Fallingwater

Hello PHofKS, Well, I am not as avid a cyclist as you were back in the day. I just like to go out around the neighborhood from time to time and have recently discovered riding the Murfreesboro Greenway which is about 14 miles from beginning to end and back. The link to the Clarksville Club showed that they ride in Sango and Kirkwood. I am unfamiliar with Kirkwood and where it is located. Sango would be a nice fairly rural ride but for how long? That area is being gobbled up with new developments and more and more traffic is coming out that way. So, judging from the locations of the rides and the photo gallery they provide, their rides seem to take place in rural areas such as can be seen below: Clarksville, it seems, is not really bike or pedestrian friendly which may be why they go where they do. I think they should at the very least open up the Riverwalk and Upland Trail to bicycles. I would also love to see Clarksville build its new neighborhoods with sidewalks, bike lanes and those little amenities which enhance the quality of life and invite people out of their homes to interact with the greater community. I live on the outskirts of Murfreesboro and every street, every neighborhood has well lit sidewalks (also bike lanes) which are heavily used by the homeowners. It keeps many kids out of the middle of the street and out of danger. Clarksville, I think, would be such a neat city in which to take a ride (if you don't mind some major hills!) but I can definitely see why the Clarksville Bike Club goes out to the country for their pleasure.

Oh, I absolutely LOVE the areas which immediately surround the square and I believe I mentioned in my pics how much I love the tree lined streets and the interesting buildings in those areas. Great stuff indeed! I'm just not too terribly fond of the courthouse and the whole concept of "squares" - I just don't care for the traffic pattern of squares and roundabouts. The shops, stores and offices are all fine except perhaps the side with Big B Cleaners. Yes, it is all a matter of taste and opinion. Sorry if I do not find the RCC attractive. The reason I do not is that, to me, the cupola is not in good proportion to the building and is too small and "squatty" for a building with columns which rise so high. The Courthouse should have a taller cupola, IMHO. It looks out of proportion to me. Main street has some fantastic dwellings and I did not take any photos along the avenue because I did not wish to duplicate what others had done on these forums and I think I have seen some photos of houses along Main Street posted here somewhere. Certainly, I included photos of buildings which have been published here and elsewhere but aside from the Courthouse, I tried to photograph popular buildings like the Am South Bank tower (City Center) perhaps from new angles or from different perspectives. I thought about going out to MTSU for some photos but Relient J had already done that. Insofar as MTSU is concerned, I am very fond of the more recent buildings over the "old campus" buildings. The new stuff is very dynamic and exudes a certain...... collegient... quality which is not a bad thing at all. Very nice stuff they are doing out there. I think my next outing in Murfreesboro will include some Greenway pics because I think I know of some great shots which Relient J either missed or did not include in his pics of that magnificent recreational showpiece. Ha, I wasn't even aware until the other day that there is a dog park along the Greenway. Ha, it's called "Bark Park."

I think it is the case that Murfreesboro was the State Capitol from 1818-1826. The Rutherford County Courthouse was not built until 1859 so it could not have been the State Capitol Building during the time Murfreesboro was the State Capitol. Perhaps there was a time when the building served as the State Capitol for one day (what year would that be?), that does not make it any more aesthetically pleasing to me. I think the Capitol for one day goes to Kingston in 1807, not Murfreesboro - at least according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia online.

Hello Lexy, One of my big "knocks" against Clarksville is that newer developments (neighborhoods, roads, etc.) are built without any sidewalks, curbs, or even adequate streetlights. The "old city limits" has these things for the most part but if you drive through Clarksville at night then one may notice it is a fairly dark place. Without sidewalks then it becomes dangerous to even take a leisurely walk or ride a bicycle. That is one thing that I love about Murfreesboro's developments and neighborhoods as they nearly all have adequate street lighting, sidewalks, and many now even have bike lanes. These things might seem like they would not matter that much but I think they definitely add to the overall quality of life and even the allure of a place. Many of Murfreesboros neighborhoods also have "concrete paved" drainage areas whereas in Clarksville (or even in Nashville for that matter) you get a natural "gulley" behind your house. Since I do enjoy riding my bicycle on occasion for pleasure, my question to anyone currently residing in Clarksville is; Where do Clarksvillian's go to ride their bikes or what major road can they safely walk or jog? Bikes are forbidden on the Cumberland Riverwalk (I think this is unfortunate) and I do not see any bike lanes anywhere. As bad as I think traffic is on Old Fort Pkwy. in Murfreesboro, I think it is actually worse on Wilma Rudolph Blvd. at peak times and Wilma Rudolph is a larger thoroughfare as well. I would be reticent to even attempt to ride my bike around there unless it was one of those roads off the main one. Ft. Campbell Blvd. or Madison Street are other examples. 101st Airborne Divsion Pkwy and its extensions would make a nice bicycle ride but you only have the road (with increasing traffic) and a shoulder. Riding along the Cumberland River would be a great ride with the River on your right and the city on your left but one cannot ride on the Riverwalk which leaves Riverside Drive and there is no sidewalk on Riverside Drive insofar as my recollection. One must just try to brave traffic, I guess. So, C'mon Clarksville officials - provide these things and make your city a little more liveable and encouraging to healthy activities. You have a city which stretches for over 20 miles so why not LIGHT THAT SUCKA UP with adequate, modern street lights rather than some token light stuck on a telephone pole every quarter mile? Unrelated but kind of shows the contrast within Clarksville: Yesterday the Mississippie Queen docked in Clarksville and some 350 passengers were able to spend the day downtown walking around or shopping. Last night, a man left a nighclub and drove downtown. Two assailants dragged him out of his vehicle, took his money and stabbed him 12 times then drove off in his vehicle.

You bring up some great examples with respects to Malls with a little age and what is their probable fate. Growing up in Clarksville we first went to "The Plaza" which was much like in concept what "The Avenue" will be for Murfreesboro. "The Plaza" had anchor tenants which were standard for the time; Montgomery Ward, Roses, Harveys......... They then built Two Rivers Mall and that "The Plaza" began to decline eventually losing every major tenant............ then they built Governors Square Mall and thus began the decline of Two Rivers Mall sa it was reduced to second hand clothing stores, discount shops, etc. The Plaza was all but abandoned until the City bought it for much needed office space and a "new" Public Library. That whole area known as Greenwood now looks pretty neglected. Today, Governors Square Mall is vibrant and healthy and it spawned massive retail and commerical development along Wilma Rudolph Blvd to the extent that there is probably very few lots left to build and development has already spread beyond the thoroughfare. The time will come, however, when Governor's Square becomes "inadequate" and another area of town will be the next hot thing leaving Governor's Square to begin its descent just like all the others. I do hope that the trend is a revitilazation of those old shops. I think Clarksville also offers an example of over-protection but I stand to be corrected. So much of downtown and a few neighborhoods around there are on the Natinal Register of Historic places and entire districts are "preserved." Well, rightly so - there are some real gems to be found and I would hate to see a 20 story building built along Franklin Street, for example. But if you build downtown then I think one is forced to conform to the architecture and even the scale of a late 19th century downtown. I think they wanted Clarksville's downtown to be a tourist attraction but I have never seen many tourists walking around since 10,000 other towns have done the same thing with their downtowns. There does seem to be some new activity and interest in the area but downtown can best be described as "dead" excepting the lawyers, Government offices and those involved with the criminal justice system.

I agree it would be a tragedy to lose the Courthouse from a historical perspective and, yes, it cannot be denied that the Courthouse serves as a sort of focal point from which all of Murfreesboro radiates. I have probably seen photographs of the old Nashville square but just cannot recall. I do understand the need to go forward with progress but there has got to be a way where these splendid old structures cannot fall to greed. At the same time, many city fathers who are so diehard preservationists need to understand that too much preservation only chokes the life out of a place in many cases. I may be wrong on this but places like Murfreesboro, Clarksville, and so many others are being built with greedy hands and the very thing which has attracted so many is becoming lost in the process. Todays newly built fantastic mall will probably be a piece of neglected crap in 25 years.

But Nasvillwill, Clarksville is already an independent MSA. It is actually the Clarksville/Hopkinsville SMSA. Yet, I don't think Clarksville will rise vertically for the various reasons we have mentioned such as height ordinances and the added expense associated with building foundations in an area prone to sinkholes and caves beneath.

Hello fieldmarshaldj, Well, it does boil to down to personal taste I suppose but, no, I am not intrigued by the Rutherford County Courthouse in the least. I wouldn't call it an eyesore that needs to be torn down but if a tornado leveled it then I wouldn't lose any sleep over it either. I wasn't even aware that Nashville had a square. Where was it? The old Criminal Justice Center on 2nd Avenue? I worked in downtown Nashville back in the 80's and have always liked Nashville's core. Plenty of nooks and crannys to explore although, to me, Nashville's skyline was not much different than Louisville's or Indianapolis or two dozen other places - you know, back when everyone went Miesian.

I think I could have framed this photo a little better but I was thinking in terms of contrast here; A Classical vs. Modern motif. Here are a couple of neighboring office buildings just off the square. Some areas just around the square offer tree canopied sidewalks which I absolutely love! Below is one example. The Center for the Arts building. Guys and Dolls - now showing. Cool old Church building. This is either a bank or office building as seen through the trees along the sidewalk. A little shop or business with a very warm and inviting entrance - Europeanesque. This photo should be in black and white but if I were a wino then this would be the place for me! However it looks like one already beat me to it! Am South Bank in the immediate distance. Leaving downtown there are a few pics taken out in the neighborhood. Murfreesboro has built many new apartment complexes over the past few years with some still under construction. This one is on St. Andrews. Oh yes, I also got quite wet. New housing units being built is a common site in Murfreesboro. These homes are going up near RiverRock road. This last pic is simply what a typical neighborhood in Murfreesboro looks like. It could be anywhere in town but this one happens to be just off Cason Lane. THE END.

...well, one more shot from the Plaza. This looks as if it is in the middle of a wooded area like a monument or grave marker perhaps. This, however, is the entrance to the parking garage beneath the City Hall Plaza. A nice little pathway leads you to the stairwell to the cars below. To speak truthfully, I am not particularly fond of Rutherford County's Courthouse nor the square. Then again, I have never been fond of squares in general. However, this is the Rutherford County Courthouse as seen from the middle of South Main Street. Another view of the Courthouse. And another view of the Courthouse with statue. Looking down Maple Street on the square. Shops along the square. This is perhaps the largest office building on the square proper and also could be one of the best architecturally (sure beats Big B Cleaners!) and someday I desire to get a closer look at the detailing on that building. We will now be leaving the square and venturing out into the areas immediately around the square which, to me, are much more interesting. Stay tuned........................

Armed with a camera and a new roll of film I ventured into the morning drizzle to try and capture some of Murfreesboro through the camera lens. Not all of these turned out as I had hoped or captured the view I was seeing through the camera lens eye but hopefully there will be some pics to pique your interest. I tried not to duplicate the photos which have already been shared by others but there will probably be instances where that is indeed the case. I think one problem of photographing Murfreesboro (at least to me) is the fact that the land is relatively flat so there is not a lot of variety, topographically speaking, in vantage points. Those above the ground telephone polls and electrical wires also pose a problem in places. So here we go....... If you park in the parking garage underneath the City Hall Plaza and walk up the stairwell to the Plaza then one is greeted by this spectacular view of the Am South Bank building. Great view! My favorite photo of the day's journey. View of City Hall Rotunda entrance. Wider view of City Hall and Plaza. View of Am South Bank building as seen from South Church Street. One more shot from the City Hall Plaza then we will head on toward the Square. This view is of the Linebaugh Public Library and fountains. Stay tuned...............

I do think that will come as well. I actually think it is long overdue. I do recall a few year's ago that Clarksville city officials formed a team or task force whose specific charge was to actively and aggressively pursue Corporations to relocate in Clarksville.

No speeding! Ha. I'm not that familiar with LaVergne but I know that it is an enclave which has experienced tremendous growth too. It is situated next to Davidson County and so you would be only about five minutes away from a major Mall (Hickory Hollow) and the Ampitheatre where all the big name bands perform in the less inclimate months.

Yes. Stones River Mall which is not very large but is currently undergoing expansion. The whole area around that Mall however is pretty much 'shop til you drop' retail stores like Old Navy, etc. I'm not sure but I had heard that a new Mall was going to be built.

Yes, the usual types of places. Parks, movie theatres (there is also a legitimate theatre group for kids - the Sunshine Players), skateboard park, Discovery Museum for smaller kids, Community Centers, Pools, Soccer fields, etc. MTSU offers Division I college sports to attend and, of course, professional sports are just a short drive away in Nashville (Football, Hockey).

There have been a few of these built around Murfreesboro and I do not know if it was the case for each of them but the one on New Salem Hwy. was actually an old farm silo. They reinforced the walls of the silo and then added the top "mushroom" section which was kind of cool I thought. Rather innovative.

Oh boy! More traffic for Old Fort Pkwy!

I tend to agree with Lexy and the points he made. I do not recall what the city planners said with respect to the building of Medical Center Pkwy. but the DNJ quoted a city official just prior to the opening of that thoroughfare that Medical Center Pkwy. would alleviate traffic on Old Fort. It may very well be the case that some coming to Murfreesboro from Nashville or North will now use the Medical Center Pkwy. exit rather than Old Fort (78B) and this would be a great option for students of MTSU coming from places outside Murfreesboro. However, those vehicles which would now be using Medical Center Pkwy. are simply being replaced with new users on Old Fort due to the continued development of Cason Lane and St. Andrews areas. Hence the traffic is not going to be alleviated. And what are they going to do on Medical Center Pkwy? Well, build a Hospital, Offices, and shopping venues - all of which mean the making of another Old Fort Pkwy. Thompson Lane then becomes a real nightmare. I have seen increased traffic on Medical Center Pkwy and that will only continue to increase and will do so dramatically when all the developments are built. I cannot say that I have seen a decrease in traffic on Old Fort at the same time (perhaps because development around Cason Lane/St. Andrews continues unabated). The whole "Medical Center Pkwy. will alleviate traffic" spiel was undermined by the allowance of develpoment along Thompson Lane between the two as well as allowance of massive development along Medical Center Pkwy itself. If the planners wanted a thoroughfare that would truly alleviate traffic then they should have built a road and said, "This road cannot have a bunch of attractions and 'stuff' on it!"

....... has Medical Center Pkwy. alleviated traffic on Old Fort Pkwy like we were told? Seems like it has served to only INCREASE traffic on Thompson Lane between Medical Center Pkwy. and Old Fort Pkwy. I think the worst traffic congestion problem on Old Fort Pkwy. has always been at the corner of Old Fort and Thompson Lane. Unfortunately, Medical Center Pkwy. does not solve the problem (insofar as I can see) of getting to the ever increasing popularity of the Cason Lane area. One still needs to go through that intersection on Old Fort to get to Cason Lane and the theatre and shops around there.

Thank you for the photo, PHofKS. As you can see and already know.... very little shade for the weary. I think that portion of the Riverwalk is about 1 1/2 miles long and what is obscured from view in your photo is the Museum and ampitheatre which I believe would be located somewhere behind that clump of trees at the top center part of your photograph. If you cross the Riverside Drive pedestrian bridge and make your way to the Riverview Inn Hotel then that is where you will find the new Upland Trail portion of the Riverwalk. There are some pretty good vistas and photo opportunities of downtown along the railroad tressel bridge. Actually, that portion of the trail includes two old railroad tressels integrated into the trail and those are just too cool, man! I hope that I am not violating forum rules or decorum by posting a link to some photos of the Upland trail (if so, then someone please simply give me notice of my wrongdoing) but a few are available from the Architect. http://www.tunspan.com/cutsheets/Public%20...and%20Trail.pdf

Hello Hankster, If I remember the article correctly, the plans call for first linking the Murfreesboro system to one in Smyrna. I wasn't aware of one in Smyrna but apparently they do have one. Then it is to be linked to Nashville, etc. I really do not know if all this will actually come to fruition but some are talking about it and making plans. I think I would drop dead of exhaustion before ever reaching Smyrna from Murfreesboro! For those who do have the endurance, yes, I think it would be cool and a real challenge especially when one reaches the more hilly terrain where the Nashville Basin becomes the Cumberland Plateau (or is it the Highland Rim?). I also think Clarksville would need to change it's "no bicycles" policy for its own system. I really do not know why they do not allow bicycles in the first place.

Thank you for the welcome, satalac.

Hello satalac, I love Murfreesboro's Greenway too and wish I had more opportunity to use it. I used to go to the more popular entryways around Broad Street and Thompson Lane but then I discovered that part of the trail just behind Old Fort Park and the beauty of that rushing brook known as Lyttle Creek was just so captivating (and romantic!). Clarksville's Riverwalk is completely different. Walk it only if you do not mind being completely exposed to the days Sun and heat (unless you walk it at night). Phase I of the project won an International Award although I am not exactly sure why that is. Unless one is simply an avid walker then there does not look as if there is much to see along the way along the river portion. However, I think it would be a fantastic experience during one of the Festivals which would have live bands performing and a fireworks barge on the river as a backdrop. The Upland Trail portion offers one the option of continueing on the trail or walking up to the downtown area which includes its own self guided walking tours. The ideal time (for me at least) would be to attend the Rivers and Spires Festival downtown and then sneak away to walk the Riverwalk at night before returning to the festival. I attended that festival for the first time this year and that is what my daughter and I did. It was a great combo!

I recall an article in the Tennessean several months ago where there is a vision to connect all the Greenways from Murfreesboro to Clarksville and form a mega-Greenway. Anyone who can walk that in its entirety should receive some kind of recognition. Then again, there are people who walk the Appalachian trails from the Smokeys up to New England!

Hello Hankster, Thank you for the reply. I have always seen more people on the Murfreesboro Greenway than on Clarksvilles. However, the Clarksville Greenway can handle events which are attended by thousands such as the Riverfest in September and the Christmas Lights during Christmas. Uhm, I think the Clarksville Greenway does close at midnight or at least that portion around McGregor Park. I do think the Upland Trail portion is open 24 hours but that is more downtown rather than on the river.