Just south of downtown Nashville, a family owned Greek restaurant recently filmed a television spot for a small network. Okay… maybe the network isn’t quite so small. Maybe it was the Food Network. And maybe the host of the show is Guy Fieri, the showboating cooking personality we all know and love as the owner of the craziest hair in cuisine. That’s right, once again Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has visited the heart of middle Tennessee to investigate unique and authentic cuisine so good it reached the ears of the Food Network.

Athens Family Restaurant offers Greek cooking like Grandma made it. If your Grandma is Greek that is. Guy Fieri showed up to investigate Chef Adel’s original creation the Bacon Lamb Burger, a “Grilled and lightly spiced ground lamb patty, strips of bacon topped with melted Swiss cheese and a pinch of crushed red pepper.” Offering up long hours to soothe the growling bellies of Nashville, including 24-hours Thursday through Saturday the staff of Athens Family Restaurant guides you on a unique, relaxed journey into the specialties of Greek Cuisine.

Since this episode of Burgers ‘n More will be airing February 13, 2012 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT, this small seat-yourself restaurant might get a whole lot busier very soon… so it might be a good idea to take some time this weekend and explore a menu that brings a little bit of the Mediterranean right here to Nashville. Voted number one breakfast place in the Nashville Scene Writer’s Choice November of 2005, this Nashville gem continues to make you want to smash your plate and yell “Oompa!” Though they state on their website “they would rather you order seconds than charge you for broken plates.”

Posted by:  Jennifer McClarney

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Just another day off schools, another three day weekend, another day the mail doesn’t run. Just another day attached to a name very few people actually think about. Perhaps it bears a little reminding that Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn’t just a famous man, a pastor or a leader. He was all of these things and more. He received a doctorate from Boston University. He became a pastor when he was twenty five years old, blending together his acquired knowledge, his innate knowledge and his faith into the words and actions of a non-violent supporter of the civil rights movement.

He was a man that conferred with Presidents, led 250,000 protesters in peaceful demonstration, and headed several organizations that furthered the civil rights movements. He was the youngest man to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 when he was just 35 years old. He was a man with a dream for all races, who wanted nothing more than a place for his children “where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

He was a man who stood on a balcony April 4, 1968 enjoying the warm Spring Memphis air before he was to lead a protest supporting striking African American garbage workers where he was assassinated. He was a man killed for his passionate beliefs in freedom.

He is now a man that puts a face to the movement of equality. According to Derek Alderman of East Carolina University, as of 2006 over 730 American Cities have a street named after him. Federal Law observes his birthday as the third Monday of January, in effect since its first official observation January 20, 1986. He is still a man that stands for equality and justice and a peaceful approach to obtaining both.

He will always be a man with a dream.

Posted by:  Jennifer McClarney

If you are looking for a quiet destination to celebrate fall, as well as experience a little living local history, less than an hour away from the city center of Nashville you will find the sleepy little town of Adams, Tennessee. When you drive through the town with a population of roughly 566 people and historical plaques on most of the home fronts, you normally won’t see much other than stately old oaks blazing with fall colors and white rockers.

The Adams Antique Mall and School House Cafeteria is a wonderful detour from big city life. Built in 1913, and rebuilt in 1920 after a fire ravaged the building, the Bell High School served as the only local school for 55 years. The cafeteria still functions today and serves a fulfilling home cooked lunch five days a week, with an old-fashioned blackboard boasting the daily specials. The Adams museum is in the same building, and there are two floors of antiques for you to browse after you have eaten your fill of southern fare.

If the name “Bell” sounds familiar, Adams is the home of the “Bell Witch of Tennessee.” Actually believed to be an entity nicknamed Kate, sent by a furious neighbor, the Bell’s Witch tormented the Bell family for years. Numerous books have been written, and the legend is widely taught in our public schools.  The Bell Witch Cave is still open for tours, and special October tours are available by appointment only. Be prepared for a lively tour through wrought iron gates into a low hanging tunnel, stepping over rocks and trailing your hands along walls festooned with friendly spiders. And make sure you wear footwear you don’t mind getting wet: perched just over the Red River the cave entrance is often swollen with water, and a misstep will put you ankle deep!

Adams is also a popular canoeing destination. With shuttles running daily during the summer and by appointment during the winter you can relax on the Red River for anywhere from three to six hours, traveling up to 12 miles. The slow moving waters make this an easily enjoyable activity for family members of all ages.

Visit our facebook page for more details!

Posted by:  Jennifer Mcclarney

Several awards were recognized with distinction in the following categories recently:

• Academy Teacher of the Year
• Academy Team Leader of the Year
• Academy Partnership of the Year in six industry areas
• Academy Students of the Year
• Academy Coach of the Year
• Externship Project of the Year
• Academy Assistant Principal of the Year
• Executive Principal of the Year
• Counselor of the Year
• Freshman Academy of the Year
• Academy of the Year

Per Mayor Karl Dean, ch-chair of the Chamber's CEO Champions, "Nashville is making great strides in improving public education," "Through smaller learning communities and the Academies of Nashville, our students are learning critical skills that they will need to succeed in college and a 21st-century career."
 
Reach the Nashville Academies for more information by visiting their website: www.academiesofnashville.com.

To learn more, click here.

Posted by:  Tammy Carroll

Pack your bags and head to Music City! Nashville is has been know as Music City for years and it's still stands true today. People from all over the world head to Nashville every year to be a part of the music world. Every venue of music you would ever want to hear and enjoy is there. Lots of famous people live, work and play in Nashville and call it home...

Click here for more information.

Posted by:  Tammy Carroll

I recently read an Inman news article about 10 home-sale marketing mistakes.  It was interesting to read through these 10 “mistakes” and notice that 5 of these 10 items are things that Bob Parks Realty provides for their agents!  The other 5 really are up to the individual agent. Those 5 items included marketing to the neighbors, the marketing plan, checking the accuracy of your listing, and reaching out to certain buyers.  The 5 items that would be more difficult for the individual agent to provide are provided by being a part of the Bob Parks Realty company!

The first one was “No way to obtain caller contact information”. It spoke about having a toll-free call-capture number or an SMS (text-messaging) function available. Bob Parks Realty offers this SMS function. If you text Parks to 59559 you get the opportunity to send in an address (house number, street name, or both) and receive a text back letting you know the price, square footage, and a few other bits of information. The great thing is that you can use this on any house on the market! It doesn’t have to be a Bob Parks Realty listing!

The second one was “No use of video”. Bob Parks Realty automatically creates a great YouTube video on every property that is listed! This gives Bob Parks Realty the ability to market the property on video portal sites and the ability to embed or link to the video from anywhere!

The third one was “No single-property website”. Bob Parks Realty automatically creates a website for each listing. Here is just one example of a properties website. All you do is put the MLS number after the www.bobparks.com!

Number four was “No lead-capture tool on the main listing page”. Bob Parks Realty will never force a client to enter contact information. But, clients visiting our website are given multiple opportunities to enter their name and email address which allows the client to save favorites, save specific searches and more! This also gives the agent a way to get in touch with the client should they need some assistance.

The last one was “No comprehensive tracking of leads.”  Bob Parks Realty website allows the agent to track leads to see where the clients are coming from and how effective their marketing is.

It’s great to see that Bob Parks Realty is ahead of the game and keeping up with the technology!

Posted by:  Jody Stahly

Tonight will begin Garth Brooks‘ 9 concert appearances at Bridgestone Arena to benefit flood victims in Middle Tennesee.

I must admit, being from small town Nebraska, it is different to see “celebrities” on a fairly regular basis. You see them out shopping, having lunch, just living life! It is fun around here as no one bothers them… everyone just goes about their business. Every so often your leaning over to a friend whispering “is that ___?”

Garth and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, and Nashville songwriter Karyn Rochelle will perform, and it is rumored some special guests are going to “pop up” as well!

Garth announced October 28th, 2010 at a 8:00 am at the Tennessee State Capitol Building his intentions of doing a benefit concert for flood relief victims. On November 3rd it was announced that tickets would go on sale beginning November 6th. You could go online to buy the tickets or you could go pick up a wrist band. If you want to see how the wrist band system worked you can see that on News Channel 5

The tickets were just $25 each (plus a couple of fees brining it to $32.50). In less than 8 hours, Garth had sold 150,000 tickets. This sold out the Bridgestone arena 9 times! This is the most tickets ever sold for a concert in Tennessee.

Here is the rundown of shows:

Thursday, Dec. 16 (two shows)

Friday, Dec. 17

Sunday, Dec. 19

Monday, Dec. 20

Tuesday, Dec. 21 (two shows)

Wednesday, Dec. 22 (two shows)

Posted by:  Jody Stahly

Did you know that Gray Line Nashville offers 12 daily tours highlighting the best of Nashville? You can go on an hour tour of downtown Nashville or an 8 hour tour of discovering Nashville and seeing the homes of the stars!

You can go on a shopping tour or you can learn all about Historic Tennessee!

There is surely a tour that will suit your needs and if you a new to Nashville or have lived here for years, I’m sure you will discover something you never knew about Nashville!

Beginning December 1st, you can go on the ”Tennessee Christmas Lights Tour”.  There is also the ”Christmas Wonderland of Lights Tour”, the ”Radio City Christmas Spectacular“ and the “ICE! featuring Santa Claus is Comin’ to town tour”.

Take a tour and see what you have been missing!

Posted by:  Jody Stahly

In September, Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition was in Nashville rebuilding an area preschool that was demolished in the May 2010 floods. The episode will air this Sunday, November 14th at 8/7c on ABC.  Tune in! It should be a great episode!

Here is an article by WKRN when they were working in September. 

You can watch some great video on YouTube as well, below.

Posted by:  Jody Stahly

Make an appointment today to see this wonderful remodeled home on .75 acres.  A beautiful fenced backyard with a huge sunroom and deck for entertaining. Silestone countertops and GE Profile appliances in the Kitchen. There are tiled bathrooms that have been beautifully remodeled. This home is ready for you to close quickly and move right in!

To schedule a private showing or see additional detals, click here to go to the website or watch the YouTube video below.

Posted by:  Chris Fuller

Secret No 96: Montgomery Bell State Park

Number 96 of 100 of Nashville’s Best Kept Secrets is Montgomery Bell State Park, which is located approximately 30-40 minutes West of downtown Nashville. This parks is not only beautiful, but it’s also one of few parks with a dedicated mountain biking trail in the Nashville area. Even though a lot of state parks mention mountain biking trails, they are often shared by horseback riders, which does not go hand-in-hand on a path barely wide enough for a front tire.

The park also includes more than 100 picnic areas, rustic cabins, and campgrounds. It’s perfect for a couple, family, or even some time alone. There is also a creek that runs through the campground with some campsites located along the bank. The trails include more than 18 miles of scenic tall trees and fresh air. You can also hike the backcountry trail which has three overnight shelters open year-round.

For more information, visit: http://www.stateparks.com/montgomery_bell.html

About Bob Parks Realty

The most respected name in middle Tennessee real estate, Bob Parks Realty is home to over 400 real estate professionals serving families and home owners in Murfreesboro, Brentwood, Franklin, Nashville. Gallatin, Hendersonville, Smyrna, Green Hills and the surrounding area. For more information about Bob Parks Realty, visit www.bobparks.com.

Posted by:  Kimberly Fahey

100 of Nashville’s Best Kept Secrets No 97: Arrington Vineyards

Just a short drive from Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, and Murfreesboro, Arrington Vinyards is a beautiful place to share a glass of wine with your sweetie, family, and friends. My husband and I went on Mother’s Day. Even though both of our Moms live outside-of-the-state, we knew that Arrington Vineyards would be great place to spend the afternoon. They had a live Jazz band and tons of families sharing picnic style lunches on the lawn. You could see wives and moms sharing stories while Dads passed balls with their kids. You are welcome to bring in your own food and drink or go into the rustic style log cabin for wine tasting and buying.

Arrington Vineyards was Founded by Kix Brooks and sits among the beautiful hills of Arrington, Tennessee. They offer award-winning wines and amazing views from the covered deck and breathtaking sunsets.

Hours of Operation:

Monday – Thursday: 11am - 8pm
Friday – Saturday: 11am - 9pm
Sunday: 12pm - 6pm

Directions:

For directions, please visit: www.arringtonvineyards.com/directions

For more information about Arrington Vineyards, please visit www.arringtonvineyards.com. For more information about the most respected name in middle Tennessee real estate, Bob Parks Realty, please visit www.bobparks.com.

Posted by:  Kimberly Fahey

Leslie Gannon, Relocation Manager and Tammy Carroll, Vice President of Corporate Real Estate Services at Bob Parks Realty announced that Jackson National Life Insurance company will be moving to Franklin, TN across from Nissan headquarters.

Jackson National Life Insurance is a AA rated company with eleven facilities across the country. They expect the move to occur within the next year and they plan to hire 500-700 new employees. Several executive will be relocating including the CEO Mike Wells.

This project originated from the Nashville Chamber 2010 Partnership recruiting efforts. They worked on this project for approximately 3 years and they checked out 44 cities before deciding on Middle Tennessee. Contributing factors were: education pool of workers, way of life, and balanced economy. The move is not based upon cost, it was based on Nashville as a whole and all it has to offer.

This is great news for Nashville!

For information about relocating to middle Tennessee or the Nashville area, check out these Bob Parks Realty community pages:

· Brentwood Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

· Franklin Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

· Hendersonville Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

· LaVergne Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

· Mount Juliet Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

· Murfreesboro Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

· Nashville Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

· Shelbyville Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

· Smyrna Homes for Sale, Real Estate Info

It is with a heavy heart that I think about the devastation Nashville and surrounding communities are now experiencing thanks to an irate Mother Nature. We had a major storm system that started on Friday night and didn’t stop until late morning Sunday. With about 15 inches of rainfall over the weekend, Nashville is drowning. If you’re from Middle Tennessee, I don’t need to tell you anything. If, however, you’re from outside of this area please know that your thoughts, prayers, and donations to the Red Cross are very much appreciated at this time. To donate, you can text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Famous places flooded at this time include (but certainly not limited to):

• Opryland Hotel
• Opry Mills
• Grand Ol’ Opry
• LP Field where the Titans Play
• Schermerhorn Symphony Center
• Bridgestone Arena where the Predators Play
• Riverfront Park
• 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, Broadway
• Country Music Hall of Fame

Posted by:  Kathy Tyson

In addition to being nominated for Best in Nashville Business, the Greater Nashville House and Home magazine awarded Bob Parks Realty with the “The Readers Favorite Award.” This is a huge honor because the award is based upon the opinions of Middle Tennessee home owners and magazine readers. They cast their votes and stories for their favorite real estate companies, designers, builders, landscapers, and more. 

The 450 plus real estate professionals at Bob Parks Realty are dedicated to providing only the highest level of care for families, communities, and home owners in Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Green Hills, Shelbyville, the Nashville area, and Florida’s Emerald Coast. Again, receiving this award is a proud moment as the organization continues to be the Most Respected Name in Real Estate serving Middle Tennessee, Seacrest Beach, and Santa Rosa Florida.

For more information about Bob Parks Realty, visit www.bobparks.com.

Posted By: Kimberly Fahey