West End / Vanderbilt is the area west of downtown Nashville along West End Avenue, the continuation of Broadway, anchored by Vanderbilt University and Centennial Park.
It is generally described as the West End Avenue corridor from about 16th Avenue to Interstate 440, with Charlotte Avenue to the north and Hillsboro Village, along 21st Avenue South and Belcourt Avenue, at its southern edge. Boundaries are informal and overlap Midtown and Belmont-Hillsboro.
Development
Vanderbilt University was founded in 1873 with a $1 million gift from Cornelius Vanderbilt and opened in 1875; its campus is an accredited arboretum. Centennial Park occupies the site of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, and its full-scale Parthenon replica was rebuilt in concrete between 1921 and 1931. The Cathedral of the Incarnation at 2001 West End Avenue was completed in 1914. In Hillsboro Village, the Belcourt Theatre opened in 1925 as the Hillsboro Theater and housed the Grand Ole Opry from 1934 to 1936.
Parks & Recreation
Centennial Park, a 132-acre Metro park at 2500 West End Avenue, includes the Parthenon, Lake Watauga, the Great Lawn, a sunken garden, a walking trail, and a dog park; the Musicians Corner concert series has been held there since 2010. The Centennial Sportsplex is also on the park grounds.
Transit
WeGo Route 3 West End runs along Broadway and West End Avenue from downtown past I-440. Route 7 Hillsboro follows 21st Avenue South past Vanderbilt and Hillsboro Village, and Route 75 Midtown crosses the area on 20th and 21st Avenues toward North Nashville. I-440 has an interchange at West End Avenue.