Antioch

Antioch is a community and neighborhood located in the southeastern portion of Nashville, approximately 12 miles (19 km) from Downtown Nashville. It is served by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. One of the fastest-growing communities in the Nashville metropolitan area, Antioch has evolved from a small agricultural crossroads settlement in the early nineteenth century into a sprawling suburban district with a population of tens of thousands of residents. Large groups of Mexicans, Kurds, Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, Arabs, Bantus, and others call Nashville their home, many of them being concentrated primarily in Antioch, making it one of the most culturally diverse communities in Middle Tennessee. The neighborhood has undergone dramatic commercial and residential transformation in recent decades, transitioning from a declining suburban corridor into a growing employment and retail hub.

History and Origins

Antioch has a rich history that dates back to its establishment in the early 1800s, when it began as a crossroads settlement named after the historic city of Antioch in ancient Syria. The original town of Antioch began with a church located at Mill Creek in 1810. This quaint Tennessee community was founded at a junction where four separate roads carried people to and from the small city, and a church was the only building in the area until post offices and other necessities were built.

Antioch, then called Oneyville after the town's postmaster, was often used as a commuter town; people who worked in Nashville would live in Antioch and then travel to the city each day for work. The railroad built near the town was vital for mail delivery and those workers who had jobs in the "big city" of Nashville. Even in those early times, the commute to Downtown Nashville was a chore, requiring riding a horse to Nolensville Road, followed by a trolley that took a half day to get to Downtown. The first train helped workers get to and from Nashville quickly. In its heyday, approximately 18 passengers were taking the train to and from the city of Nashville per workday, and over the years there were four trains that ran both north and south that stopped at various station locations in Antioch. In 1891, the train station moved to its second location near the terminus of Blue Hole Road at Antioch Pike.

For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the area was known for its agricultural roots, with local farmers cultivating tobacco and other crops. The very first school in Antioch housed first through tenth grades in two rooms with an entrance hall, built on a piece of land donated in 1882 by Blackman Gowen Hays. In 1907, Antioch School moved to a new building at a site on Antioch Pike near Mill Creek, on the southeast corner of Reeves Road.

Over time, as Antioch continued to grow through suburbanization, it became more difficult to pinpoint exactly where Antioch was located. Having never formed as an incorporated city, the town of Antioch was mostly defined by its postal address. A 1993 Nashville Scene magazine article titled "An Antioch State of Mind" reported that the Antioch post office grew to serve 14 rural routes and 11 urban routes.

Suburban Growth and Development

In the 1970s, Antioch experienced explosive growth, largely due to the expansion of the Nashville sewer system to the area and the availability of large amounts of former farmland, which made possible the construction of many low-rise apartment complexes. As Nashville expanded in the latter half of the 20th century, Antioch transformed from a quiet farming community into a bustling suburban area. The opening of key developments like Hickory Hollow Mall in the 1970s marked a shift toward commercial growth, attracting new residents and businesses.

The most important business concentration in Antioch grew around what is today the Commons at the Crossings, formerly Hickory Hollow Mall, which opened in 1978. As Hickory Hollow Mall, it was a regional shopping mall with a gross leasing area of 1,107,476 square feet, more than 140 stores, and 5,795 parking spaces. The mall became a defining anchor of the community through the 1980s and 1990s. As late as the mid-1990s, Hickory Hollow Mall was thriving, serving as the retail heartbeat of southeast Nashville.

Many development patterns that shaped Nashville, including Antioch, were affected by practices like redlining. As such, over decades, predominantly Black residents were filtered out of certain communities across Nashville. These historical inequities have shaped the present-day demographics and the ongoing discussions around equitable investment in the community.

By the early 2000s, Hickory Hollow Mall had begun a prolonged decline. In 2011, the Dillard's store closed, followed shortly by Target, and the exits continued one after another. The mall's struggles were widely seen as emblematic of broader difficulties facing the Antioch area during that period. Hope returned to the area with new owners and a new name — The Global Mall at the Crossings — along with a new promise of a store giant in IKEA. Though the IKEA anchor ultimately did not materialize, the redevelopment effort brought new life to the site. The Global Mall at the Crossings, located just off of Bell Road, underwent a multi-million dollar revitalization project, a joint venture that brought tenants such as Nashville State Community College. Known as Tennessee's first international mall, the Global Mall at the Crossings now features nearly 20 international restaurants and is over 80 tenants strong.

Commerce and Economic Resurgence

In recent years there has been a fierce resurgence as the area redevelops to become Nashville's second largest employment center. Community Health Systems is building a shared service center to employ over 2,000 people on part of a 300-acre tract developed by Oldacre McDonald LLC. In 2014, Oldacre McDonald LLC purchased 300 acres of land in addition to the former 15-acre Target site with plans to redevelop into a mixed-use space. Conn's HomePlus and Floor & Decor opened in the former Target location as the first retail tenants in the massive mixed-use project. Oldacre McDonald started work early in 2017, redeveloping the former Shoney's property to house a medical office and retail building.

Companies like Community Health Systems, HCA, and LKQ Corp. have recently brought thousands of jobs to Antioch. Auto parts distributor LKQ Corp. planned to invest $25 million in building a 100,000 square foot expanded regional office building in the Crossings Business District of Antioch. Subdivisions and apartment complexes have been built to accommodate developments in the Crossings Business District, where large-scale corporations include Asurion and LKQ North America.

A significant milestone in the commercial revitalization of Antioch came with the opening of Tanger Outlets Nashville. The Tanger Outlets Nashville shopping center now greets visitors along Interstate 24, and the hotly anticipated outlet mall opened to considerable fanfare. Councilwoman Joy Styles declared, "The Antioch of old is effectively dead and this is the new Antioch," signaling a new chapter for a community long in transition. Nashville also received a $5 million grant for a new Regional Transit Center at the old Global Mall site.

Demographics and Cultural Diversity

Antioch is among the most ethnically and linguistically diverse communities in all of Tennessee. As of 2023, the Antioch and South Nashville area had a population of approximately 106,000 people with a median age of 33 and a median household income of $68,043. Between 2022 and 2023, the population grew from 103,539 to 106,360, a 2.72% increase, and its median household income grew from $63,430 to $68,043, a 7.27% increase.

In the Antioch neighborhood, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as Mexican (16.6%). There are also a number of people of Sub-Saharan African ancestry (9.7%), and residents who report Asian roots (2.6%), as well as German ancestry (2.3%) and Arab ancestry (1.8%). In addition, 38.7% of the residents of this neighborhood were born in another country.

Approximately 36.6% of households in the Antioch and South Nashville area reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. 29.8% of commuters in Antioch carpool — more than in 98.7% of all U.S. neighborhoods. Significantly, 2.9% of its residents five years old and above primarily speak African languages at home, a rate higher than 96.9% of neighborhoods in America.

The cultural vibrancy of the community is reflected in its commercial landscape. A neighborhood on the rise just 12 miles southeast of Downtown, Antioch is a culturally diverse hub with a vibrant Plaza Mariachi and global eateries, full of family-owned businesses. It is also home to Tanger Outlets, with open-air shopping and dining. The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) in Antioch is covered top to bottom in murals, mosaic patterns, and portraits celebrating the immigrant population in this part of South Nashville. Since 2003, the Coalition has been helping new Tennesseans apply for citizenship status, learn English, and defend their rights through grassroots organizing.

Antioch's culinary scene reflects its wide-ranging community. The intersection of Haywood Lane and Antioch Pike is a culinary hotspot, where visitors can find everything from Latin American delicacies to Korean BBQ and traditional American fare.

Education, Recreation, and Infrastructure

Antioch is served by Metro Nashville Public Schools. Starting in 10th grade, students at Antioch High School have the choice between four academies, with career pathways in everything from social services to culinary arts, and some seek out dual enrollment opportunities at Nashville State Community College. Antioch High School enrolls around 1,800 students every year. The school's last major change involved a complete change of address: in 1997, the former Antioch High School located on 5050 Blue Hole Road became Antioch Middle School and a brand new Antioch High School was opened at 1900 Hobson Pike.

Antioch Park, with its scenic Mill Creek Greenway, is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The greenway offers a three-mile paved loop along Mill Creek, providing a tranquil escape from urban bustle. The park also features playgrounds, sports fields, and picnic areas. J. Percy Priest Lake, one of the Southeast's premier urban getaways, is 5–10 miles north of town depending on the access point.

The Ford Ice Center — which also has a location in the Bellevue community — is a popular destination in Antioch, offering skating, hockey, and more. Plaza Mariachi is a community gathering spot, a vibrant venue featuring multicultural celebrations. Visitors can attend almost any day of the week for live music, flea markets, and happy hour. It is a beloved landmark known for its welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.

Antioch's location along Interstate 24 provides convenient access to Downtown Nashville and other parts of the city. The commute to downtown typically takes around 15–20 minutes, making it an attractive option for those who work in the city center. The Nashville International Airport is 5 miles north of Antioch, convenient for long-distance travel.

Housing and Real Estate

Antioch's housing market offers a diverse mix of options catering to various budgets and preferences. Most homes in Antioch are detached dwellings built between 1970 and 1999, often featuring ranch-style architecture and basements. There is a large number of homes with basements, something rarely seen in the Nashville real estate market. While the cost of living in Antioch is slightly higher than the national average, it remains more affordable than many nearby Nashville suburbs and features a range of housing options, including modern rental communities and single-family homes.

In 2023, the median property value in the Antioch and South Nashville area was $280,500, and the homeownership rate was 52.4%. Antioch's current vacancy rate is 2.0%, which is a lower rate of vacancies than 86.1% of all neighborhoods in the U.S., meaning that the housing supply in Antioch is very tight compared to the demand for property there. On average, homes in Antioch sell after 33 days on the market compared to the national average of 42 days, and the average sale price for homes over the last 12 months has been approximately $319,284.

Antioch is the fastest-growing part of Davidson County and has a population of around 90,000 people. The area continues to experience some of the highest growth rates in the Metropolitan Area of Nashville and Davidson County.