Things to do near Lockland Springs

Some of my peers wonder why I live in "the Hood." One man I know only ever visited my neighborhood one time in his 43 years, and that was when he was 11 years old. His family drove from Belle Mead to East Nashville to cross the river on the ferry on the way to the Opryland Amusement Park.

One of my favorite bumper stickers reads "37206 Over the river and through the Hood." Other sin the series include "37206 My zip code can beat up yours." "37206 Where everyone knows your dog's name" and "37206 Its not just for queers anymore."

Back in the 90's numerous gay people began buying up the striking victorian cottages and Craftsman bungalows, racing crack dealers down the alleys and enjoying the tolerance that guilty neighbors provide. By the time the second clever paint scheme and tasteful landscaping appeared, the neighborhood knew it was in for some gentrification.

Long the home of musicians and other artists, there will always be a bit of funkiness. There are still purple houses and "yard art" but mostly the earnest people with high wooden fences and BMWs have taken over. The hippies still wander the hood, marketing their craftsmanship at prices unkheard of before. Twenty five dollars and hour to save your beautiful woodwork? Yeah man that's great. I'm not sure how the consumption of a hundred years ago suddenly becomes sacred, but it does.

Original woodwork? Mostly. Fireplaces? With original mantles? Working? Subway tile in the kitchen man, oh man! How frothy.

Ove time fires and a wellplaced tornado or two wiped out a few houses which were then replaced by the most cheap housing. Usually squat 4 unit apartment buildings. They are easily wiped off and new Period Reproduction houses are built. keren H. does most of these. She has a formula of style, color and landscaping to the point hat you can spot her houses anywhere. she lives in a turn of the century school for the blind. It is a tall brick mansion with big windows [!].

I like my neighborhood for the park. Shelby Park is a utilarian greenspace if there ever was one. Designed around a commercial lawn mower with poor people in mind, it doesn't even feature it's biggest asset. A reasonably observant person would never know it is adjacent to the river. There are vast wetlands called bottoms, for some reason, where people like me can ride our bikes. i got lost in there on my way back from the former site of ther ferry where a pedestrian bridge attracts strollers and fat sunburned people.

There is a few restaurants in the hood, mostly clustered around a hotspot called Five Points. It is in the bars here that Vandy and Belmont kids discovered women who fight and other seedy pleasures.

My favorite aspect is what I call the Arab Stores. On the corners are little stores stocked with processed sugar. Soft drinks, beer, candy, and other corn syrup end uses.

Most of all, I like sitting on the back porch and hearing life. Neighbor kids screaming at the wading pool, flies, dogs, and my A/C unit.