Antioch is a neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, located in the southern part of Davidson County. It is not autonomous, and is governed by the Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government. The area is assigned to postal zip code 37013.
History
The community takes its name from Antioch First Baptist Church, established in 1810. As recently as the 1960s Antioch was a small community catering to the needs of area farmers with amenities such as a feed mill. Adjacent to Bakertown (a similar small community) it was located on the banks of Mill Creek, a minor tributary of the Cumberland River that rises near Nolensville, several miles to the southeast. This area has become less important over time as zoning restrictions forbidding further development on a floodplain have limited the construction of more businesses in this area, which had started to become quite congested.[original research?]
In the 1970s Antioch experienced explosive growth, largely due to the expansion of the Nashville sewer system to the area and the availability of large amounts of former farmland, which made possible the construction of many low-rise apartment complexes, and several mobile home communities. More than perhaps any other Nashville neighborhood, Antioch maintained a "blue-collar" image and became a magnet for those seeking affordable housing.[original research?] Many relatively low-priced, site-built detached "starter" homes were built as well.
Present day
The presence of large quantities of affordable housing led to influx of young families with children, greatly overtaxing the area's schools, which have been overcrowded for decades and remain so, despite an extensive construction program and the development of some private schools, largely church-affiliated. Large numbers of recent immigrants have also come to Antioch in the last two decades, attracted initially by the affordable housing and also by the presence of immigrant communities. Immigrants are predominantly from Southeast Asia and Latin America, but many are from other places.[citation needed]
The most important business concentration in Antioch is Hickory Hollow Mall, which opened in 1978 and has been renovated and expanded on several subsequent occasions. It is a regional shopping mall with a gross leasing area of 1,088,280 sq ft (101,105 m2), over 150 stores, and 5,795 parking spaces.[1] Anchor stores include Sears, and Macy's. As of late 2008, the mall has seen an increase in store closures, including larger stores such as Dillard's and Linens 'n Things.[1] A Walmart Supercenter, and many new strip malls have also opened in the area. Large-scale home builders such as Beazer and Centex Homes have constructed many new subdivisions.
Starwood Amphitheatre, Nashville's former primary outdoor music venue, was located a few miles south of Antioch on the Rutherford County line. The amphitheatre was closed prior to the 2007 season, and has since been demolished.
Antioch is the site of the denominational headquarters of the National Association of Free Will Baptists.[2]
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