Napier Neighborhood & Hermitage Avenue

[Chad Blackburn]

Hi Everyone,

I am considering a commercial purchase near the Napier neighborhood on Hermitage Avenue / Willow Street. Business is to be a bar/restaurant concept and will target younger educated professionals. I'm a little concerned about the area for safety reasons. Fairfield (stretching under the interstate) is the primary connector to the Napier neighborhood, which is known to be problematic. Any opinion on how much crime drifts over to the Hermitage Ave / Willow St. area?  Would any of you have a problem visiting a restaurant in this general location?

On other discussions, I'm glad to see people making individual residential investments in the Napier neighborhood as it is certainly affordable. Buntin Group's (huge branding company in Nashville) soon-to-be relocation at the rail yard on Stanley St. also gives me some positive hope. Anyone aware of any recent publicity or news articles discussing significant positive redevelopment in the Napier/Hermitage area?

Any additional thoughts are most certainly welcome!

Thanks.

[Sean Davidson]

That is historically one of the highest crime areas in Nashville, and it still appears to be that way. Watch local news for a few days, and you will see what I mean. Long term Nashville could possibly end up as Manhattan, but I think Atlanta is more likely. There are still rough neighborhoods in Atlanta. I can't buy the theory that the entire city will gentrify.. the criminals have to live somewhere. That being said, no one knows where the line will be drawn with gentrification, so it's a gamble either way. I don't think I would go there as a customer, but hey, I'm just one person.