Two upscale Nashville bars that opened in 2023 have made this year’s version of Esquire magazine’s “Best Bars in America” list.
Tiger Bar on Gallatin Pike in East Nashville and Four Walls, located within The Joseph hotel downtown, made it onto the annual list of unique bars around the United States.
Kevin Sintumuang, Esquire’s lifestyle and culture director, wrote the capsule reviews of the Nashville locations, both of which feature a suggested cocktail to sample.
Of Four Walls, the magazine notes “This is not your typical hotel bar: The drinks are very technique-focused; the house Negroni is aged in Jeroboam bottles; a Manhattan is stirred with celery and made with a bay-leaf tincture,” and recommends The Paisano, “a kind of martini on the rocks that just works.”
About Tiger Bar, Esquire says “Take one part saloon, one part circus sideshow, and one part ambitious cocktail bar and you’ve got yourself a pretty crazy night at Tiger Bar.” Sintumuang suggests The Snake (Oil) Charmer, “a vodka cocktail that’s velvety (olive oil! egg whites!) and captures the essence of a ripe grapefruit.”
Previous Nashville bars to have made the list include Dee’s Country cocktail Lounge in 2020, White Limozeen in 2021 and Rice Vice in 2023.
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State DHS opens Families First grants
The Tennessee Department of Human Services has opened applications for the 2024 Families First Community Grant Program, an initiative that will make available approximately $5 million in funding to nonprofit organizations providing direct services to strengthen Tennessee families in need and promote self-sufficiency.
The Families First Community Grant program was created as an additional method to invest Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds in ways to provide assistance to low-income families and help them move toward sustainable economic stability.
The grants will support a wide range of services in the areas of education, health and well-being, economic stability and fostering safe, stable and nurturing relationships.
Grant recipients will be selected through a competitive application process and evaluated based upon their ability to provide effective services and programs that address the specific needs of the community.
Qualifying nonprofit organizations are invited to apply through July 10 at 5 p.m. CDT. Information/application
New curated bike routes available at BikeTN.com
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is inviting cyclists to experience Tennessee on 52 new curated road cycling routes that wind their way through the state’s picturesque landscapes.
The new program, Bike Tennessee, launched at BikeTN.com and allows cyclists to engage with the routes using the app Ride with GPS.
“From our music to our makers, Tennessee is a state full of storytellers and our beauty is unmatched,” said Commissioner Mark Ezell, TDTD. “As travelers increasingly seek sustainable and authentic experiences, we invite them to explore our scenic routes and discover the charm of our small towns. We are pleased to partner with Ride with GPS and showcase the hidden gems and breathtaking landscapes that define our state.”
Tennessee has been named an ambassador for popular cycling app Ride with GPS, making all 52 routes easily accessible across the platform. Each Bike Tennessee route was meticulously mapped, ensuring cyclists have access to detailed navigation and route information. Ride descriptions provide valuable information about the terrain, waypoints and hidden gems along the way, as well as modifications to tailor each ride to the individual.
The routes were created in collaboration with professional cycling guide Shannon Burke of Velo View Bike Tours, who brings more than a decade of experience leading cycling tours. Routes were selected with safety and scenery in mind, with 1,739 miles of routes mapped and 53 Tennessee counties included in the Bike Tennessee program. They offer seasoned cyclists mostly rural, low-traffic experiences in some of Tennessee’s most scenic and historic landscapes, including 14 routes in Tennessee State Parks.
Barge Design acquires Florida-based CORE
Barge Design Solutions, an engineering and architecture firm with diverse in-house multidisciplinary practice areas, announced it has acquired Core Engineering Group, a fully integrated professional engineering service and management consultation company based in Florida.
The acquisition of CORE is a strategic move to strengthen its presence in the Florida transportation market and overall position in the industry.
Founded in 2019, CORE started with a mission to implement safer transportation solutions and is committed to delivering complex projects with the assurance of experience and qualified professionals.
With offices in Orlando, West Palm Beach, Miami and Margate, CORE will undergo an immediate name change to Barge Design Solutions. The CORE team brings experience on transportation projects across the state, including the SR 600 Roadway Resurfacing project for FDOT District 5, the US 1 and SW 137th Avenue Intersection Safety improvement project for FDOT District 6, and the SR 60 Resurfacing and Intersection Safety Improvement project for FDOT District 7, further solidifying Barge’s strategic presence in Florida.
Barge has seen consistent growth through organic expansion and acquisitions, fortifying its presence in the Southeastern United States and diversifying across health care, environmental and energy sectors, alongside its transportation focus.
Williamson Co. libraries holding design contest
The Williamson County Public Library System is hosting its first-ever library card design contest.
Three categories based on age groups (up to age 12, ages 13-17, ages 18+) are charged with creating designs based on the theme “Adventure Awaits At Your Library.”
Printed entries may be submitted at any Williamson County Public Library location or by filling out the online contest form. Contest entries close June 30.
A panel of community and library officials will determine the winner in each age group, and winners will be announced Aug. 15 with a reception and debut of the designs in September for National Library Card Sign-up Month.
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Flow Service adds Dynamic to portfolio
Flow Service Partners, a Nashville-based provider of commercial heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and plumbing services in the Midwest, Southeast and mid-Atlantic, announced the acquisition of Dynamic Air Solutions, a specialist in commercial and industrial HVAC services based in Louisville, Kentucky.
This strategic acquisition furthers Flow’s growth strategy by expanding the breadth and reach of its capabilities and coverage areas. Flow Service Partners is a portfolio company of RLJ Equity Partners, an affiliate of The RLJ Companies, and LP First Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Dynamic has established a strong reputation for excellence and customer-centric service, making it a perfect match for Flow’s culture of quality and reliability. In addition, the Dynamic acquisition increases Flow’s operational density in Kentucky and southern Indiana.
Dynamic represents the sixth acquisition for Flow. The platform will continue to seek strategic HVACR and plumbing acquisitions in the Midwest, Southeast and mid-Atlantic U.S.
Redfin: Renters staying in one place longer
One in six (16.6%) U.S. renters stayed in their home for 10 years or more in 2022, up from 13.9% a decade earlier. That’s according to a new report from Redfin, the technology-powered real estate brokerage.
However, renters in Nashville tend to move more frequently. 34.4% of Nashville renters surveyed stayed put for 12 months or less in 2022, third among U.S. metros behind Austin (38.2%) and Denver (34.4%).
Redfin analyzed renter tenure by multiple time frames:
• 5-9 years: One in six (16.4%) lived in their home for five to nine years in 2022, up from 14% a decade earlier.
• 1-4 years: The lion’s share of renters stay put for one to four years. Just over two in five (41.8%) stayed in their home for one to four years in 2022, up from 39.9% a decade earlier.
• 12 months or less: One-quarter (25.2%) of renters stayed in their home for 12 months or less before moving in 2022. That’s down from 32.2% in 2012.
The primary reason the study found for renters staying put is renters being priced out of homeownership. The median U.S. home-sale price has more than doubled since 2012, and it has risen more than 40% since 2019 alone, and mortgage rates are elevated near two-decade highs. That makes it difficult for renters to save for down payments and monthly mortgage payments, and encourages them to stay put.
Full report
Study: Antibodies may aid influenza B fight
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have isolated human monoclonal antibodies against influenza B, a significant public health threat that disproportionately affects children, the elderly and other immunocompromised individuals.
Seasonal flu vaccines cover influenza B and the more common influenza A but do not stimulate the broadest possible range of immune responses against both viruses. In addition, people whose immune systems have been weakened by age or illness may not respond effectively to the flu shot.
Small-molecule drugs that block neuraminidase, a major surface glycoprotein of the influenza virus, can help treat early infection, but they provide limited benefit when the infection is more severe, and they are generally less effective in treating influenza B infections. Thus, another way to combat this virus is needed.
Reporting May 31 in the journal Immunity, the VUMC researchers describe how, from the bone marrow of an individual previously vaccinated against influenza, they isolated two groups of monoclonal antibodies that bound to distinct parts of the neuraminidase glycoprotein on the surface of influenza B.
One of the antibodies, FluB-400, broadly inhibited virus replication in laboratory cultures of human respiratory epithelial cells. It also protected against influenza B in animal models when given by injection or through the nostrils.
These findings support the development of FluB-400 for the prevention and treatment of influenza B and will help guide efforts to develop a universal influenza vaccine, they said.