Yes. Free street parking remains widely available across most Nashville neighborhoods, with important exceptions and caveats depending on where you are and what time you arrive.
Neighborhoods Where Free Street Parking Is Generally Available
East Nashville has the most functional free street parking of any popular destination neighborhood. The residential streets around Five Points, Shelby Avenue, and the Inglewood corridor are largely unmetered. On a weekend afternoon, you can find free parking one or two blocks off the main commercial strips without difficulty. As East Nashville has grown, some blocks closer to heavily trafficked intersections have seen meters added, but the neighborhood as a whole is not metered the way downtown is.
12 South has a mix of metered parking on 12th Avenue South itself and free parking on the surrounding residential streets. Arriving a couple of blocks off the main strip and walking in is the standard approach for locals. The neighborhood is small enough that the walk from free residential parking to any restaurant or shop is rarely more than five minutes.
Germantown is similar: the blocks immediately on the main corridor see some meters, but the surrounding residential streets are generally free. Parking a block or two back and walking in is the easiest strategy.
Hillsboro Village has some metered spots near Centennial Boulevard and the Village area but is surrounded by free residential street parking. Students and locals routinely park off the commercial corridor.
Sylvan Park, Wedgewood-Houston, Berry Hill, and similar quieter neighborhoods have little to no metered enforcement. Free street parking is readily available throughout these areas.
The Caveat: Permit Zones
Some blocks adjacent to high-traffic commercial areas have been designated residential permit zones, meaning non-residents can only park there for a limited time (usually two hours) during enforcement hours. Nashville has been expanding these zones as neighborhoods develop. Signage is not always obvious. Looking for posted permit signs before leaving your car for a long stretch is worth the 30 seconds.
How Neighborhoods Differ from Downtown
The key difference from downtown is enforcement intensity. Nashville’s Central Business District has 24/7 meter enforcement, which was implemented in 2023. Neighborhood commercial corridors generally have meters with either limited enforcement hours or unmetered streets nearby. The further you are from the downtown core, the more likely free street parking is available within a five-minute walk of your destination.
Practical Strategy for Neighborhood Visits
For 12 South: park on one of the residential side streets between 12th and Linden, Kirkwood, or Montrose. Walk to the strip from there.
For East Nashville: park on any of the residential streets a block off Gallatin, Woodland, or the Five Points intersection. Virtually all of them are free.
For Germantown: park on Jefferson Street, Monroe Street, or any of the cross streets not immediately on the main corridor.
For any Nashville neighborhood visit: if you see a meter in front of you, drive one block perpendicular to the commercial street and check. Free parking is almost always within walking distance in every neighborhood outside downtown.
One Note on CBD vs. Neighborhoods
Downtown CBD meters run 24/7, seven days a week, with no free window at any hour. Non-CBD neighborhood meters enforce from 6 AM to midnight seven days a week. If you park in Germantown, Midtown, or 12 South after midnight or before 6 AM, the meter is inactive and parking is free. If you park in the CBD at midnight, the meter is still active.
Sources
- Metro Nashville Paid Parking and zone information: nashville.gov/departments/transportation/traffic-and-parking/parking/paid-parking
- Expedia, 12 South neighborhood guide (parking information): expedia.com/Nashville-12-South
- NashvilleSMLS, downtown parking guide with zone rates: nashvillesmls.com
- Nashville Downtown Partnership: nashvilledowntown.com/get-around/nashville-parking