ever been a time in your life when your own wellness took a backseat to someone else, or something else that you were struggling with?  There’s a wonderful new non-profit in Nashville called Worthwhile whose mission is to “renew deserving women from the outside in”, or in other words care for women who have forgotten their own worth by honoring them with a pedicure, a visit to the salon, or a rejuvenating yoga class.

There are several ways you can be a part of Worthwhile.  The next time you’re at the spa or salon, buy a gift card to donate to Worthwhile.  It could give a woman at the Ronald McDonald house, whose life revolves around a sick child, a renewed spirit.  Or you could encourage your salon or yoga instructor to be a partner with Worthwhile.  You can also nominate a woman you know who could use some time to herself to get away, no matter her situation.

You can also buy one of their beautiful necklaces.  They are designed by Nashville jeweler Amanda Conley, and is something you should be proud to wear.  There are several designs, which make great gifts for friends, too!

Buy your necklace here, or learn more about Worthwhile at iamworthwhile.org.

Tax free weekend is this weekend, August 6th – 8th!  Whether or not you’re shopping for back to school, this weekend is a great opportunity to save a little money.  But what should you buy and where should you buy it?

Computers: $1,500 or less are tax exempt.  Check out the Apple store in the Mall at Green Hills, Best Buy in West Nashville or Cool Springs, or HH Gregg at Hundred Oaks.

Clothing: Items of clothing at $100 or less are exempt.  This does include shoes, but other accessories are still taxable.  We suggest Urban Outfitters in the Gulch, Posh Boutique in Hillsboro Village, Blush near the Brentwood Target, The Hill Center and the Mall at Green Hills (including New Balance), Cool Springs Galleria (and nearby shoe store Marti and Liz!), and TJ Maxx at Hundred Oaks.

For more details, visit the Tennessee Department of Revenue Website.

Have a fun weekend of shopping and saving!