Where are the walkable neighborhoods in Nashville?

Great question! But I don’t know that you’ll really like the answer. We have so little housing stock that allows for walkability that most of the prices of these few and far between are at a hefty premium in move-in ready condition. There are a few gems described later that offer the convenience that many people can enjoy at both a premium and at moderate prices.

I want to first introduce you to one of my favorite tools for consumers out there that I’ve been using for the past year, Walkscore. In the box below, you can enter an address, and it will spit out a walkscore. That’s not the best part. It will give you an indication of how far you are from some of the closest
establishments (by name), even if it’s not an ideal walk, like:

• restaurants
• coffee shops
• schools
• grocery stores
• fitness
• parks
• libraries
• bookstores
• bars
• movie theaters
• drug stores
• hardware stores
• clothing and music

Try it now…scroll around on this map or go directly to the site to enter as many addresses as you want to know their walkability and what is nearby. It may not list everything or be 100% accurate, but it definitely gives you a good idea of whether the area is walkable or not.

Let me help take some of the guesswork out for you. In the Nashville area, the following neighborhoods are ones that offer homeowners some walkable convenience near the things you need. For Nashville condo seekers, refer to other parts of this site to get an understanding of what buildings are in these areas and how walkable they are.

Traditional Neighborhoods

• West Nashville (Hillsboro Village, Belmont, Vandy, West End, 12 South, Lipscomb, Waverly, Music Row, and Edgehill) - While most of these are separate communities, they are all land linked together and may be listed alone or sometimes listed in combination with others on the Nashville MLS. Some of these areas are commonly referred to as “Midtown”, but that will not appear in your search engines for homes. These areas are generally West and/or a little South of Downtown, but still in very close proximity to Downtown Nashville. Another way you’ll see this area referred in real estate is “Area 2″. Now, there is much more to Area 2 than what is listed above, so do not be mistaken when you search Area 2 and the neighborhood is not one of the above. As in any neighborhood, you’ll need to check each address to see its proximity to the establishments you seek because even in these neighborhoods, some homes are a lot more walkable than others. Homes in these areas range from about $150,000 to $2 million. It’s a wide range, but there’s only a handful under $200,000 and another handful under $300,000. At the lower end of the spectrum, the home might be small (the smallest is around 850 sf or in need of repairs.) The range between $300,000 - $400,000 is full of options, another nice sized group is between $400,000 - $600,000, and a sizable chunk of the listings exceed $750,000. In these areas you also have 3 universities and quite a few hot spot pockets, but don’t let being near the schools deter you. These areas are highly desirable of non-college students alike.
• East Nashville (Lockeland Springs, East End & Edgefield) - These neighborhoods are a few of the most walkable neighborhoods in East Nashville, also still within very close proximity of Downtown….just on the other side. East Nashville has a sad history, but it has been fighting hard to revive with some definite success. These neighborhoods are most notably walkable to the “Five Points” area, which is a small town center. Shelby Bottoms Park is not far away either. The creative, multi-cultural buzz coming out of East Nashville is energizing. These neighborhoods are located in Area 6. The range of these three neighborhoods is between $100,000 and $500,000. You will find less walkable housing stock in East Nashville than on the West side, but there are plenty of options if you feel the East Nashville vibe more. Again, on the lower end of the spectrum, the home might be in need of renovation or repairs. You’ll occasionally see one above $500,000. Some of the other neighborhoods in East Nashville that might be considered walkable or somewhat walkable include Eastwood Neighbors, Greenwood Neighbors, and Shelby Village.
• Downtown Franklin - This is a charming and historic area deep in the suburbs, south of Nashville. You’ll find historic houses in Franklin Tennessee, some built as early as the early 1800s, which surround this little Downtown area. You’ll see a few new homes sprinkled in there too. These homes can be found in Area 10 in Williamson County under the: Historic or Downtown Franklin subdivisions. Historic houses in Franklin Tennessee will range between $250,000 - $2 million. However, you won’t have a ton of options in any general price point. An interesting part of being in Downtown Franklin is that you also have the Cool Springs area 3.5 miles away where you have every major convenience you’d need. You have both the old and the new in Franklin

Newer subdivision developments with walkability

• Westhaven - Located within Franklin city limits of Williamson County (Area 10), Westhaven is practically self-sustaining. It needs to be based on its location, which is deep into Franklin, almost to where the Leipers Fork area begins. The homes are built on very small lots. If large lots and privacy are a big deal to you, this might not be the place for you. It’s laid out to promote community from the sidewalks, walking trails, pools with water slides, ponds where you can fish, the outdoor area for concerts, the playgrounds, the golf course, the enormous resident’s club (which has a movie theater), school, the full-time activities director, and small town center that provides some basic needs (bank, dentist, medical clinic, food, etc.) You can find zero lot lines connected to one another for under $350,000 but the rest of the homes usually begin around $400,000 and go all the way up to $1.5 million. Occasionally, you’ll see a home dip below $400,000 or above $1.5 million.
• Lenox Village - Located in Southeast Davidson County off Nolensville Pike in Area 1, Lenox Village is one of the most affordable options in the Nashville area for walkable neighborhoods. The community contains single family homes, condominiums, retail and work space. It’s a large, active community with plenty of activities throughout the year. While you may not have a neighborhood pool like many do, you will feel a definite sense of community in Lenox Village. Single family homes range between $200,000 - $400,000.
• Carothers Crossing - This neighborhood is still in the early development stage but it, too, will be a lifestyle community. It will be 55% open green space and natural areas with walking/biking/hiking trails, ponds, rolling hills and more. However, it will also contain about 230,000 sf of commercial space. It’s located in the Nolensville/Smyrna area, about 20 minutes from Nashville. While it’s in Area 1, which is Davidson County, the city for most of the homes will be Nolensville, even though it is very close to Lavergne. Townhomes run around $250,000, Village homes are going to be around $350,000, and Estate homes start at $450,000+ and go up.
• Providence in Mount Juliet - It is comprised of several neighborhoods nearby to the new Providence MarketPlace in Mount Juliet. Within Wilson County, Area 11, these are located in Mount Juliet (Mt Juliet) city limits. Providence MarketPlace is about 830,000 sf of retail, in an outdoor mall fashion, which does include a movie theater. While the homes are not surrounding the retail center like most of the other neighborhoods mentioned, it is connected. Some consider it a walkable community because of the close proximity to Providence MarketPlace, and some leave it off the walkable community list. You decide for yourself. The Providence neighborhoods are also tops on the affordable list ranging from around $200,000 (or slightly below) to $400,000. You also have a Del Webb active adults 55+ community within the Providence area where homes range from around $150,000 all the way up to near $600,000.

Areas worth mentioning

These areas do not truly make the walkable neighborhoods list, but they are worth mentioning if you want some walkability and be near enough to get where you need in a couple of minutes by car.

• Germantown/Salemtown - This area is right on the edge of Downtown Nashville. You could take a long walk and get to many places downtown. However, Germantown, itself, offers some walkability to restaurants, shopping and the wonderful and well-known Farmer’s Market. It’s an area sometimes referred to as Area 3 in Nashville’s Davidson County. It has gone under some redevelopment in recent years and has homes that range between $150,000 and $500,000.
• Sylvan Park - While this area might not be within comfortable walking distance to the West End and Midtown area, it sure is a quick car ride over there. However, Sylvan Park does offer some limited walkability to a few nearby establishments. This area is located in Area 2 and within Nashville city limits in Davidson County. Homes range from $150,000 all the way to $700,000.
• Green Hills - Some homes in Green Hills may technically be within walking distance to the main retail center on Hillsboro Rd. Others are not. Sadly, Green Hills is not walk-friendly area though. Everything is set up to promote driving, and there are a ton of cars in a compact area creating traffic issues in Green Hills. It is a place filled with hustle and bustle and is very close to the areas in West Nashville first mentioned in this article. Green Hills is more of an urban/suburban area. If you live in Green Hills, you may have a tree-filled, 1 acre property, but you’ll be within minutes of everything you’d ever need plus more: a great mall, shopping, the Hill Center, BlueBird Cafe, and the widely anticipated, Trader Joe’s…oh, and there’s a Whole Foods too. You will also be within minutes to the heart of Nashville too.

One last neighborhood that I would classify on the third tier of walkability is McKay’s Mill in Franklin, TN. McKay’s Mill a giant subdivision in the burbs, but in its core is a small commercial section, that if you lived close enough, you could walk to the Publix and the Walgreens. A few more stores & restaurants are sprinkled in there, but you do have the convenience of some of your basic needs in the neighborhood itself.

Take a look at these neighborhoods on a map below. Or access it full screen with the neighborhood legend here.

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