Neighborhoods to visit for possible move? (Franklin, Hendersonville: apartment, to rent, condos)

[skibri89]

Hi all,

My husband and I are considering moving to Nashville, and we'll be visiting in June to have a look around and get to know the area. Can anyone suggest any neighborhoods or suburbs we may want to look at specifically? We don't have any children at the moment, but we'll have one joining us at some point in the nearish future, so we'd be looking for a single family home in a safe, comfortable area. Any suggestions or insights would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!
Brianna

[BirdieBelle]

Are you planning to rent or buy? What is your housing budget?

[vivelafrance]

It would depend on your budget but some of the most popular suburbs are Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, and Mt. Juliet.

[DonCorleone]

And also let us know some things you're interested in...like if you enjoy being near a lake...being in a rural area...being in the city...if commute times bother you, etc.

[skibri89]

Wow! I appreciate the replies! We are initially looking to rent, and then look at buying in a few years if we like living there.

Re: budget... Well, we are from Hawaii, where a decent (meaning clean and not falling apart) 3-bedroom home will set you back AT LEAST $2300/month, and closer to $3000 if you want to be near the useful parts of the island. So, we will be thrilled to live somewhere where rent isn't such an ordeal. Because we HAVE to pay so much here, it's hard to say what our top end would be elsewhere. We don't need anything fancy, though.

Re: preferences. We're really open to what Nashville has to offer. It will be such a major change from where we live now! Living near a lake would be a nice touch, but not necessarily a 'need to have.' As an audio engineer, my husband will spend much of his work time at the various entertainment venues in Nashville, so proximity to the city center is a definite consideration. We don't need to live IN the city, but we definitely want to avoid an extended drive time.

Sorry for such vague answers... It's quite difficult to equate our needs here in Hawaii with our wants in a brand new, completely incomparable place. The good thing is that we're open and we're flexible! Again, I so appreciate any and all suggestions.

Thanks!

[CountryGirl2b=]

Does your husband already have a job as an audio engineer here in the Nashville area? Because I think the city is pretty saturated with audio engineers . . . .

If schools aren't an issue, yet, then you could live in East Nashville or downtown? The bottom end for a nice apartment might be $800? $1500 MIGHT get you a house?

Check PadMapper.com for ideas. Look in various price ranges to see how far your dollar will go. Yes, quite a change! Good veggies here! Two Farmers Markets (at least)! Where do you live in HI?

[skibri89]

Thanks for your thoughts! My husband is connected with a number of companies in Nashville, but of course, we would be sure to have some solid guarantees before we relocate anywhere. We live on Oahu (the main business & population center of the state), on the windward side of the island. Look out one side of the house, mountains so high you can't see the tops without stepping outside to get a wider view. Look out the other side, the ocean. Not the worst thing in the world, no...

[CountryGirl2b=]

My Aunt used to live in Kailua. Hawaii is beautiful! Would drive me crazy to live there. I had "island fever" on Australia so I should NOT live on islands. What brings you to Nashville? I mean, why would you want to leave those views? I am guessing pay, like rent, and the general cost of living, will be less here than in Hawaii.

It's really difficult to suggest things when you really don't know what you want? We don't have a lot of lakes, so it's not likely you'd find property near a lake unless you really went looking. There are quiet places with longer commutes into the city, and high rise condos in the city (Gulch) and it really depends on what you're looking for.

Maybe hit the board up when you're closer to coming and have a clearer idea - apartment, townhouse, house? Will you have 2 cars? Very few places with high walkability scores and not much in the way of public transportation unless you are the patient type.

Good luck!

[skibri89]

We're both from Hawaii, so it's home (I grew up in Kailua actually). But there's a lot more opportunity on the mainland, and cost of living is a major issue. Most people can't even come close to owning a home here until their 40s or 50s.

Anyway, in the original post in this thread I mentioned that we will definitely be looking for a single family house. And yes, we have 2 cars. And a few motorcycles. Suffice it to say transportation isn't an issue.

What we're really looking for right now is just some advice as to good suburbs or neighborhoods to check out when we come to visit in June. Family friendly, safe, clean, etc. Or even areas to avoid (since every city has those). We just want to have an idea of where to drive around and check out. Nothing need be set in stone for a while yet.

Thanks!

[El Passeaux]

I would go with the standards, To the South, Franklin, North, Hendersonville, East Mt Juliet, and perhaps the South East down I-24 in Smyrna. Rankings probably are as follows
1) franklin
2) hendersonville
3) mt juliet
4) smyrna