Relocating help (and a unique question) (transfer, neighborhoods, private schools)

[rosekim]

Thinking of leaving the hustle/bustle of the Northeast and moving to Nashville. What areas should flat-out be avoided? Also, any Northeners have pro/con list/thoughts?

As for the "unique" question - are multiracial/"minorties" (hate that phrase, but can't think of any other...) "out of place" in Nashville? Just wondering if it'll be a shocker to both the residents/locals and me! I was in SC last year, had a long conversation with a salesperson, where at the end, she said, "Do you speak English?" I am multiracial and come from a multi-religious household, too.

[leroyneiman]

Stay away from Antioch at all costs. There are TONS of mixed couples down here in comparrison to the north east (mostly white guy/ black girl) and are very accepted. West Nashville is only a 5 minute commute from downtown and is a very accepting community.

[BirdieBelle]

Wait, you had a long conversation with this person and THEN she asked if you speak English?

[Lamplight]

In Nashville, most folks won't even bat an eyelash at someone who is multiracial. Nashville is fairly diverse.

[BirdieBelle]

I think the multiracial people won't bat an eyelash, but there are some folks who have lived here a long time who look down on it.

Some biracial boys transferred into my sons' public school last year because they encountered a lot of prejudiced comments at their previous public school, which was located in a more rural part of Williamson County.

[Lamplight]

I can definitely see it being an issue in other, more rural parts of the state. And I wouldn't be entirely surprised to find some in Nashville raising an eyebrow at the sight of a multiracial person. It just seems like it wouldn't be as likely in Nashville though.

[runningmom]

It's becoming much more common in all parts of the state. We currently live in a *very* rural area but are in Nashville quite frequently. I would say in Nashville, no, it won't be an issue. I have good friends who are bi-racial couples living in Nashville and it does not appear to be an issue for them at all. Like the people said above, Nashville is a diverse city as far as southern cities go. But even in the rural areas, it is becoming more common because of the large influx of hispanic farm laborers. There are many bi-racial children in both public and private schools here now.

Generally, you will find people to be more curious than anything (or maybe just completely oblivious - many people here think that a friend of mine who is Filipino-American is Mexican). I can't imagine getting a question about speaking English, but I guess that all depends on the asker!

My take: the younger generations do not care at all. Older people - they're just that, and usually bewildered by anything different than what they're used to. I doubt you would ever encounter anything or anyone being outright rude.

[NiteLite]

Before you move here, I'd take a long weekend to drive around Nashville and visit different neighborhoods. I think you and your family are probably the best people to judge how comfortable you'll be in a given neighborhood, and the only way to know that is to visit, maybe go to a park, walk around, go to the local supermarket, etc. They are plenty of places where you'll feel comfortable, but plenty of others where you probably won't...I think this is true for even us bread-and-butter, upper-middle class Christian white girls and boys. Like any city, every neighborhood in Nashville has a different character, and it's really about finding the character that most closely matches your own. I can't really tell you specific areas to avoid, but I do know that East Nashville, 12 South, and Hillsboro Village are all fairly diverse ethnically and culturally, and the people living there are open minded.

[airen123]

The actual city of Nashville is very liberal and diverse, it's the surrounding communities that tend to be more conservative.

[rossc]

Originally Posted by airen123

The actual city of Nashville is very liberal and diverse, it's the surrounding communities that tend to be more conservative.

Depends on what you compare it to. By Northeast standards, I think the city is more conservative. I'm from New England. We meet all sorts of people every day through our business and I've only met a handful of people that I'd consider liberal. I'd consider that a pro.

As for the multiracial thing, I don't see it as an issue anywhere in the greater Nashville area or areas immediately surrounding.