Lyons View

The Lyons View area of Knoxville features some of the area’s nicest homes and views. Located near the Bearden Area but slightly south, the neighborhood unofficially branches into the well-known West Knoxville region.
Lyons View is surrounded by rolling hills and is off the beaten path, to a certain extent, skewing from busy Kingston Pike and Northshore Dr. The properties are mostly houses, which easily span 50 years. Some are older but well-kept whereas many properties are very new and have large lots.
Some of the city’s nicest apartment complexes are in the Lyons View area, as well. Unlike the majority of Knoxville apartments, these (which are mostly condos as well) aren’t populated heavily by college students or young professionals, as the property value of the area is higher than many Knoxville neighborhoods.
Lyons View doesn’t have a view of the river directly, but isn’t far from the Sequoyah Hills area and public park.
The area is more secluded, without many major businesses, restaurants, or grocery stores. However, with easy access to both Kingston Pike and Northshore Dr., it’s also not far from any of these establishments.

The Lyons View neighborhood is nestled comfortably between Kingston Pike, South Northshore Drive, Lyons View Pike, and Westland Drive. This neighborhood dates all the back to the earlier days of the history of Knoxville. While the majority of the buildings located on Lyons View Pike are a great representation of the national trends in architectural designs in the neighborhood, they also show the financial leadership of the status of the residents in the early twentieth century. The majority of these homes have been designed by architect Charles I. Barber, whose designs focus on his skills by reviving popular styles during this time frame.

In 1786, after the construction of the James White Fort this neighborhood continued expanding westward as other forts were developed along the old horseback trail, which was eventually rebuilt to a wagon road in 1795, then much later known to Knoxville as Kingston Pike, which happened to be the first improved roadway within the Knox County area. With the construction of Kingston Pike, settlers began to move into this neighborhood and from there the roads began to link along the settlements.

The Lyons View neighborhood began when Captain William Lyon, who was of Scottish decent from Baltimore, purchased several hundreds of acres between the Tennessee River and Fourth Creek in 1809 where he built a beautiful log cabin that was later expanded into a quite substantial two story log residence. Later he constructed a mill along Fourth Creek near the Lowe’s Ferry Road, which is located at the intersection of Northshore Drive and Westland Drive still to this day.

Through the nineteenth century the area all along Fourth Creek continued to prosper and has continued to do so today. With the increased traffic and new developments the roads, shops, and schools have greatly improved. The area is now filled with the best parks and recreational facilities available in the Knoxville areas. In fact, Lakeshore Park is nestled within this neighborhood on sixty acres and features six baseball/softball fields, two soccer fields, paved hiking and biking trails, and a playground for kids.

Lyons View runs parallel to Kingston Pike from Northshore Dr to where it merges with Kingston Pike. This is one of the most beautiful drives through an older era of Knoxville. This drive offers some lovely neighborhoods and some very expensive property right on the Tennessee River. Each of these expensive homes offers a unique style architecture from Tudor to Classic Spanish. The drive itself can be used in conjunction with Westland Dr and Gleason Dr to quickly traverse from one end of West Knoxville to the other.

Lakeshore offers several local entertainment areas, including an exclusive golf course and a large recreational park located near Lakeshore Institute. Lyons View is also in close proximity to several wonderful restaurants and shopping areas. The Fresh Market grocery store is a top notch grocery for the freshest meats and produce. The area truly offers something for every family type, from child care services, to skating, and close proximity to a private school, Sacred Heart Cathedral School. One of the best features about this neighborhood is that it has the close proximity to any need in the city, but absolutely serene inside this quaint drive.