Great Townhouse for Sale in Donelson

Now that I have touted the horn of Donelson, I really should tell you about this great listing I have.

Just off Lebanon Pike near Stewarts Ferry is Riverstone. What I like about this community is that all the homes are all brick, they all have nice size decks, the property itself is situated along the Stones River so it is a really nice setting with mature trees and very nice landscaping. They have a quaint gazebo nestled in the trees and a walking trail. It also has a community pool. Plus Riverstone is just across Lebanon Pike near the Donelson YMCA, Jackson Down shopping Center (Target is there, my favorite!), the Stones River Greenway Trail which takes you along the Stones River to Percy Priest Lake. Did I mention it is only minutes to the Nashville International Airport and Opry Mills. Okay enough on the great location.

The townhouse is 2 Bedroom 2.5 Baths. It has a 2 car garage with plenty of storage or room for a home gym or hobby space, a large eat-in kitchen with tons of cabinets and counter space, the large living room has a wood burning fireplace and opens to the deck, the second floor has 2 master suites with vaulted ceilings and walk-in closets. If all of that is not enough, it has unique architectural features like curved walls, arched doorways, framed and palladium windows.

Great price of $159,900. If you know someone that maybe interested give me a call. I'd love to some them this gem of a townhome! 615.887.5616. For more photos and the virtual tour go to www.coolnashvillehomes.com or the MLS# is 994005.

Donelson

I guess it is only fitting that I write about my own neighborhood. I have been waiting just because we moved into the neighborhood about a year ago. As most Nashvillians, I didn't know much about Donelson, except that is is where the Airport and Opryland Hotel are. I knew nothing about the neighborhood or the people who lived there. My husband really doesn't want me to write about our neighborhood. He wants to keep it a secret. Too bad!

My husband and I quickly outgrew our East Nashville home and were planning on adopting a 13 year old child who came from a not so great background. So, we were looking for a larger home with some character in a safe neighborhood with a great yard for the dogs and far from any drama a 13 year old may get into. We wanted to stay close to the "urban core," as we call it at Village Real Estate. I hate traffic and driving more than 15 minutes anywhere. I am no fun on road trip to say the least!

As a Realtor, I felt I really knew Nashville and the neighborhoods. I figured our price range would take us to Inglewood, Sylvan Heights or maybe Crieve Hall. But, I just never really thought about Donelson. When my search brought up just a few listings in our under $225,000 price range, I was somewhat discouraged. We looked at a few in Inglewood, but all seemed to need too much work, especially since we are not fond of wallpaper, knotty pine and forest green carpet.

So I widened my search to all of Nashville in our price range and home criteria. Of course, we now had so many to sift through. One caught our attention in Donelson Hills. It sat on a half an acre, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms, all brick, hardwood floors, 2100 square feet with a hobby house. I wasn't quite sure what you did in a hobby house, since my hobby is finding the best martini in Nashville. ;). I guess I could practice making them in there. But my kitchen works just fine.

So we head to Donelson Hills, just off Briley Parkway, west on Lebanon Pike. We found a very well established, tree lined neighborhood. We pulled into the long, aggregate driveway and take the tour. The huge front yard had 4 large mature trees and was nicely landscaped. The hardwood floors were gleaming, there was crown moulding throughout the house. It had the old, big picture windows in the living room and family room. The kitchen has so much cabinet space it was unbelievable. All the bedrooms were nice size and the Master was huge with it's own bathroom. But one of the coolest things was the bricked covered patio that connected to the carport. I would never have to carry groceries in the rain again! I could really imagine the wonderful get togethers we could have there. The back yard was huge as well and had that hobby house I was curious about. We walked in and my husband had found his true "man cave" to be his office! This house had only a couple of issues-the main bathroom had pink and baby blue tile all over and you had to walk through the guest room to get to the master. But, we felt like we could definitely re-do the bathroom and would have to live with the strange floor plan.

Now that we found a great house, what was the neighborhood like?
Well, we were close to a Target, Lowe's and Home Depot that was a good start. But, the first day we moved in, a couple came to welcome us to the neighborhood. They had 2 dogs as well and invited Abby and Gizmo to play anytime. What was even cooler is that they are lesbians which actually made this a diverse neighborhood!! They told us to call if we needed anything, that is what neighbors are for. Wow, had I gone back to the 70's! All the other neighbors proceeded to stop by bringing pies and welcoming us to the neighborhood as well. Now that we have been there a year, they still wave when passing by, bring fruit from their trees and chat pretty frequently. A few even come by and drink a glass of wine on the veranda and talk about everything and nothing.

We are less than 7 miles to downtown and 5 minutes to the airport. The Music City Star (train) has a stop just down Lebanon Pike. The Stones River Greenways have a trail that you can bike, hike or run along the Stones River all the way to Percy Priest Lake. The Donelson-Hermitage YMCA is one of the better ones in town. It has a resort type outdoor swimming pool with slides and everything! How could I forget Two Rivers Park? It has a public golf course, Wave Country (water park), skate park and the Greenway trail pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River to Shelby Park in East Nashville.

As far as restaurants we are kind of in "chain" hell, but there are some good privately owned restaurants like Ellendales (great brunch and live music nightly), Darfons, the Dinner Bell (meat and 3), several good Mexican restaurants, and we know have a Sylvan Park Restaurant. So, it is looking up in that area.

We love our home, our neighbors and neighborhood.

Germantown

Historic Germantown is one of Nashville's oldest neighborhoods. German's settled in the north Nashville area bordering downtown and the Cumberland River beginning in 1820 building unique, architecturally interesting homes.

In 1979, Germantown was designated on The National Register of Historic Places and revitalization of the area began. Homes in the neighborhood are architecturally unique with wrought iron fences and brick sidewalks make this neighborhood a desirable place to live. Werthan Mills Textile plant on Jefferson Street and Rosa Parks Blvd (8th Avenue North) has been renovated into urban living space. Developers salvaged the original hardwood floors and brick work to make Werthan Mills a true loft living experience. It doesn't hurt that Germantown has phenomenal views of downtown.

What makes Germantown such a cool neighborhood is, besides the gorgeous homes ,there are great restaurants in the neighborhood and it is walking distance to the Farmer's Market that is open year round. I certainly can not forget my favorite Nashville festival, Oktoberfest! Great music, food, arts and crafts and of course, BEER make this an annual must "go" event.

Germantown Cafe' has great food and stunning views of downtown and the State Capital. The Mad Platter is known for it's hospitality and a seasonally unique menu. Monell's is one of my favorite restaurants to take out-of-towners. You sit at giant tables with other guests and the southern cuisine is served family style. They come out with big baskets of fried chicken and catfish with all the fixin's and you pass it around. You meet all kinds of people with each visit. There are several new places in Germantown that I am excited to give a try.

Several unique condo projects have been completed or are near completion in the area. Morgan Place boosts to be Nashville's' only "green" building.

Germantown is a very cool neighborhood to call home. Here are a few links for more information:

http://www.historicgermantown.org/ , http://www.germantowncafe.com/, http://www.nashvilleoktoberfest.com/, http://www.monellsdining.ypguide.com/.

This Weekend, April 19 & 20th

Live it up Nashville, Downtown Home Tour is this weekend from 12 noon to 5pm. Tickets are $10 for single day or $15 for both days.
This is an awesome event showcasing Nashville's urban living. Experience the unique architecture of true lofts to opportunities of new developments in Nashville's urban core. Explore the diversity of downtown living along with the panoramic views and original historic elements of design. Don't miss out on this great event.
For more information: www.nashvilledowntown.com. See you there!

Cool Tool!

I found the coolest site: google street views. You have to check it out, especially if you are thinking of moving to a new city. Street Views actually gives you a 360 degrees views of a neighborhood. So, if you are looking at online home finding websites (IE, www.coolnashvillehomes.com) and you find a house you like, you go to www.maps.google.com and put in your city, then the street address and click on "street view." You can actually walk down the street with the arrows! It is similar to Google earth, but you can see the entire neighborhood. Only the cities on the map with cameras have street views.

They have done many major cities, Nashville being one. Atlanta has not been done yet. So, we can actually say that we beat Atlanta in something!! We really don't want to compete with them on traffic. We would like to have an IKEA and Nordstrom's. We are getting a Trader Joe's. Ha, Ha, Atlanta! Oh well, I just checked their website and Atlanta is getting a Trader Joe's soon as well. Maybe we'll be first.

This can be a very valuable tool if moving to a new city. Check it out!

East Nashville, a very cool area!

When you tell people you live in East Nashville, they either say, "oh, that's cool," or "oohhh" with a blank expression. You either get it or you don't. Back in the day(70's and 80's), when I was growing up here, East Nashville was not cool at all. There was a reason it was on the other side of the river. You will now see funny bumper stickers, "East Nashville, over the river and through the 'hood!" or "East Nashville, where everybody knows your dog 's name."

East Nashville has become the cool place to live in Nashville. The re-birth started in '98 when a tornado tore through downtown and East Nashville, doing tremendous damage. People received insurance checks to rebuild their homes. Plus, Hillsboro Village, Waverly Belmont and Music Row areas became a little expensive for starving artists and students. Thus, the renaissance began. Investors saw a goldmine in East Nashville. There are beautiful historic homes in Edgefield, Lockland Springs, Ingelwood, and now emerging Cleveland/McFerrin Park.

Besides the beautiful homes, East Nashville has become a true community. People actually know their neighbors (most anyway). The wonderful front porches are truly lend themselves to southern traditions of waving and speaking to your neighbors. I have met more people at the Shelby Dog Park than almost anywhere in Nashville. Nashvillians love their dogs. I know the dog's name before I know their parent's name. East Nashville actually has a Google group on Listserv to help each other in various ways: from finding a lost dog to who is a good contractor. If you do someone wrong who is a member of the ListServ, the word will be passed quickly. The neighborhood knew "Fast Fred" was out of jail before the police on the beat did!!

Yes, East Nashville has had it's share of crime. Some serious crime to a lot of lawnmower thefts and petty crimes. But East Nashville neighborhood associations have become quite vigilant in working with the East Nashville precinct and there has been quite a decrease in crime over the past few years.

5 Points is the center hub of East Nashville neighborhoods. 5 Points has restaurants, bars, art galleries, an organic coffee shop, a hardware store, a new wine shop, post office, gas station, a spa, hair salons, yoga and pilates studios, Villager Real Estate Services (another shameless plug!) and many other businesses. East Nashville now has a wonderful new community center as well as a great YMCA. You can go to http://www.eastnashville.org/ to find out more.

One of my favorite Nashville festivals' is East Nashville's "Tomato Festival." It is all about tomatoes: art, the ugliest tomato contest, king and queen of the Tomato Festival, and my personal favorite, the bloody mary contest! Check out http://www.tomatoartfest.com/. It's a little quirky, but very East Nashville!

One of Nashville's best restaurants, Margot, will bring the best of them across the river for a great meal. Margot also has a wonderful brunch. And it's sister restaurant, Marche', is like a french cafe right in the heart of East Nashville

Down Eastland, about a half of mile from 5 Points, is another cluster of restaurants, Rosepepper Cantina, Eastland Cafe and Portland Brew, are right in the middle of the neighborhood! Many of east Nashville's restaurants have wonderful al fresco seating! You can't beat having a margarita outside on a Sunday afternoon at Rosepepper or the Alley Cat! The Alley Cat even has doggie afternoon's!

East Nashvillians have been very vocal about about changing zoning to get rid or at least limiting the number of pawn shops, used car lots, check cashing stores other businesses on Gallatin Road that prey on the poor. And another bone of contention for East Nashvillians is the lack of quality grocery stores. Most travel some distance to go to a decent Kroger or Publix in the more affluent areas. East Nashvillians are lucky to have our neighborhood reporter for the Tennessean, Angela Patterson keeping these issues in the fore front.

East Nashville is definitely a one of a kind, diverse place with a very laid back vibe. The people are cool all with unique personalities and backgrounds. East Nashville is a great place to live and a cool place to hang out!

If you want to check out houses in East Nashville, go to my website, http://www.coolnashvillehomes.com/. Plus, there is lots of community information there as well.

My next neighborhood musings will be on Germantown/Salemtown.

Nashville's Great Neighborhoods. Hillsboro Village

Spring is coming! It is definitely my favorite time of year in Nashville. The daffodils (crocus, some people call them) are out and the grass is greener. Anyone considering moving to Nashville should come visit from now until May or June. Everyone is coming out of hibernation. I actually saw some neighbors I hadn't seen in a few months, except for an occasional wave from a warm car.

After living in Atlanta and Miami, I really missed being in a "neighborhood." It was so nice to get back to Nashville, where people actually slow down long enough to chat with neighbors. Some of it may just be small talk, but Nashvillians rarely miss an opportunity to ask how you and the family are doing. And believe it or not, they genuinely care.

I grew up in the Hillsboro Village/Waverly-Belmont/West End areas. We were within walking distance to Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities, Centennial Park and Hillsboro Village. So, as a kid there was always something to do. I remember my sisters and I making routine stops at Jones Pet shop, Woolworth, Baskin Robbins, the House of Bamboo and McClures. The shop keepers knew us by name even though we really didn't buy anything except ice cream at BR and candy at Woolworth's. My first real job was at Baskin Robbins. What I love about Hillsboro Village now, is that it actually grew up with me. I would rather drink coffee at fido (the old Jones Pet Shop) now than talk to the birds. I'd rather enjoy a nice meal at Bosco's than buy 25 cents worth of candy. Baskin Robbins is now a Smoothie King. Much better for me than the yummy calorie ridden Pralines and Cream. I do miss the House of Bamboo (kind of an upscale Pier One), that is now Provence Bakery. The owners would cringe when we came in. They had wonderful delicate chatchski's that they didn't even want us to look at. And how can I forget the world famous, Pancake Pantry? Thank goodness the local icon is still in business. Our family usually went on Sundays. Back then an occasional sighting of Porter Wagner in full sequence was not unusual and something not many would forget. I have fond memories of diving into my chocolate chip pancakes. There are a few great places that are still around: Davis Cookware, Peabody Shoe Repair, Village Jewelers, The Belcourt Theatre, Cotton Music, The Villager Tavern and Village Bridal. All the new shops are eclectic boutiques and restaurants you've got to love. I do have to plug the company I am a Realtor with, Village Real Estate. If you see the purple "for sale" signs around town, that is us. Our office is right across the street from Harris Teeter. Thank goodness, there is another grocery store since Vanderbilt built on the old HG Hills grocery store property.

Beyond all the cool places to go in Hillsboro Village, the surrounding neighborhoods have wonderful old southern homes. We lived in a house built in 1928 that was a 3000 square foot, four square on 18th Ave. S. It had a huge front porch where we spent many a summer night, fireplaces in several of the bedrooms, sun porches off the bedrooms in the back of the house. The house had so much character and space. Not one house is like another in the entire area. I guess that is why I have subdivision phobia to this day!

So, if you love homes with unique character and love a neighborhood with an "urban" vibe within walking distance to Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities and Centennial Park, with cool restaurants and shops, then Hillsboro Village is the perfect place for you.

Here are a few websites to checkout: http://www.hillsborovillage.org/ , http://www.hillsborovillage.com/ and my website to find the perfect home, http://www.coolnashvillehomes.com/.