OK...who here is from Northern California (Franklin, Brentwood: low crime, house)

[jafount]

I searched. Didn't find anything. Who has relocated from NorCal? I may have an opportunity and want my own kind of feedback from former NorCal people.

What's your take on the area? I'm a divorced, educated 42 year old full time single dad. I'm a professional who enjoys finer things, wine, good food, entertainment. But I'm an avid outdoorsman, hunter, bass fisherman, golfer and mountain biker.

How is it back there? How's the food, nightlife, etc? Is there GOOD sushi like I can get in NorCal?

Where are the best upscale neighborhoods? Great schools, low crime, etc? If you're from NorCal bay area, I'm talking about places that might compare to Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Woodside, etc. If you're from the Sacramento area, I'm talking about similar to El Dorado Hills, Granite Bay, Loomis, etc.

HELP!

[CountryGirl2b=]

I lived in CA for 14 years including Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe, and San Francisco but I don't think I'm really "your kind of people". You'd find things much slower here, much more laid back. There's probably some excellent sushi places BUT I find the fish selection here to be a little lacking.

I know a lot of Californians who really wouldn't ever live anywhere else.

Have you ever been here? Totally different vibe and energy that goes way beyond anything on your list.

[BirdieBelle]

Right, I mean if really GOOD sushi is going to be the tipping point for you, you may have to adjust your priority list. It is Tennessee, after all, and even with Fed Ex it still is 8 hours from the nearest coast. In fact, based on that one comment I'm gonna go out on a limb and say no, we won't have sushi that measures up to what you're used to. Just like folks have mentioned all over this forum how they miss truly authentic Mexican whatever restaurant item they're craving.

HOWEVER, the Nashville area is a really great place to live. It's not California. Tennessee has its own advantages, though. I think the outdoors side of you will be in absolute heaven. The side of you that enjoys the finer things will find what you need; it'll just take some time.

It's not like The Beverly Hillbillies here. I mean, if you want to see that part, I can point you toward a couple of places that are pretty close.

But we have wine, we have great food that most anyone would enjoy, and we have all kinds of entertainment. Like I said, it's not around every corner here, and it will take some time for you to find the places that satisfy your needs. But that would be the case most anywhere.

Williamson County has the highest education and income levels in the state as well as the highest education scores, so I guess I would recommend parts of Franklin and Brentwood. The specific neighborhood will depend on the type of neighborhood you want, the type of house and your budget. It's mostly college-educated families with more discretionary income. While there is a large contingent of the minivan crowd that is satisfied with a night out at Chili's, there also are many independent restaurants, cigar and wine bars that should intrigue you. A visit is the only way to tell. It's the intangibles that will get you.

While it is known as a true suburb, this area would be your best bet. Public transit is virtually nonexistent, but there is a push to get that started also.

I know you asked for responses for NorCal folks, but I had to chime in. Hope this adds a little insight.

[ziggy2022]

This also helps non-Norcal folks as well. I don't know how far the Detroit area is from the coast, but it's more than 8 hours from the coast and we have a little gem of a sushi place here. IMO, you only really need one great sushi place. I'm just lucky I can virtually walk to it, but the outdoors stuff far out weighs the sushi stuff. That being said, I've been researching the many aspects of Nashville for the past 3 to 4 years and have concluded that I will come to disover and establish a new favorite sushi joint; albeit one I might need to get in the car or on the bike to get to.

The beauty about the area is the short drive out of town to get to the countryside and beauty Tennessee has to offer.

[BirdieBelle]

You're right, Ziggy. And you can get great ingredients anywhere. From what I understand the greatness is in the sushi maker. I know we have some good ones here. It all depends on the OP's definition of "great."

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

You're right, Ziggy. And you can get great ingredients anywhere. From what I understand the greatness is in the sushi maker. I know we have some good ones here. It all depends on the OP's definition of "great."

I bet part of the "great" depends on what store you go to. Publix, Kroger, Harris Teeter, each store can be a little different.

Or other places like Go-Ten.

[septimus]

I can't answer the Sushi question, but Nashville is so different from NoCal.

Tennessee has some of the best state parks in the country. Middle Tennessee is really beautiful. I'm in awe every day as I drive down country roads as to how beautiful it is.

As far as upscale areas-within Metro Nashville Belle Meade, Green Hills, Forest Hills and Oak Hill areas. Upscale suburbs are Brentwood and Franklin (although the areas I mentioned in Metro are very suburban feeling too).

There are quite a few locally owned restaurants in Nashville and Williamson County that are very good and significantly cheaper than eating out in SF.

This area is a great area to raise a family.

[groovamos]

Originally Posted by septimus

Tennessee has some of the best state parks in the country. Middle Tennessee is really beautiful. I'm in awe every day as I drive down country roads as to how beautiful it is. .

I study Tennessee from a distance these days with a visit thrown in every couple of years or so (last time was as flood recovery volunteer). I lived in SoCal for 3 years and conducted business and pleasure in the Bay Area numerous times ever the past 3 decades so I figured to chime in. I grew up in Nashville and lived there 3 times. It seems that Nashville and the state at large have instituted a conservation movement on steroids. When I left for good in '75 they had pretty much nailed the Radnor Lake purchase (state natural area) and have added to it numerous times since. The Warner Park complex has just added several hundred acres of OLD GROWTH forest in a preserve right acress HWY 100, 8 miles from downtown. One of my former schoolmates is from a family that just donated about 1000 acres for a wilderness park in NW Davidson. A similarly sized chunk was just preserved across the river from heavily populated surburban looking area in a NW city district.

I've followed the preservation movement targeting the Cumberland Plateau and am blown away with what is available there, in addition to the state parks we visited there during my childhood (Fall Creek Falls, Standing Stone). I've a couple of times in recent years hiked the Fiery Gizzard trail which is quite spectacular; canyons and waterfalls abound on the plateau, which abuts the eastern border of the Middle TN grand division. Numerous preserves have been established all over the plateau just in the last 10~15 years or so. Here is a video of a spectacular feature that was just added to the collection: http://www.tennessean.com/VideoNetwork/104828557001/Swimming-Hole-at-Cummins-Falls

Originally Posted by septimus

As far as upscale areas-within Metro Nashville Belle Meade, Green Hills, Forest Hills and Oak Hill areas. Upscale suburbs are Brentwood and Franklin .

I would say that Forest Hills is the only area within comparison to the OP's listing of Los Gatos, as it can be very hilly in places, e.g. Tyne BL or Otter Creek Rd. The main difference is that Los Gatos is more self contained with plenty of retail/commercial, Forest Hills is going to depend on proximity to Green Hills and Brentwood for retail.

I'm going to add West Meade and Hillwood to the upscale list for Nashville/Davidson. There are plenty of huge homes, there, e.g. Vaughns Gap Rd, Brook Hollow, and Robin Hill north of hwy 70, also Page Rd and Hillwood BL. There are many huge properties with old mansions out of street view on some of these roads. Even the medium sized homes there (2000~4000 sq ft) are on mostly 1~2 acre lots and hillsides, putting this region as upscale because of views & land value close to town, with many teardowns being replaced by homes 3x larger. In addition are some secluded monster pads on the wooded hilltops in the south part of West Meade; one of these was built by the legendary Neil Cargile when I was in middle school (aka junior high), visible about 1/3 of a mile away from our back yard as the crow flies. You locals who don't know Neil have a great read in store: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/magazines/vanderbilt-magazine/2010/12/high-flyer/ His hilltop was right at the junction of Vaughs Gap and Jocelyn Hollow Rds.

A little NorCal story: I was visiting Castro Valley for my best friend's daughter's Bat Mitzvah a few years back. Three of us including my buddy's 82 year old dad were prowling Berkeley one afternoon and we went into Cody's bookshop (RIP). I was in the travel section and they had about half dozen volumes of Fodor's series on US states. One of those was Tennessee so I bought it. I highly recommend this to anyone thinking of moving there, PM me if you need the author.

[akm4]

We moved here from NorCal in 2001. We love it, and have no plans to return.

As for comparing and finding similar communities, I don't know how you do that. Too many variables. You know you won't find equivalent cities in each state, so that question always confuses me. Have you been here? Online research and a realtor can give you all the data, but a visit will tell you more than anything else, as far as it feeling right.

When we moved here, our kids were 5 and 8. They asked if Nashville had any good sushi, haha!! No complaints yet.

Good luck with your decision. Hope you come back. People have written you some great posts here.

[jafount]

Many thanks to everyone for the input. The posts have been great so far.

Hopefully, I'll be out there in a couple of weeks and I'll have more opportunity to take a look at the areas you guys have suggested. Likewise, I have a realtor back there who has set me up with some searches so I can get a better idea of what's available.

Just to clarify, I'm used to rural life as well. In fact, every year I make the "pilgrimage" to southern MO to get my woods and whitetail fix. But the areas that I mentioned out here are the kinds of general areas I am looking for. "Good sushi" is certainly not a deal breaker. There are way too many positives to this potential move for me to say no thanks, there's no good sushi! ha! I was just trying to figure out if there were any options.

I'm hopeful for the opportunity to come to fruition as I could definitely use a chance to get the heck out of bat-poo crazy California politics, gun laws and people!

I'll keep checking back to see if there are any new responses.

Oh once more thing...countrygirl2b...why would you say you are not "my kind of people"?