RETAIL THERAPY

Inside The Factory at Franklin (©VISIT FRANKLIN)

Everything old is new again at Nashville’s hippest shopping centers

While Music City is ever thinking about its future, it never forgets its past. Case in point, the former warehouses and factories that have been creatively repurposed as shopping centers.

The Marathon name has been entrenched in Nashville’s automotive history since the turn of the 20th century. Some of Marathon Motor Works’ most popular cars were produced here, in a facility just west of downtown. Today, its network of buildings is known as the Marathon Village (1305 Clinton St., Nashville), a vibrant spot to work and play—home to artist studios, distilleries, boutiques, lounges, restaurants and a comedy club. Don’t leave before visiting the Marathon Motor Works museum, which showcases five Marathon vehicles in the company’s original showroom.

Just minutes from Main Street Franklin lies one of the city’s hidden gems. The Factory at Franklin (230 Franklin Road, Franklin) houses some of the area’s most unique vendors inside Dortch Stove Works’ original 1929 factory, now on the National Register of Historic Places. Flip through the stacks at Luna Record Shop. Get your retro fix at Vintage, Tennessee, Franklin’s only vintage clothing and accessories shop. Explore the works of the many photographers and artists who have galleries here. Follow it all up with some of the best eats in Franklin: Mojo’s Tacos, Pinchy’s Lobster Co. and Five Daughters Bakery among them.

Love scouring for antiques? You’ll be in heaven at The Factory at Columbia (101 N. James Campbell Blvd., Columbia), an antiquer’s paradise. Once a vintage shirt factory, this 1958 building is full of charm: come for lunch at B’s Salty & Sweet (get the daily special, then take home a delectable donut—or a dozen), try on a chic new look at Wear it Well consignment, then delve into the Columbia Antique Marketplace—pace yourself, you’re sure to be in here for a few hours.