Matter | Winter/Spring 2024

L I VA NO CATS AND D OG S

W I NT ER /S P R I NG 20 24

Welcome to Matter, our Livano Journal.

T H E L I VA N O J O U R N A L

E V E R Y T H I N G M AT T E R S

As we walk into the first half of 2024, I want to thank you for being a part of our Livano family. You, the resident, are at the center of what we do, and it’s our privilege to create a space you can call home.

Livano’s mission is to offer a lifestyle that embodies intentional design, fosters meaningful connection, and prioritizes genuine care. This is the lens we’ve used to compile our Winter/Spring 2024 publication.

We bring back some favorite features including “Design Matters” and “Livano Cats and Dogs” — and I’m glad to introduce you to my own dogs, Marty and Boots (left). We’re also debuting new serial columns: “Life at Livano” highlights resident events across the country. “Common Ground” profiles some of your neighbors and the interesting paths that brought them to Livano. We’d love to hear more of your stories, so please reach out to your property manager if you’re interested in being featured in our next issue.

As always, we hope Matter enriches your life in some way — we hope it brings you joy, or teaches you something new, or connects you to a new person or place.

Welcome to Matter.

Robb Crumpton CEO, LIV Development

LIV Development’s biannual publication, Matter, is exclusively published for the residents of Livano. Livano is a collection of dynamic multifamily communities created by LIV Development that are intentionally designed to help residents live richer, deeper, and fuller lives.

For more information about LIV Development, please visit livdev.com.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Life at Livano

TAVITS PHOTOGRAPHY | Deer Valley Pub Crawl

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Livano Cats & Dogs PAG E 10

Jill of All Trades

A HOGAN PHOTOGRAPHY | Tryon S’mores Reception CAYLEY ELLENBURG | Secret Garden BRYAN JOHNSON | Cover, Editor’s Letter TAUSHA DICKINSON | Jill of All Trades MEGAN MURRAY | Livano Cats and Dogs

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Consistency & Confidence PAG E 1 6

Secret Garden PAG E 20

Destination: Round Top PAG E 26

Baked with Love PAG E 2 8

State of the Nations PAG E 32

Local Happenings PAG E 37

Common Ground

ALEXANDER WARK FEENEY | State of the Nations

WORDS ROSALIND FOURNIER Jill of All Trades, Destination: Round Top, State of the Nations, Common Ground

LIVANO.COM

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L I F E A T L I VA N O

Community Events L I VA N O D E E R VA L L E Y P U B C R AW L

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Our resident events serve as powerful catalysts that bring individuals together, fostering a sense of unity and community within the Livano walls.

These thoughtfully curated events create opportunities for residents to connect on a personal level, transcending the boundaries of mere neighbors to become an interconnected community of friends. Whether it’s a casual meet-and-greet, a themed party, or a collaborative project, these gatherings provide a platform for our residents to engage in meaningful conversations, share experiences, and forge lasting friendships.

Our Livano and Goodfield teams craft monthly event calendars, which are distributed throughout the community and on social media. We look forward to connecting with you at our next event.

L I VA N O T R Y O N S ’ M O R E S R E C E P T I O N

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C D L I VA N O T G S S Pets have that special ability to comfort us when we’re down, make us laugh when things get too serious, and show us all what unconditional love looks like. Their unwavering companionship and joy is what makes them part of the family.

Meet the furry faces of Livano Kemah in Kemah, TX. Our Livano communities are designed with pet owners in mind. Our Livano Pet Centers offer a haven where your furry friends are not just welcome — they’re celebrated.

Imagine vibrant areas where pets can socialize and play, fostering a sense of camaraderie among owners as they share stories and tips. Our pet-centric events are tailormade for building connections, and our services and accommodations including doggy daycare, boarding, pet spa, walking, and vet services make Livano the ultimate destination. Ask your leasing team how you and your four-legged friend can take advantage of everything our Pet Centers have to offer.

KAI

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MAMA DAB

LUNA If this Swiftie had any superpower, it would be the ability to demand unlimited belly rubs.

CARL

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JAXON

HANK Hank the Tank is ready to gobble down any treats he’s offered.

PITTMAN

MIA Rescued by her mom when she was just two weeks old, Mia keeps all of her brothers and sisters on their toes.

FERGIE

RUSTY This cutie was found on the side of the road by his dog mom and answers to “Rust.”

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Jill of All Trades

We want to hear your story SCAN FOR INFO

If you live in Nashville and haven’t met Jill Yochim, it’s just a matter of time.

With the energy of five people and an indelible passion for community service, Jill Yochim has a hand in so many projects and groups, it’s hard to keep track. She is an entrepreneur, promoter, event planner, fundraiser, disaster-relief volunteer, head of the hospitality program at her church, and a missionary, and those are just a few of the things she’s doing at the moment. By the time you read this, Yochim may have taken on a dozen more roles. In fact, not long ago, she took on a significant position that was new even for her when she joined the Goodfield team at Livano Trinity — though she is a team of one, in a position so perfectly suited for her, one is enough. In this role, she lives onsite to serve her Livano neighbors by fostering community and providing support.

“I tell people I’m a Jill of all trades and a master of some,” she says, “and my superpower is connecting people to their God-given potential. I love that. I love people. If you put me in a corner and told me I couldn’t go out and engage with people, I would find a way.”

But she also has a backstory, and it makes the present-day happy craziness of her life look leisurely in comparison.

One of her first jobs was as a personal secretary to the late NASCAR driver Buddy Baker, leading to other opportunities until she dropped out of college to manage her budding career. She later married musician Sid Yochim, who played with the Allman Brothers Band and the Charlie Daniels Band, and she immersed herself in the music business.

Sid and Jill were later joined by their young children, who traveled right alongside them. Along the way, the couple invested in touring vehicles and started a business to help other musicians travel with all their staging equipment.

Even then, it was all about community.

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“My kids grew up on the road,” she says. “For a while we were doing 275 dates a year, not including travel, so I homeschooled them. And the cool thing about it was we took them everywhere I was teaching them about in the United States. They’ve been in every state, probably within 50 miles of anywhere on the map. But even then, it was all about community.”

“What I loved about it,” she says, “is you become family in the music industry. You travel together, have meals together, do life together.”

Accustomed to life on the road, she and the kids later accepted an invitation from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission to do a nonpartisan “I Vote Values” tour to help people register to vote.

They appeared on the local news everywhere they went.

When Sid passed in 2011 at just 66, Yochim found solace in knowing what a great adventure they had lived together. “One piece of grace for me is we knew it was coming,” she says. “We lived life. We did everything he hadn’t done, which was very little, like snowmobiling on the Continental Divide. He was so positive, and he said, ‘Honey, you can’t just give up when I’m gone.’” His words gave her strength to return to school to finish her bachelor’s degree and take over the family business before going on to earn an MBA in entrepreneurial management and hospitality and start her own event company. She’s done fundraisers and galas for the Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project, dedicated to serving veterans; Danny Gokey of “American Idol” fame; and the Christian singer/songwriters Keith and Kristyn Getty.

Over the years, Yochim has also become heavily involved in the greater Nashville community in other ways, including joining the fight against human trafficking and getting involved with Pray Nashville, a group of people who visit all areas of the city to pray for the residents and community. Yochim also served on the board of directors for The Nations, contributing to the transformation of a onetime industrial hub into a thriving community and a jewel of West Nashville (read more about the evolution of The Nations on page 28).

The fact that Yochim now enjoys a view of The Nations from her new home at Livano Trinity is just one of the ways her new role in the Livano community feels like the right thing at the right time. Goodfield teams live onsite and are dedicated to fostering community by promoting the work of The Goodfield Foundation, a nonprofit 501c3 organization that enriches the lives of Livano residents through dynamic programs, events, and service opportunities. The Foundation also supports residents by providing free access to life-enhancing tools such as Ramsey+, a toolkit that helps people take control over their money with budgeting apps, personal financial coaching, and free audiobooks and courses; and Talkspace, which provides self-guided mental health support for anyone who needs it.

In the few months she has been at Livano Trinity, Yochim has hosted a Tennessee Titans viewing/tailgate party at the pool and personally delivered pumpkins for a Halloween carving contest.

She is also brainstorming ways to help her new neighbors update their resumes and online profiles for the new year — complete with new headshots she’s arranged to have done by a professional photographer — empowering everyone to kick off 2024 showing their best selves.

For Yochim, planning these events to build community goes hand in hand with the more personal touches she brings to her role, such as checking in when a resident is having a hard time or helping people make connections that can help them accomplish their goals. “My passion is to see people connected, and for them to know they’re loved and valued wherever they are in life,” she says.

“That’s why I see this as such a great opportunity — I love to see people get connected in their life’s passion, and I love to see them be successful. And then I get to celebrate with them when they are.

That’s the good stuff in life.”

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DA R E TO R E AC H DA R E TO S OA R DA R E TO B E B O L D How you start your day matters. Trapeze is a vibrant coffee brand exclusive to Livano communities. Residents can enjoy hand-crafted coffee and espresso drinks served by our Trapeze baristas at no cost. Ask your Livano office team for more information.

AT S E L E C T L I VA N O L O C AT I O N S

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H EA LT H

Consistency & Confidence G R O U P

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F I T N E S S

W I T H

C O A C H

R O D N E Y

A new year brings new resolutions. We dive into the year with renewed energy and expectations, but many find that enthusiasm tough to maintain. Building a community that supports and shares your personal goals can significantly improve the stickiness of your new habits. If you feel inspired to move more in 2024, Livano’s group fitness classes are a simple way to start.

For many, the idea of a group fitness class can be intimidating.

Rodney Harris, a Torch Fitness instructor at Livano Grand National, understands this sentiment — his own fitness journey began because he struggled with his weight and body image as a teen.

Harris started using the weight room at his school, and he started to feel better about himself. People became interested in his workout regimen, and he ultimately started training others. Harris quickly noticed that most people thought of exercise as an “outside” — or physical — fix but weren’t consciously using it to improve the way they felt on the inside.

Exercise, Harris explains, is an opportunity to be around good people and feel good. Group fitness classes build camaraderie and community. When you see the same people in class week after week, you feel a sense of accountability and a shared motivation — “well, if

RODNEY’S BODYWEIGHT CLASS AT LIVANO GRAND NATIONAL

she’s going to be there, I better be there!” The energy you bring to the class is amplified by an instructor and your classmates, and your favorite song just hits differently in that environment.

An instructor can also ensure that your form is correct. The body tends to compensate unconsciously for weaker muscles. A fitness professional will help you set a strong foundation for exercising with a group or on your own. You may not be where you want to be — yet — but a good instructor is ready to meet you where you are and push you a little past your limit. “You come to class for you,” Harris says, “to make sure you’re the best version of yourself.”

If you are considering joining a group fitness class, Harris advises, “just show up. You’ll become more confident — and consistency plus confidence equals results.”

IMPROVING YOUR FORM :

EQUIPMENT

SQUAT

None required. This class uses your own bodyweight for resistance. You can do these exercises anywhere, at any time.

Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and angled slightly outward.

VIBE

High energy. Rodney’s playlist is curated to inspire that extra burst of energy, right when you need it.

Your chest should remain upright as you drive your knees out.

FITNESS LEVEL

All fitness levels are welcome. Rodney wants to understand your limitations so he can provide modifications that allow full participation in the class. Be open and ask questions.

FOLLOW YOUR PROPERTY ON INSTAGRAM TO SEE GROUP FITNESS OPTIONS AT YOUR LIVANO

LIVANO SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

Take a breath at the top of your squat to ensure your core is stable.

PLANK Keep your legs straight and be sure to squeeze your glutes to stabilize.

Elbows should be positioned directly under your shoulders.

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D I S P L AY YO U R T R I N K E T S Found or collected objects can add interest to your garden and recall fond memories of past adventures and travels.

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D E S I G N M AT T E R S

Secret Garden

A little garden under glass, a terrarium is a great way to bring the outside in.

A terrarium, in its truest form, is a sealed glass vessel filled with plants and soil. The plants, soil, and mosses absorb the water they need then eventually expel that water back out to create condensation on the side of the glass, which drips into the soil.

A sealed terrarium containing just the right amount of water can sustain itself for months without additional watering.

An open terrarium, while untraditional, is another low-impact way to introduce plants into your living space. While a closed terrarium is a self-sustaining rain forest, an open vessel acts like a desert. Drought-tolerant plants like cacti and succulents need very little attention to thrive.

Whether you prefer a closed or open vessel, a terrarium is perfectly suited for apartment living. Easy to assemble, and even easier to maintain, these little gardens bring life, color, and beauty to your home.

O P E N T E R RA R I U M P L A N T S NERVE PL ANTS Fittonia ARROWHEAD PL ANTS Syngonium FRIENDSHIP PL ANTS Pilea FERNS (e.g. Lemon Button Fern) CREEPING FIG Ficus pumila RA D I ATO R P L A N T S Peperomia P O L K A D OT P L A N T Hypoestes phyllostachya MOSS (e.g. Cushion Moss)

SUPPLIES Clear, glass container — with or without lid Small pebbles or stone Potting soil Activated charcoal or lava rock — only for closed terrariums Long utensil such as a pencil, chopstick, or spoon

B U I L D I N G YO U R T E R RA R I U M Add about two inches of stone.

If you’re creating a closed terrarium, sprinkle activated charcoal.

Add potting soil, deep enough to cover the roots of your largest plant.

Make a hole in the soil and add your largest plant first.

Add plants as desired. Leave room for plants to grow, don’t overcrowd the vessel.

Place decorative stones, moss, and figures to complete your design.

C LO S E D T E R RA R I U M P L A N T S PLUSH PL ANTS Echevria ARROWHEAD PL ANTS Syngonium D O N K E Y ’ S TA I L Sedum morganianum M I N I AT U R E J A D E P L A N T Crassula ovata ‘Minima’ FA I R I E S WA S H B O A R D Haworthia limifolia PA N DA P L A N T Kalanchoe tomentosa STRING OF PEARLS Curio rowleyanus HENS AND CHICKS PL ANTS Sempervivum

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T R AV E L

Destination:

A SMALL TOWN WITH A BIG ANTIQUES SHOW

Round Top, Texas, population 90, is a sleepy town with one traffic light, a gas station that doubles as the town grocery and hardware store, a handful of mom-and-pop restaurants, and local shops that mostly wait until the weekend to open for business. “If you’re driving through Round Top on a normal day, you may not even see another car passing down the road,” says Ashley Williams, who lives in a suburb outside of Houston but has a weekend home here.

Three times a year, all of that changes. This little town in the country happens to be the site of the phenomenon loosely known as the Round Top Antiques Show — “the show,” for short — where antiques dealers from around the world bring merchandise for sale to interior designers, curiosity seekers, and others who just want to get in on the fun. During the big shows in the fall and spring, along with a smaller winter show, Round Top and the neighboring towns along Highway 237 are transformed into about 20 miles of freestanding venues and tents packed with vendors selling everything from high-end European antique furniture to vintage cowboy boots. In one tent, you might find a $12,000 French 18th-century Louis XVI desk, while a few miles down the road, away from the bigger, more exclusive vendors, vintage toys are all the rage.

Williams loves to watch it all roll into town. “About a month before the show starts, you’ll start to see a lot of cars coming down the road, and all the trucks, trailers, and RVs headed in,” she says. “You’ll start to see the tents popping up, along with new places to go eat and drink.

“This little town becomes a full-blown, functioning antiques festival overnight.”

“DISNEYLAND FOR ANTIQUING” The show began in 1968 with about two dozen dealers, but “it was way less sophisticated than it is now,” says Stephanie Layne Disney, who grew up shopping the show and whose family later acquired the venue known as The Original Round Top Antiques Fair, or more commonly “The Big Red Barn,” as well as another prominent venue, Blue Hills. “The way Round Top looked just 10 years ago versus how it looks now … there’s so much to it,” Disney says, adding that today more than 100,000 people from all over the world come to the show — for the antiques but also for the special events, the people watching and celebrity spotting (Disney confirms that Matthew McConaughey and Gwen Stefani have turned out, though there are unconfirmed rumors of many others), and the full show experience.

“It’s unbelievable the number of people who come and the amount of money coming through this very rural place,” she says. “You couldn’t find what you find at Round Top anywhere else in the world, because you have such a huge amount of merchandise all in one place. I joke and say it’s like Disneyland for antiquing.”

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Ginger Curtis, founder and owner of Dallas/Fort Worth-based Urbanology Designs, has been coming for about 12 years and calls it one of her all-time favorite things to do. For the most recent show, in October 2023, she brought her entire team. “It was two things — it was ‘Let’s go on a scavenger hunt and find treasures’ but also a way to do a fun team activity. We rented a house, watched movies, did girls’ nights, and of course we put on sneakers and went to Round Top.” They ultimately left with a trailer full of acquisitions along with stories about the thrill of the hunt. ”You make all these wild memories,” she says. “I remember holding onto this one vintage painting for dear life while bouncing around in the back of a golf cart with a big smile on my face,” she says. “And when the painting was installed, I got to share that story with my client, and it was fun. I think a lot of that is the appeal.”

THE ROUND TOP LOOK As the show has grown exponentially, so have new events and distinct characteristics. Venues now host “sip and shop” nights, book signings by famous designers, elaborate dinners, expert designer panels, and other opportunities for vendors and designers to network or for shoppers to enjoy. There are “prom nights,” and there’s more than one — the original Round Top Dance Hall Prom and the newer Junk-o-Rama Prom, which doubles as a fashion show for vintage and repurposed prom dresses.

There are fashion shows proper, which touch on another defining aspect of the show — dressing the part. “Round Top has its own look,” Disney explains.

“It could be everything from Western to eclectic. It’s long-flowing dresses and brim hats and high-end cowboy boots. … I like to remind my friends before they come, ‘Wear your Round Top!’” Disney adds that lately the show has begun attracting more vendors selling clothing, so “You may not come to Round Top looking like you belong at Round Top, but you’re going to leave looking like you do.”

THE INFLUENCER Analisa Mauermann Kennedy started going to the show several years ago on a whim when a friend invited her to come along. “It’s been in my blood ever since,” she says. After a series of surgeries made it harder for her to cover a lot of ground on foot, “my husband bought me a little red hot-rod scooter, so nothing has stopped me yet.”

Given the sheer number of visitors, accommodations can be hard to come by in Round Top during the show, so like many others, Kennedy has sometimes arrived via RV and enjoyed finding different places to plant herself and soak in the experience. More recently, she’s started gathering groups to split an Airbnb, another popular option. The area is also starting to offer more choices, including new boutique hotels attracted by the show and the area’s growing cachet as a weekend retreat in the offseason.

Kennedy loves exploring the antiques, along with hand-crafted wares and almost anything vintage, but what really gets her excited is the camaraderie and how groups of strangers have started coming together through social media to help one another make great finds.

“Generally, you have a list of what you’re looking for,” Kennedy says. “So it becomes kind of a scavenger hunt, and it’s so much fun. During the show, people will post on Facebook, ‘I’m looking for such and such, has anyone seen one?’

And then you have eyes out there everywhere.”

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF STEPHANIE LAYNE DISNEY

Last year, Kennedy set out determined to find a vintage Savemaster griddle, the kind her grandmother had used to make Kennedy’s favorite biscuits.

When she couldn’t find one, she put out the call. When that didn’t work, “I decided to be a little more aggressive with the hunt,” she says. “I put out there my story of growing up watching my grandmother making ‘Nana biscuits.’ I had a picture of the biscuits and the griddle I wanted, and the response was off the charts. People wrote, ‘Oh my gosh, that is so cool, I’ll keep an eye out.

Would you share the recipe?’”

She did, and a woman connected her with a dealer on site selling vintage cookware. He had two Savemaster griddles — only now, after Kennedy’s post, lots of shoppers wanted them. The woman who had told Kennedy where to find it ended up buying the other one and shared with her the vendor’s response: “What is the deal with these griddles? I could have sold 20. People are wanting them for ‘Nana biscuits.’”

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After that, Kennedy grew even bolder, giving vendors advice about what people want to buy.

When she found vendors selling beautiful African indigo cloth without much success, she suggested using the cloth to make shirts and ponchos. “When we went back to the next show, the gentleman named Abdul I’d spoken with had listened and brought in all of these wonderful serape tops he had made. Then we found more tents with racks of clothing made from this material. I thought, ‘Look at the influence we had from a year ago!’”

Kennedy has dozens of stories like these, and she’s created so many bonds with Round Top vendors that she makes a point of bringing them hot meals and other gifts to show appreciation for their efforts.

It’s fair to say the show might have started out a well-kept secret, but it’s far from a secret now. Yet even as it continues to grow, it retains its ineffable mystery, because no two experiences are alike. And when a show wraps and the trucks start to roll back down Highway 237, everyone takes a piece of the show with them, whether tangible or experiential. Urbanology Designs’ Curtis says it’s usually both.

“It’s fun and always wildly challenging,” Curtis says. “But then we can pepper these amazing pieces we find with the stories of Round Top. The stories and history add so much value.”

Round Top Mayor Mark Massey — who not only helps make sure the event runs smoothly but owns an antiques venue within the show — describes the dichotomy between pre- and postshow Round Top as a tale of two towns.

“When the show is over and everyone packs up, the tents come down, the dealers load out and the dust settles, Round Top gets back to a really charming, quintessential, small Texas town.

So it really is two worlds.”

Upcoming dates for the Round Top Antiques Show: WINTER 2024

January 18th - 21st SPRING 2024

March 14th - 31st FALL 2024

October 10th - 27th

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FOOD

Baked with Love

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Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies Tiffaney Alsup, Livano’s Director of Brand Experience and Marketing, likes to make these banana oat chocolate chip cookies for a quick, tasty breakfast or dessert. As a mom of two young girls, these treats are an easy way to sneak in filling and nutritious ingredients. They are best served warm, straight from the oven. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup oats 1 ¼ cup oat flour 1 egg 1 tsp baking soda 2 ripe bananas 2 tbsp oil (coconut or olive oil) 1/3 cup maple syrup Pinch of salt Chocolate chips Cranberries, nuts, etc. (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix oats, oat flour, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Add in 1 egg, ripe bananas, oil, and maple syrup. Stir until smooth.

Add in chocolate chips (nuts and cranberries optional).

Scoop cookies onto a baking sheet and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top.

Bake on 350°F for 8-10 minutes.

Do you have a favorite recipe?

SCAN TO SUBMIT

State of

the

A NASHVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A RICH HISTORY AND A BRIGHT FUTURE

Nations

C U LT U R E

Over the last decade, the Nations neighborhood in Nashville — home to Livano Nations — has experienced incredible growth and revitalization.

This transformation was spearheaded by passionate community members and buoyed by local businesses. Today, a harmonious mix of the old and the new gives the Nations a unique and eclectic character.

In 2010, when Mary Carolyn Roberts moved into the historic Nashville neighborhood known as The Nations, it was not an obvious choice. “At that time, they were tearing down Victorian homes and putting up body shops,” Roberts says. “This area was kind of looked down upon by the entire city. I kept asking the neighbors, ‘Why isn’t anyone doing anything?’ They would say, ‘Well, it’s always been this way. No one who lives here has a voice.’”

Roberts vowed to be the voice. She put her hat in the ring in the council election for District 20, which encompasses The Nations. She lost by 10 votes and grew increasingly frustrated by the neighborhood’s deterioration. “We formed a neighborhood association; we formed a neighborhood watch — both greatly needed things. We got a little momentum but not much. It was still floundering.” Four years later, she ran for council again, won, and rolled up her sleeves.

Roberts’ plan was to attract new, mixed-use development along The Nations’ main thoroughfare and make it a complete street that would promote walkability. She approached then-mayor Megan Barry, who embraced the cause and made it happen using her discretionary funds. “I am forever grateful for her,” Roberts says. “I consider her the catalyst who started The Nations, really.”

Roberts drove developers who had done positive things in other parts of the city up and down the revamped thoroughfare, describing her vision. Meanwhile, the owners of Frothy Monkey, the popular cafe, bakery, and specialty-coffee roaster, took notice and decided to move in. “They were the pioneers,” she says. “They took an old building where they used to make panty hose and made it something special, and it is gorgeous.”

Roberts says that’s when things started to really change. The Nations — at one time during its revitalization the fastest-growing square mile in the United States — is now home to young families, dynamic new retail establishments, and a strong sense of community.

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MEET THE NEW NEIGHBORS Becky Strasburger and her family already lived near The Nations when they started to see things changing. So when they needed a bigger house — in part to accommodate the business Strasburger runs from her home, Nashville Soap Company, specializing in handcrafted, all-natural, vegan-friendly soaps — they seized the opportunity. “We saw that it was growing and there were so many new, beautiful homes here,” she says. “There are a lot of young professionals and families, which is great for the phase of life we’re in. You don’t have to leave a one-mile radius. For groceries, there is a turnip truck and a locally owned grocery store focused on organic, whole foods. I get my hair done at a salon right in the neighborhood. We even have our date nights within the neighborhood because there are so many restaurants right here.”

Meanwhile, Kristen Nicholson left corporate health care after 23 years to start her own business, Urban Sweat Sauna Studio, in The Nations. “The Nations was the perfect fit, based on the growth, the trajectory, and the demographic,” she says. Nicholson, who has since built Urban Sweat into a successful franchise, now also heads The Nations’ Business Committee.

“Everyone who owns a business in The Nations or within the 37209 zip code is invited to come to monthly meetings. We make them informative, but it’s also a chance to network with one another and learn more about what’s happening in the community,” she says, adding that she’s been especially proud to see a large number of female business owners. Members also come together to brainstorm ways they can partner to grow their businesses and continue to attract even more neighborhood-friendly development.

ROOTED IN COMMUNITY While The Nations expands and continues to draw in new people and businesses, some institutions have been here all along. One of the most prominent

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mainstays is St. Luke’s Community House, which has served the community for 110 years. Today, St. Luke’s is stronger than ever, fulfilling its mission to serve lower-income and working-poor households across Davidson County through its food bank, mobile meals for seniors, a multicultural preschool program, a volunteer-run toy store for low-income families, and other programs.

Amy Shurden is St. Luke’s chief development officer. “In the immediate Nations area there’s been a lot of growth, but outside of the immediate neighborhood, there is still need,” she says. “We appreciate all of our supporters, who now include Nations neighbors who get involved at St. Luke’s … people who live down the street and come volunteer in the food bank, people who donate to the food bank, and people who support the toy store every year. We love having neighbors come over and help in those ways.”

Shurden adds that The Nations also has a trendy, volunteer-run thrift shop, ThisN-That, which donates all proceeds to the preschool at St. Luke’s. “We have been partners for 50 years, and the amazing volunteers who run that shop just do a wonderful job,” she says. “I think people living in the neighborhood appreciate that when they’re spending money there, it’s really doing something good.”

“WE ALL SPEAK ART” Another integral, hard-to-miss development at The Nations has been its commitment to public art — something former councilperson Roberts advocated for from the start. When she learned that Nashville Metro Water planned to put a giant sewage tank in the middle of West Park in The Nations, she says her head nearly spun off.

“I said, ‘You’re going to ruin a park by putting a sewage tank the size of a football field in the middle of it and not give us anything in return?’ They asked what I would propose. I said public art. I found an artist out of Cincinnati

named Eric Henn — the only person in the country who had ever painted anything this big. He painted trees on the bottom, sky on the top, and the very top is kind of a white-blue. It’s one of the biggest pieces of public art in the country, and it is absolutely phenomenal.” She adds that Metro Water received a national award for their efforts.

Another of The Nations’ most recognizable examples of public art is an abandoned grain silo adorned with a portrait of longtime Nations resident Lee Estes — a well-known neighborhood figure who has lived here since the 1920s. Not wanting to see the silo torn down, Roberts convinced developer Wood Caldwell to paint it instead in exchange for her supporting Caldwell’s zoning requests in the area. “We picked an internationally known artist named Guido van Helten, a young Aussie who had just done a project in Dubai.” Every day, Roberts walked through the neighborhood with van Helten and introduced him to everyone she knew. Van Helten personally chose Estes as his subject along with the figures of two little boys on the silo’s east side.

Roberts says at first she questioned the choice of including children in the painting. “I said to him, ‘Just one thing … there are no kids in this neighborhood. This is not a neighborhood of families. I’m trying to make it that way, but it’s just not there,” she says. “He said, ‘I’m not painting it for today. I’m painting it for 50 years from now.’ I was humbled beyond belief at his wisdom.”

He started painting and attracted a lot of attention in the process, with people from all over the neighborhood coming out to sit in lounge chairs and watch van Helten paint. “It brought the community together,” Roberts says.

Roberts calls the painting of the silo one of the most unifying experiences she’s witnessed in her life — the embodiment of a community that has embraced the new without losing its history. “We all speak art,” she says. “You don’t have to have a PhD to understand something beautiful, so now we all have something we can enjoy together.”

L IVAN O NAT IO N S

EVENTS

THINGS TO SEE AND DO NEAR YOU THIS SEASON

Local Happenings ALABAMA Huntsville Craft Trails A series of interactive “trails” created by Huntsville locals. The Craft Beer Trail, Craft Cocktail Trail, and Craft Coffee Trail, as well as the Secret Art Trail will help you discover the best Rocket City has to offer. downtownhuntsville.org/downtown-huntsville-trails

Panoply Arts Festival (April 26-28) A regional destination for art and music, featuring more than 100 visual artists, two performance stages, various food trucks, and kid-friendly activities. artshuntsville.org/event/panoply

Food Truck Rallies (May 17) An event held the third Friday of every month, May through October. Over 15 trucks set up throughout downtown Huntsville, with an updated vendor list released each month. downtownhuntsville.org/foodtrucksandtrailers

ARIZONA Phoenix Waste Management Phoenix Open (February 5-11) A golf tournament like no other, the Waste Management Open annually draws the largest crowds on the PGA Tour and is known for its lively fan experience. wmphoenixopen.com

Innings/Extra Innings Festival (February 23-24, March 1-2) A two-weekend event with a stacked lineup. Red Hot Chili Peppers and Hozier headline weekend one, while Chris Stapleton and Dave Matthews Band anchor weekend two. inningsfestival.com

Cactus League Spring Training (February 22-March 26) An opportunity to see 15 major league teams play more than 200 games across the Greater Phoenix area. cactusleague.com/schedule.php

Maricopa County Fair (April 5-7, April 11-14) A smorgasbord of carnival rides, monster trucks, livestock, and snacks. maricopacountyfair.org

FLORIDA Orlando Rock the Universe (January 26-27)

An unforgettable weekend of faith and fun. Florida’s biggest Christian Music Festival takes place at Universal Studios. universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/events/rock-the-universe

Sanford Porchfest (February 24) A free grassroots music festival in the historic residential downtown of Sanford, FL. The event includes 74 bands across 18 porches. sanfordporchfest.org

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival (March 15-17) An event considered one of the nation’s oldest, largest, and most prestigious outdoor art festivals. wpsaf.org

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SOUTH CAROLINA Charleston Lowcountry Oyster Festival (February 4) A celebration known as the largest oyster festival in the world. This festival consumes 45,000 pounds of oysters and includes live music, drinks, and variety of local foods. charlestonrestaurantassociation.com/oyster-fest

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (February 16-18) An engaging weekend of animal exhibits, outdoor sports competitions, art, music, education, and more. The Dock Dogs jumping contests are a favorite among locals and visitors. sewe.com

Charleston Wine + Food (March 6-10) An event that infuses homegrown Charleston flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, experts, and food enthusiasts from around the globe. charlestonwineandfood.com

TENNESSEE Nashville Dine Nashville (February 2024) A month-long celebration featuring collaborative chef experiences and a restaurant week. visitmusiccity.com/dine-nashville

Tin Pan South Songwriter’s Festival (April 2-6) A five-day event featuring over 400 songwriters in venues across Nashville. Tickets go on sale March 7. tinpansouth.com

Iroquois Steeplechase (May 11) A tradition dating back to the 1930s, Steeplechase is as much about the tailgate and hats as the horse race. iroquoissteeplechase.org

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TEXAS Austin SXSW (March 8-16) An international event where noted filmmakers, musicians, and thought leaders showcase music, film, and interactive media. sxsw.com

Pflugerville Wild West Brew Fest (April 12-13) A beer festival hosted by the Rotary Club of Pflugerville. This event features beers from across the country, live music, and local vendors. wildwestbrewfestpflugerville.com

Pecan Street Spring Arts Festival (May 4-5) A bi-annual street fair full of musicians, food vendors, artists, and crafters. pecanstreetfestival.org

Dallas / Fort Worth Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo (January 12-February 3) An authentic western lifestyle experience, the stock show and rodeo is 23 days of rodeo exhibitions, livestock and horse shows, kid-friendly activities, music, shopping, food, and more. fwssr.com

Dallas Arboretum Food & Wine Festival (March 21) An evening featuring top Dallas chefs and an amazing selection of wine, beer, and entertainment. dallasarboretum.org/events-activities/food-and-wine-festival

Cool Thursdays Concert Series (April-June) A weekly outdoor concert series at the Dallas Arboretum. dallasarboretum.org/events-activities/cool-thursdays-concert-series

Mayfest Fort Worth (May 2-5) A four-day festival of live music, food, carnival rides, performing arts, artisans, and special attractions. mayfest.org

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TEXAS (cont.)

Houston / Galveston Mardi Gras! Galveston (February 2-13) A Mardi Gras celebration ranking right behind New Orleans and Mobile.

Several parades, live entertainment, food vendors, and more make Galveston a fun place to be in February. mardigrasgalveston.com

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (February 27-March 17) An annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage, and provides year-round educational support within the community. rodeohouston.com

U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships (March 30-April 7) A tradition in Houston, and the second longest-running USTA National Championship in the U.S. mensclaycourt.com

Between Houston & Austin Round Top Antiques Show (January 18-21, March 14-31) A uniquely Texas event where you can shop antiques from all over the world along 11 miles of scenic Texas highway. roundtoptexasantiques.com

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COMMON GROUND

Doctor of Hope Dr. Spencer Dupré, a resident of Livano Canyon Falls in Northlake, Texas, has a passion for helping people recover from physical obstacles. He traces his career in health care back to the formative childhood experience of watching his mother’s hard-won recovery from a traumatic injury.

“Nobody ever told her she was going to walk again,” remembers Dupré. “She went from doctor to doctor to doctor, and everybody told her, ‘There’s no hope. You should get used to using the wheelchair.’”

Dupré says that even as a young child, it was difficult to watch what his mother was going through and feel helpless to offer comfort.

His mother, though, didn’t take “no” for an answer. “When my mom first woke up in the post-op room after her accident, she heard God’s voice say, ‘I have a greater purpose for you in this world.’”

Dupré founded his practice, Empower Chiropractic, on the principles and practices of what’s considered neurological chiropractic care, which represents a different kind of treatment with a greater range of applications. “There are really two types of chiropractic,” Dupré explains.

“There is structural chiropractic, which looks at the body kind of like Legos, saying, ‘This is in place, this is out of place, we’re going to put everything back together. Neurologic chiropractic looks at the body like a supercomputer. The way you type on your computer — you press a button and it does something on the screen — is the same way that your nervous system works.

The brain asks the body to do something, and it should perform a normal action. If it doesn’t, there’s something wrong.

“It would be like if you went to press W on your keyboard and got a K. So we treat the body like it’s a supercomputer rather than just a bunch of parts.”

When doctors couldn’t help, she tried physical therapy until she finally found a therapist with a different message. “He said, ‘If no one else will take a chance on you, then I will. It’s worth a shot.’

If somebody hadn’t said that to my mom, who knows where my mother would be? Probably still in a wheelchair.”

Though Dupré cautions that not every patient or circumstance is a fit for his practice, his approach has allowed him to help a wide range of patients and conditions.

Along the way, he’s seen lives transformed.

“It’s really rewarding to be able to help people get back to doing what they want to do,” he says.

“The reason my practice is called Empower Chiropractic is that the definition of ‘empower’ is to make someone stronger and more confident in claiming their own natural abilities. We’re giving your body the best chance for it to heal so you can live with normal function.”

She got herself to therapy every single day for months and relearned, slowly and persistently, to walk.

“She learned to take every day step by step, with the faith that God had put the ability to heal in her body.”

A couple of years later, she realized her dream of walking down the aisle on her own two feet to marry Dupré’s stepfather.

His mother’s journey became such a defining experience in Dupré’s life that he decided to pursue a career in chiropractic care. He wanted to be the one willing to try when patients appeared to have hit a dead end.

To this day, Dupré says that the experience of his mother healing against the odds is his motivation to serve. “My mom needed somebody who believed in her,” he says, “and I get to be that person for families every single day. It’s an opportunity to take care of people — it’s not an obligation. And that’s the difference.”

“My mother’s experience was the thing that really made me choose to become a chiropractor,” he says. “There’s never been a situation where I didn’t feel healing was possible for somebody.”

Dupré obtained his doctor of chiropractic degree while also completing a bachelor of science in anatomy and another in health and wellness. He is Webster certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and is actively training as a member of The Pediatric Experience, a group dedicated to helping chiropractic practitioners continue to expand their ability to provide the best possible outcomes for their pediatric patients.

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Signature Livano diffusers for purchase.

Coming in 2024