Is it really that bad? (Murfreesboro, Hendersonville: crime rate, place to live, restaurants) - Nashville - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

poolagoo · 03-17-2010, 09:04 AM

I'm looking to move to either Hendersonville or Spring Hill this July as my wife has accepted a position at Vanderbilt and all I've been reading about are gangs and violence in the Nashville area. We live about 10 minutes outside of Detroit as it is now and I can tell you I feel completely safe up here. Most of the crime here is in little pockets and it's pretty easy to avoid, I can walk the streets of Detroit at any hour and not feel threatened.
I have never heard anybody I've ever met from the Nashville area say anything bad about it or say that they feel unsafe in any way except when I come to this forum.
Whats the real deal here? is it a safe place to raise a family? Do I really need to be overly concerned about where I drive in TN? Do I really need to avoid malls for fear of a stray bullet taking one of us out? I was down there last week and felt pretty safe outside of most people driving as if they were in a Nascar event.
I worked in Columbia about 13 years ago , in what is said to be the bad part of Columbia and never felt threatened there either, guess I'm hoping somebody can come on here and say how I shouldn't believe everything I read and that Nashville burbs are a fine place to raise a family with friendly people and a naturally beautiful environment to enjoy.
Anybody have anything positive to say on the matter?

Pimpy · 03-17-2010, 09:50 AM

Just go to the main part of this site and compare crime stats for Detroit and Nashville. If you feel safe in Detroit, Nashville will feel like the Elysian Fields -- especially if you're somewhere like Hendersonville, where the crime rate is a fraction of the national average.

Kim918 · 03-17-2010, 09:52 AM

It's perception. You come from Detroit, an area perceived by many to be overall dangerous. You live there, so you know what it what. It's the same here. There are pockets of areas in Nash that are probably not the best place to raise kids. There are pockets like that in all major cities. I am relatively new to TN (almost 3 years) I moved here from South Florida. There are many areas and pockets in FL that I was afraid to drive through. You could feel it was a place you didn't belong in to the point where if a cop saw you driving through, you might get stopped and asked to state your business there. I have never felt like that anywhere in Nashville. You don't need to be afraid to move here. There are gangs everywhere, even in rural populations. You ask questions on this forum, but take opinions with a grain of salt. Keep what is said in mind, but go and visit your areas of interest for yourself. Go to the local stores and restaurants and get a feel for the area. That is really the best way. Everyone will want to call a different place home. Come and see for yourself! There are truly so many nice areas of Nashville and surrounding areas that you might have trouble deciding where to settle.

BirdieBelle · 03-17-2010, 10:23 AM

It is completely overblown. The gang issue has only been a hot topic recently because the local paper did a dramatic, fear-mongering, three-part series on it. Things get magnified on this forum.
I am a lifelong Tennessean and have lived in the Nashville area for nearly 20 years. With my job, I travel around many parts of Davidson and Williamson counties every week and have never felt threatened. Like any town, you figure out which areas to avoid.
I am so confident about this area that I do not plan to move away, and I'd feel good if my kids settled here. I've had many friends who have moved to other areas but then moved back to Middle Tennessee because they preferred it.
There are many types of safe communities in Middle Tennessee. You just have to choose which one is right for you.

vivelafrance · 03-17-2010, 01:51 PM

The Nashville area is very safe...especially Hendersonville.
I live in Hendersonville and the last violent crime I can remember was several years ago. 2 guys got into a fight outside a restaurant where they were overserved and one died. There were no weapons involved. The restaurant promptly closed. Both the police and citizens do a great job of keeping Hendersonville as a safe place to live.

Even in Nashville I've never had any issues with crime.

Babyhuez · 03-17-2010, 04:28 PM

I don't understand?! I mean, I just moved here from probably one of the most crime ridden cities in the U.S. and I've never heard of this much crime!!!!! WTF? How are the people and residents allowing this to happen in such a beautiful state? What can we do to stop it?
Huez

rossc · 03-17-2010, 04:43 PM

There is not a lot of crime, considering this is a fairly large metro area, although if you came here expecting Mayberry, you might be a bit shocked.

vivelafrance · 03-17-2010, 04:51 PM

1 person posts a thread about crime and now the whole metro area is filled with violence?

Come on...

By the end of 2010, the Nashville MSA is supposed to have just under 2 million residents...of course there will be crime but it's mostly happening in a few small areas of Nashville. The Suburbs are incredibly safe and secure....most of Nashville is the same!

poolagoo · 03-17-2010, 04:57 PM

Thank you for the replies. Viva, perhaps for me it's because the news has coincided with my decision to make the move and it's all I seem to be coming across , I find it hard to believe myself but thought I would pose the question anyways. Apologies if it's a ridiculous question.

vivelafrance · 03-17-2010, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poolagoo

Thank you for the replies. Viva, perhaps for me it's because the news has coincided with my decision to make the move and it's all I seem to be coming across , I find it hard to believe myself but thought I would pose the question anyways. Apologies if it's a ridiculous question.

There's been a lot of discussion about an area of Nashville called Antioch.

Based on news reports there seems to be a lot of crime in Antioch.

Over the past few years Antioch has gained a bad reputation in the Nashville area. Whether this is deserved or not is questionable.

Personally, I would never recommend for someone on this forum to move to Antioch based on what I've heard about it. However, I personally won't say anything bad about it becuase I have no personal experience.

But there are people on this forum who live in or know Antioch and are offended when people say bad things about it so they post about crime in other parts of the metro to try and make a point.

Does this make sense and explain why there have been so many crime posts over the past few days? If you look at that one thread about teenager in Murfreesboro or whatever you will notice some of those crimes happened several years ago.