By Sean McHugh

The third installment of our Nashville “Walking Tour” series takes us to the close-knit neighborhood of 12 South. The 12 South neighborhood is one of Nashville’s best and brightest areas, with a wide swath of boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, and general locales that make 12 South an accessible place for locals and tourists to get their respective fill of Nashville’s local scene.

Located on 12^th Avenue South, the 12 South neighborhood sits right behind the Belmont University campus and runs straight into the heart of downtown if traveled a little further North of the neighborhood.

A growing area that has experienced an exceptional amount of expansion in the past couple of years, 12 South is one of the most tourist friendly neighborhoods, being that everything is generally well connected and there’s little to no distance between shops and restaurants.

To begin our walking tour, lets start on the North end of 12 South, at 12 South Taproom, one of 12 South’s longest standing institutions. Part of the neighborhood since 2006, 12 South Taproom and Grill is a great place to grab a made to order meal or local free-range fare – whatever your preference may be. The Taproom is a beer bar in the best of ways, with an exceptional range of draft and can/bottle selections, you can’t go wrong with stopping by the Taproom for a couple of Yazoo Dos Perros and a Jalepeno Patty Melt.

Next stop on the 12 South walking tour is Five Daughter’s Bakery, one of the newest additions to the neighborhood, having opened up only within the past month. A family run donut shop and bakery, Five Daughters is home to Nashville’s most sought after confectionary goods, but be sure to wait in line, because with the extreme buzz surrounding the 12 South’s newest addition, Five Daughters regularly runs out of their sweets before the end of the day.

The third stop on our 12 South walking tour is one of Nashville’s most welcoming of coffee shops, Frothy Monkey. The first coffee shop in 12 South, Frothy Monkey has been roasting, baking, and brewing some of the best fares in 12 South since 2004. The coffee shop has since shifted into the realm of “revolving door” restaurants with its full service menu and dining experience, but the biggest sellers will inevitably remain a Turtle Latte and the Royale sandwich.

Our final stop in the 12 South walking tour is one of Nashville’s most vaunted and inspiring brands, Imogene + Willie. A local denim outfitter that makes some of the world’s highest quality denim, is also one of Nashville’s coolest retail spots. The interior of the store is incredibly well curated with pieces ranging from classically Southern to Southwestern vogue; if you’re a denim devotee, Imogene + Willie is a must see in 12 South.

12 South is a great snapshot into what Nashville has become as far as full functioning, independent neighborhoods that help enliven the city of Nashville as a whole. Be sure to check out other places like Savant, Portland Brew, Fork’s Drum Shop, Corner Music, Burger Up, and Edley’s Barbecue as well.