Your opinion of the Bordeaux area? (Germantown, Cleveland: 2013, crime, house)

[ariesjow]

Bordeaux is essentially the area bounded by Briley Parkway to the west and north and Whites Creek Pike on the east and Cumberland River on the south. There are some neighborhoods within those boundaries that don't really consider themselves Bordeaux but those are the best boundaries of the area.

Most people who act as if Bordeaux is Baghdad probably can count on one hand the number of times they've actually ventured there. I don't find Bordeaux to be "scary" ("undesirable" is a better adjective...there's little reason to be "afraid" of most Nashville neighborhoods if you mind your business). However, there are many very sketchy pockets. Bordeaux tends to get better the further you get away from the river but I find the northeast corner near the intersection of Whites Creek Pike and Briley Parkway to be the worst area (some consider this area Whites Creek but it's not...WC is north of Briley and fairly rural). Lots of drug and gang activity in that particular neighborhood. Most of the streets directly around Clarksville Hwy aren't much better. East of Clarksville Hwy is definitely worse.

By contrast, the area to the northwest of Bordeaux around the intersection of Kings Lane and Eatons Creek is pretty good. That area is called Enchanted Hills/Jordonia. It's probably the only part of Bordeaux that most people would consider nice. What some folks may not know is that many Black professionals who did not yet feel welcomed in Green Hills, Brentwood, etc. opted for Enchanted Hills in the 80's and 90's. So you will see older large single-family ranch homes and stately new construction comparable to other middle-class areas in more "desirable" parts of Nashville around Enchanted Hills. It's not entirely fair to associate that neighborhood with a rougher pocket closer to the river or nearer to Clarksville Hwy yet they are only about a mile or two away from each other so it's logical.

There's new construction in Jordonia that can be seen around Briley Parkway as you go north but it's really on the outskirts of Bordeaux. As it grows, this area will probably associate itself increasingly with Scottboro or Ashland City rather than Bordeaux.

[ariesjow]

Even though it's not my cup of tea, I'd probably recommend anything north of Ashland City Hwy and west of Clarksville Hwy to those who were interested in at least looking in the area. That particular part of Bordeaux is probably comparable to an area like Woodbine/Glencliff in terms of socioeconomical demographics. Further west into Enchanted Hills (anything west of say Drakes Branch) is probably comparable to parts of Crieve Hall with demographics and homes like below.

http://images3.zillow.com/is/image/i0/i0/i7726/ISwikw0xattx9f.jpg?op_sharpen=1&qlt=90&size=330,22 5 (broken link)

http://images2.zillow.com/is/image/i0/i0/i5309/IS10rpvn84cvter.jpg?op_sharpen=1&qlt=90&size=330,2 25 (broken link)

[bluesky42day]

Ariesjow, it says I can't give you anymore rep points, thank you for your multiple informative posts. I agree there tend to be sweeping generalizations about entire areas on this board, even if they don't know where they are or have never been there. The posters that have never been there, but have heard it's scary are the best.

[yank283]

Originally Posted by bluesky42day

Ariesjow, it says I can't give you anymore rep points, thank you for your multiple informative posts. I agree there tend to be sweeping generalizations about entire areas on this board, even if they don't know where they are or have never been there. The posters that have never been there, but have heard it's scary are the best.

I agree, great posts. I upped Ariesjow rep points for you.

[creeksitter]

Yeah, I gave you a rep point and I've never even heard of the Bordeaux neighborhood before now, though you can bet I'll try to visit there next time I'm in Nashville.

I get so sick and tired of people painting east Knoxville with the same broad brush, though I can point you to nice well manicured neighborhoods that look like the Brady bunch, right in the heart of East Knox, 1/2 mile from the city's worst projects.

I've done pretty well for myself buying houses in "scary" neighborhoods that have long since gone gentrified (or not). I guess I should be grateful for attitudes like pimpy's because it makes things more affordable for everyone else.

[ariesjow]

^ Thanks. I do appreciate it. I'm not sure if Bordeaux is worth a visit for an out-of-towner unless you want to see the nice view of the skyline from Clarksville Hwy or just see what the area is about. There's little there other than residential and small uninspired commercial businesses.

One of the largest drawbacks of the Bordeaux area aside from the schools, some rough neighborhoods and a generally negative public perception (compounded by a lack of interest in investment) would probably be the lack of proximity to Nashville's amenities. Even though it's a stone's throw away from downtown, all the decent retail is still a drive away to Rivergate or West Nashville. That entire part of town "feels" secluded even though it's much closer to the heart of the city than many thriving areas of Davidson County.

[Pimpy]

This is a final warning for anyone moving to Nashville and even considering Bordeaux. It is not a good part of town. Finding and zooming in on three individual homes that look somewhat decent does not provide a basis for saying that an area is worth living in, especially when the one in the middle is very obviously a foreclosure. You would get a better gauge of the area by driving through it in its entirety and seeing that at least 90% of it is just plain bad news, and the other 10% - while not terrible itself - is surrounded by that 90%.

[ariesjow]

Originally Posted by Pimpy

This is a final warning for anyone moving to Nashville and even considering Bordeaux. It is not a good part of town. Finding and zooming in on three individual homes that look somewhat decent does not provide a basis for saying that an area is worth living in, especially when the one in the middle is very obviously a foreclosure. You would get a better gauge of the area by driving through it in its entirety and seeing that at least 90% of it is just plain bad news, and the other 10% - while not terrible itself - is surrounded by that 90%.

At least there's something we can finally agree on.

My point in posting in this thread wasn't to convince people that their next home purchase should be in Bordeaux (it certainly wouldn't be mine) but to give an accurate assessment of the area beyond the simplistic bad-mouthing. The homes I posted were to give people a general idea of what the homes are like in the better parts of Bordeaux closest to Briley Parkway rather than the rundown shotgun cottages people probably visualize when they hear about the area.

[creeksitter]

"a generally negative public perception (compounded by a lack of interest in investment) would probably be the lack of proximity to ..... amenities. Even though it's a stone's throw away from downtown, all the decent retail is still a drive away to ......... or West ........ That entire part of town "feels" secluded even though it's much closer to the heart of the city"

Ha! I think you are describing South Knoxville (my stomping grounds).

[Bdxhills]

If you're a ***** and worried you'll live near black people- stay out. I bought a home in Bordeaux hills- there are new street signs, they're building sidewalks a nice park. I have no problems, my neighbors are cool, there are a lot of older folks here, TSU/Fisk grads. I hope is reclaimed and the AA history is preserved. And I hope out-of-state, East Nashville reping, poser, hipsters do not come over here. I lived in Cleveland Park in '08, the people that live there now wouldn't have set foot on the place. East Nashville is overpriced and overhyped. There's no place else to go if you wanna live near downtown and not pay an arm & leg.