The Gulch

For anyone who is not familiar with Nashville, the Gulch is a popular destination for those residents of Nashville who are looking for a new and up coming area of Nashville. The area is located around the 12th avenue South district and the business district. There are a number of more modern buildings in the area as well as some abandoned warehouses.

There is a number of popular night spots that attract a variety of different residents of Nashville. The condos in the area are popular as well as the views that you can obtain from the Gulch. Close to downtown, there are a number of different places to visit when you live in the area. Its so close to downtown that you receive a wonderful view of the Nashville Skyline from here as well.

If you want to make sure that you move to an area that has a popular variety of places to choose from, the Gulch is where you will want to live when moving into Nashville. The proximity of downtown is so close that you only need to get on a bus and ride a short distance into downtown and back when you are looking for a good time out of the house. Enjoy the nightlife and the city life from the Gulch.

If urban living is your thing, you really need to check out The Gulch.

Before the bottom fell out of the real estate market and the economy, the urban renewal trend managed to hit Nashville. One of the results is The Gulch -- decrepit former factories and warehouses turned into trendy apartments and office buildings, with hot snazzy bars and/or restaurants attached.

But "trendy" doesn't have to mean "expensive." This is a mixed-income neighborhood, with quality low-income loft apartments tucked in around more upscale lofts and condos. And the best of it is, The Gulch qualified for the pilot version of the LEED Neighborhood Development program, becoming the first LEED-certified neighborhood in Nashville. Urban green living doesn't get much better than this.

The downside? The economy tanked. Most of this area was targeted at young urban professionals -- and fewer of them can afford the upscale areas of The Gulch these days. There were a lot of "For Lease" signs on some of those offices and lofts when I rode through there this week. There were also still some eyesores in and around the area--some urban buildings that haven't quite been "renewed."

Those things aside, this neighborhood can be a fun and attractive place to live. And the City seems committed to seeing The Gulch work. The Green Route of our new free downtown bus service, the Music City Circuit, runs through The Gulch every 15-30 minutes. Several other city bus routes also run through the area.

Someone who hasn't lived in Nashville for a few years may not know the term "The Gulch." They probably didn't even drive much in that area since it used to be mostly old warehouses and empty lots.

But now it defines Nashville's urban chic. Located along 12th Ave South in the Central Business District, it sports a number of modern high tech highrise condominiums and wonderful restaurants and nightspots. The condos, such as Icon, Velocity, and Terrazzo, offer spectacular views of the Nashville skyline and proximity to downtown. Cantina Laredo is a favorite spot to eat in the Gulch, as is Watermark. Sambuca, with its classy night club feel and live music, is a lot of fun. Additionally, it is the first neighborhood in the South to be LEED certified, and only one of 13 in the world to garner the LEED ND (neighborhood development) certification. Cool, huh?

And for the traditionalists, don't worry--the Station Inn is still there. The very old, non-high tech lowrise building still offers the best bluegrass music around and the weekly Doyle and Debbie comedy show.