Nashville writer slams Nashville gentrification in New York Times op-ed

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Nathan Morgan | Nashville Business Journal

The city's new crop of condos — such as Twelve | Twelve, pictured here — are cited in a New York Times op-ed that worries about Nashville's "hyper-gentrification."

E.J. Boyer

Staff Reporter- Nashville Business Journal

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Nashville's gentrification — the talk of the town right now and a topic bound to get this newsroom sounding off for hours — is getting ink in The New York Times.

In an op-ed published online late Thursday(and in today's print edition), local resident and Nashville Scene contributing editor Steve Haruch writes about "a bizarre form of hyper-gentrification" that is taking over Nashville, where gentrification is cloaked in the city's old clothes.

Haruch references the fight to save Studio A and echoes the cry sounded by many of the preservationists in that push; mainly, that Music City (its essence, vibe, spirit, creativity, grit and, yes, music) may not survive in condo, high-rise city.

Haruch writes: " 'Authenticity is very important in Nashville,' someone once told me. 'If you can fake that, you've got it made.' "

Click over here to read the op-ed in full and take the poll below to let us know what you think. Is Nashville losing its identity as we boom or are these fears overblown?

As of mid-day, the piece had drawn nearly 50 comments, ranging from "Amens!" to disagreement. Take this comment, for example, left by a 15-year Nashville resident on the op-ed: "Since when does not being able to afford a historic craftsman home in the middle of a major U.S. city constitute the death of that city's soul? Just because NYC transplants can no longer stroll into town with fiscal impunity doesn't mean the city's suffering an identity crisis."

Other comments just as emphatically agreed with Haruch. Wrote one poster who moved to Nashville 12 years ago: "Seems like there should be better regulation beyond weak zoning laws to control the boom. It's eventually going to burst and what will we be left with? Historic markers proclaiming Todd Snider once lived here. The magic will have died."

E.J. Boyer covers the Music City's tourism, hospitality and music business.

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