Nashville Lures People Back To Its Downtown Core

While the New Yorks and San Franciscos of the world grapple with a slowing rental market, Nashville, and other second- and third-tier cities thrive in drawing people back their urban cores.

1 minute read

June 24, 2006, 5:00 AM PDT

By Matt Baumann


Development is gradually speeding up in Nashville, a late reaction from developers in one of the nation's not-so big cities. Long ignored, Downtown Nashville is gaining the attentions of almost everyone in the city's housing market.

"Although Nashville never hit the skids the way other cities did in the 1960's and 70's â€" it remained relatively safe and clean with a lively night life â€" virtually no one lived in the central business district, even though the city added 60,000 people from 1990 to 2000."

" 'Until very recently, all of my business was outside of downtown,' said Richard Courtney, a residential real estate agent in Nashville for 27 years. 'Now about half of my business is in the downtown/midtown area. We could maintain this pace for several more years and not come anywhere near a saturation point.' "

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 in The New York Times

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