Belle Meade Blvd, Belle Meade

Saying that you live in 37205 is to Nashville what saying you live in 90210 is to Los Angeles. One of the most expensive zip codes in the entire country, with similarly high average household income, house-hunting here is not for the faint of heart or wallet. Home to former Vice President Al Gore and various others with wealth of equal age, Belle Meade Blvd is the centerpiece and is easily the most picturesque part of greater Nashville. Originally an outgrowth of the historic Belle Meade mansion, the surrounding houses have now equaled, surpassed and in some cases dwarfed the historic cornerstone of this bucolic setting. Freestanding single dwelling homes here will never list for less than $750,000 and can easily go as high as $7M, but for that money what you buy yourself is peaceful surroundings and peace of mind. Belle Meade, though in the center of Nashville, boasts its own city council, police force and fire station with each home being wired into the latter two. But if you’re thinking of having a stroll through the enclave before you decide to buy, you had better think again. In recent years younger residents have pushed to have sidewalks added to the leafy blvds that wind over and around the naturally flowing creeks, but the move has met major resistance from established residents and has multiple times suffered defeat. As for education, in spite of the pricey abodes and availability of prestigious private schools – such as Reese Witherspoon’s alma mater of Harpeth Hall – the local public grammar is the choice of many before deciding to part with upwards of $20,000 per year for one of the nearby private schools on offer.