Any thoughts for Murfreesboro, TN

[CosmoNerd]

Murfreesboro has it's advantages without doubt, but be aware of pretty firm (conservative) positions when dealing with people in the age bracket of 40+. It's a good place for a family to grow if you don't miss (big) city life and a 40 minute drive to the Symphony Hall doesn't bother you. Housing is affordable and with Cason Lane and Blackman the city offers good and modern schools - and - we have more churches then bars :-)

[doc1]

Originally Posted by midwest liberal

A cool job, reasonable college tuition and being within a long one day drive of my grandkids in Wisconsin.

Perfectly good reasons to relocate, IMO.

I'm am just curious about the whole "advocacy thing", I have to admit.

I live in a very liberal state (NJ) and our "social advocacy" types extend all the way up to our courts where things get forced upon the populace by judicial fiat, not by legislation by the elected officials (who seem to like that arrangement for some reason).

My family and I (and many others in self-described "Progressive" states) want to escape to a state that has much less of that nonsense.

[midwest liberal]

Originally Posted by doc1

Perfectly good reasons to relocate, IMO.

I'm am just curious about the whole "advocacy thing", I have to admit.

I live in a very liberal state (NJ) and our "social advocacy" types extend all the way up to our courts where things get forced upon the populace by judicial fiat, not by legislation by the elected officials (who seem to like that arrangement for some reason).

My family and I (and many others in self-described "Progressive" states) want to escape to a state that has much less of that nonsense.

I need to clarify that word for sure. To me, advocacy is when I hear about a neighbor that is struggling after the mom got laid off and I help them find different temporary resources, or one of my son's friends has a special educational need and I go along with the mom to an IEP meeting. Or, when my kid had a friend who became pregnant as a teen, to talk to her about adoption and how important life is. She ended up keeping the baby. For me, it is important to be willing to become involved as a volunteer and try to help instead of sitting back.

[midwest liberal]

Originally Posted by CosmoNerd

Murfreesboro has it's advantages without doubt, but be aware of pretty firm (conservative) positions when dealing with people in the age bracket of 40+. It's a good place for a family to grow if you don't miss (big) city life and a 40 minute drive to the Symphony Hall doesn't bother you. Housing is affordable and with Cason Lane and Blackman the city offers good and modern schools - and - we have more churches then bars :-)

You are a great salesperson, that is almost exactly what we are looking for.

[Steve_TN]

Originally Posted by midwest liberal

You are a great salesperson, that is almost exactly what we are looking for.

I live in Murfreesboro and CosmoNerd summed us up extremely well!

[doc1]

Originally Posted by midwest liberal

I need to clarify that word for sure. To me, advocacy is when I hear about a neighbor that is struggling after the mom got laid off and I help them find different temporary resources, or one of my son's friends has a special educational need and I go along with the mom to an IEP meeting. Or, when my kid had a friend who became pregnant as a teen, to talk to her about adoption and how important life is. She ended up keeping the baby. For me, it is important to be willing to become involved as a volunteer and try to help instead of sitting back.

Volunteerism is true advocacy, IMO. Putting ones own money, time and labor where their mouth is as opposed to using the gov't to force others to.

That's how the doc1 family rolls, also.

Good luck with your future plans. I hope to move to TN when I pull the pin on my career.

[OdeToArsenal47]

The schools are great. There are 4 in Murfreesboro, Siegel, Blackman, Oakland and Riverdale. Riverdale is probably the "worst" but it's relative; Riverdale would be one of the best in Davidson Metro.

Oakland is pretty old itself but there's a LOT of money moving into that area so the school's being revitalized. Good athletics, an IB school, very nice school

Blackman is a great school, less than 10 years old, good students, nice area all-around. Great academics and fine arts program, good football team too.

Siegel is my alma mater and the best school in Rutherford County (no bias, promise!). Less than 10 years old, has as good of academics as some private schools and magnet schools, great atmosphere of school spirit, amazing fine arts program (just punch in siegel high school in youtube, the first page is the marching band and choir), and all around, great school.

Central Magnet School just opened too. It's an old building and if you ask me, you'd get a better education at Siegel anyways...

Middle Tennessee Christian School is a great school too. What you'd expect out of a private school.

MTSU is a great university with some mega bang for your buck. With the Tennessee Hope Scholarship, my tuition is ~$2000 per year. With my other scholarships, I'm getting paid to go. Ranked in the Top 50 on Forbes and right there with UT in terms of academics. Athletics is a different story, but you can't win 'em all. Best music program bar Vanderbilt I'd dare to say, one of the best aerospace programs in the nation, probably THE best recording school in the nation, really great mass communications school, and I guess you could call MTSU the Harvard of Concrete, being the first and primary school for Concrete Industry Management.

Overall, if you have kids, Murfreesboro rules. I've been here since I was 8 and it may not be the most thrilling place, but it's great.

[midwest liberal]

Originally Posted by OdeToArsenal47

The schools are great. There are 4 in Murfreesboro, Siegel, Blackman, Oakland and Riverdale. Riverdale is probably the "worst" but it's relative; Riverdale would be one of the best in Davidson Metro.

Oakland is pretty old itself but there's a LOT of money moving into that area so the school's being revitalized. Good athletics, an IB school, very nice school

Blackman is a great school, less than 10 years old, good students, nice area all-around. Great academics and fine arts program, good football team too.

Siegel is my alma mater and the best school in Rutherford County (no bias, promise!). Less than 10 years old, has as good of academics as some private schools and magnet schools, great atmosphere of school spirit, amazing fine arts program (just punch in siegel high school in youtube, the first page is the marching band and choir), and all around, great school.

Central Magnet School just opened too. It's an old building and if you ask me, you'd get a better education at Siegel anyways...

Middle Tennessee Christian School is a great school too. What you'd expect out of a private school.

MTSU is a great university with some mega bang for your buck. With the Tennessee Hope Scholarship, my tuition is ~$2000 per year. With my other scholarships, I'm getting paid to go. Ranked in the Top 50 on Forbes and right there with UT in terms of academics. Athletics is a different story, but you can't win 'em all. Best music program bar Vanderbilt I'd dare to say, one of the best aerospace programs in the nation, probably THE best recording school in the nation, really great mass communications school, and I guess you could call MTSU the Harvard of Concrete, being the first and primary school for Concrete Industry Management.

Overall, if you have kids, Murfreesboro rules. I've been here since I was 8 and it may not be the most thrilling place, but it's great.

THanks, I have one still in high school and two that are in college. This information is really helpful.