Davidson County Area Guide

Metro area offers best of city life in a beautiful setting

Davidson County is a burgeoning community known for world-class entertainment, extensive housing options and Southern hospitality. The county offers employment in thriving industries, numerous options for arts and culture, and excellent educational opportunities. All that plus beautiful scenery and extensive public parks are just a few reasons why more than 500,000 residents call the Nashville area home.

As the state capitol, Nashville is a virtual hotbed of commerce with plentiful jobs. Industries well represented include health care, entertainment, manufacturing and rapidly growing entrepreneurial companies. Some of the city’s most notable companies include HCA, BMI, Thomas Nelson Publishing, Dollar General Corp. and Ingram Industries. The diverse employment landscape attracts top talent from all areas of the country.

This vibrant city is frequently recognized for excellence by national organizations and publications alike. According to the Today show, Nashville is “One of America’s Friendliest Cities,” and www.RelocationAmerica.com included Music City in its “Top 100 Places to Live.” Forbes.com calls Nashville one of their “Best Places for Business and Careers.”

Nashville has grown to embrace all types of entertainment, including professional sports. The Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators attract football and hockey fans of all ages. Big city nightlife is available seven days a week. From bluegrass music at the Station Inn to Rigoletto at the brand-new Noah Liff Opera Center, residents have entertainment choices that run the gamut. Rock clubs coexist with the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, while the downtown Tennessee Performing Arts Center brings national shows of all kinds to the city.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville opened in 2001. This art-deco building has hosted some of the most prestigious exhibits in the country, including pieces by Georgia O’Keefe, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is a renowned facility that continues to grow.  Adventure Science Center and Sudekum Planetarium is a place that encourages the exercise of imagination and curiosity by engaging the senses in the world of science.
And the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is housed within a striking structure that is a must-see for music enthusiasts. Full of multimedia exhibits, the museum’s mission is to preserve the history and traditions of country music.

In addition to the cultural advantages found here, Davidson County is also known for its breathtaking scenery. There are numerous places here to enjoy the great outdoors. Parks, greenways and bicycle lanes are plentiful throughout the county. With 113 park properties, residents are always close to a place where they can enjoy nature.  Old Hickory and Percy Priest lakes offer boating, swimming and stretches of shoreline. Ice hockey and skating can be enjoyed at Centennial Sportsplex; an Olympic-size swimming pool and fitness center are also found within the complex.

ANTIOCH

In Antioch, your neighbor or favorite shopkeeper may originally be from Somalia or Mexico or Laos, and multiple languages are spoken along Nolensville Road, in churches and in schools. Homes are affordable, and the community is popular with first-time buyers and young families with children. Antioch is also home to Hickory Hollow Mall. Bell Road also has numerous shopping plazas as well as a driving range and miniature golf course.

BELLEVUE

In Bellevue it’s possible to get more house for the money than in many other places in Davidson County. With good schools and lots of outdoor activities for children, families have been flocking to this area. Car buffs will enjoy the Bellevue Cruise-Ins at the Bellevue Center Mall on the first Saturday of every month from April to October. One of Nashville's landmark restaurants, Loveless Cafe, is also located here.

DONELSON/HERMITAGE

Life near Percy Priest Lake keeps this area popular. The Hermitage, once home to President Andrew Jackson, is one of Tennessee’s well-known landmarks. Opry Mills mall and the Grand Ole Opry also make this area popular for tourists. Commuters can ride the Music City Star to downtown, and the area is easily accessible from Nashville International Airport. Hermitage is also home to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu's sprawling technology headquarters.

EAST NASHVILLE

This older neighborhood has been a mecca for artists, musicians and young professionals who have led the charge in renovating Victorian and other architecturally interesting homes. Historic homes in the neighborhood continue to draw people from other parts of town as well as newcomers to Nashville. Many will tell you there's a sense of community in East Nashville unlike any other spot in town, with the Five Points area seeing the most growth.

GREEN HILLS

Trendy shops, The Mall at Green Hills and upscale homes make this one of the premier neighborhoods in Davidson County. Public schools Hillsboro High and Julia Green Elementary are top notch, and one of the area's finest private schools, Harpeth Hall (for girls only) is located here. Commercial development is thriving, with the recent openings of Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's and the Hill Center shopping district.

MADISON/GOODLETTSVILLE

These two communities in the northern portion of the county feature good deals on homes and a strong tax base because of RiverGate Mall and numerous auto dealerships. Goodlettsville has its own city government, after choosing to remain autonomous when Nashville merged with the county in 1963. Garth Brooks called Goodlettsville home during the peak of his success. Early notable inhabitants of Goodlettsville included Kasper Mansker, explorer and founder of Fort Mansker in 1780, and William Bowen Campbell, governor of Tennessee from 1851 to 1853. Goodlettsville is also the home of Dollar General Corp.'s corporate headquarters.

Nashville and Davidson County is an exciting place that is rife with opportunities for housing, employment and cultural pursuits. And it could be the perfect place for you to put down new roots.

DEMOGRAPHICS
2009 county population: 629,700
Growth rate since 2000: 10%
Median housing value: $150,600
Median household income (2009): $47,000
Male: 48.8%
Female: 51.2%
High school graduates (age 25+): 81.5%
Bachelor's degree or more (age 25+): 30.5%

RACIAL BREAKDOWN
White: 67.5%
Black: 27.5%
American Indians/Alaskan Natives: 0.4%
Asian: 2.8%
Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders: 0.1%
Hispanic/Latino: 7.5%
Two or more races: 1.6%

MAJOR COMMUNITIES
Antioch, Bellevue, Donelson, East Nashville, Goodlettsville, Green Hills, Hermitage and Madison

PROPERTY TAX RATES PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE
General services district: $3.56
Urban services district: $4.13
Belle Meade: $0.229
Goodlettsville: $0.66

SCHOOLS
www.mnps.org
140 public schools, enrollment about 75,000
77 private schools

TOP EMPLOYERS
State government, Vanderbilt University, federal government, Metro schools, HCA

ATTRACTIONS
• Grand Ole Opry. 615-871-OPRY. www.opry.com.
• Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. 615-833-1534. www.nashvillezoo.org.
• Country Music Hall of Fame. 615-416-2001. www.countrymusichalloffame.com.
• Nashville Shores water park. 615-889-7050. www.nashvilleshores.com.
• The Hermitage, home of Andrew Jackson. 615-889-2941. www.thehermitage.com.
• Frist Center for the Visual Arts. 615-244-3340. www.fristcenter.org.

MAJOR ANNUAL EVENTS
• Country Music Marathon (April)
• Iroquois Steeplechase (May)
• CMA Musical Festival (June)
• Fourth of July festivities, Riverfront Park
• Music City Bowl (December)

INTERESTING FACT
The Goo Goo Cluster originated in Nashville. The candy is made of chocolate, caramel, marshmallows and peanuts.

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS

COUNTYWIDE
Metro general information: 615-862-5000
Mayor: 615-862-6000
Sheriff: 615-862-8123
Police: 615- 862-8600
Fire: 615-862-5421
County clerk: 615-862-6050
Election commission: 615-862-8800
Register of deeds: 615-862-6790
Health department: 615-340-5616
Animal control: 615-862-7928
Pet emergency clinic: 615-383-2600
Codes administration: 615-862-6500
Recycling: 615-880-1000
Licenses/registration: 615-862-6050
Public Library system: 615-862-5800
Chipper service: 615-880-1000
Metro Transit Authority: 615-862-5969
Property assessor: 615-862-6080
Telephone, AT&T: 800-753-0223
Cable, Comcast: 615-244-5900 or 800-COMCAST
Nashville Electric Service: 615-736-6900
Piedmont Natural Gas: 877-279-3636
Trash: 615-880-1000
Water: 615-862-4600

BELLE MEADE
City hall: 615-297-6041
Police: 615-297-0241

BERRY HILL
City hall: 615-292-5531
Police: 615-297-3242

FOREST HILLS
City hall: 615-383-8447

GOODLETTSVILLE
City hall: 615-851-2200
Police: 615-851-2230
Fire: 615-851-2246
Trash: 615-859-2740
Water: 615-868-3201

LAKEWOOD
City hall: 615-847-3711
Police: 615-847-3711

OAK HILL
City hall: 615-371-8291

RIDGETOP
City hall: 615-859-0596
Police: 615-851-0203
Fire: 615-851-4570

Voter Registration
Register at the Davidson County Election Commission offices, 800 Second Ave. S., downtown Nashville. For more information, visit nashville.gov/vote or call 615-862-8800.

Driver’s License
For testing, go to 6604 Centennial Blvd. (615-741-4560 or 615-741-4561) or 624 Hart Lane (615-532-9780). Express service for duplicate licenses, renewals, photo ID cards and reinstatements, but not testing, is available at 312 Eighth Ave. N., third floor, Tennessee Tower (615-253-2062) or 1061 Murfreesboro Pike
(615-741-2541). For general information, visit tennessee.gov/safety.

Emission Testing
To obtain a Tennessee license plate in Davidson County, the county clerk’s office requires you to present a valid emissions test certificate, current registration or car title or the name and address of the lien holder, and funds to pay for the tag and county wheel tax. For more information, contact the clerk’s office at 615-862-6050.

Emissions testing is offered at the following testing stations:
Stations are open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. The Antioch Pike station is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information on emissions testing, call 1-866-623-8378 or visit the Nashville Vehicle Inspection Program Web site at www.nashvillevip.org.

3494 Dickerson Road	715 Gallatin Road. N.
3363 Stoner Bend Drive	1317 Antioch Pike
7008 Westbelt Drive	501 Craighead St.