Few areas in East Nashville are still are recovering from devastation wrought by a 1998 tornado — which sparked renewed interest in renovation and preservation of the area's historic homes and churches, some of which had already survived a catastrophic turn-of-the-century fire. Thus there are many new buildings, and homes cropping up. The mix of the new homes, with Nashville's overall historic appeal attracts many to the area.

Recently, new restaurants and night spots have opened along and near Woodland Street, such as The Red Wagon, Rosepepper Cantina, The Family Wash and Margot. The Shelby Bottoms Greenway runs along one edge, ending in Shelby Park, which has ball fields, fishing and a hilly public golf course that challenges the walking duffer.

A new football stadium, called Adelphia Coliseum, was built recently. The Nashville stadium opened in the fall of 1999 on the East Cumberland River Bank. The stadium is directly across the Cumberland River from downtown Nashville. The stadium is the home of the Tennessee Titans Pro Football Team. There is a lot of support, now that Nashville has their own professional football team, which has been doing fairly well for being so new.

The stadium's location is pertinent to the history of the area. East Nashville stadium is near the place where James Robertson and his party first crossed the river to found the city of Nashborough. It is also on the spot where the Union forces under General Buell camped for the night, before crossing the river to take Nashville early in the civil war.