Nashville Is A Very Nice City, However.... (Memphis, Murfreesboro: crime, hotels)

[wiseroption]

Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood

Now, I realize that you were much too busy making fun of me to remember the finer points of geography, but we are more tolerant and closer to the border??? You do realize that you're in a Tennessee forum, right? A middle state? And the border is... where? Virginia? Or did the last Floridian leaving finally take the flag?

And just what are you offering in that tea? Being condescending only works if you actually have something to condescend about.

Okay, granted, I deserved that & extend my apologies for being so reproachful in my manner of reference, but believe me, it was not meant to be condescending. I believe that my intentions were more subconsciously defensive of the south, which is a typical southerner, right? I am not sure what makes up a typical southerner, but I do know that my personal experience has been that most transplants are 3 of 3 things. 1. Very interesting & wonderful people. 2. Astounded by the lower cost of real estate in the southeast and 3. Often exhibits delusions of grandeur, being condescending by saying things such as, "condescending only works if you actually have something to condescend about", and I do not. I hope that I never do because I can tell you from being on the receiving end of that statement, it does not feel good.

I guess I need to graduate from the "old school" south because apparently, I have become what I hated so as a student growing & receiving their education in the south. The people that I was ashamed of because I saw through the eyes of an outsider. I do not know why, but this was my perception. Maybe because that is the angle that the press often takes when depicting an incident. They hand pick the guy in the plaid shirt with 3 teeth in his head, a can of beer in his hand & a vocabulary of a total of 142 words.

Yes, the south is full of "non"assimilated diverse cultures and yes, it is laid back, slower paced and as peaceful of a place to live as one will ever find in this country.

[goodbyehollywood]

Originally Posted by wiseroption

Okay, granted, I deserved that & extend my apologies for being so reproachful in my manner of reference, but believe me, it was not meant to be condescending. I believe that my intentions were more subconsciously defensive of the south, which is a typical southerner, right? I am not sure what makes up a typical southerner, but I do know that my personal experience has been that most transplants are 3 of 3 things. 1. Very interesting & wonderful people. 2. Astounded by the lower cost of real estate in the southeast and 3. Often exhibits delusions of grandeur, being condescending by saying things such as, "condescending only works if you actually have something to condescend about", and I do not.

Thank you. I'll pass the olive branch back. My grandma always said you should be prepared to "eat what you cook," and I thought that applied to what you wrote. Apparently, it applies to what I wrote, as well. So, apologies!

We more or less concur. People don't assimilate, the South is good, words can hurt. Good luck to you!

[Sookie]

I think you'll find most of the people on 2nd ave either tourists or workers there for the tourists. Especially Wild Horse. I drive downtown every day and chuckle at all the get up tourists wear and they stand out, Nashvillians typically do not dress in cowboy gear. Also, I don't think i've ever been to any business in Nashville playing country music unless it was a tourist shop. My family is a punk rock family and keep a full calender of live music to see. We're transplants from other areas of the world. Lastly Colorado, before that Germany, before that around Houston and we travel quite a bit. Sometimes it is hard to know a city from the tourist attractions. I think those considering moving here would find a wealth of things to do, whatever it may be. We've got the top music acts, we have the 'barely big enough to tour' music acts, symphony, Tpac, nashville predators (fang fingers) etc.

[sliverbox]

I have to say that I also really enjoyed reading your post because for one, you actually visited it and tried a few things. Secondly, you aare pretty much dead-on in some respects. I think many out there hear the word:" Nashville" and they instantly put it in the same light as say- L.A. simply because of it's association with the music industry.Music Entertainment is a 7 billion dollar industry in Nashville, which is actually a higher level than L.A and only slightly less than NYC. That's impressive given the fact that Nashville is literally 1/50th the size of L.A. Being that MOST of that money is being made from Country music- Pop country to be exact- and your take that Nashville IS country music is correct. That means you should probably have some appreciation for it.

The comments made about Nashville not being a international city is something I'd also agree with to an extent. Nashville on one hand is along with Memphis one of the most recognized US city names in the world. Again, this is due to their heavily influential music industries. But Nashville isn't a city on par with Atlanta, NYC, SF, or L.A. For me, I actually prefer that because with the label off "world city" comes higher costs of living, more congestion and basically more competition. I grew up in East TN roughly 2 hours from Atlanta. I'm only 30 and Atlanta has grown 50% in my lifetime. We wouldn't have called it a "World city", yet it has become one in it's own right simply because it is one of this country's "new cities" that offer better opportunities than say NYC where the cost of living has essentially forced out an entire generation.
I suspect that Nashville is well on it's way to following Atlanta. I think for someone willing to take a chance, there exists the unique opportunity to move to an up-and-coming city, have a nice living situation and reap the rewards once the city "grows up".

Anyhow, what you've shared was totally honest: Nashville isn't for everyone. You should visit and really see what it is all about first. We get a lot of people on here who swoop down and buy a house in a weekend without actually living there. I'm sure some of those people wish they had gotten to know the real deal first. A southern city isn't just about cheap real estate or a place to retire. You should actually LIKE IT too.

[vasinger]

Originally Posted by mr2007

I just spent the weekend in Nashville. I stayed at a very nice downtown hotel, hung out on 2nd Ave, visited The Hermitage, ate at Demo's and some other restaurants, caught a lot of live music - you name it, I tried to experience it.

I think that based on what I saw, the Nashville-Davidson Metro area is a very nice region and a perfectly acceptable area for anyone seeking a good quality of life in the United States. I would say that Nashville is probably a Top 15 or Top 20 American city in my view.

However...... for anyone relocating to Nashville, please understand this (especially if you don't currently live in the South):

Given that I was born in New York State and raised near Detroit, Michigan, I found Nashville to be a somewhat typical southern city. I am sure it is no surprise to anyone that the culture in Nashville is very much "country music" focused. So, if you don't have at least some appreciation of country music or perhaps even southern blues music, I think you would have a hard time being fulfilled by the social activities available in Nashville. I am pretty open-minded and although I really don't prefer to listen to country music, I am willing to step outside the box and try new things. For example, I took some line dancing lessons at Wild Horse saturday night. But to me, that scene is quintescentially Nashville. I'm sure there is Indie Rock and R&B and other scenes in other pockets of Nashville, but the primary scene in Nashville is country -- bottom line. To not understand that fact about Nashville is to do so at your own peril -- if you don't like the country scene.

Although I personally enjoyed my weekend in Nashville, I did make the mistake of comparing it to the Atlanta area. Nashville is not Atlanta and that may very well be a fact that Nashvillians are very proud of! However, if your intent in considering a move to Nashville is that it's similar to Atlanta, you would be mistaken. The Atlanta area is a much more socially and culturally diverse, more cosmopolitan and more of an international or what some call a "world class" city than Nashville is in my view. The designation of "world class" doesn't mean that Atlanta is better than Nashville -- "better" is such a subjective word anyway. But if you are expecting "another Atlanta" by moving to Nashville, again you would be mistaken. To me Nashville is very similar to many other mid sized regional hub cities such as Columbus OH, Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Birmingham, Oklahoma City, St. Louis or Kansas City -- although I think Nashville is slightly better than all of those cities. However, Nashville is not at what I would call a mega-diverse, international, & world class level city like Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco or Miami.

Overall, Nashville is a great, uniquely American and uniquely southern city. It's not quite ready for world class status, but it might be next on the list to get upgraded. It's hard not to enjoy Nashville if you have an open mind, but just understand what the true character of the city is before you move.

Last note: On my last night in Nashville, a guy in a bar called Larry's came up to me and said in a southern drawl "I wanna buy you a drink, homeboy. You being a black guy and all and comin' up in here to hang out with us in a place like this, I gotta lot of respect for you, brother!" I actually didn't take offense to this comment because A) I am not quick to take offense like some, and B) we were all drinking so you have to put things in context. However, I am sure he wasn't the only one thinking that -- he was the only one to say it. That was the first time anyone has ever said anything like that to me at a bar or club.... and I am in my mid-30's. No one in any of the other cities I've visited have ever come out and said something like that to me. That comment -- rightly or wrongly -- led me to believe that Nashville may still have to issues with "diversity" in certain entertainment venues (not all, just some). I don't want to turn an isolated incident into a blanket indictment of Nashville (and I won't do that), but it was just a very unique experience for me and something that will probably always come to mind whenever I think of Nashville.

BTW - I do like the fact that country music is moving into some new territory with the whole Big & Rich, Muzik Mafia and Cowboy Troy / Hick Hop phenomenon. I can't tell you how many times I heard the "Hick Chicks" song this weekend. I had never heard it before this weekend, but I liked it!

Its funny but to me coming from Richmond, VA- Nashville felt a lot less Southern. Its gotten pretty transient in recent years and its a very cosmopolitan type of Southern city. Its not like the Old South really, and its not quite the New (Nascar ) kind of South. But somewhere in between.

I like country music (as I am a country singer) but I also like tons of others.
And Nashville is host to a lot of genres besides country. I know many Rock and Pop musicians who live and work in Nashville- as well as Christian/Gospel artists.

[vasinger]

Originally Posted by kpellatiro

Mr2007, I enjoyed your trip report. I probably take it as a Downtown Nashville trip report - but I admire that it was fair and objective. Something hard to come by on any city's local board.

Having come from southern California (as a number of us here have), its been disappointing to run into some of the stereotypical southern 'redneck' characters. Still, in the sitcom stereotype we loose the overwhelming majority. I have been lucky enough to spend time with folks from all over the city, outlying counties, West Tennessee and even a few from East Tennessee. Some of the most rewarding elements of our move have come from these friends. They loved taking me to my first fish fry, joking about my lack of any fishing or hunting knowledge, and sharing stories from our different backgrounds. We have an absolute blast together. They have accepted us with open arms and as near family. Its amazing to me how true "southern hospitality" really has proven itself to be on a day to day basis.

I love how 'proud to be country' my new friends are -- how confidently they hold on to their roots -- and how we get along laughing at the completely different perspectives. There are no hats, boots, or overalls and its too much 80’s guitar rock than anything else :-)

The rigid 'redneck' stereotype makes for better punch lines. The truth is much less Hee-Haw and much more southern gentlemen.

Rednecks are all over the country. You can find tons of them in Upstate New York and western Mass.

[Rikrich]

Folks I drove down to Nashville (I live in Indy, but I am not originally from Indiana) in April of 2005 for a weekend visit. In fact, it was my very first visit to the area. Frankly, the city fell below my expectations and I will tell you why. During my walk thru the downtown area, I saw ABSOLUTELY NO SIGN OF SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. Nobody said hello to me, or howdy or even smiled and asked me how I was doing. In fact, during my walk around downtown Nashville, I was approaching an intersection and saw a young lady crossing the street just ahead of me. I smiled, said hello to her in a respectful, non threating manner and she reacted by giving me a DIRTY LOOK, but that was her problem, not mine. Frankly, being in downtown Nashville was like being in downtown Baltimore (I lived in the Baltimore metro area for over 12 years) and even Indy for that matter.

HOWEVER, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THE AREAS JUST NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA WERE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. These folks are very friendly,down to earth and neighborly. So, my visit to Nashville was rather mixed. I hated the downtown area but loved the surrounding areas.

[THASPECIAL]

I moved from Miami to Nashville back in 1996 but had to move to Orlando in 2000.......so I lived in Nashville for about 4 years....

When i heard that i was moving from Miami to Nashville I resisted and got mad because i was used to the diversity in Miami and the "Anything Goes" mentallity.....but after being negative for about a year living in Nashville i started "LOVING" Nashville for what it is.....and thats what i think transplants have to do that come to any new town....because no 2 places are the same......Nashville has beautifull hills and i love the winter when the rocks on the hills have ice on them.....and i love the seasons in Nashville......The summer is kinda hazy sometimes but i enjoyed that too because it brings out the beauty of the hills in town.....the people are all pretty much "friendly" in town.....some are not used to the new people flocking in but i like how "real" people are there.....they will tell you what is on thier mind ....not like in a New York kinda way but in a "Nashville way"...like that guy at the bar said to the guy who posted this article.....People hold doors open for you and arent in too much of a rush and Its just a good mix of a country and city feel in town.......I LOVE NASHVILLE

[sliverbox]

I am not sure what makes up a typical southerner, but I do know that my personal experience has been that most transplants are 3 of 3 things. 1. Very interesting & wonderful people. 2. Astounded by the lower cost of real estate in the southeast and 3. Often exhibits delusions

To me what makes a southerner a southerner is the fact that even now, a good majority of the Southeast is still inhabited primarily by families with a long lineage and personal connection to the land. Most chunks of the population lives on the coasts or up North where manufacturing drew migrants ( many Southern actually) decades ago. I live in CA now and honestly, fully half the people I meet out here are from either places like New Jersey or Ohio. The actual natives got shoved out a long time ago once old money from the East Coast marched in.

The South has been avoided by several things from this kind of surging in-migration until recently from a few things, namely painful memories from the race problems in the 60's as well as a long-standing personification in hollywood and the media as backwards, old-fashioned, and racist. This in effect has insulated the South from some of the rampant crazy rise in the cost of living that has crippled the living situation for young families and the middle class in those areas- primarily the Northeast and West Coast.

It has only been due to the extraordinarily high prices in other places that has forced people to look inward. That single aspect concerns me. I can almost guarantee that most of these people who are looking to move here are perfectly happy where they live now and are only considering this move because they can't afford it, or they're retiring and can't stomach 30 years of paying taxes where they are now. So what you get are masses of people who probably really care less about the people who live there and the culture that took centuries to develop and more about getting a cheap house, or a retirement property on the lake, or something like that.

In conclusion, these people are moving here because they can't make it where they live now. They are perfectly willing to toss aside whatever allegiance or personal investment they have where they currently reside. They have no attachment to the land or their home. That's really different from most people in the South,who love where they live, and would never leave. I guess I could eat my own words, being a Tennessean living in CA.But out of all the people from other areas, I'm probably the smallest 'minority' in this area. I can go for sometimes 6 months or a year without hearing a southern accent.On the other hand, I can hear a " ooo-yah, dontcha' knooo' Midwestern accent on every corner, but nothing even remotely close to what I sound like. That to me is very telling and speaks of a people who are attached to their homeland and history.Simply put, Southerners seem to have far less reasons to relocate somewhere else as so many on the coasts seem to do constantly.

Southern people are perhaps the last vestige of an original culture left in America.

[1410OC]

Yup, proud of my *agrarian heritage* [translation for 007: my pappy, granpappy, greatgranpappy, etc. etc. etc. wuz all FARMERS! ]