12 South Area Guide
12 South is Nashville's most walkable neighborhood and one of its most recognizable. Stretching along a half-mile strip of 12th Avenue South, the area packs more personality per block than most neighborhoods manage across entire zip codes. Coffee shops, boutiques, restaurants, and murals line the main drag, while one block in any direction reveals quiet, tree-lined streets with early 20th-century bungalows, front porches, and neighbors who actually know each other. It's trendy without being pretentious, busy without being overwhelming, and urban without losing its residential soul.
The neighborhood sits about 10 minutes south of downtown Nashville, bordered by Belmont Boulevard to the west, 8th Avenue to the east, and the green expanse of Sevier Park to the south. Belmont University is right next door, and Music Row, the Gulch, and Wedgewood-Houston are all within a few minutes' drive. Originally known as the Waverly Belmont community, 12 South was a bustling working-class neighborhood in the 1940s that fell into decline during the mid-century suburban migration. Developers began restoring the area in the 1990s, and by the time custom denim shop Imogene + Willie opened in a converted gas station in 2009, 12 South had firmly established itself as one of Nashville's most desirable addresses.
What to Love About 12 South
- One of Nashville's most walkable neighborhoods, with restaurants, shops, coffee, and parks all within a few blocks
- A strong residential core of historic bungalows, Craftsman cottages, and Tudor homes dating to the 1920s through 1940s
- Sevier Park offers nearly 20 acres of green space, playgrounds, a community center, and a weekly farmers market
- The commercial strip features a carefully curated collection of local boutiques alongside select national brands
- Strong community identity with events like the 12 South Home Tour, Halloween Parade, and summer concerts in Sevier Park
- Just 10 minutes from downtown, 5 minutes from Music Row, and close to Belmont and Vanderbilt universities
- A historic overlay protects more than 800 homes, preserving the neighborhood's architectural character
Real Estate and Homes
12 South real estate reflects the neighborhood's evolution from a working-class area to one of Nashville's most sought-after addresses. The residential streets surrounding the commercial strip are the heart of the community, and they've retained much of their early 20th-century character thanks to a neighborhood conservation zoning overlay that protects more than 800 homes.
The dominant housing styles are Craftsman bungalows, Tudor cottages, and four-square homes built between the 1920s and 1940s. Many of these have been gut-renovated with modern interiors while keeping their original exterior character: front porches, detailed woodwork, and the kind of street-level warmth that new construction often struggles to replicate. You'll also find fully restored 1930s stone bungalows and Victorian-era homes in the adjacent Belmont-Hillsboro neighborhood.
New construction has become increasingly common. Modern and transitional designs fill in where older homes have been replaced or lots subdivided. Tall, narrow builds (often called "tall skinnies" in Nashville) appear on some blocks, though the historic overlay has helped limit this trend compared to other neighborhoods.
Lot sizes in 12 South are modest by Nashville standards, typically 0.15 to 0.25 acres. Buyers here are paying for location. The ability to walk to restaurants, shops, a park, and a farmers market from your front door is the trade-off for less land. Key streets include Belmont Boulevard, Sweetbriar Avenue, Oakland Avenue, Gale Lane, Dallas Avenue, and Battlefield Drive.
Property types range from single-family homes to condos and townhomes, though the neighborhood's share of condos has grown in recent years. Several new condo developments have entered the market, offering an entry point for buyers who want the 12 South lifestyle on a smaller scale.
Local Tip: A historic overlay means you can't tear down the older homes. If you're buying a home in the protected zone, check with the Nashville Historic Zoning Commission about what exterior modifications are allowed before planning renovations.
Lifestyle and Local Highlights
12 South is the rare Nashville neighborhood where you can live your daily life on foot. The commercial strip is compact, but it's densely packed with things worth doing.
Dining
The food scene here ranges from casual to refined:
- Frothy Monkey: The original location (opened 2004) is a neighborhood institution for coffee, breakfast, and working lunches
- Five Daughters Bakery: Home of the famous 100-layer doughnut, baked fresh daily with rotating seasonal flavors
- Edley's Bar-B-Que: Nashville-style barbecue with family-sized take-and-bake options
- Bartaco: Elevated street tacos, shareable platters, and a lively bar scene
- Locust: A refined, minimalist restaurant from a former Catbird Seat chef, widely considered one of the best in the neighborhood
- Burger Up: Gourmet burgers and truffle fries in a casual setting
- Postino: Bruschetta boards, wine by the glass, and an 80-seat patio built for golden hour
Shopping
12 South established itself as a shopping destination when Imogene + Willie put it on the national map. Today the strip features both homegrown Nashville retailers and well-known national brands:
- Imogene + Willie: Handcrafted denim in a converted gas station
- Draper James: Reese Witherspoon's Southern-inspired women's clothing, housed next to the iconic "I Believe in Nashville" mural
- White's Mercantile: Holly Williams' (Hank Williams Jr.'s daughter) curated shop of gifts, home goods, and apparel
- Judith Bright: Locally handmade jewelry with a strong following across the South
- Ranger Station: Hand-poured candles in reusable cocktail glasses, plus fragrances and grooming products
- Savant Vintage: A small, treasure-packed vintage shop with finds you won't see anywhere else
National brands like Todd Snyder, Rag and Bone, and LoveShackFancy have also opened storefronts, giving 12 South the feel of a well-known shopping district (often compared to Austin's South Congress Avenue) while maintaining its local roots.
Parks and Outdoors
Sevier Park is the neighborhood anchor. The nearly 20-acre park features playgrounds, paved walking trails, picnic tables, and the Sevier Park Community Center, which hosts fitness classes, art workshops, and community events. From May through October, the 12 South Farmers Market runs on Tuesdays in the park, bringing together local farmers, food vendors, and artisans. The park is also home to the historic Sunnyside Mansion.
The surrounding streets are tree-lined and sidewalked, making casual walks and jogs a daily ritual for residents. Two B-Cycle bike stations provide access to Nashville's shared bicycle program.
Schools
12 South falls within Metro Nashville Public Schools:
- Waverly-Belmont Elementary (highly rated, a neighborhood favorite)
- Eakin Elementary
- J.T. Moore Middle School
- Hillsboro High School
Belmont University and Lipscomb University are both nearby, and the proximity to Vanderbilt adds to the area's educational presence. Several private school options are accessible from this central location.
Community
The 12 South Neighborhood Association is active and engaged, sponsoring events like the annual Home Tour (which opens the doors of historic homes dating back to the early 1900s), the Halloween Parade, and the end-of-summer concert series in Sevier Park. During the week, the neighborhood is quiet and residential. On weekends (especially Thursday through Saturday), the main strip buzzes with both locals and visitors shopping, eating, and snapping photos at the murals.
Getting Around
Walkability is the main selling point. Most daily needs are covered on foot within the commercial strip. For anything else, downtown Nashville is a 10-minute drive, Music Row is 5 minutes, and the Gulch is about the same. WeGo Public Transit's Bus 17 connects 12 South to downtown, and biking infrastructure continues to improve. Most residents still keep a car, but many report using it far less than in other Nashville neighborhoods.
