Big enough to be relevant.  Nashville is a city of note in the United States.  Other cities of the same size or a little larger don't play as big a role in the culture (Cleveland, Columbus, San Antonio, Charlotte, Indianapolis). The factors that make Nashville stand out are its history, music business, publishing business, Vanderbilt and Opryland. Small enough to be known.  Small enough to know the city, and small enough to be known by Nashvillians.  If you really wanted to, you could spend a year going to events, meeting politicians, meeting decision makers, meeting townspeople and meet what would feel like 'just about everybody'. Get around so fast.  The traffic isn't bad.  And the roads and interstates loop the city so well that you can get from any part to another in 15 minutes. Be in countryside in 9 minutes.  At any part of Nashville, you can get to cows, farmland and forest within 9 minutes.  And for the price of a suburban two-story, you can own a small farm with a few acres in Davidson county. Rolling green hills.  The rolling hills of Tennessee speak peace to the soul. Other people think it's worth visiting.  Louisville, Cincinnati, Birmingham, Charlotte, Knoxville, Greensboro just don't have that. That skyline. Classy and distinct.