Printers Alley

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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!

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

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!

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).

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

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!!

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.

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.

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!

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..

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

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.

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.

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...

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.

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!!!!

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!

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.

I looked for authentic and I think I got it. Very good music sung from the heart. If ever I come back I would repeat for sure.

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!

The Printer's Alley is rich in history and used to be a district that houses printing establishments, hence the name. By 1940s, bars took over the district but retained the name.This alley is located between 3rd and 4th Avenue which is nestled among the tall buildings in downtown Nashville. We passed by the alley on our morning walk to Shelby Bridge so I took a few shots. The alley itself looks dirty and unsavory so I would not venture into that area at night. We stayed pretty much on the other side of the street and just looked into the alley instead of going into the actual location.It had a few neon signs, which during the day was not lighted, of the bars and establishments found in the alley. The huge sign that marks the alley seem way too big and out of proportion to the size of the alley. Also, its placement is not on the alley itself but on Church st which makes one think that the "alley" it refers to is Church St...unless, of course, you are familiar with the history and location of the alley :)

Really awesome to walk down at night. No where near as crowded as Broadway although these bars can get pricey.

Printers alley was awesome. A hidden gem. A nice break from the madness of Broadway. Based on current construction, seems like it is definitely an up and coming area. It's 3 blocks from Broadway, has less of county feel, more like New Orleans feel, but not insane. I went there to eat at Skull's (amazing upscale restaurant with jazz). I stopped at the bar next door for a drink first, Bourbon Street Blues Boogie and Bar (awesome bar with live music), also in the 2 block span of this little alley there's an Irish pub, karaoke bar, and Greek Restaurant, probably a few more places that I didn't notice? Skull's is definitely a destination spot for food. So worth going. Make a reservation if you're not there early. Have a drink before or after at Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie bar, great service, music and vibe, was great! The perfect evening out. And if you still have energy after, and want to fight crowds and dive into the honkey tonk scene, you can still walk down 3rd, 3 short blocks to Broadway.

Best little blues bar in Nashville, TN. Stage, dancing and bar with some of the best musicians and down to earth people just enjoying the music and drinks! So much fun! Can't wait to go back soon!

Great to check off bucket list...been there, done that! Not so sure two bars were worth $15 parking fee though. Sad to see so much history being destroyed in the name of progress.

What an odd thing, Printer's Alley. SO out of place with the clean and tidy downtown Nashville that the city tries so hard to project. This place out Bourbon-Streets, Bourbon Street. Usually Bourbon Street isn't that sticky unless it's Mardi Gras. It also has that Old bathroom Smell. But like Bourbon, it's a piece of history and a lot of amazing music came out of that place.

From a purely historical point of view, this place is quite interesting, an alleyway filled with slightly run-down bars and hidden strip clubs of the type of seediness that entails a plastic Joel Grey character crackling 'Willkommen'. It's a romantically crude past, a reflection of the former dirty glory that was once seen in the now much more gentrified Lower Broadway. The reality however is that Printer's Alley is just dirty and run-down. This place needs a clean up. People look shady, dirty, drunk or all three. The stores look like they cater to a crude sort of audience, and all the bars had a fairly high cover of $10. Finally, it is an isolated spot, a few dark and not well traveled blocks away from the hustle of Lower Broadway and is quite small, literally a single short block with perhaps ten commercial buildings in all. Visit if you enjoy the stuff, otherwise come over once, gawk and leave.

I had heard a lot of "good" things and reviews about checking out Printer's Alley. It's off the beaten path, good live music, good food, cajun food.... well I was not impressed. I didn't take in much live music during my short walk over a few blocks from lower Broadway. We were first greeted by a strip club and then some rough looking characters in an actual alley. I'm sure if I was with a larger group and wanted to do something different it could be fun, but my visit was not a highlight of Nashville... maybe stay on 2nd if you're not going to walk up and down Broadway. I can respect the history and the uniqueness which is the only reason this spot and conglomeration of restaurants has earned the 2 star rating instead of 1.

A fun and lively venue of bars and restaurants a few blocks uphill from the main drag of downtown nashville

This place is the rough in the diamonds. I could bash this place for SO many reasons, but it was fun, where else can you see two girls having their maiden voyage into the wonderful world of stripping? Not since a trip last year to el Salvador have I seen a place on this low low level, but that place was awesome too! The girls ARE pretty gross and they lack ANY sort of dance skills, the only person with less talent is "DJ train wreck" well that should be his name if its not already. They ought to be upfront about the "$5 bar charge" or that "would you like to buy the ladies a drink?" routine ($12 a drink), but its a strip club. It comes with the territory and I should know better. BYO and you can also bring your own food! Really, it was awful, but I has a lot of fun laughing at EVERYTHING. Dancers, DJs, food stations, and clientele all were laughable, but I made lemonade out of it and had a fun wed night there with my girl.

I can't comprehend the terrible reviews by people who didn't even give the Alley a chance... or those that review the Alley based strictly on the Brass Stables. There's so much more to it. Give me Printer's Alley over Broadway or 2nd Avenue ANY day. - Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar has amazing history and the music you can hear there is amazing. -Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar is the Cheers Bar of Nashville, where you'll find regulars who are like family to each other, and who are always ready to welcome visitors. -Events on 3rd is a popular wedding venue today, and it holds an amazing history that anyone in the Alley will be happy to share. -Kelli's and Lonnie's brings you karaoke and are popular with the college crowds. -Fleet Street has delicious foot and is tucked away, almost transporting you to another place and time. -And, yes, there is the strip club... I look at it that as the throwback to the Alley's history and nothing more. -Late night eats are available at the Dog House and the Alley Dog (I recommend the Dog House, myself). -Oh and did I mention drink prices are wayyyyy more reasonable than what you'll find on Broadway? Because they are. More than anything, though, you'll find people who look out for each other. Strike up a conversation with one of the bar's employees, and you'll find hard working, good people who are (usually) happy to help you with anything you need.

By giving Printer's Alley 4 stars, I mean, "This is an interesting part of town that I enjoyed checking out during the day," NOT, "I like to spend my nights and my money here ogling girls at gentlemen's clubs." I really do think Printer's Alley is an interesting slice of downtown Nashville - this narrow brick alley, its walls sprinkled with neon and painted declarations of its "historical" character, is a pretty unique sight in downtown Nashville, especially considering its proximity to the tourism industry polish of the recently conquered river front. Also, I hear that Sam's Sushi Bar on Printer's Alley has some darn good sushi.

Disappointing. Half the bars have closed. There are only two there worth visiting: the rainbow room and bourbon st blues and boogie. Not sure what happened to the famous alley!

Printer Alley Lofts is incredible! What a cool place for families or couples. You cant get a better experience for this historic spot filled with loads of famous artists! We had an amazing time and the art in the loft is incredible.

Printer's Alley is a historic piece of Nashville that just happens to include adult entertainment. This of course limits my visits to just passing through. It is fun to just walk down it and listen to the people screeching karaoke at Lonnie's and/or Kellies. The brick walkway adds to the feel, and I do love it. That's about the extent of it though.