Hendersonville, Mt Juliet, Old Hickory (Murfreesboro, Franklin: apartment complexes, to rent, crime rate)

[caro11yn]

Hi, I have been reading several threads and understandably they focus a great deal on schools and job commutes. My husband and I are in the process of selling our home in Illinois and moving to the Nashville area. We both have lived in suburban areas our entire lives and I do not picture us changing at this point in our lives. We are in our mid 50s, children are grown, and we are semi retired probably work part time. We are used to a more small town atmosphere but like to be close to infrastructure. I have been to Hendersonville and like it but kind of wish for a "downtown" area which it really does not seem to have. Can anyone enlighten me regarding Mt Juliet and Old Hickory vs. Hendersonville. Thank you in advance.

[artemis]

Mount Juliet doesn't have much of a downtown either. Old Hickory has a lot of older homes.

Gallatin has the kind of small town atmosphere that you're looking for.

My personal favorite is Hendersonville.

[Drake744]

Most suburbs don't have a "downtown" here because they're so small. They're nice for the most part, just spread out. I was raised in Mt. Juliet and live there again for the time being so I'm biased but I like it a lot personally with Cool Springs and Franklin out of the question.

I also like Hendersonville.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by Drake744

Most suburbs don't have a "downtown" here because they're so small. They're nice for the most part, just spread out. I was raised in Mt. Juliet and live there again for the time being so I'm biased but I like it a lot personally with Cool Springs and Franklin out of the question.

I wouldn't say most suburbs don't have a downtown, but it's fair to say most *new* suburbs don't have a traditional downtown/town square, because they lack a courthouse and mostly developed during the auto age.

For the OP:
Suburbs with traditional downtowns:
-Murfreesboro
-Franklin
-Gallatin
-Lebanon
-Springfield
-Dickson

With the exception of Dickson, the rest are county seats and had their own commercial centers that developed 150-200 years ago (the buildings aren't all that old, but the town layouts are, at least around the downtowns). Franklin's is arguably the nicest/most vibrant. Murfreesboro's has a lot of activity as well.

Suburbs that have a "downtown" that is smaller (perhaps only made up of a square or a few blocks):
-Smyrna
-Portland (if you want to call that a suburb)
-Nolensville
-Ashland City
-Watertown (if you want to call that a suburb)

Other suburbs, such as Hendersonville, Brentwood, Mount Juliet, Spring Hill, and La Vergne have concentrated commercial strips or "Main Streets", but no real grid or old buildings built close to the street and retail that invites foot traffic.

[titanspreds_04]

Originally Posted by nashvols

I wouldn't say most suburbs don't have a downtown, but it's fair to say most *new* suburbs don't have a traditional downtown/town square, because they lack a courthouse and mostly developed during the auto age.

For the OP:
Suburbs with traditional downtowns:
-Murfreesboro
-Franklin
-Gallatin
-Lebanon
-Springfield
-Dickson

With the exception of Dickson, the rest are county seats and had their own commercial centers that developed 150-200 years ago (the buildings aren't all that old, but the town layouts are, at least around the downtowns). Franklin's is arguably the nicest/most vibrant. Murfreesboro's has a lot of activity as well.

Suburbs that have a "downtown" that is smaller (perhaps only made up of a square or a few blocks):
-Smyrna
-Portland (if you want to call that a suburb)
-Nolensville
-Ashland City
-Watertown (if you want to call that a suburb)

Other suburbs, such as Hendersonville, Brentwood, Mount Juliet, Spring Hill, and La Vergne have concentrated commercial strips or "Main Streets", but no real grid or old buildings built close to the street and retail that invites foot traffic.

Nolensville has a downtown? They have a historic district that has two or three buildings that could resemble a downtown.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by titanspreds_04

Nolensville has a downtown? They have a historic district that has two or three buildings that could resemble a downtown.

Suburbs that have a "downtown" that is smaller (perhaps only made up of a square or a few blocks)

[caro11yn]

Thank you all for the assistance. My husband and I both loved Franklin but found that what we could afford there would be a postage size lot not that we need a large lot but I prefer not to be able to touch my neighbors house from my house (practically). Got a bad vibe on both Gallatin and Murfreesboro, maybe drove in from the "wrongside of town". Gallatin seemed a little too rural and a bit run down and Murfreesboro seemed to me to perhaps be a higher crime rate area. I was considering Lebanon but seems to be pretty far from Nashville is there much infrastructure including a good hospital in the area? In the meantime our house sold and we need to find a place to rent right away. Any good apartment complexes that are in good areas and don't have paperthin walls? We would like to stay under or at about $1,000/mo or less. 1-2 bedrooms and 1-2 baths, at least 800-900 square feet is that possible?

Thank again for all your help. I really appreciate it.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by caro11yn

Thank you all for the assistance. My husband and I both loved Franklin but found that what we could afford there would be a postage size lot not that we need a large lot but I prefer not to be able to touch my neighbors house from my house (practically). Got a bad vibe on both Gallatin and Murfreesboro, maybe drove in from the "wrongside of town". Gallatin seemed a little too rural and a bit run down and Murfreesboro seemed to me to perhaps be a higher crime rate area. I was considering Lebanon but seems to be pretty far from Nashville is there much infrastructure including a good hospital in the area? In the meantime our house sold and we need to find a place to rent right away. Any good apartment complexes that are in good areas and don't have paperthin walls? We would like to stay under or at about $1,000/mo or less. 1-2 bedrooms and 1-2 baths, at least 800-900 square feet is that possible?

Thank again for all your help. I really appreciate it.

If you think Murfreesboro has too much crime, then you should avoid Lebanon like the plague. I would also put Gallatin ahead of Lebanon, easily. In fact, you might want to give Gallatin another shot.

[Drake744]

Originally Posted by caro11yn

Gallatin seemed a little too rural and a bit run down and Murfreesboro seemed to me to perhaps be a higher crime rate area.

Originally Posted by JMT

If you think Murfreesboro has too much crime, then you should avoid Lebanon like the plague. I would also put Gallatin ahead of Lebanon, easily. In fact, you might want to give Gallatin another shot.

I don't know what rents run up there these days but you might want to check out the parts of Gallatin near (or closer to) the Hendersonville border.

[DonCorleone]

Exactly. Look in the area zoned for Station Camp High School even though you're not moving here for the school system, it'll give you an idea of some of the areas where the growth is strongest in Gallatin.

There are parts of Gallatin that are low (and very-low) income. However, there is a very wide range of housing options available. And if the idea of a smaller city's downtown is interesting to you, Gallatin's square has really begun to blossom.