Regret moving? (Brentwood: how much, school, taxes)

[seanf12]

Hello!

My wife and I are most likely going to relocate to TN in late July\early Aug, leaving our friends and family behind. Is there anyone out there in a similar position who regrets making the move?

Thanks!

[septimus]

i did until I made one visit back "home" and realized how much easier life is in suburban nashville.

[aaronmidnight]

Where are you moving from?

I don't regret our move (from NYC) for one instance, but I don't think Nashville is the Land of Oz either.

Lots of things we love (friendly people, beautiful scenery, good food, great music scene, affordable cost of living).

I'd say the two main negatives so far have been traffic/sprawl (not bad compared to some other boom towns, but getting worse) and extreme weather (colder than I'd expected in the winter, wetter in the spring - especially in 2010 floods, hotter in the summer. We've got drought and 95-100 degrees in the forecast with no end in sight).

[Anony-Momma]

We've been here a little over a year so far (after living here for a short while more than two decades ago) and have not regretted the big move from a depressed area in the Midwest, despite the fact that we gave up quite a lot of services for a child with special needs (the program does not exist in Tennessee).

[seanf12]

Thanks All.....we are moving from MA (about 30 mins south of Boston)

[aaronmidnight]

Do you like Boston? Because I lived there one summer and can suggest that the things you might miss from there are:

- Good Italian food
- A compact and walkable city
- Pretty good public transit (the T)
- Moderately warm/comfortable summers
- The ocean

On the other hand, Nashville will have the advantage in terms of:

- More affordable cost of living
- Lower taxes
- Good Southern/American food
- Beautiful rural scenery (farmland, horses, etc.)
- Country + bluegrass music
- Less snowy winters (can be surprisingly cold for the South, but rarely any snow, although we do occasionally get ice storms)


Personally, I think the people are much friendlier in Tennessee than in New England, but YMMV...

And as I said in my initial post, the heat (which can start as early as April/May and last until September/October) will be a whole new ballgame for you. Here's this week's forecast - 7-Day Forecast for Latitude 35.99°N and Longitude 86.8°W (Elev. 702 ft)

(Tomorrow's 87 degrees is an anomaly. After that it's 93, 99, 101, 99, 98, 98, etc. You get the picture.)

[aaronmidnight]

PS - You probably know this already, but Southwest is the only carrier offering nonstops between Nashville (BNA) and Boston. Figure on ~$500 roundtrip. The drive is probably around 16 hours each way. Just an fyi since they might impact how often you can get back to see family and friends.

PPS - Also, seafood in Nashville typically means catfish. Personally, I like catfish, but if you're used to lobster and crab, it may be an adjustment.

PPPS - You didn't mention in your original post, but what factors are motivating you to consider Nashville - school? work? dreams of country music stardom? Have you been here to visit? Because you might want to come on down (in summertime) to see how you like it before making a big move.

[septimus]

I won't turn this into a political thread, but the biggest reasons I've wanted to return back to Boston are it is incredibly conservative in TN. I thought I was a "republican" when I lived in Mass, but that basically makes me a socialist in TN and religion. You can only avoid it so much. Christianity is pervasive here. Business will advertise they are "christian", etc.

The other thing I miss is being able to walk or take the T to work. (I don't miss the trafffic on 128 when I visited family on the north shore)

[YallWantHam]

I have a question for people who complain about religion... What is it that bothers you exactly? I've lived in Tennessee my whole life, mostly in Nashville. I have never been religious, have been to church less than 10-15 times in my entire life, and have told numerous people that I am not religious when they start talking to me about religion. I have never once had any kind of bad/hostile reaction after telling someone this, the most common being "that's alright/live a good life" etc. The worst I've had is people ask me why, I tell them it's just not for me, and that's the end of it. I have no issue with people who are religious, or businesses that advertise they are religious. I feel that some people like to be bothered by things just so they can complain about it, or think that people who don't share their opinions are wrong (when the matter is subjective anyway). So my question is: what exactly bothers you about religion? Do people make you feel ostracized because you aren't religious, or is there some other reason?

[Why_Am_I_Here]

My spouse and I moved from Vermont in 2009. While we miss our families and friends, we don't miss 1) The overly high taxes 2) Overpriced property 3) Long cold winters 4) Over zealous in your face liberalism (Liberals are here, just not as over the top..). We love it here, and we can always go back! Hope you make it here!