With Gallatin Road as the main avenue connecting Music City to outer lying suburban neighborhoods, East Nashville was best known as an eclectic area for starving artists and lower income minorities.

Investors and developers made a conscious decision to capitalize on the southern charm of the humbler craftsman homes by incorporating original features once found in the very homes that they sought to demolish.

Homes reaching from property line to property line, commonly referred to as “tall-and-skinnies”, dominate the area. The duplex like dwellings are rapidly replacing the single family bungalows, presenting themselves as “authentic” southern homes but they fail to grasp real history and character.

With the newly renovated homes, East Nashville witnessed an influx of out of state, well to do buyers looking for southern charm and urban appeal. Rental prices quickly increased, forcing long-time residents to seek more affordable housing further away from the booming city.

The effects of gentrification commonly result in the displacement of lower income residents, often people of color. This can be seen at The Howe Gardens Apartment Complex. For several decades, the complex consisted of affordable housing units for working class and lower income residents. In Jan. 2017, Middle Farms Capital purchased the property, renovated the units, and increased rental rates, forcing out occupants and placing them back on the Section 8 waitlist, consisting of 8,000 applicants.

Despite the backlash of gentrification, East Nashville continues to increase building projects and projects the area as a neighborhood of diversity and young, creative artists.