Safety of "Historic West Nashville" (aka the Nations-area) (Hunter: condos, crime)

[FiveSevenNine]

I was in Nashville last weekend and found a few homes I really liked...there's one in particular, a cute little 3 bedroom place on Michigan Ave north of Charlotte. It fits my budget at 130k, and I was wondering if anyone here could counsel me about the safety of the area.

It's near some of the new townhomes/condos in "Historic West Nashville," and I think I remember seeing an episode of House Hunters or My First Place where someone ended up buying one of those townhomes (which are generally too expensive for my budget!). Anyway, an input on the area--types of people living there, safety, future directions--would be much appreciated.

[Pimpy]

I would not recommend that area. My guess is that the house you found would sell for close to $300K in Sylvan Park. There is a reason it is so cheap in "The Nations."

[yank283]

I have friends that have lived in The Nations for over 5 years and have never been a victim of any crimes (even petty theft). This was their first home purchase out of college. I think it's probably a street to street thing. I would make sure to check the area out well before you buy, try to maybe speak with some of your possible future neighbors. You could go by in the daytime and it could be completely calm, but when school is out and juveniles are home, it might be a whole new atmosphere. I almost bought a house in the area but decided on East Nashville instead. There has been a lot of development (Nashville West) in that area but it hasn't translated so much into the residential areas (at least yet). I think the neighborhood has a lot of potential seeing as how close it is to West End (and the high concentration of medical professionals). If gas goes up over 5$ a gallon for good, you might be sitting on a gold mine. That's a big "if" though. Just buy a big dog and a alarm system you should be alright. Good luck.

[FiveSevenNine]

Originally Posted by yank283

I have friends that have lived in The Nations for over 5 years and have never been a victim of any crimes (even petty theft). This was their first home purchase out of college. I think it's probably a street to street thing. I would make sure to check the area out well before you buy, try to maybe speak with some of your possible future neighbors. You could go by in the daytime and it could be completely calm, but when school is out and juveniles are home, it might be a whole new atmosphere. I almost bought a house in the area but decided on East Nashville instead. There has been a lot of development (Nashville West) in that area but it hasn't translated so much into the residential areas (at least yet). I think the neighborhood has a lot of potential seeing as how close it is to West End (and the high concentration of medical professionals). If gas goes up over 5$ a gallon for good, you might be sitting on a gold mine. That's a big "if" though. Just buy a big dog and a alarm system you should be alright. Good luck.

Thanks for the positive reply! Yeah, I also looked at places on the east side, but didn't see anything that blew me away at my price point (around 130k). That, combined with its convenience to where I'll be studying, attracted me to the Nations area.

I do get the sense that there's a lot of variability within the area--street to street and block to block, but are there any general rules I can follow; general boundaries for the safe parts of the area? Street to avoid? I'm guessing not, but a girl can dream, eh?

What kind(s) of crime are common in Nashville? I know there's quite a bit--aggravated assaults, larceny, even homicide--but when do these types of crime occur, to whom, and by whom? Are offenders members of the communities in which the crimes occur or do they come from elsewhere?

Thanks again Yank and others who've helped me find my way in a foreign city. Pretty soon my long-distance relationship with Nashville will become a real, live love affair!

[yank283]

Originally Posted by FiveSevenNine

Thanks for the positive reply! Yeah, I also looked at places on the east side, but didn't see anything that blew me away at my price point (around 130k). That, combined with its convenience to where I'll be studying, attracted me to the Nations area.

I do get the sense that there's a lot of variability within the area--street to street and block to block, but are there any general rules I can follow; general boundaries for the safe parts of the area? Street to avoid? I'm guessing not, but a girl can dream, eh?

What kind(s) of crime are common in Nashville? I know there's quite a bit--aggravated assaults, larceny, even homicide--but when do these types of crime occur, to whom, and by whom? Are offenders members of the communities in which the crimes occur or do they come from elsewhere?

Thanks again Yank and others who've helped me find my way in a foreign city. Pretty soon my long-distance relationship with Nashville will become a real, live love affair!

No problem. I really wish I could help more, but I just don't know the area that well. Even though I thought about buying there it didn't get to the point of me doing any real research. Any residents out there that can help?

[ValerieAmber]

I have lived in the area in a home I purchased for over 2 years and have not had a single problem. I have many friends who live in this area and they too have had no problems. The worst thing I have encountered is kids with loud ATV's & dirt bikes, but it is never at odd hours, it can just get annoying hearing them drive up and down the street over and over in the summer time. My neighbors are all friendly and helpful. There are a couple of characters, but at least unlike when I lived in Sylvan Park I know my neighbors. I love it in the Nations and wouldn't trade it for anything. I feel that buying here is a great investment. Every time I speak to a realtor they congratulate me for "getting in on the ground floor". Right now The Nations is where East Nashville was about 15 years ago and where Sylvan Park was about 30 years ago, it is an up and coming neighborhood of historic homes at a great price. (and unlike East Nasshville without the projets at your backdoor) This is why developers are coming in, buying houses dirt cheap and flipping what is effectively a $250,000 in a neighborhood like Sylvan Park for such a great price and still making a huge profit.

[ceeveg]

Some friends of ours, a young couple, have lived in that area since August of 2008, and have had no problems. They rent, and do have two larger indoor/outdoor dogs that are often a presence in their fenced backyard, but report no issues. They park on-street, often go walking/running in their neighborhood, and frequently bike to locations on Charlotte without any complaints.

[sek1986]

I would recommend the Wilson Group on 42nd Ave when searching for houses in West Nashville. I recently bought in East Nashville but I worked with the Wilson Group and they are subject matter experts on what's available in West Nashville. I know they really believe in the area and might be able to help you find others in your price range if this one goes fast-- which I have found to be very common the way the market is right now. The first house I found I was outbid on, which was a setback, but proved to be a valuable lesson. In this market, you will most likely end up paying full or near full price.

[nate42]

I took am looking at homes in this area also(amongst many areas). What's the difference between "The Nations" and the area around Charlotte Park? The close proximity to Vanderbilt is appealing to my wife and I. I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!

[yank283]

Originally Posted by ValerieAmber

...Right now The Nations is where East Nashville was about 15 years ago and where Sylvan Park was about 30 years ago, it is an up and coming neighborhood of historic homes at a great price...

Good points, but I would argue it's actually where Sylvan Park was in the mid-90's (a lot of people would have considered that a "scary" neighborhood then) so about 18 to 20 years ago and where Lockeland Springs (East Nashville) was about 11 to 12 years ago. The Nations doesn't have the abundance of pre WW 2 homes that East Nashville has/had though (or the proximity to downtown) and that's why "gentrification" (again not using the political definition, but investment into the community) has been slower to come to The Nations. I would compare The Nations to where South Inglewood is now and there's a lot of flipping going on there also.

Also, until recently, most middle to upper income medical professionals (in particular) automatically headed to Williamson, Sumner, or Wilson Counties as soon as they landed here. I believe that is changing somewhat recently with more people wanting to spend less hours on the interstate and wanting to live closer to the inner core.