Bento Chestnut Hill: Tiny Living in Music City
This is a modern way to rent.
Short-term renters in Nashville will soon have an exciting new option when the 89-unit Bento Chestnut Hill living complex opens at 1267 Third Ave. South in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, just steps from trendy Wedgewood-Houston. The collection of small (well, tiny) apartments are aimed at people looking to rent a space from a week to a few months and will be priced starting at $1200/month for 300 square feet units, with larger units up to 550 square feet also under development.
Bento Chesnut Hill living spaces are designed to be a “minimum impact” community, intelligently designed like tiny houses to cram as much comfort and amenities into a small space – Think Murphy beds and the sort of clever multi-purpose furnishings that make you covetous when walking through an Ikea furniture showroom. Parking will also be maximized by the use of an innovative stacked garage which automatically moves cars on an elevator and tracks to upper levels to stack them efficiently until they need to be retrieved by a guest, like the vending machine at Carvana.
Just because the space is maximized for efficiency doesn’t mean it won’t be comfortable and fun. Plans include common areas for residents with fire pits for socializing plus an on-site restaurant and bar. The company’s motto is “More Fun. Less Stuff,” and they are on the forefront of how to maximize the precious real estate of Nashville. While the apartments won’t be available for rental until later this fall, they have already opened up a couple of cool amenities that are available to the general public.
B1281 on the adjacent lot from Bento Chestnut Hill at 1281 Third Ave South is a very cool space, boasting a fun tiki-inspired bar serving cocktails made with top-shelf spirits. The staff behind the bar knows how to share a good time as they mix up tropical drinks appropriately over-garnished like you’d expect from a proper Polynesian experience. The small lot also houses a permanent food truck serving up Japanese- and Hawaiian-inspired cuisine including Huli Huli chicken, ahi poké bowls,“Nashville-Style” chicken karaage, beef kalbi short ribs and grilled corn on the cob with tomato, avocado, cilantro and lemon.
While you wait for the showroom to open at Bento Chestnut Hill so you can see if “minimum impact” living is right for you, head over to B1281 Wed-Sun to check out the construction site and enjoy a little slice of the future vibe. They open for lunch at 11:00 am and keep the hula party rocking until midnight Wed through Sat with an 8:00 last call on Sundays.
