no offence intended honey. I grew up there from 1954-1992 with a period of
time in Aurora, Colorado , 1978-1983. Been back in Tennessee since 1983.
Grew up in Inglewood. Specifically during the late 50's, 60's and 70's. On
Greenfield Avenue which lead down Riverside Drive into Shelby Park thru to
the other side back into the older, East Nashville where old house stood
(the spot the huge tornado ripped to pieces in 1994? ) Remember when
Madison was rural and farm area. Downtown meant catch the Kennedy Hill bus
into town and go to Harvey's, J.C. Penny's, Cain Sloan department store and
Castner Knott's. Cut thru the Arcade where on one end was Walgreen's store
where a popcorn stand stood and cranked out incredible fresh butter popcorn,
in the middle was an awesome fresh roasted nut store, and upstairs on the
upper levels of the arcade, Castleman's Jewelry store sat. Buses ceased to
run after 6 p.m. on Saturdays, despite that the Grand Old Opry was over by
10, Broadway meant near the Cumberland was the Acme Feed Store where I got
all my supplies for gardening and even spring chicks.......just up the road
was Fort Nashboro. It was before River Front park. I have never even seen
the park as I moved to Eastern Tennessee in 1992.

I remember going to the Tennessee theater downtown for openings. Even saw
the New York Broadway production of Hair in 1971 there with the original
cast. That was interesting. g

Remember the first "mall" was 100 Oaks, and then Rivergate Mall was built
and it was touted as the death of the downtown department store era. As I
was a child of the 60's, I hung out on the lawns of Centennial Park and the
Parthenon with all the other hippies, freaks, flower children and college
kids and various musicians that wandered thru at that time. The stories I
could tell ya...........g

Most of my mom's family hail from Shelbyville and Columbia. Mostly
Shelbyville, and that was surreal. Nothing but Tennessee Walking Horse
celebration during the Labor day time. I have a lot of fond memories about
downtown Nashville, and some sad ones too. It makes for a large portion of
my life. I lived for a short while in South Nashville just off Nolensville
Road in apartments I'm sure have changed a bit. (Blackman drive area just
past Harding Mall area). I even remember fondly mine and my dad's favorite
historical BBQ place at the foot of the Jefferson Street Bridge being torn
down after 134 years.Charlie Nickens Pit BBQ. I swear my dad showed emotion
when they razed it that day. and he worked until retirement for
Hermatage/Robert Orr which is now Robert Orr/Sysco after years with American
Ace.............I am a Nashville girl. Graduated at Isaac Litton Sr. High
home of the Marching 100+ and now the old high school is all gone but the
gym that still has the Litton Lion that my classmate, Nancy Lucas painted on
the wall going into the gym back in 1970-1971 the last year it was a
graduating high school before Two Rivers High School was opened.

No honey, my dad put in the elevators at the L&C building and the escalators
in the old huge original Sears building that is now closed. And I can drive
into Nashville, go thru town, hit 8th avenue and eventually wind up at my
grandparents house in Shelbyville because as my dad taught me, Nashville
main roads are like a wagon wheel and Nashville sits in the center like the
hub with the main roads like spokes of the wheel. If you follow Old Hickory
long enough you'll go thru Donelson, into downtown, thru Old Hickory, out of
Madison and back and out again GBSEG

I bet I can still get from Madison thru some hidden roads to downtown and
beat all traffic no matter how heavy it is! I blew away someone a couple of
years ago when I jumped off Briley Parkway, hit Ellington Parkway and took
them to the hotel near Vanderbilt and bipassed the huge traffic standstill
on the interstate.

And on the garden note of all this, I learned my passion for gardening in my
house on Howard Avenue just off Gallatin Road in Inglewood where I lived
from 1974 until 1992 just one street over from the house I grew up in. A
little 50X 205 lot with a brick house that had only 1228 square feet to it!
I grew everything from a full sized vegetable garden, raspberries,
boysenberries, a pear tree, every perennial I could lay my hands on and 23
kinds of bulbs, not to mention I was just getting started with blooming
shrubs. Fished the banks of the Cumberland River and knew and talked a few
times to John Hartford when he was wandering his area near the old Ferry
Ramp that lay just below where his house was, and could hear the General
Jackson on hot summer nights and Opryland's music with fireworks punctuating
the night during the summer's end.

fond memories honey. Not bitter ones. I just noticed there is more traffic,
more crime and more noise is all. Compared to where I live now, it's
totally different. In good ways and bad. What do you grow? I'd love to hear
about your gardens. seriously!



Madgardener up on a ridge, back in fairy holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee

"kate" wrote in message
...
madgardener wrote:


Another reason I don't live in Nashville now, despite that I probably
know where the safe older neighborhoods are, I doubt if I'd ever go
back there. It's changed into a nasty city now...........

Hey, Mad, I have to take exception to that statement, being here in
beautiful downtown Nashville. It is a city, but not as nasty as some,
I'm sure. (Although I'm not happy about the growth and admit I liked it
alot better years ago.)

The crocuses are starting to think about coming up, the flowering quince
flowers now and again and today is 60 degrees and the hope of spring is
in the air, along with the smog. But in a couple of months, when the
myrtle and honeysuckle and lilacs and roses are in bloom, it's going to
smell wonderful!!

Happy gardening,

Kate