On a bluff overlooking the Tennessee River rests a small community of shops, restaurants, and businesses called the Bluff View Art District. A short walk across a bridge from downtown, you enter an area reminiscent of small European villages on hills far away with similarly tranquil auras. Though Chattanooga’s bustling riverfront is only a few steps away, you no longer hear the noise and traffic. You are transformed as muted sounds and sights of people dining, chatting, or reading in shaded spaces soothe the senses. The architecture is art unto itself with stucco and wrought iron flanked by flowers and plantings. Beauty is everywhere, and visual feasts have been created in the smallest places. Here you can enjoy the view of the river, the feel of breezes, and the sounds of people quietly working or happily playing bocce ball. You can smell the aroma of freshly baked bread, admire exquisite pastries, or enjoy a special dish created just for you. In so many places, people are not investing the time, taking care, or paying attention to details that make Bluff View unique.
This restful oasis was created by Mary and Tony Portera who have always been involved with the arts. In the early 1990s, they began investing in the deteriorating neighborhood, intending to create an art gallery that would be an extension of the existing arts community there. At the time, downtown was in its early stages of riverfront development. Prior to this, people had moved out to the suburbs, and efforts were underway to bring them back to enjoy the beauty of the area again. “Angela and Mary Lynn were involved with the gallery from the beginning as I made purchases,” says Mary Portera. Mary Lynn Portera exhibits her ceramic works in the sculpture garden. Angela Portera Niemeyer has a long-time commitment and now serves as general manager for the Art District. Still a family venture, the grandchildren are now involved and make thoughtful observations and suggestions to enhance the area.
Area with a History
When the Tennessee River Valley was flourishing in the early 1900s, many of Chattanooga’s influential families built homes and raised their families in the neighborhood known as Bluff View. Originally designed to resemble a small European Village, Bluff View retains many of those same characteristics today. The Porteras became attracted to the place in the early 1990s when their young son, Charles, was being tutored in the French stucco building where River Gallery and Rembrandt’s are now located. While they waited for him, they would enjoy the New Orleans “feel” of the place. Since they were from New Orleans, they were quite taken with it, enjoying the architecture and the tranquil aura. They purchased the stucco building and opened River Gallery there in 1991, believing that it would be complementary to the Hunter Museum of American Art and the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts. The gallery was Mary Portera’s project, and she began to bring in local, national, and international artists. “New Orleans has always been a very special place to Tony and me,” she explains. “The architecture and the exterior finish on the building where River Gallery and Rembrandt’s are located are there to achieve that feel. We added the courtyard to enhance it even more.”
The rest of the area evolved as there was no master plan, and the Porteras really had no vision at that time of what it would become. “When we purchased the building, I really did not know what was going to happen, but Tony felt that with the Hunter Museum here, the gallery was a natural extension,” Portera comments. At the time, the area consisted of residential apartments, offices, and photography studios. There was talk of flattening it and turning it into parking lots and high rises, and the Porteras did not want to see that happen. With River Gallery in place, there was a domino effect. “I guess I was elected to be involved with the project,” Portera remarks. “I had just left my job of nine years and thought I was going to go back to UTC to get a psychology degree, but was sidelined into retail instead,” she says. River Gallery opened in 1992, followed by the Sculpture Garden in 1993, a lovely outdoor respite with 30 original sculptures overlooking the Tennessee River.
People came to Bluff View to enjoy the art and stayed to savor the view of the river, so the Porteras decided to provide a place to eat and a place to stay, hoping to attract people for longer visits. The former C. G. Martin Home (circa 1927) opened as Bluff View Inn with three magnificent, private bed and breakfast guest rooms, Bluff View Restaurant with fine dining upstairs, and Back Inn Café, a sandwich shop behind the Inn. Rembrandt’s and Tony’s Pasta Shop were born in 1994. Rembrandt’s is a European café with fresh pastries, coffees, teas, sandwiches, and hand-dipped chocolates. Bluff View Inn added the T.C. Thompson House (circa 1908) with four new rooms and two suites. Bluff View Restaurant became Ledoux’s, offering French gourmet cuisine in 1995, and Back Inn Café was later renovated to include indoor and outdoor porches and evolved into an Italian Bistro with breathtaking views of the Tennessee River.
By then, Bluff View was becoming a destination, rather than a place for short visits. In 1996, Renaissance Commons was opened as an executive conference and banquet center. The Maclellan House opened in 1997, with seven rooms, including a penthouse suite and banquet space for Renaissance Commons. All of the structures are architectural works of art with unique hardwoods, cut glass and leaded windows, and handmade tiles. Each building provides living testimony to the history of the area and the families who once inhabited it.
Over the years, the area has become a living entity that is constantly adding new elements. The Bocce Ball Court and Terrace and the Bluff View Bakery and Chocolate Kitchen speak to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Porteras and those who work in the Arts District. Dr. Portera is Sicilian, so his love of European architecture, art, and food has greatly influenced its development. The latest additions included Rembrandt’s Coffee Roasting Company, an expansion of the bakery, and the herb garden at the corner of Georgia Avenue and 4th Street. The spirit of the place attracts artisans and talented people to practice their crafts in the district.
Even when visitors are not here in the district, its popular products are being prepared for their enjoyment both in the district and beyond. The pastry chefs come to work in the middle of the night, as do the bakers who create artisan breads each day. Made in the Chocolate Kitchen, the hand-dipped chocolates, cakes, and cheesecakes are as exquisite to the eye, as they are for the palate. Tony’s Pasta Shop makes all its pastas fresh, which allows creation of unique flavors such as spinach fettuccini and lemon pepper linguini. Coffee roasters work daily to create the coffees used in the district and furnished to area delis and stores.
The Bluff View Art District charms Chattanooga residents and visitors alike. Not only do they want to experience this tranquil European paradise, they also want to share it with others. Part of the magic of the area is that it is still such a retreat. Not only are there great breads, pastas, and coffees, along with art and majestic views of the river, but the peace and tranquility that first attracted the Porteras to the area is still here. It is unlike any other place in Chattanooga.
“Those who work in the District are always looking for ways to grow or expand and determine what they can do more or better,” Portera explains. “We concentrate a lot on the products that we sell in the markets, and we are always talking about what we can offer to visitors in the district, from food to art. We are always looking at new ideas, but we also concentrate on keeping what we have as we want to retain the special feel of the place. Ten years from now, I hope that it will be very similar to what you see today because already it is difficult to find places like this with quiet little retreats.” Such is the tradition of this fine area, and the Porteras and their staff seek to preserve it.
For more information about Bluff View go to: www.bluffviewartdistrict.com