Julianna Texada lives in The Carson on Central Street with her husband, John, and doggie, Isabella. Don’t let having a pet keep you from considering downtown living.
If the hundreds of folks on the Urban Home and Garden Tour this past weekend are to be believed, tons of people are “thinking about” moving to downtown Knoxville. That had to have been the most repeated refrain of Friday night and Saturday afternoon on the tour of eight downtown residences arranged by the East Tennessee Community Design Center. (Disclosure: Moxley Carmichael was a sponsor.)
I’d say that most of the people making that comment were so-called “empty nesters,” people looking to downsize now that their children have grown up and moved away from home. Many are from Sequoyah Hills and other nice neighborhoods.
What they probably found out on their tour is that not all the homes downtown are small. The condo at The Holston on the tour contained 3,700 square feet and the one at Gallery Lofts had 3,200 square feet.
The best thing about this tour is that it demonstrated the diversity of options for downtown living. There truly is something for everyone. Let’s take a peek.
Gallery Lofts are located above Mast General Store at 402 S. Gay St.
Tim Young and Jeff Cupp are constantly changing the furnishings and decor in the 3,200-square-foot 3-bedroom, 3-bath condo they own there. To me, the rooftop is the showstopper!
Here’s Jeff discussing a piece of artwork.
Here’s Tim holding court in the master bedroom.
Jeff’s mother, Helen Cupp, was relaxing in a room Jeff has commandeered for a special set of antiques he has collected.
This condo has been on the Blue Streak numerous times. If you’d like to see more of it, click here or here or here or here.
Next stop was Marble Alley, located at 300 State St., the newest residential development in downtown Knoxville featuring 248 rental units wrapped around a parking garage and swimming pool.
Roger Ricker is a friend of mine who has a beautiful — and large — house in the Westmoreland Hills neighborhood. He’s rented a unit at Marble Alley to test out downtown living before deciding whether to sell his house. Here he is in his home office.
Roger’s friend Rhonda Byrd in the living room. “I had intended to go minimalist in this apartment,” Roger laughed. “But I just kept bringing in more and more things!” The 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment contains 1,083 square feet.
Next stop was The Emporium, at 112 S. Gay St., where condo owner Scott Poole actually did keep to a relatively minimalist feel.
Here’s Scott’s bedroom. See what I mean?
Scott, left, and his friend Daryl Johnson of Johnson Architecture, in the living room. Daryl was a volunteer on the tour and was chair of the committee that organized the tour.
One of the walls in the living room. The 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo has about 1,000 square feet of living space.
Scott’s dog, Mazy. “It rhymes with crazy,” Scott chuckled.
Next up was the condo of Angela Howard at Jackson Ateliers, 130 W. Jackson Ave., in the Old City.
Here’s the living room of the 1,743-square-foot 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo.
Angela in her kitchen.
Angela’s master bedroom. Soothing.
She has a sweet little balcony on her top floor, accessible by a spiral staircase.
Next came The Carson, at 713 S. Central St., almost where Central enters into Neyland Drive. Matt and Jen Mowrer are fellow guests on the tour. They won their tickets from a Moxley Carmichael giveaway on Facebook. Loved meeting up with them!
Julianna and John Texada are leasing the 2,200 square-foot 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo while they complete work on their own mixed-use building at 16 Emory Place, where they ultimately will live.
I love the open floor plan.
Here’s their outdoor space.
The largest condo on the tour was on the 12th floor of The Holston, 531 S. Gay St., a 3,700-square-foot 3-bedroom, 3-1/2-bath unit.
Gayle Buston, whose husband’s photography fills the walls, showed everyone around. She and her husband were on safari when he took this picture.
You can see the Sunsphere out the window of the living room.
Very cool dining room table.
Stunning master bedroom.
What an inviting place to take a soak!
Gayle and her daughter, Carmen Buston-Denning.
Gayle’s balcony overlooking the Krutch Park extension.
Crown Court condominiums are located inside the downtown YMCA, 535 Locust St., built in 1929.
This is in the concrete at the entrance to the residential part of the building. Pretty cool.
The residents of the building maintain and frequently make use of a center courtyard.
I was with Crown Court resident Georgiana Vines when she bought this charming deer.
Here’s the living room of Georgiana’s unit, which is slightly under 1,100 square feet.
Georgiana, right, and her friend Fran Scheidt, in the living room.
Kendrick Place, 607 Union Ave., was built in 1916 and restored by developer Kristopher Kendrick in 1981.
A large kitchen is one of my favorite features of this 2,600-square-foot condo belonging to Bill and Gay Lyons.
I love this photograph by Bruce McCamish of Knoxville. It’s in the dining room.
Bill and Gay recently completed decorating their rooftop.
Here’s Bill taking a break from his hosting duties.
So, there you have it. Which one is most your style? While you contemplate that, enjoy this view on Tim Young and Jeff Cupp’s rooftop:
Downtown, and the living is easy.
What a great event! I loved seeing all the creative indoor and outdoor spaces that downtown Knoxville has to offer.
I would not have expected that outdoor space at The Carson! Is that the only unit there or are there more?
Thanks for the great story!
Hey, Modern Gal: There’s at least one other residential unit there. Maybe more. I believe Realtor Melinda Grimac owns it. She might be a good contact if you are interested.
I want Mazy!
Christi: Me, too! Her fur is soft and she’s very friendly. Scott is trying to make her lose a little weight, so he gives her raw carrots for treats. Which she seemed to love!
Love seeing the residential growth in downtown Knoxville! Your post gives me great inspiration as we update our urban space in Chattanooga. Thanks for sharing.
Downtown! It’s hard not to feel the organic energy and excitement of downtown living. A great tour!
Tami: Would love to see your ‘Nooga place!
Jim: I wish you and Phyllis would move downtown!
Loved getting home from work today and taking this mini tour of homes from my living room! Nice storytelling too, Cynthia!
Cynthia: You never know! Maybe some day!
Mary: Thanks!
Jim: Fingers crossed!
I agree: Downtown [and] the livin’ is easy. And fun & convenient. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I warned the people who walked through our place: We’re a cult, & we recruit!
Great post, Mox. So exciting to see the downtown such a residential hot spot. We had a conflict or we would have been on the tour!
I really enjoyed reading this post. Wanted to do the tour, but we were out of town and missed it. Now, I feel as if I had been there. Thank you!
Downtown is the best. Wish I had not retwisted my ankle. Otherwise, I would have been there. Great locations!
A delightful tour of condos in a city that has come alive with remarkable residents! I’m glad I don’t have to pick a favorite, because each was special. Thanks for posting these pictures, though. So many condos, so little time!
Rusha: Are you sure you all shouldn’t consider it??
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