Metrocenter Blvd, Metro Center

There are so many parts of Nashville that can be described as "up and coming," or "the next big thing" that it seems trite to apply either of those terms to what is Nashville's oldest neighborhood. Germantown, however, gets a gold star not only for its age, but also for the fact that it is perhaps the best kept of all the older neighborhoods, both in terms of restoration carried out and new structures being built. An 18 block area ordered by Rosa Parks Blvd, Hume Street, Jefferson Street and Third Avenue North, it is the sort of place that one would recognize as being special even if they simply ran across it by mistake. Of course a lot of that aesthetic distinction is down to the strict zoning and building ordinances in place to protect what is now an historic zoning district, having been designated an historically registered neighborhood in 2008. In this case the push to get the distinction is a sign of the strength of the local community, which is close-knit, and also protective of both the integrity of the neighborhood and of one another. Though Germantown is not located near any of Nashville's private schools, it is likely that many of the artsy or progressive types who live here would opt to go down that path in any event, and nor would they need to with the Hume Fog Academic Magnet School or the Martin Luther King Magnet School not too far away, although these operate purely on a lottery system, thus requiring planning and not just a little patience. Property prices have dropped like everywhere else in the country, and one can now buy a piece of history from $220K to $275K depending on the size of the home and extent of the renovations, though there are also newer homes recently built that have likewise dropped in price.