Nashville Arts Magazine

The Germantown Connection

A Neighborhood Creative Spirit

Mad Platter Photo: Dean Dixon

For many Nashvillians, their first reason to venture into the Germantown neighborhood was the lure of innovative cuisine from the Mad Platter Restaurant. When Marcia and Craig Jervis opened the restaurant in 1989, the neighborhood revitalization was just getting started, and although the shining dome of the Capitol was just down the street, the worn and neglected streets of Germantown felt like worlds away from the tidy boulevards and trimmed lawns of most Nashville neighborhoods.

Twenty years later, there are still many who haven’t been to Germantown or have only experienced the select sights of Oktoberfest, held every year since 1980. But today even a quick tour of the area between the river and Eighth Avenue North reveals a neighborhood that has been physically transformed and yet has held onto its strong urban character. Look a little deeper and one also finds a unique and tight-knit community that embodies creativity and encourages imagination.

The first wave of urban pioneers in Germantown staked their territory in the 1970s, committed to preserving the historic and diverse architecture, from simple row houses built for immigrant workers to elegant examples of Victorian, Italianate, Eastlake, and Queen Anne styles. Known as Nashville’s first “residential subdivision,” Germantown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

“The house found me; it was love at first sight.”

Monells

Although Germantown has attracted typical urbanites such as artists, architects, writers and photographers over the years, some people have experienced what could be defined as a “calling” to the neighborhood. In 1995 an unemployed and in-debt Michael King took a wrong turn onto Sixth Avenue and happened upon a beautiful 1880 Italianate Victorian home in need of a major renovation. “The house found me— it was love at first sight,” Michael says. It called to him to restore it and open a restaurant, and 23,000 biscuits a month later, Monell’s Restaurants are among Nashville’s best-loved Southern family-style restaurants.

Today, as a “mixed-use” and diverse neighborhood, Germantown’s revitalization now includes modern architecture and developments that complement the historic homes and traditional buildings. The ultimate goal of residents and planners is to create a “walkable and sustainable urban neighborhood,” a new take on an old concept that includes shops, restaurants, businesses and offices as well as residential and recreational spaces.

Photo: Scott Hammake

Referred to by some as “the best-kept secret in Nashville,” the Nashville Jazz Workshop includes “The Jazz Cave,” a state-of-the-art studio used for master classes and performances by local and world-class musicians, and a reception-area gallery that features the works of local visual artists. Founded and directed by Lori Mechem, a respected jazz pianist and composer, and husband Roger Spencer, a bassist, both of whom have had extensive music careers, NJW relies greatly on the support and creative inspiration of their Germantown neighbors.

Another historic neighborhood-conscious project includes the Neuhoff Redevelopment, located on the river end of Germantown. The site has become a focal point for the arts and a center for environmental studies with the installation of a Green Roof Prototype. The original Neuhoff meatpacking plant now houses the Nashville Jazz Workshop, the Actors Bridge Ensemble Theater, the Nashville Cultural Arts Project, the Neuhoff Art Gallery, and John Prine’s recording studio.

Lazzaroli Pasta

Another great secret of the hood is Lazzaroli Pasta, offering hand-made pasta and authentic Italian fare. Philadelphia transplant Tom Lazzaro and his family began selling fresh-made pasta out of a van at the Farmer’s Market until they found the perfect space for their pasta kitchen and Italian market on Fifth Avenue.

The 2009 Germantown Street Festival is October 10 and incorporates the unique flavor of the original Oktoberfest with the diversity and creativity of the Historic Germantown neighborhood: www.HistoricGermantown.org.