Queens Ln, Nashville-Davidson

Again this morning the headline on our local news was "man's body found in street in North Nashville." Sadly this has become an almost daily occurrence as gang violence has taken hold and any positive influences have moved on. Just north of the Cumberland River that divides downtown Nashville you will find a place that could not be farther removed from the tree lined blvds of Belle Meade or even, for that matter, more different from the organized, close-knit and trendy Germantown historic community that is in practice only blocks away. Outsiders do not venture to this part of town and I came across it only by accident right after moving back here, en route to East Nashville to visit a friend. Had I not lived in far scarier parts of the world, I may have panicked as locals stared at me like an alien from another planet. Are house prices here cheap? Of course they are because no one dare tread on this particular swathe of turf. The police and local government have set out all sorts of new initiatives to rid the area of crime, to eliminate gangs and to rehabilitate the members, but reading the news and seeing the place, one has to believe that this is a long-term commitment rather than a medium term goal or plan. Having said that, the area is within sight of LP field, the Titans' home stadium, and with Nashville growing at the rate it is, it could be that changes are discernible within as little as 5 years. We can only hope as the area is rich in history and could no doubt add to what is already a city steeped in tradition.