Murfreesboro or Clarksville?

[Steve_TN]

Originally Posted by vivelafrance

That doesn't make you right.

When you locate your sense of humor, please get back to me. Until then..... Thank you!

[Shakeesha]

Murfreesboro Pros:

MTSU
Proximity to Nashville AND Chattanooga
Upscale shopping options
Fastest Growing City in the State
Greenway trails and addition of bicycle lanes throughout the city
2nd best school system in the state (Williamson County is 1st)
Nissan and pro business attitude

Murfreesboro Cons:

Traffic
Outdated inadequate road network for a midsize city
Suburban strip mall development
Tea Party Good Ole Boy political system
No skyline
Poor mass transit options
Historic sites ripped up and paved over for progress
Pedestrian un-friendly

Clarksville Pros:

Emerging top city in Tennessee (Will overtake Chattanooga as the 4th largest city population in 2015)
Young population
Fast-growing city (140,000 2011 estimate)
Growing presence of new industrial and corportate businesses
The Cumberland River
History preserved and maintained for future generations
The best of both worlds tax structure (no Tennessee state income tax, low Kentucky sales tax and Kentucky no tax on food)

Clarksville Cons:

Rural annexation and development
Inadequate city services for population (lack of retail, grocery stores, police precincts etc.)
Inadequate infrastructure (dark, tiny, twisty roads, I-24 still only two lanes in each direction, easier to get lost than in Murfreesboro)
Crime
Still has a very long way to go to catch up to Murfreesboro or Chattanooga in amenities
No skyline
Pedestrian un-friendly


Either city is great for a young family and have tremendous job opportunities.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by MTFan

Which city would you prefer to live in and why? Also, between the two which one do you see making the biggest move toward joining the big four in TN (Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga,Knoxville) and why?

I realize this is an old thread...but interesting poll.

Tough question as far as where I would rather live. Both cities are experiencing rapid growth and have a lot going on....although I think it's obvious Murfreesboro has the lead in the growth department. That's both a good and a bad thing.

I think Murfreesboro has more potential at this time. It's closer to Nashville, and has better interstate access. Medical Center Parkway/The Avenue could potentially become a mini Cool Springs-like area for the Boro. I'm not a fan of the flatter topography, but it is definitely more development friendly...and if Murfreesboro plans well (well, much better than they have) then it could pretty much expand in any direction. It definitely has that advantage over Clarksville, despite Clarksville being the only incorporated place in its county.

That said, Clarksville has the cooler downtown area IMO. It developed a little earlier and was able to build up a little more in the pre-car commuter era. The river is a definite plus for Clarksville. And while Austin Peay isn't as big and hasn't experienced the sort of amazing growth MTSU has, it has the potential to grow. Fort Campbell (although not right in town) is also a huge fixture in the local landscape.



As far as either of these cities "joining" the Big 4...not any time soon. Even if they pass Chattanooga or Knoxville in city population, neither will come close to sniffing the impact that those two have in the foreseeable future. Clarksville has a better chance, since it's identity is less tied in with Nashville than Murfreesboro. There is also a buffer of development (the highland rim) that will always make it physically separate from Nashville. Mufreesboro (+Smyrna & La Vergne) will continue to develop as a spoke of Nashville's SE development. As soon as 2013 (I believe), when the Census urban areas are redefined, the two areas could be connected. It will only get more connected in the future, especially as SE Davidson County develops. Because of that, Clarksville would have the best chance of "joining" the Big 4.....although I should point out that Tennessee's #5 is actually the Tri-Cities...and with 508,000 in their combined metro, neither one of those cities will be sniffing that any time soon, either.

[ladybug07]

Being a native from Clarksville, if we had to move back to the area and had a choice between the 'Boro and Clarksvegas, we would go with the 'Boro. Mainly because it has more available to families. A friend of mine insists the schools are better because of the extra cirricular stuff, but I dont take that into consideration because the extra cirricular activities can always be cut. Also another big reason...its close but not too close to family.

[Nash-TN]

More...More...keep it coming LOL. I have learned some interesting facts about the two cities (true and maybe untrue) have been entertained in the process.