smyrna info (Murfreesboro, Franklin: middle-class, apartments, rental)

[vonny67]

hi folks,

I'm looking for a wee bit info re smyrna in regards to, well everything really , what it is, i'm investigating the possibility of a job move from the uk to one of our company's operations which is based in smyrna (the franke group).

i'd prefer to reside in smyrna as that is where the job is, what is the shopping like are there any major grocery stores (publix,walmart etc), apartment rental prices as i dont want to buy just now in case things dont work out, how long would i be able tto rent for?

in the way of driving would i need to resit a driving test etc, i already have a driving licence for the uk.

also need info re internet best provider etc(to keep in contact with home) , best tv provider etc

well you get the drift re info im looking for

ta in advance for any help.

[Why_Am_I_Here]

Originally Posted by vonny67

hi folks,

I'm looking for a wee bit info re smyrna in regards to, well everything really , what it is, i'm investigating the possibility of a job move from the uk to one of our company's operations which is based in smyrna (the franke group).

i'd prefer to reside in smyrna as that is where the job is, what is the shopping like are there any major grocery stores (publix,walmart etc), apartment rental prices as i dont want to buy just now in case things dont work out, how long would i be able tto rent for?

in the way of driving would i need to resit a driving test etc, i already have a driving licence for the uk.

also need info re internet best provider etc(to keep in contact with home) , best tv provider etc

well you get the drift re info im looking for

ta in advance for any help.

First, there is a SuperWalmart and SuperTarget, 2 Krogers and 2 Publixs (both less than 3 years old), all of which will meet your shopping needs.

Apartments, there are two "gated" complexs (Stoneridge) near I-24 and approx. 2 miles from Franke. I paid approx., 900 for a 2 bedroom one bath. I lived in one prior to my home purchase (I still live in Smyrna) The complex has a pool, gym, etc... There are other complexs, but they are not as "nice".

Not sure about drivers license requirements. I moved here from another state all I needed was to prove my new residency.

Cable, I recommed Comcast, easier to go with a well known and established.

Anything else you want to know just ask! (BTW..where in the UK are you coming from?)

[bwood bell]

Vonny67, I think you should at least consider Murfreesboro as well. It is a little down the road, but goes against the grain of rush hour traffic. Murfreesboro is home to a large state university and offers a lot more culture. I think an international transplant would be much happier in Murfreesboro than Smyrna.

Smyrna is nice because it has a low cost of living, plenty of housing options including newer homes, restaurants, general shopping (with malls close by in Murfreesboro). Smyrna even has a movie theater now. However, in Murfreesboro you would get all that and more - probalby most importantly a more diverse population.

[tngal22]

But if his job is in Smyrna, it makes better since to live there and drive to Murfreesboro when he wants to shop.

We moved to Smyrna in November for my husband's job. It is a nice town with plenty of grocery stores. We like Wal-Mart when we need a little bit of everything and Publix for just groceries. There are several stores to shop at on Sam Ridley, including Lowe's, Kohl's, Target, Wal-Mart, Payless...and there is a bowling alley, movie theater, and skating center (We haven't been to any of them yet but friends have said the bowling alley is nice.).

I don't know about the driving requirements either since we just moved from West TN.

Best of luck with your decision.

Oh and we have Comcast for internet and haven't had any issues with them thus far.

[cpsTN]

I agree. You will probably find it better overall to live in Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro's population is about 100,000 compared to about 40,000 in Smyrna. You should find anywhere near here welcoming. I have a sister-in-law who has worked for Franke for over 10 years. I don't why the city being mor or less diverse is so important. Welcome to you.

Charles Sands
Smyrna, TN

[bwood bell]

Originally Posted by cpsTN

I don't why the city being mor or less diverse is so important.

I was basing that on my experiences in the UK (which granted is mostly London, and almost all urban areas). I always found London to be extremely diverse so I just thought it would be something else to make Vonny feel at home.

[Mary_Moon]

Originally Posted by bwood bell

Vonny67, I think you should at least consider Murfreesboro as well. It is a little down the road, but goes against the grain of rush hour traffic.

If the OP lives in Mboro but works in Smyrna, they would certainly not be going against rush hour traffic. I-24 westbound starts to bottleneck before the Sam Ridley exit by 7:15am most days of the week. Living in Mboro would put the OP's most direct route to work right on this path.

Smyrna has really come into its own these past few years. There's very little you need to go into Mboro for on a regular basis and it's just a quick 10 to 15 minute interstate drive to the Avenue, Stones River Mall or the quaint shops on the square if you need a speciality store. Smyrna is much less populated than Mboro and seems to be less congested. Sam Ridley Pkwy is a major artery in town and can get very congested, but it still doesn't rival Old Fort Parkway in the boro.

As far as diversity in Smyrna goes, I see all kinds of people when I'm out and about. Because of Nissan and Bridgestone in nearby Lavergne, we have many Japanese families in the area. Obviously the majority of faces you see are lily white, but it's not as homogeneous as ones not intimately familiar with the area might think. Plus, because it's much more middle-class and blue collar, you will experience class/income diversity as well as racial.

[tngal22]

Speaking from my subdivison alone...there are whites, blacks, asians, etc in this one area. But then again I have only been here 3 months so my knowledge is limited.

[bwood bell]

Mary Moon is right. I visualized the drive in reverse! But it wouldn't be a bad commute and I still stick with my recommendation of Murfreesboro.

Also, I don't know why diversity is such a hot word here. For the record, I didn't mean race or any one thing specifically. Murfreesboro has a larger population. It's a college town. It's diverse. There are many races. There are many education levels from those who don't even have a GED up to the PhDs teaching some of the classes. There are single people, married people, divorced people, straight people, gay people, broke people, middle class people, wealthy people, country music fans, pop music fans, rappers, and I think soon again will be a Hollywood music director with major label albums and credits under his belt, and on and on. Murfreesboro is more diverse than Smyrna.

Diversity just means a wide range of differences. I didn't say "racially diverse." And for the record, there are three races under my roof, or more if you want to count mixed race as a separate race (which some stupid check box questionnaires do).

[Mary_Moon]

Most people instinctively think of race when the word diversity is mentioned. In another post, someone compared the racial makeup of Mboro and Franklin as being roughly the same when someone else mentioned diversity. I tend to think in terms of socioeconomic status as well as racial.

Personally, I think it tends to be a hot topic here because so many outsiders see the South as being populated by a bunch of white rednecks or evangelical Christians, intolerant of anyone different. While there are certainly pockets of racial intolerance in more rural areas and within the older population, this happily is becoming more unacceptable. Socioeconomic intolerance remains as strong as ever and oddly, I see it more from my transplant friends. Where I live, you can find trailers on the same street as $500k homes. I don't bat an eye but many of my Yankee friends think it's deplorable & want the county to come in and clean up these areas or bulldoze them down, personal property rights be damned.

Yes, Murfreesboro as a rule is more diverse in all translations of the word, but Smyrna has plenty of variety as well with less traffic and congestion to deal with on a daily basis. I grew up here but it's gotten so bad lately that hubby and I are actually discussing leaving the area when the kids graduate.