Since I moved to Bellevue 26 years ago, things haven't changed much - just a little more weight and a little less hair. Well, maybe things have changed more than I care to admit. But the point I’m trying to make is that, in terms of values and things that matter, I haven’t changed much.
I think the same can be said for Bellevue, and that’s arguably the most redeeming quality about our little slice of Nashville. In terms of development, Bellevue bears little resemblance to what I found in 1998 when we heard rumors about a Kroger and a Walgreens and a Publix and a YMCA being built along Highway 100.
Today, those of us who live here enjoy these and other amenities. They make our lives easier. But they haven’t changed us.
It’s remarkable how Bellevue feels as much like home now as it did more than a generation ago.
These are more than just happy, fluffy words that I’m writing. When I moved here, one of the first businesses I contacted was McCalls Carpet One Floor & Home. It wasn’t a big job but what I remember most about it was how attentive they were, how they did the work on time and on budget and how Kathy and Ray McCall genuinely cared about our satisfaction.
A few years later, as I became more connected with the business community, I met the owner of a Bellevue-based firm, Poplar Hill Realty. I was struck by how Wyatt Rampy reminded me so much of the folks I met from McCalls. Since then, Wyatt and I have had many opportunities to meet for coffee, brag about our families and solve the world’s problems.
Then, as we were preparing this “Home Issue” of Bellevue City Lifestyle, I met Samantha “Sam” Howington who, along with her husband, Randy, owns Howington Construction. It turns out that several years ago, Sam was one of my wife’s students at O’More College of Design.
There are countless neighborhoods around the country that are of similar character. But Bellevue is ours and these are some small examples of how closely connected we are and why it's such a great place to live.
We hope you enjoy reading about them this month.
March 2024
Doug Waterman | doug.waterman@citylifestyle.com EDITOR
Ed Atlas | ed.atlas@citylifestyle.com STAFF
Sharon Asby | sharon@thenashvillephotographer.com
Ed
Sharon
ED ATLAS, EDITOR @BELLEVUECITYLIFESTYLE
Beautifully
including furniture, art,
decor,
vintage clothing and more. Offering a wide selection of styles and genres such as mid-century, primitive, retro, traditional and vintage. Friendly staff, affordable prices and unique finds make 70 South the best antique mall in
Tickets for The Iroquois Steeplechase, Nashville's Rite of Spring, are on sale now on the race website, IroquoisSteeplechase.org. A day of festivities, thrilling races, the best spring fashion, and great company are in store for the 83rd renewal of the event on Saturday, May 11. The Steeplechase is held annually in Bellevue at Percy Warner Park, 2500 Old Hickory Blvd. It's a spring festival that brings together around 25,000 people from Nashville and beyond.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell will be the featured speaker at the BellevueHarpeth Chamber of Commerce's annual Mayor's Luncheon on Wednesday, April 24 at 11 a.m. at the Loveless Barn. O'Connell will speak about his ongoing initiatives to " ... Build A Nashville That Works For Nashvillians." Registration information is available online at BellevueHarpethChamber.com
FanFest for the Lawson High School baseball team will be held on Saturday, March 30. The event takes place from noon to 4 p.m. at Bolt Park on the campus of James Lawson High School, 8001 Highway 70 South. Activities include a Home Run Hitting Contest, Hardest Thrower Contest, a Kid Zone with Bounce Houses and more. Food from local restaurants will be available for purchase. For more information: Coby Ginsberg, 615-525-1016 or coby.ginsberg@mnps.org
MCCALLS CARPET ONE HELPED BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR BELLEVUE…LITERALLY.
ARTICLE BY KELLIE WALTON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHARON ASBY
Ray McCall followed in his family footsteps – he’s a grandchild of D.T. McCall, founder of a home furnishing empire throughout Tennessee – when he decided to open a pair of businesses in Scottsville, Kentucky and Hartsville, Tennessee in the 1980s. Ray then married Kathy, and the pair made the move down south after welcoming their daughter, Ann Marie.
“I was from Nashville, I went to school at Hillsboro,” Kathy shares. “When Ann Marie was born, I really just wanted to come home. Ray ended up looking for a place to move his business, and that was Bellevue.”
The pair opened up McCalls, which sold carpet and paint at the time. Eventually, the brand was approached by Carpet One to join the co-op, and they took a leap of faith by becoming a flooring-only destination.
As the business continued to flourish under the Carpet One umbrella, the McCall family would go on to welcome a new addition in both life and business: Tennessee native Carl Kahle married Ann Marie, and a year later, he joined the family business.
“I started the learning process of the business in general, and the more I learned, the more I tried to help,” Carl shares, adding he helps with everything from sales, to managing schedules, overseeing insurance work, and more.
“It didn’t hurt that Carl has his master’s of business,” Kathy adds, thrilled the family business will continue into another generation.
McCalls Carpet One is approaching its 40th year in business, not only serving as one of the longest-running family-owned brands in town, but also helping build a (literal) foundation in countless homes in the area.
“Since we’ve been here for so long, we’ll still get repeat customers,” Carl adds. “One that sticks out was a little old lady we went to do a measure for. She still has a hand-written quote from McCalls Paint, Carpet and Wallpaper from the 90s.”
Despite its impressive tenure, McCalls has continued to evolve and grow with the changing times, offering the latest and greatest in flooring. They house an impressive designer section, and produce custom area rugs, stair runners, and much more.
“We do sell and install everything flooring related,” Carl shares. “Sanding and refinishing hardwoods, vinyl planks, and of course, carpet.”
If you’re looking to tackle a flooring project, you can begin on the McCalls website to request a measure, look at samples online, and set up a consultation without even hopping on the phone. From there, the team is ready to help find the perfect solution.
“Flooring is something that can be daunting and there are lots of options to choose from,” Carl shares. “We have a big enough selection that you can find something for every budget. Get the quote, and go from there.”
Kathy adds that the team will never put pressure on a buyer. “What we offer here is just to know that we’ve been here a long time, we’ll get the job done, and we try to make the process as easy and as simple as we can.”
McCalls Carpet One also has a Franklin location that, in addition to flooring, sells appliances, bedding, and other homewares.
McCallsCarpetOne.com
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WITH DEEP TIES TO THE BELLEVUE AREA, HOWINGTON CONSTRUCTION IS EMERGING AS ONE OF THE REGION’S LEADING CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS.
In a market that continues to experience a relentless building boom, you can find someone to build your new home in less time than it takes to read this story. But, if you’re in the market for something truly unique that is the manifestation of your vision, you’ll likely want to dig a little deeper.
And that’s the advice you’ll receive from Howington Construction, cus-
building their personal home. “We were happy with the outcome, talked about going into business for ourselves and thought, ‘Why not?’” recalls Randy. “We began by promoting our own house.”
Today, Howington Construction builds custom homes and remodels around Davidson and Cheatham County. They handle practically every-
“THIS IS YOUR BIGGEST INVESTMENT, SO YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR RESEARCH.”
tom homebuilders with deep ties to the Bellevue area.
“This is your biggest investment, so you have to do your research,” says Samantha “Sam” Howington who, along with her husband, Randy, is the owner of Howington Construction. “Choosing a homebuilder is a lot like a blind date; you’ll know relatively quickly if you are compatible. There are a lot of highs and lows when it comes to building a home, so you owe it to yourself to meet with several builders. Having an honest and trustworthy relationship is essential.”
A native of Estill Springs, Tennessee, Sam attended O’More College of Design in Franklin where she earned a BFA in fashion design and merchandising.
Randy, who was born and raised in Bellevue, left college after his junior year at Tennessee Tech to go to work in the concrete foundation and flatwork space. Eventually that led him into plumbing sales.
The Howingtons opened their business in 2017, shortly after
thing in-house (Randy is a licensed general contractor, and Sam is a licensed affiliate broker with Benchmark) so they can work with clients on the land purchase and transition to the construction side. Their start-to-finish business model is applied to all builds, whether it’s a $500,000 or a multi-million dollar dream home.
Randy says that transparency is the key to establishing healthy relationships with their clients. “They’re spending a lot of money, so they want to know where their investment is going,” he says. “When expenses rise, it’s important that they know exactly why they did. There should be no gray area when it comes to budgets and expenditures.”
Sam’s creative background provides another layer of added value for Howington customers. “There’s a lot of back-and-forth in the design, layout and color palettes,” she says. “It’s an exciting process but it can be harder than you think. We try to help customers truly visualize what they want.”
Current Howington projects include an 11,000 square-foot home in Pegram. But they’ve also taken on unusual jobs such as a bunker that is 16 feet underground. The space is greater than 800 square feet, sleeps six and includes a fully furnished living room, dining room, and washer/dryer.
“It’s solar powered with a stainless-steel frame that was fabricated piece-by-piece,” says Randy. “It pulls water off a nearby spring for everyday use and can store enough food to last 90 days.”
Howington is also an authorized partner for The Firefly Forts, makers of elaborate treehouses that cost about $30,000.00. Another project due to open in 2024 is an indoor baseball and softball facility called Swing Zone. The Howington’s mission is to help athletes transform their games from average to extraordinary.
Players will be able to practice individually, with their teams, or train one-on-one with a coach, as they prepare to compete at the next level. “It’s in Pegram, right on the Cheatham-Davidson County line so it’ll be easily accessible to Bellevue residents,” says Randy, who also coaches his daughter’s travel softball team.
The Howington’s, whose blended family includes three children (Caroline, 16; Charli Rose, 7; and Cooper, 4) remain closely connected to the local community as well. They provided temporary housing by building a tiny home for a neighboring family whose home was severely damaged. On the civic side, Randy is an Alderman in Pegram and serves on the town planning commission.
HowingtonConstruction.com
What’s the secret to a happy, healthy, and long life? Believe it or not, it’s actually quite simple: There are no secret ingredients, no sizable expenditures, and absolutely zero manufactured elements of any kind. Dive in with us as we share insights from our interview with the internationally renowned Blue Zones Founder, National Geographic Explorer, and award-winning journalist who is revolutionizing the way Americans make choices that can lead to living your best life.
New York Times Best Selling Author and Netflix Producer, Dan Buettner, Inspires a Better Life Based on Research from the World’s Healthiest Cultures.
For over twenty years, Dan Buettner has been fully committed to studying the health and longevity of Americans as well as influencing the proper and attainable health-centric environments our communities should embody. What started with identifying five “blue zones” around the world where people are both living longer as well as enjoying a higher quality of life in their elder years has now also evolved into proactively creating eco-systems where our communities engage in setting the standard for clean health.
Most of us are well aware of the “American way of life” we reside in, that being one of convenience in all shapes and forms. We excel in offering the most fast food options in any country. We rank at the top of the most cars per household. We embrace a sedentary at-home lifestyle. In short, we categorically live in a country where processed foods and ultra-convenience, unfortunately, translate to life-threatening health diseases and a lack of organic joy.
What is the best news of all? All of these characteristics are wildly easy to overcome with effortless, yet conscious pivots to making better decisions with our time, our food, and our focus. Ask yourself: Are you driving or walking? Are you connecting socially? Set your sights on avoiding the majority of processed foods and start eating a largely whole-food and plant-based diet that will (statistically) give you another 10-12 years on your life.
POPLAR
ARTICLE BY ED ATLAS
Thirty years ago, Wyatt Rampy moved to Nashville from his hometown of Warrenton, Virginia near Washington, D.C. He says he met his wife, Wendy, “at church, like every mother wants her son to do.”
The Rampy’s originally bought a home in Hermitage but moved to a house on Sneed Road to be closer to Bellevue Church of Christ, where they remain active members. Later they moved to Traceside where they raised their four children and have lived off Poplar Creek Road for the last 11 years.
As the owner of Poplar Hill Realty, Rampy is a familiar face in Bellevue real estate circles and knows a thing-or-two about the local market. Here are some of his insights.
FROM A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL’S PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF BELLEVUE?
Bellevue is the best kept secret in all of Nashville. Being a real estate guy, I like growth and development and amenities, but this area has so many hills that it makes it difficult for developers. Bellevue is very much a bedroom community. It makes it difficult for retail, but we have great restaurants and an excellent movie theater. We have everything we need for daily essentials, and we have incredible, national-class parks. So, we have this pocket on the west side of Nashville that’s charming, quiet, and friendly. It’s not overrun and it won’t be overrun anytime soon.
HOW DOES BELLEVUE’S RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY APPRECIATION STACK UP WITH THE REST OF NASHVILLE?
It’s been proportional. At the start of the year, the entry point in Bellevue was $440,000. That was for a 1,161 square foot home with no garage. Only five of 52 homes in Bellevue were listed under $500,000. That’s the growth that we’ve seen.
It’s brought us back to reality. Demand from the out-of-town market is still high enough that it didn’t stop the market. It just changed the dynamics. Houses are still going for close to asking price. Days on the market are up slightly. It’s the urgency factor, the bidding wars that have subsided. We’ve entered a period of traditional negotiations.
We’ll never see interest rates in the two, three, and probably four percent range in our lifetimes. It’s put us trillions of dollars in debt and it’s not sustainable. However, six percent is still a good rate and I think we’re going to stay in that range. When the market gets used to that, buyers that have been on the sidelines will reenter the market along with demand from the out-of-town folks, which will put us right back into somewhat of the frenzy, but not as chaotic.
Before Bellevue can be maxed out, developers are going to have to max out the other areas first. Costs are going to be higher here, due to the terrain. As far as housing, you still have neighborhoods with large lots that haven’t seen the development that Green Hills has had, where lots are subdivided, and four houses are built where one used to be. Bellevue will not see explosive growth any time soon. That could be good for homeowners who need to sell because values will go up.
“ ... we have this pocket on the west side of Nashville that’s charming, quiet, and friendly. It’s not overrun and it won’t be overrun anytime soon.”
“It’s true that home prices have gone up but it’s always a good time to buy because lenders are out there. They want to put their money to work so they come up with creative ways to get people to qualify.”
I don’t believe that at all. It’s true that home prices have gone up but it’s always a good time to buy because lenders are out there. They want to put their money to work so they come up with creative ways to get people to qualify. We tell people to “date the rate.” In other words, get what you can now. If rates go down, you can refinance. But if they go up, you’re the better for it. At Poplar Hill Realty, we have relationships established with great lenders that we introduce to clients before we show a house. We want them to know what they qualify for before they look. We encourage first-time buyers to get in the game as quickly as they can, so that they can get on that train that everyone else has been enjoying. Which is tremendous growth over a relatively short period of time.
PoplarHillRealty.com
VARIOUS DATES
THROUGHOUT MARCH
Nashville Predators Hockey
BRIDGESTONE ARENA, DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE | 7:00 PM
The Nashville Predators are home for six games in March. Saturday 2 vs. Colorado Avalanche (5 p.m.); Tuesday 5 vs. Montreal Canadians; Thursday 7 vs. Buffalo Sabres; Tuesday 19 vs. San Jose Sharks; Saturday 23 vs. Detroit Red Wings; Tuesday 26 vs. Las Vegas Golden Knights. NHL.com/predators
VARIOUS DATES THROUGHOUT MARCH
Nashville Symphony
SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER, DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE
The Nashville Symphony plays 17 dates in March with performances featuring jazz, classical, chamber, pops and more. Highlights include Air Supply (March 10), The Irish Tenors (March 14), Music of Elvis with Frankie Moreno (March 21-23). Matinee programs and free programs are also on the schedule. For showtimes and tickets visit NashvilleSymphony.org
VARIOUS DATES THROUGHOUT MARCH
RYMAN AUDITORIUM, DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE
This month’s eclectic lineup includes: Randy Rogers Band (March 1-2); JJ Grey and Mofro (March 7), Greensky Bluegrass (March 8-9), Tesla (March 12), Jenny Lewis (March 13), KC and the Sunshine Band (March 14), Extreme (March 16), Sierra Ferrell (March 2021), Muscadine Bloodline (March 23), Chelsea Cutler (March 30), and Blue October (March 31). For showtimes and tickets visit Ryman.com.
VARIOUS DATES THROUGHOUT MARCH
1402 CLINTON STREET
Enjoy a hard-hitting spring break with the likes of Beartooth, The Plot In You, Invent Animate and Sleep Theory (March 13), Hippie Sabotage (March 15) and Liquid Stranger with Ravenscoon (March 16),
MARCH 16TH
Publix St. Patrick’s Music City Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
1601 DAVIDSON STREET | 8:00 AM
Get ready for the 18th Annual Publix St. Patrick’s Music City Half Marathon, 10k & 5k – where Irish luck meets Nashville’s heart. This event blends fitness, fun, and St. Patrick’s Day spirit for runners chasing personal bests or a great time. Embrace the St. Patrick’s Day theme with music, post-race celebrations, a beer garden, and festive attire throughout. https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Nashville/MusicCityHalfMarathon10kand5k
While traditional stretching methods attempt to make you more “flexible,” we work to adjust the stretch reflex. This way, the Stretch Zone Method gradually increases your active range of motion.
Consider how a car seatbelt works. If pulled too quickly, the belt locks. If the belt is forced, you are just stretching the material itself, and that’s where injury happens. When a car seatbelt is pulled smoothly and controlled, the belt will fully extend. It’s the same with your body’s stretch reflex.
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MARCH 24TH-31ST
STEPHENS VALLEY CHURCH, 6000 PASQUO ROAD
Stephens Valley Church has a full lineup of worship services scheduled for Holy Week. March 24, Palm Sunday Service, 10:40 a.m.; March 28, Maundy Thursday Service, 6:30 p.m.; March 29, Good Friday Service, 6:30 p.m.; March 31, Easter Sunday Service, 10:40 a.m. All are welcome. StephensValleyChurch.com
Each year, 25,000 people attend Percy Warner Park for a day of racing, parties, and fashion at the Iroquois Steeplechase. This year, Nashville’s Rite of Spring is excited for our expanded 2024 ticket options! IROQUOISSTEEPLECHASE.ORG
