Donelson is an east Nashville suburb about six miles from downtown along US Route 70, sitting immediately north of Nashville International Airport, and it is the neighborhood that gets recommended most often when someone asks where to find a decent house in Nashville without paying East Nashville prices. The locals who live here and the nonprofit that promotes it have adopted the nickname “Hip Donelson,” which is partly tongue-in-cheek and partly accurate.
Where it comes from
Donelson is named after John Donelson, one of Nashville’s co-founders and Andrew Jackson’s father-in-law. It developed as a post-World War II suburb, its growth accelerated by the expansion of Nashville’s airport nearby and direct Interstate 40 access. The oldest subdivision, Bluefields, dates to 1929 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The neighborhood is built predominantly for cars, wide streets, ranch-style homes, large lots. Walkability is limited compared to more urban Nashville neighborhoods, though ongoing efforts to add sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure have improved things incrementally.
The housing market
Median home sale prices in Donelson run around $390,000 to $400,000, which is more than $100,000 below Nashville’s overall median and represents one of the last accessible entry points for first-time buyers within Davidson County. Most homes sell between the upper $200,000s and upper $500,000s. Larger homes over 2,000 square feet push into the $600,000s to $800,000s. The price advantage over East Nashville, which has been appreciating rapidly, draws buyers who want Davidson County address and commute times without six-figure premiums for neighborhood branding.
The Hip Donelson movement
In 2009, a resident named Frank Trew started a Facebook group to revitalize community pride and attract new businesses. That Facebook group became a nonprofit organization, HIP Donelson, a 501(c)3, that now runs neighborhood watches, a farmers market (described by some as the largest community farmers market in the region), and ongoing business support. The list of businesses that have opened since includes Tennfold (a brewery and pizza restaurant that opened in 2020), Party Fowl, Nectar Urban Cantina, Edley’s BBQ, and Sindoore for North Indian food.
Practical advantages
Donelson’s position next to BNA airport is either a feature or a drawback depending on who you ask. Frequent travelers love being 10 minutes from the terminal. The noise trade-off is real but manageable depending on the block. The WeGo Star commuter rail line stops in Donelson and runs into downtown Nashville, offering one of the few genuine public transit options in the broader Nashville area. Two Rivers Park’s dog park is one of the best in the city.
HarperCollins Christian Publishers has its national headquarters in Donelson, which anchors a significant white-collar employment presence alongside the airport-adjacent hotel and hospitality industry.
Sources
- Donelson, Tennessee, Wikipedia
- City Cast Nashville, Donelson neighborhood guide, 2024
- Homes.com, Donelson neighborhood profile
- NestingInNashville.com, Donelson neighborhood guide
- Southeast Venture, Neighborhood Spotlight: Donelson, 2019
- HipDonelson.org