Hendersonville, Mt Juliet, or Bellevue? (Brentwood, Sevierville: house prices, safe area, middle school)

[sunday21]

From what I've looked at the housing/rent seems to be around the same in these 3 areas (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). Of these 3, which would you recommend for a family (child will be starting school in a couple years)? Husband will be working near Music Row.

We'll be moving from Sevierville (TN). We lived near Edmondson Pike/Old Hickory Blvd for a short time about 5 years ago and liked it, but I'm not sure we'd want to live there again. Our favorite neighborhoods are Hillsboro Village, 12 South, and East Nashville (trendy, I know), but as a young family we'd rather not spend that much to live in those areas.

All that we ask for is a safe area with good schools, a variety of shopping & restaurants, as well as nice parks for the little one. So, of Hendersonville, Mt Juliet, and Bellevue, which would you suggest? Maybe even Donelson?

As I stated, we lived in the Brentwood/South Nashville area for a short time, but I'm too familiar with the cities (err, burbs) mentioned. So any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

[alleycat]

That would be a tough choice.

For the commute to Music Row, Bellevue would probably be best. It's a nice, safe place to live (I've lived there for almost 30 years), and has most of the things you're looking for, or within a short drive (there are only a few nice, non fast food restaurants but it's a short drive to the West End/Midtown/Green Hills areas). It is definitely suburban rather that urban or semi-urban (as, say, Hillsboro Village is). There is a nice kiddie park (and community center) in Bellevue, as well as the huge Warner Parks and the greenway along the Harpeth River, and soccer field and baseball field complexes. Some state parks are also within a short drive.

The one issue might be Metro Schools. Metro has very good schools and some that are not (especially at the high school level). I think the two elementary schools and the middle school in Bellevue are okay, but this might be something you want to do more research on. I'm not sure how the schools in Bellevue compare to Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet. I'm guessing the averages might be lower, but that doesn't always explain how a particular student would do at a particular school.

I'll let others comment on Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet. Both are fine places to live for the most part. I have some friends who live in Donelson and like it, but I don't really see that as your best option.

Have you looked at Sylvan Park? That area has become so trendy that the house prices have risen a lot in the past twenty years, so it might be over your budget. I just don't keep up with home prices in all areas.

I can answer any questions you have about Bellevue, but I don't have any first-hand experience with the schools. I'm not suggesting Bellevue over the other areas you mentioned, just providing what information I can.

[BirdieBelle]

Based on your favorite neighborhoods, I would choose Bellevue.

Harpeth Valley Elementary is a very good school. I really like the quieter Highway 100 side of Bellevue.

[DonCorleone]

I think it will boil down to if you'd rather live in a slightly more "hip" area (for lack of a better term) versus an area with a better school system.

I agree that Bellevue is closer to the 12Souths/Hillsboros/and East Nashvilles than MtJ or Hendersonville are from a cultural/vibe feel. I also agree with looking into Sylvan Park. Don't get me wrong, you won't mistake Bellevue for 5 Points, but Bellevue does tend to have a higher concentration of younger people and singles than the other 2 and might be a little more affordable than any of those areas, including Sylvan Park. I definitely would recommend Bellevue for a young family, even one with elementary school aged children.

Longer term, however, I would lean towards Hendersonville or MtJ. I've lived in both of these areas and think they're both great to raise a family. Hendersonville has a slightly better reputation than MtJ because it has had a slower sustained growth and has been an upper middle class suburb longer than MtJ (which really hasn't been seen in that light since the mid 90s and really more recently than that). The schools in Hendersonville are probably rated higher (at least by reputation) but I haven't studied the stats to back that up. Nevertheless, MtJ has a lot going for it as well with the huge Providence development and lots of growth. Likewise for Hendersonville's Indian Lake area which got a later start but has more building up to do. And it's not like either of these areas are boring and bland. There's plenty to do...some great parks in each of them...lots of outdoor activities...lakes in each area...plenty of shopping, restaurants, etc. Neither have a real "hipster draw" factor like you would find in East Nashville/12South/etc. which you're more likely to find in Bellevue.

Having said all that, my take is that if you're looking for somewhere to live through elementary school, then Bellevue would be attractive. As the kid(s) age, the school system tends to get not-as-good in Metro thus making the move to MtJ or Hendersonville more attractive. If you're looking for something more long term, I'd make a look at at MtJ or Hendersonville a priority.

Let me put it a final way...I love living in Hendersonville. I love spending my rare date nights with my wife in East Nashville, though. It works for us.

Let us know if you have more questions!

[sunday21]

Thanks guys. Those familiar with Bellevue -- is it usually quicker to take 40 downtown or is Harding Pike easier to take downtown? Also, is there any sort of "downtown" to Bellevue or is it just all spread out? I've driven through before, but all I remember was the empty mall and the drive back towards Brentwood on Old Hickory (which I think goes through Edwin Warner Park? I remember it being nice). Will definitely have to check it out more next time we're in town!

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by sunday21

Thanks guys. Those familiar with Bellevue -- is it usually quicker to take 40 downtown or is Harding Pike easier to take downtown? Also, is there any sort of "downtown" to Bellevue or is it just all spread out? I've driven through before, but all I remember was the empty mall and the drive back towards Brentwood on Old Hickory (which I think goes through Edwin Warner Park? I remember it being nice). Will definitely have to check it out more next time we're in town!

It sort of depends on the time of day. Generally you would be better off taking I-40 to downtown. I used to make the commute from Bellevue to MetroCenter and before that a commute to 18th and West End (near Music Row).

There is no downtown to Bellevue; the closest thing to that is the library/community center/Red Caboose Park complex.

Bellevue is more of a separate, self-contained community. It's changed a bit now, but it used to have a real "community feel" to it. It's nice for both singles and families, but it won't have that semi-urban feel to it that maybe you're looking for.

[the_commuter]

Per data from our state's Department of Education, Wilson County schools consistently outrank Sumner County schools in all four testing disciplines (reading, math, science, social studies). Wilson County is one of the state's top ten districts in three of the four disciplines. Sumner County is not in the top ten in any category.

[El Passeaux]

That's great but how does Mt Juliet rate vs. Hendersonville?

[ExIslander]

Schools-wise, Mt. Juliet versus Hendersonville is getting into hair-splitting territory. I saw the same data the_commuter mentioned, but Hendersonville tends to have the highest-rated schools in Sumner County, and Mt. Juliet has the highest-rated schools in Wilson County. Either would be a fine choice.

(I was gratified to see those rankings, although I temper it with the fact that I'm not a big fan of high-stakes testing. Not the purpose of this thread, though, so I'll hold my tongue on that. Nonetheless, I think Wilson County is all too often an afterthought on this board even though on a per-capita basis it's doing pretty darn well for itself.)

Otherwise, it's like Don said and we've agreed on this before in other threads -- Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet are pretty similar in feel, differing mostly with respect to size and, for lack of a better term, maturity as a city. Both are great places to live, especially for families with school-age children.

[ucacheer2213]

Hendersonville meets all your wants you listed.