Looking for neighborhood close to TTU and kindergarten/elementary school for a diverse family

[soulful]

In my above post re. Loweland, I failed to mention that Jere Whitson was honored a few months ago as being one of the top elementary schools in the state: Herald Citizen - Jere Whitson among state s top elementaries

p.s. people also love Algood Elementary. I think both are good schools.

[muscari]

If you want diversity and an upscale neighborhood I would check out Capshaw. Many folks think it is where the snotty rich kids go but this is not true...having worked there as well as most of the schools in Putnam county I can say that from experience that that is not true. While most of the student population is from a upper middle class to upper class concerning $$, the students and teachers do NOT act like it. Did not see anyone treated differently or poorly there because of what they looked like. Also, there is alot more parental involvement and volunteering there than any other school I have worked at.
Many on here have suggested Jere Whitson, which is good school, however, I fear many have mentioned it because that IS where most of the Hispanic population attends and it really is not that diverse. It is also located in one of the more undesirable areas of the county (think drugs, low rent income housing, lots of noise from tech students partying, etc.) for neighborhoods. I would not want to live in that area.

[GrittyKitty]

Well, considering the only exposure a lot of the world has had to TN consists of watching "Deliverance" & "Walking Tall" , I can understand where one might consider that discrimination would be an issue in Cookeville.

Good news - it's not! That's the best part of being a small college town! Small town friendliness mixed with an open-minded attitude. I grew up in Cookeville in the 1960s and still remember playing in the front yard with Chinese Tech students who rented the front apartment of our house. I knew people from Iraq, Iran, Portugal, China, India (my neighbor babysat for Dr. Ballal), Columbia, Ecuador and many other places before I was even 10 years old! Seeing people of a different ethnicity was just not an issue to me. I consider that a gift, as many people do not get exposed to different cultures in small towns.

The cultural exposure TTU brings to Cookeville cannot be underestimated. When professors (foreign or native born) come to teach at TTU, they bring their educated spouses - many who go to work in Putnam County Schools. I had one English teacher who spoke 7 languages!

TTU brings in concerts, art exhibits, and other things that most small towns just do not usually have the resources to stage. Also, I believe Cookeville made it easier for me to go to college (I was the first to graduate in my family). We hung out at the UC all the time & I knew many professors and their children - I was better prepared for the college experience than most kids from a small town.

You and your family should LOVE Cookeville. It is full of good people who support TTU and nurture all of Cookeville's children. After people satisfy their initial curiosity about the "new kid in town", your daughter will be fine.

[sushyad]

Just last week we went to Cookeville on a house hunting trip. Frankly I have not lived in a prettier place, maybe Pleasanton, CA comes close, but Cookeville is pretty, calm, quiet and very cheap.

I could not get over the greenery, the pleasant weather, the close distances. We did not get to meet a lot of locals, but our Realtor Tonya is such a sweetheart - she is such a nice person, she showed us around, gave us her valuable input and helped us find a nice house close to the school.

With the feedback from this forum, we ended up buying a house 1 mile from Algood school. And the best part is that the house is on a huge lot with woods in the backyard. My wife could not get over the idea of owning a little forest. It is just amazing how much more money can buy in Cookeville.

We are looking forward to making the move in a month.

Thank you all!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by sushyad

Just last week we went to Cookeville on a house hunting trip. Frankly I have not lived in a prettier place, maybe Pleasanton, CA comes close, but Cookeville is pretty, calm, quiet and very cheap.

I could not get over the greenery, the pleasant weather, the close distances. We did not get to meet a lot of locals, but our Realtor Tonya is such a sweetheart - she is such a nice person, she showed us around, gave us her valuable input and helped us find a nice house close to the school.

With the feedback from this forum, we ended up buying a house 1 mile from Algood school. And the best part is that the house is on a huge lot with woods in the backyard. My wife could not get over the idea of owning a little forest. It is just amazing how much more money can buy in Cookeville.

We are looking forward to making the move in a month.

Thank you all!

Thanks for the update! I'm glad you had a good trip, and I'm particularly glad you found a great house with your own little forest. Algood is a wonderful school, too. Welcome to Cookeville!