The other Lisa
and her Nashville airbnb in the historic Belmont neighborhood
Lisa is still #1
Lisa and I have been friends for many years. We share the same first name, which can sometimes be confusing, especially since our last names are also very similar. As a result, we often get messages and emails intended for the other person. At first it was a bit strange, but now we're used to it and find it amusing. It's just one of the many things that make our friendship so special.
Lisa, the name’s backstory
Lisa has had one of the most remarkable rides on the U.S. popularity charts that we’ve so far seen. The name was introduced to America in 1937 and took less than 20 years to soar up to a Top 100 position in 1954.
But she didn’t stop there. Lisa hit the Top 10 in 1959. One of only a handful of female names that can claim victory as the #1 name in the country, Lisa held those honors for eight consecutive years between 1962 and 1969 (usurping Mary). Practically 50,000 baby girls were named Lisa on an annual basis back in the 1960s – this girl was crazy-popular.
Eventually the frenzy died down and Lisa came back down to the planet earth. The name dropped off the Top 100 list in the mid 1990s and has been declining in popularity ever since.
The 21st century has been especially unkind to poor aging Lisa; now forgotten and retreating down to her lowest levels ever since her initial discovery. Lisa is officially in retirement. Yet somehow Lisa doesn’t feel as outdated as some of the other mid-century ladies (Patricia, Donna, Linda); we would argue that Lisa's understated simplicity and quiet beauty makes her a solid name choice even today (not to mention she's still cool in Europe). — ohbabynames
Lisa Dunaway is the other Lisa. The one who is pretty, sweet, smart, generous, funny and multi-talented. She is still #1 to me!
The other extroverted Lisa
Lisa moved to Nashville from New England when she was 13 years old — heading into the 8th grade. It was a huge transition from The Berkshires! She attended St. Bernard Academy when it was an all-girl’s high school.
She’s been happily married to her college sweetheart, Jason, for 31 years. They met at an audition for a show at Tulane. She sang and he played bass. They both got into the show. The rest is history.
She loves spending time with friends and building community — whether it's having friends over or meeting them out.
“I'm an extrovert!”
“Theatre, music, and art are passions for me and my family.”
PilkertonDunaway Nashville realtors
Lisa has been a realtor since March 2017.
“My friend of over 40 years, Leif Pilkerton, and I started a real estate team five years ago. Our team name is Pilkerton Dunaway. Wow, what a ride it has been.”
With a friendship spanning 40 years, Leif and Lisa share a love of houses, architecture and design. This genuine appreciation of Nashville's homes and neighborhoods combined with their success in sales and marketing allows them to provide knowledgeable, personal service and solutions to their clients.
Be sure to follow PilkertonDunaway on Facebook or visit PilkertonDunaway.com for more information.
Five things you might not know about Lisa
I started acting in the 8th grade and it has always been one of my favorite pursuits. I’ve performed in over 30 shows in Nashville over the years on the side while I worked my day jobs.
I went to Japan two times (before children) to perform with a “country/ broadway/ top 40’s show” that played nightly at 5-star hotels in Kyoto and Okinawa.
I’ve been studying French recently so I can go back to France one day and really have conversations with people.
I love white and pastel colored vintage pottery and have over 300 pieces in my house. It’s an obsession.
I make it a priority to travel with my family. National Parks and Airbnb’s are our favorites! Acadia National Park in Maine was our last trip. Great Smoky Mountains have a special place in our hearts, but Yellowstone is our favorite so far.
A Belmont Airbnb
Lisa’s airbnb is in the very sought-after Belmont neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee. The neighborhood was developed in the 1890s as a streetcar suburb.
The Belmont-Hillsboro neighborhood is located south of downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, older homes, most notably early 20th century bungalows, foursquares and tudors, line our sidewalks and streets. Proximity to three universities, as well as both downtown and suburban working, shopping and dining options, provide for a desirable urban lifestyle for our residents.
In 2020, Lisa built and designed this two-story guest home which would also be used as an airbnb.
“When our builders were excavating the site for a guest house in back, they unearthed over 2400 pink granite cobblestone. These are possibly original to our Nashville downtown streets or bridges. They then ended up being used for landfill when this house was built in 1929… depending on who you ask!
The cobblestones were partially encrusted in tar, so Jason built a work table where we painstakingly removed the tar from each one. Jason laid every cobblestone to use in our Brightwood Guest House driveway.
And we are crazy. 😵💫 It took a long time. But I do love cobblestones!”
Coming to Nashville?
Check out Lisa’s Airbnb listing:
Charming Modern Tudor in Historic Belmont
The Lisa Dunaway Family
Lisa and Jason’s older son, Ryan (26), lives in Knoxville, Tennessee and is a multi-instrumentalist (violin, guitar, banjo, singing saw, drums, and trumpet… not to mention he sings too!).
What? There’s more?
Yep, he’s also a mechanical engineer. Smart and creative!
Michael (21) sings and is also a multi-instrumentalist (cello, piano and bass). He’s currently studying performance and composition at Berklee in Boston, Massachusetts.
This family is definitely full of over-achievers. If they weren’t so darn nice I’d be bad-mad jealous of them. But I’ll keep them as friends… ‘cause these over-achievers make for great content for a newsletter.
STAY TUNED: At some point Lisa is going to let me photograph her circa 1929 home. It’s a stunner. I can’t wait to see her white and pastel vintage pottery. And of course, I’ve already started diving into the history of the Belmont neighborhood. Have a great weekend!
Great piece! Interesting about the pink granite cobblestone too. Seems I've missed some of your articles so I'm gonna catch up. xo