East Nashville is where most young professionals in Nashville end up, and it’s the right call for most of them. But the answer has more nuance than it did even five years ago, when East Nashville was cheaper and less competitive.
East Nashville: The Default for a Reason
East Nashville has the combination of housing stock, food culture, bar scene, and social infrastructure that young professionals tend to want. The Victorian and Craftsman homes around Five Points and Lockeland Springs offer character that new construction doesn’t. The restaurant and coffee shop density is high enough to support a full social life without a car on many evenings. The Walk Score in the most central parts reaches 88, making it the most walkable residential neighborhood in Nashville outside of downtown itself. Musicians, writers, designers, healthcare workers from the nearby hospitals, and professionals in the creative economy all cluster here. The result is a social environment with more range than the downtown hotel-bar scene.
The trade-off is that East Nashville is no longer affordable in the way it was when the first wave of creative-class residents arrived. Rents have risen sharply, and the character of the neighborhood has shifted as the housing supply tightened. Longtime residents who shaped the neighborhood’s identity have been priced out in significant numbers. Newcomers often find they’re paying a premium for a version of the neighborhood they heard about rather than the one that exists now.
Wedgewood-Houston: The Up-and-Coming Answer
Wedgewood-Houston, called WeHo by locals, is immediately south of downtown and has been transforming rapidly. Former industrial buildings house galleries, studios, Geodis Park (Nashville SC’s soccer stadium), SoHo House, and a growing cluster of restaurants and bars. It attracts young professionals in creative fields who want to be close to downtown without paying downtown prices. The neighborhood is still developing, the ratio of interesting-new to boring-new construction is shifting fast, but it’s the most compelling emerging option for young professionals in 2025.
The Gulch: For Those Who Want the Urban High-Rise Experience
The Gulch delivers walkability, proximity to downtown, and a high-rise lifestyle that appeals to professionals who want amenities (rooftop pool, doorman, gym) built into their building. It’s the most expensive neighborhood in Nashville, and it feels like it. The social scene is more bar-and-restaurant than community-oriented; you have neighbors but you probably don’t know them. For young professionals prioritizing convenience and access over neighborhood identity, it works.
Germantown: For Those Who Can Afford It
Germantown is expensive and has less rental stock than the other options, but professionals who can afford it get a walkable, architecturally beautiful neighborhood with Nashville’s best restaurant concentration and a real community-oriented feel. It’s better suited to professionals in their late twenties and older who are past the stage of needing cheap rent and a large social scene on their block.
Midtown: The Music Row Option
Midtown is where professionals in the music industry often choose to live. It’s close to Music Row and the recording studios, has good restaurant and bar access along Demonbreun and Elliston Place, and housing is somewhat more affordable than The Gulch. The neighborhood feels functional more than destination-worthy, people live there because it makes their commute easier, not because they can’t imagine living anywhere else.
The Verdict
East Nashville remains the best overall fit for most young professionals, with Wedgewood-Houston as the strongest alternative for those who want something on the rise rather than something established.
Sources
- Nashville Guru, Moving to Nashville Guide: nashvilleguru.com
- AptAmigo, Nashville Neighborhood Map & Guides: aptamigo.com
- Redfin, “14 Popular Nashville Neighborhoods”: redfin.com/blog/nashville-tn-neighborhoods/
- WKRN, “The Nations Nashville: gentrification” (August 2024): wkrn.com