SYLVAN PARK

One of Nashville's Great Neighborhoods.
The area known as Sylvan Park is located between Murphy Road and Charlotte Pike and from 46th Avenue South to 54th Avenue. Today it is one of Nashville's most sought after destinations for those on the home ownership odyssey with properties commanding prices per square foot as high as those in Green Hills, and at times even the hallowed grounds of Belle Meade. Fifteen years ago placing Sylvan Park in the same sentence would have been real estate sacrilege. But the neighborhood began to develop a personality of hipness and eclecticism, and homes now sell for over $167 per square foot.

The neighborhood association has taken an active role in the rejuvenation and has provided strong leadership though the years. With the rising prices have come more affluent homeowners that have spawned the opening of some of Nashville's finest eateries such as Park Cafe, the Red Rooster, Café Nonna, the venerable Sylvan Park Café with its offering of "a meat and three", as well as McCabe's Pub, a longtime favorite watering hole that was a sports bar before the term existed.

The neighborhood has cozy backyard alleys and is a delightful mix of some of Nashville's finest arts and crafts architecture—with bungalows, cape cods and even some Victorians--not to mention its delightful mix of long-time neighbors and new residents. There exists a creative air to the community which is manifested in the decor. The area is home to a number of songwriters, recording artists and musicians as well as contributors to visual arts. Sylvan Park has become one of Nashville's great neighborhoods.



HISTORIC RICHLAND

Fire Refugee Camp
Many within the community are under the impression that Belle Meade has exclusively housed Nashville's affluent since James Robertson stepped onto the banks of the Cumberland in the late 1700's and uttered, "All you rich people take your treasures and go west about seven or eight miles, and the rest of you settle anywhere you like."

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of wealthy families settled in and around Fort Nashborough in East Nashville, until the great fire of 1916. The destruction was devastating, and many of the denizens decided to undertake the odyssey to the west side of the city. It was then that Belle Meade began to call the wealthy and East Nashville was left in ruins.

It was during this time that the historic Richland area was developed in the West End Ave. area. While some of these classic, turn-of-the-century homes still exist, most of the real estate was eventually carved into rental units, or razed by developers in order to build the formerly trendy condominiums, which line the avenue from I-440 to MBA.

Back to the history lesson. Renovation of the West End area began in the 1970's, when renewal first saw the light of day in Nashville. Today there is the Historic Richland/West End Conservation Overlay District to help oversee the progress of this neighborhood's history and charm. And fortunately, Historic Richland still remains one of the grandest afternoon drives of any neighborhood in Nashville.



HILLSBORO–WEST END

The Village
The Hillsboro-West End community is nestled in the shadow of Vanderbilt University's hallowed ivied halls, and due to its proximity to the university, is one of Nashville's most desirable areas. Offering a diverse mix of architectural styles and construction, as frame and brick cottages are interspersed with stone Tudors and an occasional brick ranch thrown in for good measure. It is protected historically and all of the denizens are thrilled to have been overlaid.

But don't let the close proximity to Vandy and Belmont make you think you have to be pulling all-nighters to fit in with the neighbors. Here, you are privileged to live just blocks from Nashville's own answer to NYC's "Soho" --the fashionable Hillsboro Village, (a.k.a. "The Village), with some of the trendiest shops, theaters and restaurants in all of Nashville just a hop, skip and a jump from your own, fenced-in back yard.



GREEN HILLS

Location, Prestige and Shopping
The area known as Green Hills is located on the boundaries of Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Oak Hill and Historic West End.

Green Hills is home to the newly renovated, chic Green Hills Mall and a number of Nashville's more established restaurants such as Chinatown, Green Hills Grille, the End Zone and The Corner Pub. Here, you'll also find the famous Bluebird Cafe, Nashville's premier music listening room which plays host each night to the city's finest songwriters.

The architecture in Green Hills varies from 60's ranch style houses to Cape Cods to grandiose new construction. Its central location and prestigious shopping, combined with its outlay of quiet, established neighborhood streets shrouded by grown-up trees—and yes, even the occasional green hill--have solidified this area as one of Nashville's most desirable zip codes.



WEST MEADE/ HILLWOOD

Bet the Ranch
While the 60's are remembered for the explosion of creative expression and the birth of pop culture, it was during the 50's that the seeds were sown. Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Bill Haley introduced the world to rock & roll. Filmmakers began to push the limits with Asphalt Jungle and Rebel without a Cause. A fellow named Hugh Hefner published the first edition of his new magazine, Playboy, featuring one Marilyn Monroe, naked as a jaybird. It was against this creative backdrop that suburbia was inspired and the ranch was its dominant theme. Let's see – Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and ranches. Makes sense to me.

These homes form the foundation on which suburban culture was built and are one of the most popular styles in the established neighborhoods of West Meade and Hillwood.

For over 40 years, ranch-style homes have maintained their popularity – long after Elvis, Dean and Marilyn have passed on. Their floors were originally hardwood, and then covered by carpet in the 60's. Evidently, shag carpet came in two colors, orange or green, and seems to have invaded every structure covered with a roof in the 60's. The 70's brought on the beige carpet, and the 80's and 90's have allowed hardwoods to return and breathe and shine. During the 80's, the floors were stained dark then pickled, while the 90's seemed to leave toward the Au natural look, not unlike Ms. Monroe.

Hickory Valley is a winding street that curves through the area known as Hillwood, named for Mr. Horace G. (H. G.) Hill, who lived at the mansion in what is now Hill Place. Hill Place was Mr. Hill's front yard, and Hillwood was his backyard. In Hillwood and West Meade, one might actually spot a contemporary home, which is a rarity in Nashville, but a majority of the homes are ranches. Big, lovely ranches set on South-fork type lots of one or two acres.

Mr. Hill owned a chain of grocery stores and a few thousand acres of land. When he wasn't grocering (now known as Krogering or Teetering), he was developing land, constructing houses and building a dynasty. Good work if you can get it.

The ranch-style homes in West Meade and Hillwood are usually of top-quality construction and are situated on rolling lots loaded with mature trees. Most of the homes are only one- or two-owner homes due to the popularity, serenity and security of the area. This popularity has led to the recent demise of a number of old ranchers (homes, not cattlemen) in the area. Tear-downs have become the norm, with grand houses of various designs blending in among their ranch-style neighbors. Bet the ranch, indeed.



CHARLOTTE PARK

Happy Days In Area 3
Are you tired of those high Area 2 prices? Is $200+ per square foot getting you down? Then you need Area 3. Yes, Area 3. It sounds like the prices should be higher than in Area 2 – but NO!

Area 3 is quickly becoming one of Nashville's most popular real estate locales. Developed in the late 60's for employees of the Ford Glass Plant, the area features street names such as Henry Ford Drive, Thunderbird Drive, Starliner Drive, Comet, Fordomatic (named for the transmission), Capri, Sunliner, Landau (a popular body style), Continental and my favorite, Mercomatic.

Simply driving through the development and reading the street signs will give Baby Boomer's a huge dose of nostalgia, as will the reasonable property prices.

A home located on Bagleyshop Drive is one of those properties. The 1,300 square feet were recently offered at the astonishingly low price of $90 per square foot. If you're one of the masses who have not had the pleasure of a trip down Memory Lane, follow these directions:

Bop into your car, rev that engine, burn rubber out of the driveway and shag down Charlotte, hang a Ralph onto Henry Ford (stop there an observe a moment of silence in honor of old Hank), then hang a Louie onto Bagleyshop.

During this trek, you will feel as if you have wandered onto the set of The Wonder Years complete with the cast. You'll have fun, fun, fun, till your agent takes your T-Bird property away.



CHEROKEE PARK

History Repeating
To "Z" or not to "Z"? That is the question. The "Z" in question was whether or not to allow Cherokee Park to be zoned with a Historic Conservation Overlay. The Cherokee Park neighborhood abuts the Historic Richland area, which is currently protected.

The debate was heated, with both sides bringing strong arguments to the table. A residence that the proponents of the bill referred to as "The Taco Bell House" seemed to have brought this matter to a head. With only Metro Codes and the restrictive covenants of the neighborhood governing the renovation, a homeowner took some architectural license with his house that was not consistent with the tastes of his neighbors and, seemingly, his councilman. They do not want that to happen again.

The other side was quick to assert that the neighborhood is not historic at all. It contends that a large percentage of the homes that would be included in the overlay are houses which were built in the 50's, 60's and 70's – some even as late as the 80's and 90's. Sadly, the overlay would protect the 'atrocities' along with a smattering of truly historic homes.

Oftentimes, however, builders choose to build elegant, charming homes rather than cloning a fast food restaurant. And fortunately, there are many homes in the Cherokee Park area that are a testament to good taste. Expect to find a large selection beautiful homes representing each of the last 8 or 9 decades, give or take a one barking Chihuahua. 



BELLEVUE

Greener Pastures
Bellevue is huge now. Gone are the days of good ole boys and local business owners sitting in the meat department of The Bellevue Market, drinking beer and swapping stories. And, the Westview newspaper now rivals dailies in size and revenues.

The sense of community remains and flows as steadily as the Harpeth. Bellevue now has big-city amenities – a real mall and a swanky Italian restaurant (Antonio's), which is located where the Cockeyed Camel once stood – which, in turn, was built over where Fine Foods By George once set, where "Punkin" told larger-than-life stories much to George's chagrin.




EAST NASHVILLE

Go East, First Time Home buyer
While Belle Meade is one of Nashville's most misunderstood neighborhoods, East Nashville is one of Nashville's most confusing. In dealing with East Nashville, one must first master the pronunciation of the area. For the old guard, it is "Es NISH ful" or "easNashvull." Under no circumstances is "East-Nash-ville" acceptable.

It is a resilient village, having overcome the fire in 1916 – which destroyed over 1,000 homes and spurred the exodus into West Nashville – only to endure the ravages of the tornado in 1998. Today, it is thriving and bursting with creativity and excitement.

East Nashville is divided into two historic districts, Lockeland Springs and Historic Edgefield, and has one conservation district. Such designations were once accompanied by federal funding, but that's not the case today. The historic and conservation overlays do require that any additions and alterations to the exterior of structures be approved by a group of brilliant folk. The Metro Historical Commission has jurisdiction over the historic districts, while a neighborhood organization rules the conservation district.

East Nashville boasts several noteworthy residences including, but not limited to, that of the honorable Bill Purcell, mayor of "Neischfull." Apparently Mr. Purcell first moved to Woodland Avenue on the East Side, then moved to Holly Street before settling in a 4,000-square-foot mansion on Stratton Avenue.

It's easy to fall in love with some of the beautifully restored homes in this area. Most have hardwood floors throughout, rooms connected by large cased openings with French doors. Brace yourself. They even have true divided lite windowpanes.

It's also easy to fall in love with the East Nashville neighborhood, which offers a golf course and a park at the end of the street, and fashionable restaurants – as diverse as it gets. For your listening pleasure, Radio Cafe is located down the street and hosts most of Nashville's great songwriters regularly.

What a great opportunity for the first-time home buyer. If you happen to be buying your first home, East Nashville has a reputation for being a wise place to make your first investment. Plus, the market has become so competitive that there are some great programs for you now, and new packages are appearing daily. Several offer programs with no out-of-pocket cash.

Take your choice: Lockeland Springs, East End, Eastwood – be it historic or conservation, you will be protected. When you're there, ask Mayor Purcell for a major league baseball team. We haven't had a tax raise in a few years now.



DONELSON 

Airport Shuttle
Donelson is the best-kept secret in the Nashville real estate market, and The Lincoln Hills subdivision in Donelson includes some of Nashville's most beautiful homes. The houses, which were built in the 1950's and 1960's, are situated on grand, rolling lots with mature trees. But for all this spaciousness, expect to pay less than $100 per square foot.

In fact, some of the lots in Donelson area have trees that are old enough to have witnessed the settling of Donelson which, of course, was one of the first communities to welcome pioneers from the East.

As with many homes in this age range, you can find some wonderful remodeling projects that respectfully preserved the character and charm of the home's era, yet now include modern amenities. Best of all, if you're flying out of Nashville International, it will only take you a few minutes to roll down your hill and make it to the airport.



CRIEVE HALL

Hardwoods Plus Convenience
The Crieve Hall area is bordered by I-65 to its west and Nolensville Road to the east. The area is tribute to the 1960's with wonderful hardwood trees sprouting outside and hardwood floors glistening on the inside. These quality floors were preserved for decades by shag carpets of green and orange, and now in Crieve Hall's era of home remodeling, they are reemerging to remind us that solid construction never goes out of fashion.

Sprawling, established neighborhoods of mostly brick ranches and colonials offer big green lawns, mature trees and convenient proximity to Brentwood, Green Hills and a shorter commute downtown.


 

Key Words for finding Nashville Tennessee MLS listings, Steve Hill: Nashville, Oak Hill, Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Brentwood, Bellevue, Davidson County, Franklin, Williamson County TN homes for sale and MLS listings. Steve Hill, a real estate resource center for Nashville, Oak Hill, Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Brentwood, Bellevue, Davidson County, Franklin, Williamson County real estate for sale. Nashville, Oak Hill, Belle Meade, Forest Hills, TN real estate and homes for sale in Brentwood, Bellevue, Davidson County, Franklin, Williamson County. Search for listings. Get free real estate reports, a market analysis of your home, area and mortgage info, golf course communities Nashville TN