The Gulch received its name from the literal geographic gulch that arcs through the south side of downtown. The neighborhood is bordered on the east by Eighth Avenue South and on the south and west by I-40/I-65. The Gulch’s northwestern border was Broadway, but recently many have deemed the “North Gulch” to continue northwest from Broadway to Charlotte Avenue.
In addition, the phrase “East Gulch” was coined to describe an area bordered by Gleaves Street on the north, Eighth Avenue on the east, Division Street on the south and Magazine Street on the west.
In the early decades of the 20th century, the Gulch was an incredibly active railroad yard that served Nashville and the region. Following World War II, it began to decline and eventually became a neglected pocket within downtown.
[Originally published on 5/4/14 in The Tennessean]