advice for moving to Nashville, TN or surrounding area please? (Franklin: 2013, apartments)

[TBPAngelia]

I'm 19 & I live in Illinois & i'm really hoping to be able to move to Nashville, TN in either spring 2013 or summer 2013. I was wondering if Nashville is safe to live in or at least safer than most other cities. I know it's not safe to go wondering around by myself in the middle of the night but overall like if I only go out in daylight & stay around a bunch of people then is it always safe to live there. I've visited Nashville before but that was only for a few days so it may have seemed safe for the few day vacation but really it might be dangerous to actually live there... idk. When I went there I thought it was a really nice city. I Love country music (The Band Perry is my favorite!!! <3 TBP has really inspired me ever since 2010 & i'm really hoping that I can become a country music singer some day soon ) & I Love the south because people seem so much nicer down south & it's really pretty down south & I really like the hot weather there too. & I of course Love the southern accents. I was wondering if it would be better for me to move in Nashville or is there a town right outside Nashville that's safer to live in than being in the city? & what are all the pros & cons of living in Nashville, TN? I know there's a lot of country music related stuff that goes on there. Also what are some really good apartments & or condos to rent that's safe, clean, affordable, & in or around Nashville? & what places are best for me to work at when I first move there? who hires more often? what places are the safest? would someone hire someone who hasn't moved there quite yet? cause I would really like to know I definitely have a job as soon as I move there. I would greatly appreciate any info that would help me with moving to Nashville, TN & I would also greatly appreciate it if someone who has done a move like this before could give me step by step instructions on the best way to do it Thank y'all so much!!!

[CountryGirl2b=]

Hi Angelia -

Welcome to the board! To answer your question, Nashville is generally safe. Like any large city, there are some unsafe areas. Apartments in 'safe' areas are in tight demand right now and will run $800 to $1000 a month. Not sure what rents will be next year. There is a similar post from an 18 year old who dreams of moving to Nashville. It's nice to have a dream, a goal. But if you try to do it when you're not really ready, it can backfire and leave a bad taste in your mouth.

You have SO many questions and uncertainties that I would urge you to get some life experience first . . do you live in your own apartment now? Do you have a job? Are you in school? Learn a trade or some skill that you can use when you move down here. Continue your research - use the SEARCH THIS FORUM option and learn all you can about Nashville and about yourself before you come.

I don't think it's likely you'd find a job before you came unless you have some really solid skills. You really have to figure out your OWN step by step directions . . . they are different for everybody. And until you figure your steps out on your own, you really shouldn't move here. So keep your dream alive and get some life experience in your own home town first, that would be my suggestion . . .

[aaronmidnight]

Hi Angelia,

Everyone has different ideas of the meaning of words like safe, fun, affordable, beautiful, etc.

Some questions for you that might help CityData users to help you:

1. Do you have a car? If you don't have a car, that will narrow down your living and working options considerably as the public transit system is not nearly as extensive as, say, Chicago.

2. Other than being a country singer, do you have any plans for what sort of job you would like to get or what experience you have?

3. Do you have a price range in mind for apartment rentals?

You can find a lot of good information on crime rates and other data here: Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[ImComingHome]

My recommendation is try to have a job lined up before you move. If you're working now, perhaps your company can arrange a transfer if they have a branch here.

Depending on what part of IL you are in, will be what differences you find in Nashville vs where you are now.

Check out some of the Apartment Guides at Kroger and then go check the places out. There's nothing like driving around to get to know a place.

[CaliDreams]

I'm 24 years old and I just moved from Nashville. I lived there for almost 10 years. (also lived in Brentwood & Madison, TN) Nashville is a nice city to live in. Its not too large/overpopulated and its not too small either. I lived there for so long it became boring for me and I eventually outgrew the city being that I am heavily into Performing Arts. Definitely I agree with ImComingHome on getting a job lined up before relocating. Everyone doesnt luck up on jobs. Before I moved from Nashville to California I declined a job offer and applied for another really good paying job here and was hired 2-3 weeks later. PURE LUCK! If you can afford it Brentwood is the safest and most upscale part of Nashville. I lived and worked out there for 4 years. try applying NOW for different jobs that you have qualifications in. Try Indeed.com or Snagajob.com. Go on apartmentfinder.com and you will be able to narrow down your search for what you're specifically looking for. Good Luck! Any more questions message me and I will do my best to answer from my personal experiences.

[Landslide84]

Hey Angelia,

I've lived in Nashville since I was born. I'm 28 and married and live east of the city in Mount Juliet. I'm also a musician/audio engineer and have spend the last 15 years playing with 5 of them touring for local indie bands. The music industry here is not what everyone thinks. If you want to come here and shoot for a country music career then more power to you! Just make sure that you have a stable backup plan because the area is sooo over-saturated with talent that it's hard to break in unless you know people. A good place to go would be the Bluebird Cafe because it's where a lot of industry (especially country) people go to listen for new artists.

People are people and you have good and scummy everywhere. Most people will wave at you here or talk to you but there are obviously some people who are just rude. My wife is from Long Island, NY and the main difference I've seen in north and south is that in the north people are upfront with you where as here people have a tendency to be nice to your face but talk behind your back. That's just my personal experience and would like to say that not everyone is like that here... just some.

As far as crime and safety goes here is what I've found. Nashville does have it's fair share of crime. Almost everyday you'll see something on the news about a shooting or robbery but don't let that scare you because I have personally never seen any sort of violent crime myself, it's usually in certain areas and you'll figure those out quickly. I wouldn't live downtown because I don't like the city but that's just my personal opinion. Nashville is growing at a fairly decent rate and there are a lot of new apartments going up all over. One of my favorite places to be is in Hendersonville which is about 15-20 mins northeast of the city on a good day. I've always felt safe in Hendersonville, Franklin, Brentwood and in Mount Juliet as well. Apartments are everywhere so you should be able to find something at a decent price. One good thing is that our economy hasn't been hit nearly as hard as most of the country so living here is still (somewhat) affordable.

On the weather side of things you'll be fine if you like hot weather. It gets really hot in the summer sometimes hitting 100 for a week or two but you need to factor in the humidity as well, we have a lot of that. In the winter we typically get into the upper 20's for highs for a few weeks but winters are normally around 30-40 degrees. I'm trying to move to Washington state to get away from this hellish hot weather so you and I are completely different in that regard.

To sum it up, it sounds like you'd like it here.

[Darodgers]

Hi, my husband just got offered a job in the Harding/I 24 area. I don't like the area and we hoping to fine affordable apts never by.

The company is relocating to downtown Nashville in about six months. My husband also has interstate driving anxiety issues.
We would like to find a studio, or one bedroom, our range is 500.00 to 700.00. We still have a house in Ky we are paying on and funds are tight.

I appreciate all info ASAP .

Thanks denise

[CountryGirl2b=]

That's a very low price point for apartments in Nashville . . as you probably already know. I had friends who lived in Antioch which doesn't have the greatest reputation but it's a big area and some parts are fine. Anyway, he lived here:

Apartments - Pinnacle Heights Apartments

Didn't have any problems. The one bedroom is $739. It's up a steep road, out of the way. I just wanted you to know you CAN find something in your price range but it will take some looking and possibly not living in Nashville but further out.

When you say your husband has "interstate driving anxiety" do you mean concerning moving here or do you mean, in general, he doesn't like driving on highways? There are actually a lot of alternative routes in Nashville. The city is in the middle and major roads (streets, not all highways) spread out like spokes of a wheel. So I think you can, eventually, get anywhere, including downtown Nashville, without driving on the highway. I do it all the time!

[artemis]

I'd probably be looking in the Donelson area.

[artemis]

Interstate 24 will give anyone anxiety issues. That's one busy highway, one that I avoid if at all possible.