Heralded as Music City, U.S.A., and the country-music capital of the world, Tennessee's fast-growing capital city also shines as a leading center of higher education, appropriately known as the Athens of the South. Nashville has prospered from both labels, emerging as one of the South's most vibrant cities in the process. The District, the downtown area along 2nd Avenue and historic Broadway, has become a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, with restaurants, specialty shopping, and entertainment options. The historic sites throughout the city—such as the Hermitage and the Belle Meade Plantation—add another dimension.