Question for Nashville natives or ex transplants that left the city (fit in, apartments)
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Where did yall move to and how has the transition been? I have been looking in to Texas and Florida because they do not seem have a huge cost of living adjustment and are much warmer and politically relevant. I am also open to many more options. The reason I listed Texas and Florida is because of the cost of living calculations. IF y'all moved to a higher cost of living state like California please provide input too.
Yes, I get that Nashville is a hot city right now, but I was born and raised here and this city is just becoming more of a hindrance to me. I feel like the only people that truly like this city are natives that live comfortable lives(strong healthy social circles and networks) in places like Franklin, Brentwood, Boro, Sumner County, and etc or people that moved here from expensive crappy places up north like Illinois, Michigan, Upstate New York, Indiana, Pensatucky, and etc. For this reason, I can completely understand how Nashville is God's Gift to a person from Peoria, Illinois, but to me it is meh and not worth the increasing cost of living.
We moved to California and love it. However, we’re not Nashville natives and grew up in a large coastal city so we never adjusted to Bible Belt living. California is where we fit in, culturally.
It’s expensive but we’re lucky that we’re in high earning professions. Our incomes have almost doubled since moving out here because the job market for our skills is so strong.
And you can’t beat the weather. I was DONE with humidity and the winters weren’t warm enough to make up for the brutal summers — we had snow or ice storms every year we were there except one.
I don’t think my experience will help you very much, but there ya go. Good luck with your decision!
Where did yall move to and how has the transition been? I have been looking in to Texas and Florida because they do not seem have a huge cost of living adjustment and are much warmer and politically relevant. I am also open to many more options. The reason I listed Texas and Florida is because of the cost of living calculations. IF y'all moved to a higher cost of living state like California please provide input too.
Yes, I get that Nashville is a hot city right now, but I was born and raised here and this city is just becoming more of a hindrance to me. I feel like the only people that truly like this city are natives that live comfortable lives(strong healthy social circles and networks) in places like Franklin, Brentwood, Boro, Sumner County, and etc or people that moved here from expensive crappy places up north like Illinois, Michigan, Upstate New York, Indiana, Pensatucky, and etc. For this reason, I can completely understand how Nashville is God's Gift to a person from Peoria, Illinois, but to me it is meh and not worth the increasing cost of living.
I moved back to California after being in Nashville way too long. Not sure if you would like it here on the West Coast though if you are a Nashville native. I was raised in a coastal area north of Los Angeles, so I am used to it and once again love it here. I also spent time in KS when my family was stationed there. Never really fit in, and had one bad thing after the next happen later in life after ending up in Nashville. California is the place I have always thought of as my home - after all, it was my first experience with life. Still I can't see someone born and raised in Nashville easily becoming comfortable with the lifestyle or people here. You will definitely want to visit. Texas and Florida might be good, maybe even Arizona or New Mexico.
I do not know if you have compared the cost of living with the other places, but I will tell you, Nashville's cost of living is far too high for what it is. Apartments in a somewhat livable area are starting out $1000 a month going up. It has been steadily creeping up almost high as many areas here in SoCal. I've noticed some food prices are lower here in CA. Clothing, furniture, cars… all are plentiful in Nashville yet can be hard to come by at a reasonable price for quality items.
There is really not much to explore there other than the music scene downtown and the special interests types of entertainment at a premium cost. Not much for smaller income families with kids. More for high-income singles or couples and tourists. In SoCal, we have the beaches and so much to do that I'd be exhausted naming it all here… but guess I'll give it try:
Some things to do
Sea World
Old Town
Botanic Garden
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Del Mar
Poway (Potato Chip Rock)
Birch Aquarium
LEGOLAND
Petco Park
USS Midway
Oceanside Harbor
Transportation
MTS
Amtrak
Coaster
Sprinter
San Diego Airport (One of the most interesting I've flown into for the landings
Did I mention THE BEACHES?
Perhaps where you would really run into the high cost of living are the homes here in California. You just can't do it on less than a million… or a few million. Sadly, Nashville is aiming for that, too.
If the beach is not your thing, there are also the inland areas with good potential. I would not recommend the mountains or deserts unless you are familiar with the culture in those areas. Of course, it's cooler near the coast, warmer inland. I prefer room-temperature temps without much need for heat or air.
And the weather in Nashville… awful humidity almost all year long. Pouring down rain just about every other day, in summer! It was actually raining cats and dogs with thunder and lightning when I moved there and the same when I left! I noticed that it's been 60s in the daytime, 20s at night! Do you recall the year it went below 32F every single day from October to March?
Finally, I agree with your opinion of Nashville. A lot of newcomers from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, etc. are moving in, loving it, and changing it rapidly.
I grew up near Nashville and have moved to San Diego then back here, Florida then back here, LA then back here, and Seattle then back here. There were different circumstances surrounding each time I came back but the point is I still did. I'm not saying I like it more or less than other places but it can be easy to think the "new Nashville" is a lot worse than it is before you actually go live somewhere else. Would I go back to any of those places? Yeah probably, except maybe Florida, but just because you move away for a reason such as not liking what Nashville has become isn't a guaranteed solution. People here like to believe we are faced with annoying growing pains that make it less desirable to be here, but people all over the country are also complaining about the same issues, and many times have it worse than us.
Nope. I would not say one place is better or worse than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on what works for you. If you like Nashville, remain there. If you want (and would make sense) to explore other parts of the country, or even the world, do that. Just as California is not for everyone, Nashville is not for everyone, and so on. But it does seem to me that the people I have met who were born and raised Nashville are more comfortable with it than anywhere else.
Nope. I would not say one place is better or worse than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on what works for you. If you like Nashville, remain there. If you want (and would make sense) to explore other parts of the country, or even the world, do that. Just as California is not for everyone, Nashville is not for everyone, and so on. But it does seem to me that the people I have met who were born and raised Nashville are more comfortable with it than anywhere else.
Yeah there's absolutely nothing wrong with trying out other parts of the country. The west coast in general is more my thing than this area but because Nashville and the surrounding area is where I grew up, my roots are planted in a specific area I really like. I don't care if I like the rest of the southeast or not because I don't have to. All that being said I'd still suggest the OP moves if they really want, just not to expect that it'll be the right move. It could be, it could not be. I just wouldn't expect one or the other
I moved back to California after being in Nashville way too long. Not sure if you would like it here on the West Coast though if you are a Nashville native. I was raised in a coastal area north of Los Angeles, so I am used to it and once again love it here. I also spent time in KS when my family was stationed there. Never really fit in, and had one bad thing after the next happen later in life after ending up in Nashville. California is the place I have always thought of as my home - after all, it was my first experience with life. Still I can't see someone born and raised in Nashville easily becoming comfortable with the lifestyle or people here. You will definitely want to visit. Texas and Florida might be good, maybe even Arizona or New Mexico.
I do not know if you have compared the cost of living with the other places, but I will tell you, Nashville's cost of living is far too high for what it is. Apartments in a somewhat livable area are starting out $1000 a month going up. It has been steadily creeping up almost high as many areas here in SoCal. I've noticed some food prices are lower here in CA. Clothing, furniture, cars… all are plentiful in Nashville yet can be hard to come by at a reasonable price for quality items.
There is really not much to explore there other than the music scene downtown and the special interests types of entertainment at a premium cost. Not much for smaller income families with kids. More for high-income singles or couples and tourists. In SoCal, we have the beaches and so much to do that I'd be exhausted naming it all here… but guess I'll give it try:
Some things to do
Sea World
Old Town
Botanic Garden
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Del Mar
Poway (Potato Chip Rock)
Birch Aquarium
LEGOLAND
Petco Park
USS Midway
Oceanside Harbor
Transportation
MTS
Amtrak
Coaster
Sprinter
San Diego Airport (One of the most interesting I've flown into for the landings
Did I mention THE BEACHES?
Perhaps where you would really run into the high cost of living are the homes here in California. You just can't do it on less than a million… or a few million. Sadly, Nashville is aiming for that, too.
If the beach is not your thing, there are also the inland areas with good potential. I would not recommend the mountains or deserts unless you are familiar with the culture in those areas. Of course, it's cooler near the coast, warmer inland. I prefer room-temperature temps without much need for heat or air.
And the weather in Nashville… awful humidity almost all year long. Pouring down rain just about every other day, in summer! It was actually raining cats and dogs with thunder and lightning when I moved there and the same when I left! I noticed that it's been 60s in the daytime, 20s at night! Do you recall the year it went below 32F every single day from October to March?
Finally, I agree with your opinion of Nashville. A lot of newcomers from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, etc. are moving in, loving it, and changing it rapidly.
I love California and I have been to basically every part excluding Sacramento. I think I would prefer to live in Los Angeles over San Diego and San Francisco due to the weather and much larger city. Yes, the cost of living scares me because I did get a hustler and bustler vibe attitude from the working class there.
Yeah there's absolutely nothing wrong with trying out other parts of the country. The west coast in general is more my thing than this area but because Nashville and the surrounding area is where I grew up, my roots are planted in a specific area I really like. I don't care if I like the rest of the southeast or not because I don't have to. All that being said I'd still suggest the OP moves if they really want, just not to expect that it'll be the right move. It could be, it could not be. I just wouldn't expect one or the other
What kept bringing you back to Nashville? The natives I know that love it here have a lot to lose if they were to pack up and leave because they have thrived in Nashville since day one.
I lived in Los Angeles throughout the '80s. Of course, the cost of living was then and remains sky high - make sure to have the finances in order beforehand. I've got friends born and raised there who left for that reason, others looking for places...
Sacramento.... Hmmm. A state capital, like Nashville. I have never been that far north but did consider it just before coming back. I have a family member who lived there for a while and they liked it pretty much. They now live in SoCal.
I know absolutely nothing about San Francisco. I grew up in Lompoc, CA - Vandenberg A.F.B. I do not recall getting much more north than Morro Bay and that was way back when I was child in the 1960s.
What kept bringing you back to Nashville? The natives I know that love it here have a lot to lose if they were to pack up and leave because they have thrived in Nashville since day one.
Chronologically I moved back from:
San Diego because I was naive and thought I had the real world figured out, didn't, and thought the best move was to come back. Probably a dumb move. Should've stayed.
Florida because I had an internship there, it ended, and although I could've gotten an actual job through my boss I just kinda preferred Nashville over it. No regrets there.
LA because bc myself and a long time girlfriend broke up and I moved back to clear my head, thinking that was going to help. In retrospect it probably was also the wrong move. Should've just stayed and rolled with the punches.
Seattle was recent and weird because I had an onset of crippling anxiety and the only thing that helped was moving back. I can't really say that was right or wrong.
There's my dirty laundry haha. That being said I wouldn't have the perspective on things like I do if I wouldn't have hopped around and seen different places and people.
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