Belmont in the Snow

Belmont University lies well within the city limits of Nashville, Tennessee.  It’s surrounded by typical Nashville gritty streets and old two-story brick facades, but somehow, the big brick buildings create a sanctuary the city’s dirt can’t penetrate.

Death to Wall Street: Coffee at Eighth and Roast

Eighth and Roast, a coffee shop on 8th Street in Nashville, TN that roasts and grinds its own beans, was teeming with hipsters complaining about their music careers when I walked in Thursday morning.  I had honestly never seen so many people wearing flannel shirts in one place.  Most seats were full but I managed one at the end of a long table, eavesdropped, and sipped my latte.  It was worth venturing twenty minutes from home for, but I wished it tasted a tiny bit creamier.

Outside, a man on a bicycle pulled up to the door.  He was old and looked a bit homeless, but as I watched him longer, I realized he was probably just wearing older clothes and riding his bike by choice.  After ordering he came around to a seat next to me, one of the only empty ones.