Looking for Info on Older Nashville Neighborhoods (Germantown, Gallatin: loft, condos)

[mhoddi]

My husband and I are planning on relocating to Nashville and are looking for local insights into some of the neighborhoods in and around the city. We've seen some beautiful homes in MLS, but it's difficult to tell what the surrounding area is like.

Our ideal place would be an older home with lots of character (craftsman, victorian, and tudor styles are our favorite) within walking distance of parks and local shops. We love tree-lined streets with sidewalks. We could afford up to $350K, but are really looking for a home that has not been upgraded so that we can redo it to our own taste. I realize this is a tall order, but any information you local experts could provide would be greatly appreciated!

Some of the neighborhoods that seemed nice included Germantown, Vandy, West End, and Old Hickory. Any thoughts on these areas?

By the way, the Nashville MLS makes it difficult to search by neighborhood. If you know the schools in the area that would help narrow down the search field.

Thanks a ton!

[alleycat]

Some areas you might want to look at include Sylvan Park and Waverly/Belmont and the areas off of West End Avenue from I-440 to White Bridge Road (west), Edgehill (south), and possibly Edgefield/Russell Street (east). A single-family house in Germantown would still be a little iffy to my way of thinking (even though there are a few interesting old houses there); if you were looking for a loft or condos, it might be acceptable.

With your budget you should be able find something that meets your needs, although in the past twenty year or so a lot of the older homes in the nicer areas have already been renovated.

You can search the MLS by zip code.

[Lake.Lady]

I'm pretty new here myself so I don't know the area very well, but my son lives in West End and it's a beautiful older area.

Try looking on realtor.com aswell as the MLS. You can really narrow your search with specifics. That's how we were able to find our lake home.

Good luck in your search.

[mhoddi]

Thanks so much for your help! That gives me a little more direction. When you say that Germantown is a little iffy what do you mean? Not the greatest neighborhood in terms or crime?

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by mhoddi

Thanks so much for your help! That gives me a little more direction. When you say that Germantown is a little iffy what do you mean? Not the greatest neighborhood in terms or crime?

Germantown is "coming back". Until a few years ago, it was a run-down area. There is new construction in the area, and overall, it's improving. I'm just not sure it's there yet. There could be a security issue with a single-family home. The problem is not so much with "historic Germantown" itself, but the neighborhoods adjacent to it, such as the public housing project on 8th Avenue. It might be okay there, or it might not . . . which is why I called it "iffy".

[Rob_H]

you should check out Lockeland Springs area as well actually any of east nashville before you get to riverside between Shelby and Gallatin road from about 10th ave up. There is a little funky neighborhood called Little Hollywood in a pocket off of Eastland that has the coolest bungalows in town and there is probably some houses in there that havn't been restored yet. Good luck!

[kcnative]

I would definitely recommend East Nashville. There are many areas east of Gallatin road that have houses that still need renovation, yet most are done so the neighborhoods are decent. There is still some petty crime there due to other areas around it, but overall it sounds like just what you're looking for...lots of character, lots of stuff within walking distance (if you can find something in the right area..."five points" is the hot spot) and homes that need to be redone.

We have just purchased one ourselves in Eastwood Neighbors neighborhood and will be doing some work on it over the course of the next year.

I would search 37206 area code. Not sure of exact neighborhoods, but I know ours is a good one as well as Historic East End. You may also try this email message board

http://lists.topica.com/lists/eastnashville/

as it has a lot of residents that are "in the know" more that I, since I'm still fairly new to the area.

[Lena Lucas]

check this out:
MusicCityHomeSearch.com
It is my neighbors' house. Thet got teaching jobs out of town and had to move... The price is lower than usual for the neighborhood because it needs some upgrading... so you could fix it up to suit yourself... I think it was built around 1930... Anywhere in Lockeland Springs (an historical district in East Nashville) is good. Great neighborhood for walking your dog and meeting friends at local establishments... Here's their Website. I'd join their listserve and meet some people...:
Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association Home Page

[mhoddi]

Your collective wisdom has been very helpful! I think we are going to have to take a trip out there before making the big move. It seems as if there are a bunch of beautiful homes, especially in the areas you all recommended, but it's hard to tell what the surrounding areas are like!

[redsalmon]

I realize it's been almost a month since you asked your question, but if you are still looking for neighborhoods and care about the schools, you should know that the school attendance zones are proposed to be changed. You can download the current zone map at the Metro Nashville School website and their proposed changes are also there. I think most of the proposed changes are in newer neighborhoods because there is a new high school opening, but of course that involves changes throughout the district.