Does anyone here work in the Downtown financial district? - tell me about it (Goodlettsville: real estate)

[MiddleTNresident]

Now that I'm actively job hunting, it seems all my best prospects are downtown in the towers, mainly the financial district by Deaderick, Union, Commerce, 3rd, 4th, 5th, Church Street, etc.

Questions: If you work in this general vicinity, how do you like it?

What travel route do you recommend from the north? (I'd be traveling from north of the Rivergate area) I'm thinking I'd take Ellington rather than 65/24? Thoughts?

What do you do during lunch breaks (esp. the ladies)? It seems to be just office buildings and not much else. I love to shop/run errands during lunch, but it seems once you get to those big buildings, you're stuck there for the day. I'd never get my life's errands complete if I had to do them only on the weekends.

Do you feel safe there during weekday business hours - and especially after sunset?

I'm not much of a city gal at all, but all the best jobs are there.

I'd much rather find a job in Goodlettsville!!! Sigh.

Please tell me the good, the bad and the ugly. I'd rather hear real life experiences rather than try to imagine downtown work life (my imagination goes all over the place).

Thanks all!

[tabbva]

My wife works downtown and loves it. She's in a highrise near the Doubletree (no, I don't know what it's called). During her lunch hour she usually (1) goes to the Y in the Suntrust building (I think?) and works out while looking out over the Nashville skyline (2) gets lunch food of any type available in Nashville by just walking a couple blocks from her office (3) brings her lunch and eats with friends in the Arcade or one of the Plazas (4) runs errands to the grocery store (HG Hills), drugstore (Walgreens) or some other place.

Daytime safety isn't a concern-just don't leave your wallet lying around on an empty bench. At night she always walks with another person but has never had a reason to be scared. Every now and then there is a car break in, but when you figure the number of people that park downtown, your odds of having your car broken into are about the same as at the local shopping center.

The ugly? If you're not used to being in the city, the homeless or down on their luck might annoy you or freak you out when they panhandle, don't give them money, just direct them to the mission. Yeah, there are some sketchy areas but those would be beyond your realm if you're going to be in the "financial district" (i've never heard it called that before, but it works). Basically if you stay between the interstate and the river and the farmers market and Broadway going the other way, you're biggest annoyance will be tourists.

[mad fiddler]

I used to temp for law firms in that area.

Downtown Nashville's not really big enough to have "districts." Most of downtown is within walking distance wherever you start from. During business hours, there are enough people around to keep things safe.

It would be more difficult to run errands -- the area's geared for tourists and the business crowd. That may be changing, though, as more people start living downtown (or close to it).

[kingchef]

Originally Posted by MiddleTNresident

Now that I'm actively job hunting, it seems all my best prospects are downtown in the towers, mainly the financial district by Deaderick, Union, Commerce, 3rd, 4th, 5th, Church Street, etc.

Questions: If you work in this general vicinity, how do you like it?

What travel route do you recommend from the north? (I'd be traveling from north of the Rivergate area) I'm thinking I'd take Ellington rather than 65/24? Thoughts?

What do you do during lunch breaks (esp. the ladies)? It seems to be just office buildings and not much else. I love to shop/run errands during lunch, but it seems once you get to those big buildings, you're stuck there for the day. I'd never get my life's errands complete if I had to do them only on the weekends.

Do you feel safe there during weekday business hours - and especially after sunset?

I'm not much of a city gal at all, but all the best jobs are there.

I'd much rather find a job in Goodlettsville!!! Sigh.

Please tell me the good, the bad and the ugly. I'd rather hear real life experiences rather than try to imagine downtown work life (my imagination goes all over the place).

Thanks all!

the good---you don't have to work downtown; the bad---you have to work downtown; the ugly---downtown. streets are more like those in lavergne or jamestown---terribly small. parking is ridiculous. never park on robertson. there is an outpost stationed for ticketing. you'll need to brownbag it for lunch. not much choice for eating in downtown. pretty safe in the immediate downtown government/court/bank area. feels very homey, rural, and small town. as for a central business/financial district, well, nashville is really very small as far as cityscapes go. no financial district here. there are some banks and the state credit union. at most, no more than a few blocks in each direction. everything for business is w/in easy walking distance. crime is generally opportunity-based. i would not stay after 4:30-5:00 p.m. no real downtown residency of which to speak. a little more in the areas down the hill, but not a really significant number. busrides into town get to be expensive, as does the parking. the state and some county agencies provide limited parking for their employees. you might have to pack water and a lunch to make the trip from the car to your place of employment; and, maybe your car will still be there when you get back to it, as a "guard" is generally posted until 5:00 p.m. it seems as if you have the best in/out for morning/evening routes. good luck to you. i feel confident that you will adjust to the area known as downtown. most do.

[MiddleTNresident]

Thanks for the responses so far. "Financial District" are not my words. As I started researching the areas around the government/bank buildings, it's what others have called it in news articles/press releases and commercial real estate sites when referring to specific buildings in the area.

Don't most of the hi-rise buildings offer parking to the employees in their buildings in garages within (or attached to) their own buildings? That would be my preference.

On a happier note, I have an interview in Goodlettsville this week. It would be great if that works out for me and I can stop looking at the downtown jobs.

[tabbva]

Some firms have employee reserved parking, that would definitely be something to check out.

I'm not sure when the last time kingchef was downtown, but there are close to 100 restaurants in downtown. A good site to check is Urban Spoon Nashville.

Best of luck with your job hunt, where ever you end up!

[kingchef]

Originally Posted by tabbva

Some firms have employee reserved parking, that would definitely be something to check out.

I'm not sure when the last time kingchef was downtown, but there are close to 100 restaurants in downtown. A good site to check is Urban Spoon Nashville.

Best of luck with your job hunt, where ever you end up!

on the hill portion of downtown nashville? from legislative plaza to broadway? i'm not sure about that, but thanks for the information.