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A little background. I'm a recent college graduate who has lived in Wisconsin her whole life. I need to try something new and outside my comfort zone. I've always wanted to live farther South. I like cities, but enjoy country roads and being able to get away from it all. I love live music (especially country). I'm curious about what the transportation system is like in Austin and Nashville (is there a public system?) What are the younger 20-somethings like? Easy-going? What's the nightlife like?
I know a ton of questions, but I would love to move soonish. If neither of these cities sound right for me, then let me know where you think I'd fit in.
I can only speak on behalf of Nashville because I grew up not far from there. Its a lot smaller than Austin. The city itself is compact and can be walked through in about 30-40 minutes. Its clean and well-done. The nightlife is focused heavily on music- country music. It looks like a lot of Southeastern cities and outside the city is pretty sprawly with a mixture of subdivisions and strip malls. 10-15 minutes out of town and it turns into the sticks and when I mean sticks- there's NOTHING. Its very rural. As a TN native I can say that if you're coming from a heavily populated area the state is going to be a shock because its pretty much all rural except around the cities, but as mentioned, it turns to the sticks pretty quick. What's more... its pretty boring. At least most of the rural areas and there is A LOT of rural areas. On the other hand a lot of people who aren't from there think its beautiful.
Secondly, up until very recently most residents were longtime residents going back many generations ( Like my family) and thus you get some of that "oollldddd South".I'd say the state is overwhelmingly conservative but people don't seem to shove it down your throat either. The cities are pretty liberal and Nashville hasn't voted Republican in about 100 years. But that said, if you're used to everyone being liberal, it might be a big change. Memphis is probably the most unusual city in the state. It has a bad rep for crime. Yes- there is a lot of crime so that part isn't exactly untrue. However, it to me feels like a mixture of Louisiana Bayou and Tennessee.
The transportation in Nashville is non-existent. Then again the traffic is a joke so getting around by car is simple and easy.
As far as Austin, well I've visited it a few times. Maybe its just because I'm not from there but like it better than Nashville. If there was a pro for Nashville its that it hasn't really been "discovered" yet. Its not exactly up there in the coolness chart. The music industry there is pretty buttoned-up and industrialized versus really out in the open in Austin. You see signs of the music industry everywhere in Nashville. The city lives and breathes music. Its apparently the biggest music production city in the US. But its all behind studio doors and recording studios. I always thought that was kind of weird.
Weather-wise, I'd say you would be taking one step toward milder winters in Nashville and a giant leap toward really hot summers in Austin. If you enjoy the snow and a 'real' winter, Austin gets that for one day every three years or so. On the other hand, if you can handle MANY 100 degree days during the summer(which starts in April and ends in early October), Austin just might be the place for you.
Can't help you with that ole 'need a job, which city is best?' approach; but, I can tell you with near certainty that you would love being in Austin when that first Wisconsin snow hits in a couple of weeks!
A little background. I'm a recent college graduate who has lived in Wisconsin her whole life. I need to try something new and outside my comfort zone. I've always wanted to live farther South. I like cities, but enjoy country roads and being able to get away from it all. I love live music (especially country). I'm curious about what the transportation system is like in Austin and Nashville (is there a public system?) What are the younger 20-somethings like? Easy-going? What's the nightlife like?
I know a ton of questions, but I would love to move soonish. If neither of these cities sound right for me, then let me know where you think I'd fit in.
I really think Nashville and Austin are about the same size as far as metro areas go. However, Nashville is a far superior city to Austin as far as infastructure goes. It isn't nearly as hot in the summer, and actually has beautiful fall colors each and every fall. A good chunk of Nashville is built near dense forests, with tall beautiful trees throughout the city. It is less than 2 hours from the great smoky mountains and is within an easy days drive of most of the east coast. And, Nashville has some of the best live music in the country (yes, WAY more than Austin could ever dream of) Nashville HANDS DOWN over Austin anyday.
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Originally Posted by sliverbox
I can only speak on behalf of Nashville because I grew up not far from there. Its a lot smaller than Austin. The city itself is compact and can be walked through in about 30-40 minutes. Its clean and well-done. The nightlife is focused heavily on music- country music. It looks like a lot of Southeastern cities and outside the city is pretty sprawly with a mixture of subdivisions and strip malls. 10-15 minutes out of town and it turns into the sticks and when I mean sticks- there's NOTHING. Its very rural. As a TN native I can say that if you're coming from a heavily populated area the state is going to be a shock because its pretty much all rural except around the cities, but as mentioned, it turns to the sticks pretty quick. What's more... its pretty boring. At least most of the rural areas and there is A LOT of rural areas. On the other hand a lot of people who aren't from there think its beautiful.
Secondly, up until very recently most residents were longtime residents going back many generations ( Like my family) and thus you get some of that "oollldddd South".I'd say the state is overwhelmingly conservative but people don't seem to shove it down your throat either. The cities are pretty liberal and Nashville hasn't voted Republican in about 100 years. But that said, if you're used to everyone being liberal, it might be a big change. Memphis is probably the most unusual city in the state. It has a bad rep for crime. Yes- there is a lot of crime so that part isn't exactly untrue. However, it to me feels like a mixture of Louisiana Bayou and Tennessee.
The transportation in Nashville is non-existent. Then again the traffic is a joke so getting around by car is simple and easy.
As far as Austin, well I've visited it a few times. Maybe its just because I'm not from there but like it better than Nashville. If there was a pro for Nashville its that it hasn't really been "discovered" yet. Its not exactly up there in the coolness chart. The music industry there is pretty buttoned-up and industrialized versus really out in the open in Austin. You see signs of the music industry everywhere in Nashville. The city lives and breathes music. Its apparently the biggest music production city in the US. But its all behind studio doors and recording studios. I always thought that was kind of weird.
It is less than 2 hours from the great smoky mountains and is within an easy days drive of most of the east coast. And, Nashville has some of the best live music in the country (yes, WAY more than Austin could ever dream of) Nashville HANDS DOWN over Austin anyday.
Correction on that one comment about being close to the Smoky Mountains. Its more like probably 4 hours away from the Smokys because Nashville in the middle of the state and you would first need to drive East to Knoxville, and then another hour to the Smokys. As far as a day's drive to the East Coast, that would really be stretching because when we drove from TN to say- a beach in GA or FL, that was a 6-7 hour drive one way.
I don't know about winters in Austin, but in my opinion winter in Nashville is a little dreary. Its not usually absolutely freezing, but its cold and it rains a lot. If you're from Wisconsin or some other state that gets arctic winters it'll probably feel a heck of a lot warmer. It seldom if ever snows. The good thing about if it does is that people freak out and it makes a good excuse to stay home. "Oh no! a half inch of snow!"
I really think Nashville and Austin are about the same size as far as metro areas go. However, Nashville is a far superior city to Austin as far as infastructure goes. It isn't nearly as hot in the summer, and actually has beautiful fall colors each and every fall. A good chunk of Nashville is built near dense forests, with tall beautiful trees throughout the city. It is less than 2 hours from the great smoky mountains and is within an easy days drive of most of the east coast. And, Nashville has some of the best live music in the country (yes, WAY more than Austin could ever dream of) Nashville HANDS DOWN over Austin anyday.
Eepstein - you're letting your disdain for Austin color your take on Nashville. Almost everyone here on this forum knows this...
Anyway, the metro areas a very different (Austin is a bit bigger). Nashville has more roads and highways but Austin has by far the nicer skyline and more vibrant downtown. This will be indisputable to anyone who has spent any quality time in either city. My friend from Nashville comes for a visit to Austin every year and always mentions this. Austin also has more public access to its river (Town lake Trail, Barton creek, Auditorium shores etc...) whereas the Cumberland is a bit more industrial in places. As for public transit, as lame as Austin's is, Nashville's is even worse. Conversely, Nashville does have two pro sports teams compared to Austin's minor-league teams and college sports - this may or may not be of any interest to the OP but it does warrant inclusion when comparing. Nashville also has some nice historic buildings (as does Austin, if you know where to look) and probably beats Austin as far as museums go (as capitals, they both have state museums). They have the country music museum and the railroad museum as well as the Frist Center and The Parthenon - combined a bit more comprehensive than the Blanton and the Austin Museum of Art (Austin needs to get its *ss in gear and get a real art museum).
As for weather, Nashville doesn't get as hot for as long but it's definitely more humid. It can be pretty darn uncomfortable in the summer. It does get pretty autumns. I like Austin's weather. Yes, the summers are a drag but the rest of the year is mild with enough variation to keep things interesting.
As for music? Well, it was already stated but as a musician/audio engineer let me add my two-cents: Nashville is a recording industry/publishing town and Austin is a live music town. Of course there is overlap but those distinction are readily made by anyone who knows anything about the subject - I'm one of them There is of course great live music in Nashville but not to nearly the extent as Austin. The fact that we have two very large internationally-known festivals here is proof. Now whether or not you like the music that is prominent here vs. Nashville is subjective. But I find Austin's musical personality to be an extrovert vs Nashville's introvert. I think it's a pretty cool dichotomy actually. Two different musical personalities.
I find Nashville a very nice place to live, raise a family and if you are into popular country music (as an engineer, producer, songwriter or studio musician) a very nice place for a music career. But I do find it a bit boring compared to Austin. It's just a lot more conventional and if that's what you're after, it will be a better fit.
Thanks for all the input! I'm just torn between these two cities. How would you describe the people in both? Are they friendly and welcoming? I know a few people in Nashville, and none in Austin, so I want to know it wouldn't be hard to meet people.
Thanks for all the input! I'm just torn between these two cities. How would you describe the people in both? Are they friendly and welcoming? I know a few people in Nashville, and none in Austin, so I want to know it wouldn't be hard to meet people.
Well, you know a lot of that depends on you! I've found it to be easy to meet people here but I'm not really seeking people out consciously. The impression that I've gotten (living here in Austin and visiting Nashville several times) is that people in both cities are friendly but Nashville might be a tad more "Old School South" - by that I mean a lot more antebellum references. Tennessee as a whole is definitely more influenced by the Civil War than Texas as a whole (especially Austin). Just visiting I heard several disparaging yankee remarks that were completely unprovoked. That's pretty rude though and I don't know if that's something one would encounter regularly. Not too much of that in Austin - though out in some other areas of Texas? Probably. I wouldn't be scared none...Nashville is certainly more conservative and faith-based than Austin. So really, it would come down to what you're comfortable with.
Do yourself a huge favor and visit both cities (for a long weekend). Don't take mine or anyone else's virtual opinion
francesse17,
People in TN in general are pretty friendly. Of course not all of them are, but they are more likely to help you out in a pinch than maybe those in the Northeast. I lived in the Northeast and I believe living in large metros has an effect on people. Anyone that was voluntarily nice was seemingly viewed with suspicion because it was assumed that such a person wanted something from you. It took me awhile to get used to that.
I will say that from an outward perspective Southerners are nice. But on the other hand they're trained to be nice from their parents- to show manners. At the same time there seems to be contempt for those that are different and if you're going to be talked about- they'll do it behind closed doors and probably never know about it anyway. If you make an effort to be nice and show that you're a hard worker with a good worth ethic that will go a long way.
As a Southerner I was blown away at how nice people were in Austin. There was some of that Texan pride thing going on. Its sort of like California except not as obnoxious: Texans think they're a separate country just as Californians do. People seemed genuinely friendly and many people we didn't know were very helpful and outgoing when we were there.
I can't really say what you should choose. If you're not tied down, why not visit both and maybe rent a room for a few months in each? I'd maybe also recommend other Southern cities. If you're a more artistic, liberal person, Asheville North Carolina would probably be my pick. The Blue Ridge Parkway is nearby and is full of tiny little mountain towns. Very beautiful area.
I sort of get a feeling from reading your initial post that you have a somewhat romanticized impression of the South, which is understandable if you haven't lived there. Just be aware that the old south for the most part disappeared 20-30 years ago and most Southern metros are newish and packed full of strip malls, cloverleaf exits and fast food joint. In other words its looks a lot like the rest of the country. Again- come down and have a long visit and see what you think. You may love it or hate it. Never know until you try.
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. On the other hand, if you can handle MANY 100 degree days during the summer(which starts in April and ends in early October), Austin just might be the place for you.
