the doc is in: 3 documentaries that are this summer’s must-see movies

art house documentaries never stir up a lot of mainstream buzz but this summer’s crop is water cooler talk all over the country. leading the pack of contenders is morgan neville’s won’t you be my neighbor? (june 8), which examines pbs’ mister rogers and the life lessons of compassion he hoped to leave behind. there’s a great scene at the beginning of the film where one of the longtime producers says “if you take all of the elements that make good television and do the exact opposite, you have ‘mister rogers’ neighborhood’: low production values, simple set, an unlikely star.”

but alas, his star continues to shine. already, the movie has grossed over $18 million at the box office and was in the top 10 movies in the country last week. quite a feat. a documentary hasn’t exceeded $20 million since 2013’s one direction: this is us. 

another one making noise this summer is rbg (may 4), which explores the incredible life, love and career of 85-year-old supreme court justice, ruth bader ginsburg. she may only stand at 5 foot 1 inch but this movie packed a punch as it touches on her early years of fighting for women’s rights, her tender love story with her husband, marty ginsburg and of late, her intergenerational popularity.

finally, on a wider, more commercial scale, whitney (july 5), about pop icon whitney houston, released earlier this month. the documentary, the second one to focus on the singer in recent years, paints a melancholy image of her struggle with inner demons rather than celebrating her successes. movie goers will not have the same reaction to this one as the first two mentioned documentaries in this article but it’s an intriguing story nonetheless.

rbg is playing this week at the belcourt. won’t you be my neighbor? is playing at the belcourt and opry mills 20. whitney is playing at hollywood 27, regal green hills 16 and opry mills 20.

this summer’s movies around the city

the 24th year of movies in the park kicks off this thursday may 31. sponsored by the nashville scene with the support of the metropolitan board of parks & recreation and recognized as one of nashville’s best annual events, movies in the park is free thursdays in june at elmington park:

may 31 coco

june 7 wonder woman

june 14 legally blond

june 21 the greatest showman

games and give aways start at 5:00.  the movie typically starts at sundown (roughly around 8:00).  a long train of food trucks will be there as well so bring a blanket and plan to settle in for the evening under the stars.

zoovies at the park, brought to you by the nashville zoo and southern icee, has moana friday may 25. with inflatables, games, crafts, music, and after-hours access to the carousel and the soaring eagle zip line, it promises all the family fun you can handle. activities begin at 6pm and movies start at sunset.  members get in free or it’s $6 for non-members after 6pm. their next movie will be august 31 featuring zootopia.

 

if you need a little more sophistication, movies at the schermerhorn might be for you. may 24-27 will feature harry potter and the goblet of fire with the award-winning nashville symphony. tickets available online.

metro approves new 11-story gulch hotel

i will try to save you my “i remember when” story of the gulch but it is fascinating to see how quickly it has gone from being an old train yard to one of the only LEED certified green neighborhoods in the country and the only one in the south when it was certified in 2009.

almost 10 years later, the neighborhood has flourished with office space, retail, residential and a thriving restaurant scene. this week, metro approved plans for a new 11-story boutique hotel on 11th avenue south across from kayne prime steakhouse. the developer is coincidentally chris hyndman, the founder and ceo of m street whose portfolio include kayne prime and a host of other neighboring restaurants nearby (saint anejo, virago, moto, whiskey kitchen and tavern).

currently a surface parking at the intersection of mcgavock and 11th avenue south, the 112-room eleventh house will feature a pub, upscale restaurant, juice bar, rooftop bar + grill with city views and a 7,000 square foot luxury spa. amenities will also include a 32,000 square foot fitness facility and a rooftop pool and lounge. the hotel is being designed by hastings architecture.

hyndman is shooting for a fall groundbreaking with completion summer 2020.

three upcoming affordable condo developments

in the ever-changing urban core landscape, the convenience, the location, the land is all coming more and more at a premium. sure, everyone would love to walk to work or bike somewhere on the weekends but that is becoming a luxury. affordability is harder to find. fortunately, though, if you’re searching for a condo, there are three new options in emerging neighborhoods that might fit the bill.

1-silo bend

it will sit in the shadow of a 200-foot tall grain silo and at the bend of the cumberland river on the west side of town; hence, they got creative and named it silo bend.  due for completion in summer 2019 and officially being rolled out for pre-sale in april, prices for a one bedroom start around $175,000 and for 2 bedrooms, in the mid $200s. the 103-unit, 3-story community will include a pool + fitness center and only a stone’s throw from the chic new frothy monkey coffeehouse in the nations. that should check a few boxes right off the bat. |5500 centennial blvd

2-boomerang

you do not have to go too far for the next contender: boomerang which will consist of two new, three-story buildings and sits across the street from silo bend in the nations. the larger of the two (which will be triangle-shaped) will include 8 condos (starting in the mid $200s) on the second and third floors with the ground floor offering street retail space. a late summer groundbreaking is the current game plan. | 5403 centennial blvd

3-segment

segment, the newest development in wedgewood-houston, will be 26 flats and 8 townhomes on the corner of pillow and merritt. no amenities but prices start at $239k. with the potential new mls soccer stadium being built there, the former baseball stadium being torn down to make way for a huge green space/park, and a slew of new coffee shops and restaurants in the works, wedgewood-houston, or “weho”, is emerging as one of the hottest new neighborhoods in the urban core.

5 things to know about the new short term rental policy

it’s been a long, heated battle for months but this week, metro council voted 25-5 to phase out short-term rentals that are not occupied by homeowners in residential-zoned neighborhoods.  here are five things you need to know about the decision:

1-this was the third and final vote.

2-owner-occupied short-term rental properties will not be affected as long as the property is not owned under an LLC or in a trust. meaning, if you live at the property as your primary residence and it’s in a person’s name, you can continue to use it as a short term rental with the proper permit.

3-this will also not affect multi-family homes or high rises that are zoned for commercial/mixed uses. most condo high rises around the city have added rules in the last 3 years prohibiting short-term renters and fines have become steeper from the homeowner’s associations if you are caught. do your homework if this is an option you are considering for an investment property you own.

4-the investor-owned short-term rental agreements will be phased out over the next almost 3 years. owners can continue to renew their permits and operate their rentals until june 28, 2020.

5-randomly, it may not be over with this week’s vote. there is a current bill in the state legislature that would actually ban the type of ban metro council approved last night. it has already been approved by the house and just needs to be approved by the senate. no word yet on what happens to that.