Where to live? (Murfreesboro, Franklin, Hendersonville: transplants, home, neighborhoods)

[CantWait2Leave]

Hello! My husband and I live in LA and are visiting Nashville in November. We are in are mid 20s and plan to have children within a few years. A few reasons why we are leaving LA: can't stand the traffic, not safe, not a place to raise a family, high cost of living, people are very liberal, people are rude and you don't even know your neighbors. We are Christians and want to live around like minded people and we both love country music! My husband will work from home and I plan on being a stay at home mom. We are interested in living in the suburbs. Where should we consider living? Does Nashville sound like a place for us?

[alleycat]

Probably the biggest thing that you will have to adjust to is the weather. If you like having four distinct seasons (as I do), then Nashville could be right for you. Oh, and we don't have an ocean . . . although we do have two large lakes. ;-)

According to what your budget is, I would suggest looking in some of the outlying towns such as Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, or Mt. Juliet. If you plan on sending your children to private school you could also consider some of the better suburban neighborhoods in Nashville itself such as Green Hills, West Meade, or Bellevue. One of the biggest negatives about Nashville at this time is the public school system; the elementary and middle schools aren't so bad, but some of the high schools are. There is a major effort being made to improve them (and the mayor taking more of a hands-on approach), but no one knows how successful it will be.

[groovamos]

I've lived in Nashville and L.A. (South Bay) and know a lot of people who have lived in both places. If you move to Middle TN you will probably run into people who left SoCal for similar reasons as you state. A lot of cross-fertilization between the two regions, although drastically different in lifestyle obviously.

[CantWait2Leave]

Originally Posted by alleycat

Probably the biggest thing that you will have to adjust to is the weather. If you like having four distinct seasons (as I do), then Nashville could be right for you. Oh, and we don't have an ocean . . . although we do have two large lakes. ;-)

According to what your budget is, I would suggest looking in some of the outlying towns such as Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, or Mt. Juliet. If you plan on sending your children to private school you could also consider some of the better suburban neighborhoods in Nashville itself such as Green Hills, West Meade, or Bellevue. One of the biggest negatives about Nashville at this time is the public school system; the elementary and middle schools aren't so bad, but some of the high schools are. There is a major effort being made to improve them (and the mayor taking more of a hands-on approach), but no one knows how successful it will be.

I love the idea of having four seasons! Honestly, I think the weather in So Cal is really overrated. Sure it's sunny, but you wouldn't know it's fall here
from looking around. I will have to adjust to all the rain that TN gets, but that's why it's such a pretty state! From the photos I see, it's so green and beautiful. LA is a desert (literally) and it's dry, dry, dry.

We don't plan on sending our kids to private school. The schools in CA are HORRIBLE so I'm sure anything is better than what we have here. My husband and I went to private school because of the awful public schools here, but don't want to do that with our children. Since we don't have any children yet, the last thing on our mind is how the high schools are. Who knows what they will be like in 20 years! I appreciate your help! Thanks so much! We can't wait to visit. We made our flights for the last week in October.

[DonCorleone]

You should be here just in time to catch the last bit of the leaves turning.

Generally speaking, the counties surrounding Davidson County (Davidson County = Nashville) are more socially conservative. That's not to say that Nashville is wacko-liberal...far from it...it's a very moderate city compared to larger cities like NYC, LA, or San Francisco. I think a suburb area like Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet, Brentwood, & Franklin might be a good fit for you. The last 2 being the most expensive options.

I think you'll fit right in. They don't call us the "Buckle of the Bible Belt" for nothing. And lots of other transplants have fit right in as well.

Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions.

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by CantWait2Leave

Hello! My husband and I live in LA and are visiting Nashville in November. We are in are mid 20s and plan to have children within a few years. A few reasons why we are leaving LA: can't stand the traffic, not safe, not a place to raise a family, high cost of living, people are very liberal, people are rude and you don't even know your neighbors. We are Christians and want to live around like minded people and we both love country music! My husband will work from home and I plan on being a stay at home mom. We are interested in living in the suburbs. Where should we consider living? Does Nashville sound like a place for us?

I moved from LA and picked Lascassas - It is a small town outside of Murfreesboro - traffic is a breeze, the school is great, prices and taxes are lower..and it is GREENER out here..love it love it love it...