Nashville Real Estate: A Photographer Discusses Why He Loves South Nashville
Nashville’s population is continuing to swell, and among the droves of new residents are artists and other creative types, many of whom are self-employed.
Conventional wisdom would assume these self-employed creatives are uninterested in homeownership for a variety of reasons, but Nashville’s robust creative community of musicians, writers, photographers, and visual artists illustrate a very different trend. In a town where entrepreneurship and creative careers are the norm, neighborhoods across the city rise to meet their needs.
A recent trend in Nashville real estate is the increased popularity of the city’s south side, especially among these creatives. Here’s a look into why one artist and his wife settled down in South Nashville—a neighborhood close to downtown with plenty of room to grow and soon to be the site of a major sports stadium.
Why Artists Choose South Nashville
Local photographer Alex Crawford spoke with Neighborhoods.com about the factors that shaped his decision to invest in Nashville when he and his wife moved from Los Angeles in 2017.
Crawford is well known in Nashville creative circles, and he has worked on projects for companies like Gibson Guitars, Stetson, and Nordstrom. His photographs have been featured in British GQ and Vogue online, and Crawford is also the art director for bespoke menswear brand Articles of Style.
A Houston native, Crawford graduated from Belmont University in 2010 and later received a masters degree from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. After living in Los Angeles for many years, Crawford returned to Nashville. As Crawford and his wife Emily Arrow, beloved children’s entertainer and owner of the local Singalong Shop, considered purchasing a home, Nashville was at the forefront of their minds.
“A huge reason why we chose Nashville is that it’s a town that is still up and coming but has everything that a big city has,” Crawford says.
The couple moved into a classic cottage on a large lot in the Rosedale neighborhood near Berry Hill, a mere 15-minute drive from Downtown Nashville.
“The main reason we bought here was that it was centrally located,” Crawford says. “We looked at East Nashville a fair amount, and we liked it a lot, but for what we were looking for, we found Rosedale a little more affordable and central.”
Ultimately, the decision to settle in South Nashville was simpler than expected.
“We bought the house before we even moved from L.A.,” Crawford says. “We started looking with Jenilee Anthony, a Nashville real estate agent, and then took a trip and visited. It was actually the first house we looked at. We saw some other places, but we kept coming back.”
An Accessible Investment
Known for its emerging art scene and affordable housing, neighborhoods to the south of the city center are becoming increasingly popular among new Nashville residents looking for an accessible place to purchase a home.
Areas like Woodbine, Berry Hill, Crieve Hall, and Wedgewood-Houston, with median home prices ranging from the high $200s to high $400s, offer many of the cultural staples that other neighborhoods boast, but with a more suburban, residential feel.
"The Wedgewood-Houston art scene has completely blown up in the last five years,” Crawford says. “Since moving here what I’ve discovered is that, as an artist, it’s a really great place to be.”
Assistance for First-Time Homebuyers
While first-time homebuying can feel like a daunting task, the state of Tennessee offers assistance and incentives that can bring seemingly lofty goals within reach.
“The process of buying a house itself was actually a lot easier than we expected. Tennessee has a first-time homebuyers program where you actually put a lot less down, and that made it so much easier for us,” Crawford says, referring to the program from the TN Housing Development Agency. “We only put two percent down on our house.”
The agency’s Great Choice Program offers aid to first-time homebuyers through many stages of the process, from saving for a downpayment to qualifying for loans and discerning which mortgage options are likely the best fit.
The Allure of South Nashville
As South Nashville’s star rises, more and more artists and local business owners are singing its praises.
There’s somewhat of a wild west feel about the area with fewer barriers to entry than neighborhoods like 12 South or Hillsboro Village. Because much of the area has formerly been industrial space, creatives have had an opportunity to put down roots without much resistance, and art galleries are popping up left and right.
“The galleries near Dozen, which is also my favorite bakery, are just great,” Crawford says of spaces like Zeitgeist and the David Lusk Gallery. “What’s nice is that it is more affordable for new artists, so I feel a lot more a part of this up and coming art scene living on this side of town.”
Looking Forward
When asked what makes him optimistic about owning a home in South Nashville, Crawford tells Neighborhoods.com, “I’m really excited about the Major League Soccer stadium coming in. I think that’s going to be awesome.”
The $275 million project has been in the works for quite some time, and many residents are happy to see the city’s sports scene getting a welcome boost. If present developments are any indication, there will be much more for South Nashvillians to look forward to in years to come.