I love love love Printer's Alley! This historic area has my favorite pubs and speakeasies. The neon is fantastic. One of the best areas in Nashville to catch live music. In the early 1900s, this is where the printing and publishing industry for Nashville was located. Since then, it's been reinvented as a destination spot (as mentioned above). Great nightlife area. read more

Printer's Alley is a historic, vibrant nightlife district known for its speakeasy-style bars, live jazz, blues, and rock music. Originally the city's printing hub in the early 1900s, it transformed into a popular entertainment alley in the 1940s, providing a "grittier", more intimate alternative to Broadway's honky-tonks. Our experience here included an evening of drinks and music at Alley Taps, and just enjoying a few walks up and down the street. We had already learned some of the history here from our Joyride tour, which added nicely to our exposure. read more

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When mentioning a trip to Nashville, most people will ask the traveler if they visited Printers Alley while there, which seems to be synonymous with the city. We strolled through the area this trip and I've been there before, usually after sunset and after a few drinks, so this was unusual to see more detail this trip. It reminds me of a much tamer version of Vegas' Fremont Street or New Orleans' Bourbon Street. Suffice to say, most cities with a personality have a place like this. Plenty to see and do, great music and entertainment, terrific food and drink, and an edginess. Looking forward to future visits. read more

Printer's Alley - Printers Alley signage - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

3.5 stars. Printer's Alley prints the chapter of an alley with two chapters. In chapter one it served as Nashville's printing hub in the early 1900s. In the second chapter that dates from the 1940s to the time of this writing, it is a nightclub and bar destination. In contrast to the nearby Broadway-Honkeytonk Highway, it is far smaller. It is two blocks long bounded by Commerce Street to the south, 4th Avenue to the west, Union Street to the North, and 3rd Avenue to the east. For purposes of this review, I am rating it from the perspective of walking in it during the late morning. When I experienced Printer's Alley it was part of a walk through Downtown Nashville. In the late morning it was quiet. I walked it a couple of times. From the northernmost point at Union Street to the southernmost point at Commerce Street it was a 0.21 mile walk that took six minutes. Unlike the nearby Honky Tonk Highway, it was very laid back and had an off the beaten path to it although it is a block from Broadway. I was impressed with the cleaniness of the alleyway. The historic buildings were free of graffiti and vandalism. That created a better perception of safety. Along the way there were a few signs that told the Printer's Alley story. One of them says, "Probation ends here." I noticed that the largest concentration of nightclubs and other businesses were just north of Church Street. The string lights called attention to these businesses. From my time in historic Printer's Alley, I saw that it was bookended by two modern buildings: UBS Center to the north and the At&T Building-the Tallest Building in Tennessee to the south. I cannot help but note that if the AT&T Building weren't there that possibly Printer's Alley could connect to Broadway. From a daytime perspective I give Printer's Alley Three Stars. In the daytime it is an interesting place to walk through as a part of a Downtown Nashville hike. read more

As I was walking through downtown Nashville area I came across this gem of an area!!! Printer's Alley is a historic alley in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, known for its nightlife and entertainment. It's located between Third and Fourth Avenues, stretching from Union Street to Commerce Street. The area gained its name from its early association with Nashville's printing and publishing industry. Today, it's a popular area for bars and nitelife..... read more

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Sure it's touristy and filled with a bunch of bars I wasn't particularly into checking out but you know what? I'm a sucker for a good alley activation with neon and strong lights and lively crowds and on this level Printer's Alley delivered. The hotel I stayed in was right next to Printer's Alley and every night I stayed here I spent some time walking through and people watching and it was quite enjoyable. Looking up a few of the businesses located there seemed like some might be fun to pop into and, had I not be alone, I probably would have done so. Next time I look forward to exploring more of the interiors! read more

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Such a fun spot to stroll through, but wear comfortable shoes! Tons of live music but also spots with DJ music. Lots of foot stands in the alley and the surrounding areas too. read more

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Favorite spot in Nashville! We had a blast strolling through this alley checking out music and bars. If you want a break from the main strip look no further. Bourbon Street Boogie Bar is awesome, the show we saw there was the highlight of our trip. read more

Quality/Quantity - What a cool find. An alley full of bars! Part of the historic district, see picture with the history information. Well labeled, see picture. Cut and pasted from their website: Printers Alley | Downtown Nashville Printers Alley National Register Historic District. "Traditionally the center of Nashville's nightlife, Printers Alley was, in its earlier days, a series of posts where men bound for the courthouse hitched their horses. By the turn of the twentieth century it had become the center of Nashville's printing industry; in its heyday, circa 1915, thirteen publishers and ten printers were located in the area serviced by the alley. Nashville's two largest newspapers, The Tennessean and the Nashville Banner, had their offices here at one time. The street contained hotels, restaurants, and saloons, many of the latter becoming speakeasies when Prohibition went into effect in 1909. Nightclubs opened here in the 1940s, and the alley became a showcase for the talents of performers such as Boots Randolph, Chet Atkins, Waylon Jennings, Dottie West, The Supremes, Hank Williams, Barbara Mandrell, and Jimi Hendrix. Today's nightclubs are the descendants of the saloons, speakeasies, and clubs which developed into the entertainment district still known as Printers Alley." Atmosphere - Alley of bars and clubs. Service - Aggressive inviting door greeters. Price - N/A, depends on which bar you enter. And what you drink. Owner Comment - See above cut and pasted from their website. read more

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Printer's Alley was a really cool area that we happened to stumble upon while walking in the area. It was literally an alleyway, which I thought was pretty cool, and had live bands and karaoke bars located a few streets away from Broadway. I learned that it's actually the oldest nightlife district in Nashville and was once the hub of the city's printing industry so it was cool to be experience some Nashville history. We didn't go inside any bars but it's definitely a place I plan on returning to since it was much less crowded than Broadway. read more

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Last time I was here I took a free walking tour that went through printer alley. I was much more enamored back than.. Now Printers alley should be named like the famous Tokyo Piss Alley (although that one is much much better and nicer). Sure there are bars down it and you can visit the famous Skull bar which is really really cool. But who needs the broken glass and eau du urine vibe. Go once and be done with it. read more

Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The famed Printers Alley in downtown nashville not too far off the path from the cities main stretch of honky tonks. Of the Vegas strip has Fremont street as its offset than printers alley is Nashville's offset to Broadway. Like the strip Vs Fremont it is still very crowded and with Similiar establishments as Broadway it is the lesser known and a bit of an older more subdued atmosphere. Over my several visits to nashville over the years I've explored Printers alley a few times. Outside of the bars, shows and eateries I mostly enjoy the setup, vibe and public art of Printers alley. Overall a neat little part of Nashville which is sure to be on any tourists to do list and is worth checking out for sure. read more

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Don't get the hype. It's a block long and feels pretty beat up. A couple of cool bars but the feel is off and it looks like they're trying too hard to draw folks in to the venues. Felt like a back alley complete with trash and a smell of corner piss. Not very exciting read more

Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Been to Nashville so many times and never been to Printers Alley. No car needed, just walk around to bar hop. We stopped at 3 different bars on a Sunday night and none were over crowded. Dive bars are more our speed so we were happy! Would return read more

Printers Alley is a coool Ali that has a lot of different public art displays and murals for you to see Lisa all kinds of different things and bars and restaurants in just a lot of cool stuff read more

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This was a quick walk through at night but very historic and cool spot to visit during the day and night if you want to enjoy some good music. Definitely going to come back and hit up some bars on my next visit read more

Came down to Printer's Alley with a good friend and checked out a number of the bars, listens to live music, and really enjoyed myself. My next visit, I really want to check out Skulls Rainbow Room...I hear it's a blast and that the food is amazing too read more

Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Printers alley was a ton of fun! The bars are all different, the vibe is high energy. The karaoke bar jello shots were great! read more

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Printer's Alley is a fun place. I didn't realize its rich printer's history meaning beginning of the 20th century, Printer's Alley was home to a thriving publishing industry including two large newspapers, ten print shops, and thirteen publishers. Interesting to read Jimi Hendrix performed someplace in the Alley. Personally, I know Printer's Alley for Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar and Skull's Rainbow Room. I had the pleasure of seeing Chicago blues legend Frank "Son" Seals at Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar on one of several trips to this bar!! Talk about a man who exuded the blues - Son survived being shot in the jaw by his wife, a partial leg amputation from his diabetes, a house fire and having several of his prized guitars stolen from his home. Phish covered his famous song, "Funky B&tch" and often brought him on stage to perform with them. Do check out BSBB if you haven't and you like the blues. It's cozy [super tight inside but nothing like CBGB & OMFUG] with a good view of the stage from the second floor, and good bar food with a Cajun twist. Sorority sister and I visited Skull's Rainbow Room, well, because it's famous and has been around since 1948. Our schedule wouldn't allow us to see the burlesque show, we just had a glass of wine and a couple of appetizers. Up your street cred and visit Printer's Alley. Rich in history, it's a fun place to check out and stay as briefly, or as long as you'd like read more

I always have a blast partying in Printer's Alley. I love the Bourbon Street-Beale Street vibe with the jazz, live bands, minimal/no cover charge, burlesque shows, karaoke, beer, and signature drinks. The downside is that it smells like Bourbon Street: the stench of zoo, vomit, garbage, sweat, musk, urine, and any other unpleasant odor you can imagine. No worries after an hour and a few drinks you will begin to experience nose blindness. It can get crowded at night on the weekends but not nearly as crowded as Broadway. Printer's Alley is pretty vacant during the day but has a vibrant Saturday nightlife that's great for baccalaureate parties, birthday celebrations, and anyone looking to dance or just listen to a variety of good music. read more

Printer's Alley - Printer's Alley Saturday night view - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Broadway was a bit too touristy for me, so I asked for somewhere locals would go for drinks. Printer's Alley is a short turn from Broadway and offers the retreat I was seeking. We went to Skulls Rainbow room, enjoyed the cocktails (I got the Kiss Goodbye) and live music. Then headed to Fleet Street pub to grab a seat and have a calm end to our night out where we could hear each other talk and enjoy the company. Looking for the hidden gems in Nashville and these 2 establishments are on my list! read more

Printer's Alley - Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

A friend told us that when we got tired of the craziness on Broadway to find this alley. She did not steer us wrong. On our first night in Nashville, Printer's Alley was just steps from our hotel so we landed here. We found two great spots to listen to live music: Alley Taps and Snitch. The next night we landed at Bourbon Street Blues and then made it back to Alley Taps. I would make this my destination for evenings (especially if you are into live music). read more

Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

It's like a alley way but with bars and restaurants/bars. It like walking at r street in Sacramento. . There is a 24 hr Sicilian pizza, there was a few hot dog stand. Smelled amazing but not really a dog kinda bro. . There is a signage lit up. It's a cute area and I would be back for more drinks. I feel like it's a little more relax than honky tonks. . After landing, getting the truck, checking into the room, it was time to find me some late night drinks and eats. I made it within 7 minutes before the kitchen closed. . I got to try the grilled cheese sandwich and Buffalo bbq chicken wings. The grilled cheese was 5 bucks. The grilled cheese sandwich was one of the best made. It was cheesy and temperature hot. We both looked at it and was amazed. The chicken wings was basic and just meh. Just your normal chicken wings. Nothing special or wow. . Ice cold beers all night long. I fell in love with yuengling beer. It's a thing in nashville. If you never tried it, get yourself a yuenling beer. The beer story of America's Oldest Brewery began when David G. Yuengling arrived from Wuerttemberg Germany to settle in the sleepy, coal-mining town of Pottsville, Pennsylvania . Come explore here if your visiting. Can not go wrong, get a drink and enjoy some live music. It's a jazzy live music. Thanks for reading and have a yelptastic day! read more

Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Interesting and a little sketchy! Had a few drinks at Standard Proof then walked over to Skull's Rainbow Room for some food with my partner. We loved the jazz and abundance of basement karaoke spots in Printer's Alley. It's a little bit of a walk from the main downtown area but full of restaurants and bars, many of which are full during busy season. Would come back and explore more of this vibe next time but nothing too special. read more

Most people do it for the gram! It's in an alley with bright flashing lights, multiple bars and restaurants. If you're in the area it's worth a stop and a picture, but I wouldn't make a trek here. There are too many awesome things in Nashville to see, eat and hear. Your efforts are better spent at the Ryman, the Country Music Hall of Fame or any of the many distilleries in the area. Party on! read more

We heard this is home for the radical American community and it really isn't, it's just home. We loved the vibe and environment. Multi mix or locals and visitors. No one dominating race or genre, just nice loving cool fun. We stopped in and heard a few sets at Bourbon, it was cool. Come enjoy the vibe, walk the alley listen to whatever fancy's your heart. No one place is the same. We had fun bar hoping and having a taste of it all. Best way to visit the alley is be prepared to simply have fun!! read more

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We absolutely loved printers alley. Our hotel led right to the alley. It even had a door to lead back into hotel after you partied hard (Dream Nashville). It felt nice there. There were hole in the wall bars, atmosphere was great. Nice place to party. read more

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We were pretty much just exploring the town today and decided to walk down to Printers alley to check it out. We were told that it's a nice alternative to Broadway street as it's less crowded. Well that's an understatement. It was completely dead. It looked like there were a fun fun spots, but everything appeared to be in poorly lit indoor environments and it was 82 and sunny. We wanted to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather. I would consider giving it another shot, maybe in the evening. But it was.a bit of a walk for it to be so dead.. read more

Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Great music and small venues. Blues can be a little difficult to find at times but it's always there.

Several bars, restaurants, karaoke, and some shopping. It's a fun spot in town for fun. Other than the restaurants it's not really kid-friendly. read more

Loved Ms Kelly's... great atmosphere! Bartenders were really friendly and drinks were reasonably price compared to Broadway. read more

Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

A cool little spot. Was told this was where to go to hear older country music but that really didn't seem to be the case. Went to Bourbon Blues and listened to a band play there which was fun but a cover charge was required which surprised me. Then went to karaoke bar while waiting to get into another place in the alley which had a live band playing but they always seemed to be full so we called it a night. Still a place to check out but didn't get my country music fill that I wanted. read more

Printer's Alley - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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By far one of my favorite nightlife areas in Nashville. Located within walking distance of downtown, it offers the debauchery of Broadway without the lines. The atmosphere is lively, the bars are hoppin', and the offerings are diverse. Definitely something for everyone. My recommended itinerary is as follows: start with dinner at the iconic Skull's Rainbow Room, followed by drinks at Alley Taps or Fleet Street pub. Finish the night off with the mother of all hotdogs from Daddy's Dogs. You won't regret it!! Happily, Clayton Cohn read more

Printer's Alley was my favorite spot for bars while in downtown Nashville. It is populated by smaller bars and clubs and absent the glitz and crowds of the NashVegas drag, which is what I wanted. First of all, the history of this place is cool, as it used to house the many newspapers in Nashville a century ago. Later nightclubs and bars opened and that's what we're left with today. It's near Church and 4th but it's not the biggest area. Alley is a great name, if there wasn't a large sign you'd probably miss it. So, if you are looking to a place to stumble late one night this is your spot, but you've gotta be looking for it. I went to 3 or 4 joints in Printer's Alley and loved each one. My favorite music was at Bourbon Street Blues, it was lively and PACKED. I was lucky to find a seat, and this was at 11 pm on a Tuesday. Alley Taps was more laid back, a little more "divey" (that word is severely overused but I think it's appropriate here), and also with live music. But, while Bourbon had more rockin' blues Alley Taps was like a much nicer open mic. You got some blues standards, but also pop covers and originals. I would absolutely return to both bars on future trips. If you don't want to check out the monsters on Broadway then Printer's Alley is for you. read more

Walked to Printer's Alley from Broadway and it was almost empty. I was expecting a bigger crowd but there was not much going on here. They have bars and stuff but the energy here was very low. Came and left pretty quickly. read more

Printer's Alley - Archway - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Neat spot that is a couple of blocks off from Broadway. This is the bar scene and the place to go for your Karaoke nonsense. Located between Third and Fourth Avenue in downtown, there's a character here that's not quite Nashville. It felt almost New Orleans with the balconies and the bars, with a bit more Bourbon Street going on. Definitely worth the visit for one of your nights of consuming alcohol in NashVegas. read more

Printer's Alley - Printer's Alley in Nashville - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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I don't recall which bar we went into- but it was next to Skulls. It seemed like the drinks were made with old bottles of liquor. But I loved the vibe and the band! The place was dark and laid back. The staff was great! Loved the whole thing but the drinks... read more

Local dive bar meets 20 1st century yelp! Food great!... I recommend the curry fry's if you have room for flavor. No it's not spicy FLAVORS BABY!!!! read more

Great vibe and music ! I highly recommend any time of day . They have some really great specialty drinks and some fried alligator bites is a must! read more

Fun & Frivolity in Downtown Nashville! SITREP This is the place to go on a Sunday Night (well, and probably other nights too) when the energy in the rest of Nashville seems to be diiminshing as the weekend comes to a close. THE SETUP Like so many other kitschy locations, Printer's Alley does for Nashville what the Gas Lamp Quarter does for San Diego, or that Fremont Street does for Las Vegas: it's a well-defined district that has an array of restaurants & karaoke bars for where people (ie. tourists like me) can come for a good time. A few of the fun options I got to check out here in Printer's Alley was: * Lonnie's Western Room (a great karaoke bar), * Fiddle and Street Guitar Bar (very friendly pub environment) * Dog House (for late night munchies) Any one of these - and definitely all of these - make a great time & awesome stops for an evening of fun. [I really need to come back and spend more time here exploring all of the venues!] THE LOWDOWN Printer's Alley is your "Hello, (insert your name)!" of friendly fun! read more