What It's Like Living in Belle Meade, Nashville
Belle Meade, one of Nashville’s oldest and most established communities, has long held a reputation as a bastion of Southern living.
A relatively small suburb of just about three square miles and a few thousand people, this tree-lined treasure is one of those places in town that feels almost like somewhere else— someplace in Europe or the North Eastern U.S. Belle Meade is classic and timeless with a touch of the Ivy League, and technically it’s its own city complete with a courthouse, independent governing body, and police force.
Residents enjoy the beauty and solitude of life in Belle Meade. It’s by far one of the greenest places in the city, and many of the homes sit on acre lots with abundant tree coverage and shrubbery. Situated between Green Hills and West Meade, this neighborhood is truly what its name describes: a beautiful meadow.
Transit
A considerable distance from any major interstate exits, the great appeal of Belle Meade is its quiet. Many districts in the neighborhood are known as “traffic calming” areas where the speed limit drops into the 20s and crosswalks are specifically designated so that pedestrians clearly have the right of way.
The neighborhood is also notorious for a vigilant police force concerned with traffic violations. “Don’t speed in Belle Meade” is a common warning among native Nashvillians, derived from painful memories of past citations.
Recreation
Belle Meade Boulevard stretches for nearly six miles from Harding Pike to the stone gates that mark the entrance to Percy Warner Park. The route is beloved by runners and hardcore cyclists, and every Thanksgiving, it’s the site of Nashville’s popular fundraiser and 5K, the Boulevard Bolt.
Between the park, traffic-calming streets, and the boulevard itself, it’s no wonder Belle Meade is one of the best neighborhoods in the city for runners.
What It’s Like to Live Here
Belle Meade is a neighborhood that’s almost entirely residential. Unlike other neighborhoods like 12 South, Sylvan Park, or East Nashville known for walkability, shopping, and dining, Belle Meade isn’t a destination for commerce.
That said, there’s one culinary staple of the neighborhood that residents can’t seem to live without. Sperry’s Restaurant caters to locals with elevated American steakhouse-style food. Their formula has worked since their opening in 1974, and they show no signs of slowing down. They’re also the only area establishment likely to be open past 9 p.m. serving cocktails—a likely factor in their success.
Belle Meade residents keep a close-knit, almost bedroom community feel in their neighborhood. The area’s Colonial, Georgian, and Tudor Revival style homes are some of the most beautiful in the whole city, and it's no wonder with a median sale price in the millions—$1.5 million or $446 per square foot according to Neighborhoods.com data. The low end home prices in this area sit in the mid $700s, and the pricing pinnacle at this moment is $11.9 million.
It goes without saying that Belle Meade isn’t necessarily geared toward Nashville transplants looking to buy a first home in an affordable city, but it’s worth knowing about this neighborhood that so many native Nashville residents call home.
The area is also home to some of the city's best schools, both public and private. Julia Greene Elementary and Percy Priest Elementary both have 10/10 ratings from Great Schools. These ratings are based on more than just test scores; ratings factor in other elements of academic life like equity, student progress, and college readiness.
The elite 5-12 preparatory academy for girls, Harpeth Hall School, is nestled up in the hills on the border of Belle Meade and Green Hills. The school has educated young women for over 150 years and such notable alumnae include actress Reese Witherspoon and Grammy Award-winning artist Amy Grant.