Something new has hit Nashville’s hot real estate market: a beach, right smack in the middle of downtown Nashville.
But, until it’s sold, Nashvillians driving through the intersection of Lafayette, Division and 4th Avenue may wonder: What is that sandy triangle doing there?
One listener directed this question to our Curious Nashville project, so we took a brief “vacation” to SoBro to find the answer.
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsPartygoers chat at a picnic table at the Little Chill Beach.
From the sandy shores of the “Little Chill Beach,” speakers blare. But, instead of listening to the music in harmony with lapping waters and the cries of seagulls, this beach offers a new kind of symphony.
Here, engines are revving, traffic lights are beeping, horns are blaring. That’s because the site is really a landlocked triangle. While the tiny plot is filled with sand and umbrellas and beach games, it sits squarely at the intersection of three busy streets.
Mark Cleveland, the mastermind behind the Little Chill Beach, doesn’t see the traffic as a distraction.
“These cars are like the ocean,” Cleveland says. “They ebb and flow, and there’s movement and energy and people. And they’re all looking at us, and we’re having fun.”
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsLittle Chill Beach owner Mark Cleveland serves drinks at a recent Sony Music artist release party.
Cleveland brought his idea to life back in 2021, as a Father’s Day activity with his family. “My daughter said ‘Hey, Dad, what do you want to do for Father’s Day? We want to maybe take you golfing or something.’ I said, ‘How about helping me build a pallet fence?'”
In the span of 15 days, they built the “beach,” just in time for a Fourth of July party.
However, this wasn’t always the plan. Cleveland acquired this 5,000-square-foot parcel back in 2008. Initially, he planned to develop a boutique hotel on the site. It was set to be 15 stories high, making up for the small footprint. He even hosted a design competition to find an architect.
But the idea was derailed by the pandemic, and after a year of isolation, Cleveland craved community space.
“There’s so many places in Nashville that was just a little bit of effort, love and care,” Cleveland says. “You could make it such an experience for people, so why not?”
And people are having an experience. Sony Music recently held an artist release party at the “beach” during the CMA Music Festival for country musician, Pillbox Patti.
Open to her fans, partygoers chatted at picnic tables, played cornhole, posed for photos and toasted drinks at the beach’s bar.
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsPartygoers take a photo at the Little Chill Beach in downtown Nashville.
One attendee, Pieter van der Merwe, described his experience: “You can’t deny having a good ole time on a white sandy beach in the middle of — traffic!”
The Little Chill Beach has been the set for music videos and parties. And Cleveland is really the conductor of the whole thing — assuming the role of host, bartender and enthusiastic guest, all rolled into one.
But it won’t be around forever. Cleveland recently listed the small plot for sale, at $2.4 million. And while he hopes that what comes next for the site benefits Nashville, he isn’t in any rush.
“I really believe that affordable housing is more important. So, if somebody gets excited about that, I’m in,” Cleveland says. “In the meantime, we’re just here for the summer enjoying ourselves until Little Chill Beach disappears.”
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsA “For Sale” sign stands in front of the Little Chill Beach. The 5,000-square-foot plot of land is listed for $2.4 million.
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