Are there any towns in southern or eastern TN comparable to Franklin TN? (Memphis: sales, violent crime)

[bus man]

Originally Posted by GACLT

Thanks for the responses. I was hoping Farragut was similar, I guess not. We've never been there, but from the little research I've done I thought it may be a similar alternative.

That's what I thought too, until I visited both of them. Nope, not similar. To be sure, if you like big-box shopping (which, by the way, I do), Farragut is a great choice. It reminds me of Hendersonville (TN, not NC), only more so.

Originally Posted by JMT

I hesitated to post my recommendation since I don't know if it would be as upscale as you're looking for. But considering some of the other cities that are being thrown in the mix, Cookeville definitely should be in there.

I'm cutting your comment short for considerations of space, but anyone considering Cookeville should give it a full read. I had heard so many good things about Cookeville, but when I popped in on my way through, I was seriously underwhelmed. To me it looked absolutely nothing like I had heard it described. I can only assume that I had the misfortune of entering the town from the wrong exit and thus missed the nice parts. I came off I-40 onto Hwy. 135, took that up to Spring Street, then turned around and went back the way I came. What should I have done instead?

As far as Franklin goes, I can't really think of a peer city. Hendersonville, NC and Hickory, NC both bear a resemblance, IMO, in terms of their quaint downtowns. In Maryland (where I currently live), the closest I can think of is Annapolis, distantly followed by Frederick. Someone mentioned Charlottesville, VA, but there again, I must have gone the wrong way the one time I visited; I was not impressed.

[mj7543]

The problem with Franklin is that people like Gary Sinise and other celebrities who move there for “quality of life” can afford the cash to buy a house there. Franklin is too expensive for everyone with the exception of the upper middle class on up.

[Igor Blevin]

Yes, desireable places command high prices. That is how it works. Like waterfront property. You have to pay to play. Franklin is desireable. It is not cheap.

I enjoy driving through Franklin but I see the big gorgeous estates and know there is no way I could afford anything decent there.

[shinestx]

I've thought more about the OP's questions and come back to Cleveland. Give it a good look. It ain't Franklin, but it's growing and has that old charm. I'll warn you though, its courthouse is really ugly. It was built in the 1970s to replace an old one that burned to the ground. It makes up for that with a beautiful college campus adjacent to its downtown.

[MountainMusic402]

Originally Posted by shinestx

I've thought more about the OP's questions and come back to Cleveland. Give it a good look. It ain't Franklin, but it's growing and has that old charm. I'll warn you though, its courthouse is really ugly. It was built in the 1970s to replace an old one that burned to the ground. It makes up for that with a beautiful college campus adjacent to its downtown.

I’ve never been to Franklin, and I moved to Cleveland over the summer. The downtown does have some old charm. But there are many abandoned stores and it is not the center of commerce/shopping. Cleveland has more chain/box stores in a small area (outside the downtown) than perhaps any place I’ve been.

As I understand it, even 5 years ago, there was a fairly serious homelessness and drug problem. That is much reduced but you do see remnants of it. The downtown could use a “flagship” store to draw people in, IMO. Cleveland has much going for it, but I would not move here for the downtown area.