Whether you’re a ‘Reputation’ apologist or you’ve got ‘Evermore’ on repeat, make sure to visit these Swift-accredited locations
The nights are getting darker and that means lighting candles, wearing big snuggly sweaters and going for meandering autumnal walks. Oh, and listening to Taylor Swift, of course. The singer-songwriter has just re-recorded and re-released ‘Red’, making us very nostalgic for 2012 (and definitely not making us want to text our exes). Taylor adores specificity, so if a location has made an impression on her, you can bet she mentions it in the music. So, whether you’re a ‘Reputation’ apologist or you’ve got ‘Evermore’ on repeat, pop on your headphones and head to one of these Swift-accredited USA locations ASAP.
Die-hard fans already know that Taylor Alison Swift was born in PA, and lived there for the first 14 years of her life. For a trip steeped in nostalgia (admittedly for her life not yours), head to Pine Ridge, the ‘Christmas tree farm’ from the song of that name. She wrote her first tunes while living in the city of Reading, so go there to see where it all began.
Nashville is the place to raise a country star, so the Swifts headed to Tennessee once Taylor was a teenager. If you want to make the pilgrimage, put on ‘Our Song’ and ‘Teardrops on my Guitar’ and tour the Music City’s recording studios. At the Country Music Hall of Fame, you’ll find exhibits about Taylor and other legends like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton.
Taylor’s five-acre Rhode Island home – built by an oil heir in 1930 – is predictably beautiful. It’s in the tiny hamlet of Watch Hill, and overlooks the Eastern Seaboard. The exact location is pretty off the beaten track, but if you’re looking to spend time in the New England state, we really recommend wandering the area’s sandy beaches (and listening to ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ on repeat).
Tread carefully if you’re feeling a bit delicate. According to the understated ‘Lover’ track, Taylor can’t face walking along Cornelia Street after a heartbreak ‘time could never mend’. If you’re not mourning a lost love, though, look out for the anonymous, pink-fronted townhouse in Greenwich Village the singer once rented – if you spot the three arched oak doors, you’ve found the spot.
Tribeca is very pretty – think minimalist coffee shops, lively bars and cobblestone streets. It’s rumoured Taylor owns multiple properties in the area, including a penthouse she bought from ‘Lord of the Rings’ director Peter Jackson for a cool $20 million. The singer now spends most of her time here, so you can bet she worked on the re-recorded albums in these parts.
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