Looking to Call Nashville Home? Here’s How to Pick a Neighborhood

If you want to live in Nashville, you’re making a wise decision. Nashville has the strongest job growth in the country and has so much to offer in the way of entertainment. All of that will be covered as we go through the best areas of Nashville for living. A lot is going to depend on your budget and what kind of scene you prefer. 

East Nashville

East Nashville is the hippest area of the city with a bustling yet quirky nightlife scene; street art, fine dining, and themed bars in the Five Points section; and unique shops on Fatherland Street. At the same time, you can also walk on a tree-lined path in Shelby Park when you want to unwind. In essence, you have everything you want in a small area. If this sounds appealing to you, you should know the prices for living options in East Nashville. 

If you want to own a house, you’re going to be looking at around $500,000. A home like this will usually be more than 2,000 square feet but with very little land. If you want a condo, you can find a 1 bedroom/1 bath for around $200,000. A townhouse with 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms will run you approximately $150,000. Fortunately, you can also find a 1 bedroom/1 bathroom apartment for around $1,000/month.

Downtown

If you want high energy, this is where you want to be. Downtown is more city-like in the traditional sense and is home to 285 restaurants, museums, sports, music venues, parks, and more. Country music is the theme at most bars and for most concerts here. 

If you want to live in Downtown Nashville, you can do it for as little as $800/month for a studio. You can find a 1-bedroom apartment for less than $900/month, a 2-bedroom apartment for around $1,110/month, and a 3-bedroom apartment for just over $1,300/month. 

A big plus of living Downtown is that you don’t need a car. This reduces your global footprint and costs while adding to your convenience. All that said, there is one negative. Downtown living is in such high demand that occupancy rates exceed 95%. In some cases, there are waiting lists. 

The Gulch

This is a high-end neighborhood where prices for a studio start at around $1,250/month. A 1-bedroom apartment will run you about $1,500/month on average, and a 2-bedroom apartment can range anywhere between $1,800 and $2,650 per month. 

The Gulch is home to fancy hotels, high-end fashion boutiques, fine dining restaurants, the First Art Museum, The Station Inn, and Mercy Lounge. The Frist Art Museum hosts exhibitions, film screenings, and lectures. The Station Inn is a tiny venue that has been around since the 1970s and is known for its bluegrass performances. And Mercy Lounge is all about indie, soul, and folk performances. 

Cleveland Park

If you want to be away from all the people and energy and prefer something more laidback, you might want to look into Cleveland Park. In order to own a home in Cleveland Park, it’s going to cost around $500,000. And you’re likely going to get less than 2,000 square feet. However, you will be living in a quiet area of the city while having easy access to everything Nashville has to offer. On top of that, Cleveland Park is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry. 

Trying Before You Buy In Nashville 

Several apartment options were mentioned above, but none of those were furnished. If you’re a minimalist, digital nomad, or just not sure if you want to commit, renting one of the many furnished apartments in Nashville might be an option to consider. 

For instance, you can own a furnished studio for approximately $1,300 per month or a 1-bedroom furnished apartment for as low as $1,600 per month. In some cases, this can come with granite countertops in the kitchen and common areas that include a fitness center and a game room, the latter of which might consist of billiards, shuffleboard, and cornhole. If you don’t need all those amenities and want to focus on minimalist living, you can find even cheaper options. 

That being the case, if you put it all together, you can live in the city with the fastest job growth in the country and one of the best entertainment and dining scenes in the world for approximately $1,300 per month with furniture included. That’s probably the best deal you will even find.