Night time biking around East Nashville and Shelby Park (renting, homes)

[KitchenTiled]

Hi! I just moved to Nashville and am renting a place on the other side of Shelby Park, the far side. I work downtown and really want to start bike commuting. However, with the sun setting earlier and earlier, I wanted to check and make sure it was safe to do so. I usually take Davidson Rd (with the bike lane) and go through Shelby Park to get to my place, is that still safe at night? Is there a safer route I should take to get home after a long day? I can deal with the cold but don't want to get shot! I have headlights and stuff, and tend to go pretty fast while I'm riding (20 mph), but I'm new to Nashville and don't know how safe that area is after dark. Thanks in advance!!!

[yank283]

I would post that question on the East Nashville Google list Serve. There are a lot of people on there that ride their bike to work.

[sek1986]

I've ridden that route several times very early in the morning, 8:00 AM on a Saturday. It made me tense. Once I saw a strange woman in nothing but a cape-type getup dancing and then some shady guy pick her up (I think she was a prostitute). I was also followed by a black car with tinted windows that eventually let up and drove off. There's always people wandering around that area, and it's near the projects, which could make some squeamish. I think it's just like any other area: you have to be careful. The only thing unique about Davidson St. is that it doesn't see a lot of thru traffic, and usually I see traffic as a good thing. Shelby Ave has a bike lane, and if I were you, I would use that. You can ride to the end of Shelby Ave and hit Shelby Park, then go home from there. If you want to take Davidson St, and this is just my opinion, I would only go during daylight. And as a precaution, you might wanna pack heat. I'm just sayin'.

[iloveastnashville]

Go for it. Nothing in EN is THAT bad anymore. Even the projects have white people walking around them. Not to be racist, but cayce homes and the area surrounding used to be dominantly black. Now, there are whites all over the place. It is a symbol of the revitalization.

[bluesky42day]

Sek, I hate that you had a bad experience on Davidson St. I've lived just off of Davidson for about 3 years & have only seen bikers, joggers & stray dogs on Davidson at all hours of the day & night, but no prostitutes....

[sek1986]

I wouldn't say it was a "bad" experience per se. It was just weird. I live near Davidson too now, and at that time, I wasn't living on the east side. Prostitution and related activities occur all the time, it's a sad fact. I have no evidence to confirm that is what was taking place, but by the way the woman was behaving, and the man drove past her, turned around, came back and picked her up, it looked that way to me.