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South Nashville

Neighborhood Scores

Using a combo of our local, expert knowledge + third-party stats from Yardi, here's our scorecard to help you find your next favorite neighborhood!

Walkability

5.9

Public Transportation

3.6
Apartment kitchen Nashville Tennessee
Apartment kitchen Nashville Tennessee
Apartment kitchen Nashville Tennessee

What Its Known For

12 South: Super popular strip of shops/restaurants. Bachelorette party hot spot for the murals and Reese Witherspoon’s store, Draper James
Hillsboro-Belmont: Popular spot for Vanderbilt and Belmont University students and faculty. Loaded with cozy cafes, cocktail bars, and indie boutiques. Home of the 1850’s Belmont Mansion
Wedgewood-Houston (WeHo): Popular for the monthly Art Crawl. Up-and-coming area filled with factories turned art studios and galleries. Has several craft cocktail bars and a couple distilleries
Melrose/Berry Hill: Known for 1940s cottages turned locally-owned business including restaurants, shops and recording studios

Pros

Close to Downtown/Broadway but at a slower pace with a more local vibe
Thriving nightlife and live entertainment
Diverse dining options

Cons

High noise levels
Large crowds
Heavy traffic and limited parking

We define the South Nashville neighborhood as a collection of smaller neighborhoods south of downtown, including 12 South, Hillsboro/Belmont, and Wedgewood/Houston. Because each of these areas are so different from one another we broke them down a bit further for you here:

The 12 South neighborhood is a half-mile stretch along 12th Avenue South, lined with unique Nashville businesses including restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and boutiques. Tucked in between Belmont and Melrose, 12 South is one of the most walkable areas in Nashville and home to a fair amount of newly built high-rise apartments, making it an exciting place to live.

The Hillsboro/Belmont area makes up Nashville’s most academic neighborhood–sometimes referred to as “the Harvard of the South”–and is home to both Belmont and Vanderbilt University. Packed with shops, boutiques, restaurants and bars, the Hillsboro/Belmont neighborhood is popular for people who want to experience a trendy, metropolitan lifestyle. Traffic can be intense, but with convenient access to downtown and numerous parks and other green spaces it washes out. Because of the large student population, you can find some surprisingly good deals on housing. If you have the budget for more luxurious living, you can find amenity-filled luxury apartments along Hillsboro Pike. Existing as a sort of “college town”, it’s no surprise the neighborhood has an energetic and thriving nightlife. Nights in Hillsboro tend to be high-spirited as partygoers explore the local bar scene (think Belcourt Avenue) and nightlife. If you prefer a more quiet and laid back feel, try the southern areas of Hillsboro/Belmont.

Wedgewood-Houston, also known as “WeHo”, is located a few blocks south of downtown Nashville bordered by Houston Street to the north and Wedgewood Avenue to the south. WeHo’s proximity to Downtown, relatively affordable rent, and available industry spaces (think warehouses, factories, and garages) are credited for attracting artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs to the area where they have opened restaurants, distilleries, breweries, galleries, studios and more. Unsurprisingly, growth and development is anticipated to continue in this neighborhood for years to come.

Don’t just take our word for it. See what our friends say!

South Nashville offers a different kind of action than Downtown. WeHo is so artsy and urban, Hillsboro/Belmont has that abundant college energy, and 12 South is packed with stuff to do, buy, and eat. All this makes South Nashville kind of like a 'choose your own adventure' neighborhood!

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