Place to raise a family (Franklin?) (Hendersonville, Brentwood: low income, fit in, for sale)

[dangelmaybe]

My husband and i are looking to move to Tennessee in the up coming months, we have started the job search and so far he has only applied to jobs in Brentwood; however he is now working with a Recruiter so I'm sure we will also be applying to jobs in Nashville as well. On a web site called Neighborhood scout they scored Franklin a 94% out of 100 for families ( schools, low crime, housing values) But then i also heard that Franklin is bigger and has higher crime but Brentwood is more expensive and "Look at Me". Is any of that true??? My husband me I are really looking to start a family and we really want good schools and safty, we also don't want to pay a lot since we are just starting out but we want a place / a town we can settle down in for the long haul! Should i be looking and Franklin or Brentwood, and if my husband gets a job in Nashville will those places be too far away to commute from....



SORRY FOR SO MANY QUESTIONS ... i just am looking for a nice place with really nice accepting people and a place i can make home, (we don't really fit in where we are now, which is Boston)

[El Passeaux]

Brentwood is going to be like a Weston or Wayland, Franklin is probably more like Acton or Sudbury for a starting reference point.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by dangelmaybe

My husband and i are looking to move to Tennessee in the up coming months, we have started the job search and so far he has only applied to jobs in Brentwood; however he is now working with a Recruiter so I'm sure we will also be applying to jobs in Nashville as well. On a web site called Neighborhood scout they scored Franklin a 94% out of 100 for families ( schools, low crime, housing values) But then i also heard that Franklin is bigger and has higher crime but Brentwood is more expensive and "Look at Me". Is any of that true??? My husband me I are really looking to start a family and we really want good schools and safty, we also don't want to pay a lot since we are just starting out but we want a place / a town we can settle down in for the long haul! Should i be looking and Franklin or Brentwood, and if my husband gets a job in Nashville will those places be too far away to commute from....

As to the bolded, in the broadest sense, yes, it's true. At the last Census, Franklin had 62,000 residents to Brentwood's 37,000. Franklin is growing a little faster as well, due to being generally more affordable, and building higher density housing (Brentwood typically adheres to a 1 house per acre rule, and does not have multifamily housing...yet). The two cities share a pretty good sized border, though, and especially around the Cool Springs area, it can be hard to tell the difference between the two.

Franklin does have higher crime, due to offering a wider range of housing. There are certainly low income families in Franklin, but overall, it's well above the state and national averages. If Brentwood is upscale or "wealthy", Franklin is certainly middle-upper middle class as a whole.

Brentwood does have more "look at me" folks than Franklin, but it doesn't define the town. You'll find huge, gaudy mansions with exotic cars, but you'll also find older ranch houses and mid 90s Volvos. And Franklin isn't completely absent of this flare either...just less so than Brentwood.

As far as schools go, I think Brentwood's generally have a higher rating, but Franklin is no slouch in the category. Overall, Williamson County Schools are the best rated public schools in the state.


As for commute...the "downtown" area of Brentwood (which touches the Davidson County line) is around 10 miles from downtown Nashville (most of the city is closer to 14-15 miles). With no traffic, it's about 10 minutes from exit to exit. During rush hour, probably 15-17 minutes....so from a neighborhood, 25-30 minutes generally.

Franklin is a little farther (20-25 miles for most of the city). I think from most areas, you can make it downtown Nashville in 35-45 minutes during rush hour.

Traffic in Nashville is going to be significantly less than what you are used to in Boston. No, we don't have much in the way of public transit (primarily city buses in Nashville, though there is some commuter coach service to the suburbs, including Franklin -- but it will significantly add to your commute time). The interstates can be crowded, but they generally stay moving, unless there is a wreck, until you get right downtown. You can also adjust the time you leave by 15-30 minutes, and sometimes cut down quite a bit on commute time. Worst case scenario and you may be looking at a 45 minute to just under and hour commute to Nashville. That will not be the case if you live reasonably close to an interstate exit (where most of the development is anyways).

Originally Posted by dangelmaybe

SORRY FOR SO MANY QUESTIONS ... i just am looking for a nice place with really nice accepting people and a place i can make home, (we don't really fit in where we are now, which is Boston)

Don't apologize for the number of questions. We like that a whole lot better than people that are vague, or with unreasonable needs. At least you have a good idea of where you are looking. Some people want good schools, good nightlife, low crime, in a neighborhood with "houses with character" (i.e. historic) for under $200k. That doesn't exist here.

And if you don't mind me asking...Boston isn't a good fit...where are you from originally?

[dangelmaybe]

My husband and I are both grew up in PA. Boston just isn't a good city for a woork life balance and well we are more of the go to Little league, and pee -wee football games people then going to bars people.... so in terms of which town would be better to raise a family which would be better? we are hoping to get a house for <250k ..... is that even possible...

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by dangelmaybe

My husband and I are both grew up in PA. Boston just isn't a good city for a woork life balance and well we are more of the go to Little league, and pee -wee football games people then going to bars people.... so in terms of which town would be better to raise a family which would be better? we are hoping to get a house for <250k ..... is that even possible...

I think both are fine places to raise a family. Most of the nightlife would be close to downtown Nashville and the inner city neighborhoods, not out in the suburbs.

I don't think either Franklin or Brentwood is necessarily better than the other in terms of a good place to raise a family. Franklin is certainly going to have more in your price range. Brentwood will have fewer offerings, but with a quick search, some do exist. You will, however, get more house for your money in Franklin.


Just to give you some alternatives if you can't find much in Williamson County, you should at least take a look at Sumner County, specifically the Hendersonville area. The schools don't have the same reputation as the Williamson County Schools, but they are good, and you might find more options in the price range you are looking for. I think you would find most of Nashville's suburbs as a good place to raise children. There's not really one that has a decided advantage over the other -- at least not in my opinion.

[BirdieBelle]

I second the Hendersonville/Sumner County option as a family-friendly destination.

Schools are good, crime is low, and you will have MANY more options for housing.

Here are some 4-bedroom options for sale there in your price range.

http://www.realtracs.com/SearchResul...xa2WPeUNkTymNA

[El Passeaux]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

I second the Hendersonville/Sumner County option as a family-friendly destination.

Schools are good, crime is low, and you will have MANY more options for housing.

Here are some 4-bedroom options for sale there in your price range.

RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Search Results

I third the Hendersonville option.

[Why_Am_I_Here]

Also consider Rutherford County....and as for you home price a home that costs 250000 here would be 500000 or more in most of New England.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by Why_Am_I_Here

Also consider Rutherford County....and as for you home price a home that costs 250000 here would be 500000 or more in most of New England.

Relocations to Rutherford County have been suspended until I-24 can be widened to 16 lanes.

[dustinsn3485]

FWIW I prefer Hendersonville to Franklin/Brentwood as well. I moved to Nashville about two years ago and have always had the impression that the Franklin/Brentwood area is the ritzy expensive suburbs. Hendersonville has always felt more welcoming in a sense. I'm not sure if that even makes sense, but that's about all I've got.

I'm single, unmarried, no kids, and live near downtown though so take my opinion as just that, an opinion. It has no factual basis.