Three things define 12 South’s reputation: shopping, brunch, and murals. In that order of intensity.
Shopping
12 South became a shopping destination the moment Imogene + Willie opened in a converted gas station in 2009. The custom denim shop, founded by Nashville couple Matt and Carrie Eddmenson, attracted national press coverage and proved that the city had a retail identity beyond country music gift shops. What followed was a decade-long accumulation of boutiques that now makes 12th Avenue South one of the most concentrated shopping streets in the Southeast.
The anchor local stores are Imogene + Willie (denim, all USA-made), White’s Mercantile (Holly Williams’ general store stocked with Southern goods, gifts, and home goods), Judith Bright (handmade jewelry, artisans work on-site), and MODA Boutique (the original women’s clothing shop in the neighborhood). Draper James — Reese Witherspoon’s Southern-inspired women’s boutique — draws visitors as much for the photograph outside as for the merchandise inside. Made in TN handles Nashville-specific gifts: Goo Goo Clusters, Moon Pies, Tennessee whiskey candles. Planet Cowboy sells boots.
The strip has also attracted national retailers: Madewell, Marine Layer, Rag & Bone, Vuori, Buck Mason, and a new mixed-use development called the 12 South Collection added Oliver Peoples, Mejuri, Jenni Kayne, and Alice and Olivia. The result is a street that looks increasingly like Austin’s South Congress Avenue — polished, expensive, and visited by people who came to Nashville for brunch and stayed for a shopping afternoon.
Brunch
Weekend brunch waits in 12 South are a defining feature of the neighborhood. The Butter Milk Ranch draws lines before it opens. Urban Grub does brunch on weekends with a great bourbon list. Five Daughters Bakery, just off the main drag, sells 100-layer donuts that people will wait 20 minutes for without blinking. The space at 2316 12th Ave S that housed Josephine for a decade was taken over in 2024 by Fonda, an elevated Mexican restaurant that now handles both brunch and dinner.
The phrase “brunch in 12 South” is shorthand for a certain Nashville lifestyle: yoga class, then coffee at Frothy Monkey, then a two-hour meal, then boutique shopping, all without ever getting in a car.
Murals
The “I Believe in Nashville” mural on the exterior of Draper James is the most photographed single object in the neighborhood and arguably the most replicated Nashville image on social media. Painted in bold red, white, and blue, it’s across from the blue-and-white wall on the same building. On the other side of the street, the “Looking Pretty, Music City” mural on Madewell’s exterior provides a second option.
12 South has more murals than almost any other Nashville neighborhood, which feeds the neighborhood’s reputation as the city’s most Instagrammable district.
Sources
- StyleBlueprint, “Your Updated Guide to Nashville’s 12 South Neighborhood” (December 2024): styleblueprint.com
- Nashville Guru, 12 South Shopping Guide (June 2023): nashvilleguru.com
- The Infatuation, “The 12 Best Restaurants In 12 South” (December 2025): theinfatuation.com
- Seeing Tennessee, “A Local’s Guide to 12 South in Nashville”: seeingtennessee.com/nashville-12-south/
- Nash Lifestyle, Neighborhood Guide: nashvillelifestyles.com