NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — What was once an overlooked, gritty part of Nashville is now filled with trendy hotels and restaurants.
In a city like Nashville, filled with old neighborhoods rich with history, The Gulch is very much the new kid on the block.
“We just celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the start of The Gulch. That this development took 25 years and it’s still going,” Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin told News 2.
As new buildings continue to pop up, Kupin — both a real estate agent and Metro Councilman for the district— has an up-close look at the neighborhood’s transformation.
“I remember when some of these buildings were parking lots. I’d come visit friends here and park in a gravel parking lot, which obviously you don’t see anymore,” he said. “It creates a kind of momentum effect where the businesses we have here now bring more and more.”
As fast as the high-rises have gone up in The Gulch, so have condo prices. According to Kupin, the average price is around $700,000.
“From an affordability perspective, it is tricky, it is tricky down here. Rents will run you up about $2,000 to $4,000 a month to get a place down here,” he added.
Living in The Gulch wasn’t exactly a reality a few years ago. The area wasn’t a true neighborhood like today with condos, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and offices. At one point, the area was viewed as a corner of downtown Nashville, but that’s certainly not the case anymore. Today, The Gulch stands out as a evolving destination with a vibe entirely unique from the tourist frenzy of Broadway.
“The challenge is growth next to growth… We’re seeing that The Gulch is a very different neighborhood than downtown, so I think it needs to be regulated differently as well,” Kupin expressed.
Regulation to fit a new neighborhood is already underway. Kupin recently helped pass a bill in Metro Council that includes The Gulch in the city’s overnight construction noise ordinance so residents aren’t disturbed at all hours of the night.
Now that this is a place where people not only work but also live, Kupin said it’s time to treat The Gulch like other residential neighborhoods in Nashville.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell recently announced that south of Broadway is slated to get its own transit center. Kupin says that investment will be a big moment for public transit in The Gulch.
