Neighborhood of the Week Revisted: Island Home

November 10, 2008

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week, Neighborhood of the Week is revisiting a great historic neighborhood just south of the river, Island Home Park.

Island Home began life as a “streetcar suburb” sometime around 1910. In fact, the median that divides the modern day Island Home Boulevard was once where the streetcar tracks ran that served the neighborhood.

The Island Home Park Neighborhood Association Website has a fascinating history of the neighborhood that was excerpted from the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Island Home Park, written by Ann Bennett of the Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission. It includes great information about Perez Dickinson, the owner of the original “Island Home” summer cottage that is now part of the Tennessee School for the Deaf, as well as details about the varied architectural styles found in the neighborhood, including, most significantly, the Craftsman and Bungalow styles.

The full history on the IHPNA site is definitely worth checking out when you have the time.

Residents of Island Home also get to enjoy living just minutes from two parks, Ijams Nature Center and Island Home Park.

Ijam’s is a 160 acre wildlife sanctuary with walking trails and regular events like Owl Prowls and Bat Nights.

Island Home Park is a 3 acre city park that features picnic tables, a playground, a tennis court, access to the Will Skelton Greenway and water access for launching canoes.

Island Home is a low turnover neighborhood and choice homes often sell by word of mouth before they ever hit the market, so interested buyers have to keep a keen eye on the market.

With it’s close proximity to downtown, Island Home is an easy drive to both downtown and UT campus and is easily accessible via I-40 and the South Knoxville Connector.

So if you’re looking for a historic, close-knit neighborhood with easy access to downtown, UT campus, and parks, Island Home might be a great place to call home.

Here’s Island Home by the numbers -

Island Home*

Current On-Market Listings - 2
Average Asking Price: $284,500
Median Asking Price: NA
Average Square Footage: 3224
Most Expensive Listing: $370,000 (5 BR, 4 BA, 4500+ sq ft renovated bungalow)
Least Expensive Listing: $199,00 (3 R, 2 BA, 1900+ sq ft remodeled two story)

Current Pending Sales -0
Average Asking Price - NA
Median Asking Price - NA

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2008 - 0
Average Sales Price - NA
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market -NA

Closed Sales - 3rd Quarter 2007 - 2
Average Sales Price - $169,550
Median Sales Price - NA
Average Days on Market -63

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 11/10/08 for Island Home proper, and does not include adjacent subdivisions, condos, PUDS or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Island Home Listings” or “New Island Home Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. I like jammin’, not spammin’.

Know a great neighborhood you think has NOTW potential? Let me know about it and you might just see it featured here in the coming weeks.

Historic Neighborhoods, Island Home, Neighborhood of the Week, South Knoxville