Nashville vs. Louisville (Knoxville, Chattanooga, Murfreesboro: condo, neighborhood, construction)

[ariesjow]

Originally Posted by IngleDave

I've always loved Louisville for the very reasons stated. Alleycat is right on with the fact that those other cities were much larger than Nashville much earlier. Don't forget Birmingham in that mix as it contains magnificent older building stock of which I'm quite envious. Nashville has become a hot spot of the early 21st century and will remain so. I'm sometimes torn between my love of the old architecture and the new. I'm very happy that the preservationists and historians are now doing what they can to save what he have left, but I can't help but get a sense of renewed spirit when I walk through downtown and drive through the surrounding neighborhoods and watch a new city being built around us with contemporary designs and amenities. I'll second the notion that in five years we won't recognize this place, but will love it as it is. We're very lucky in being close enough to take day trips to our older, formerly larger peer cities to enjoy what they can offer in much the same way residents of those cities come to Nashville to see what's going on here. I've never really understood the battles that often ensue, but rather enjoy our southeastern neighborhood for everything is gives us within a 200-mile radius.

I agree with you, Dave. I think these city vs. city quibbles are silly especially when we're talking about cities that are way more comparable than they are different. Let's admit that both Louisville and Nashville are great nearby cities with their own histories, successes, and flaws and move on. Neither city can mirror the "city life" of old American mega-cities like NYC or Chicago or newer ones like Atlanta or Miami. They are Nashville and Louisville and they have and will continue to create their own definitions of what it means to be a part of a city.

[weasel2110]

Well, I have to say that I work in Louisville and I drive by many slummy areas. Every big city has them!

[censusdata]

I am not as familiar with Nashville, but based on what I've seen...

I would say that most areas near Downtown Louisville are probably cleaner, safer, and more vibrant than what I've seen of Nashville. There are bad areas West of Downtown, but there are really nice areas South and East of there.

Jefferson County and Davidson County have grown about exactly the same since 2000, despite the fact that nearly all of Jefferson's growth comes from urban fill in, since there are basically no rural parts of the county left. Louisville also has a much lower crime rate (7th safest city >500k) than Nashville 6th most dangerous city >500k)

I would think Louisville's park system would win hands down, with three parks of 400+ acres connected by 30 miles of tree lined parkways, which were designed by the same guy that did NYC's Central Park. There is also a new waterfront park that is 300+ acres and growing

Obviously, Nashville's surrounding counties - and thus the metro area as a whole- are growing exponentially more than Louisville's are - that's a statistical fact.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I would think Louisville's park system would win hands down, with three parks of 400+ acres connected by 30 miles of tree lined parkways, which were designed by the same guy that did NYC's Central Park. There is also a new waterfront park that is 300+ acres and growing.

There's a single park area here with 2684 acres (Warner Parks). I'm not sure but I think there's something like 20 or 25 other parks, plus greenbelts and nature areas.

I believe you're thinking of Olmstead as the designer of Central Park.

[IngleDave]

I don't want to get into a park fight, but while we're talking land area, don't forget Beaman Park in northwest Davidson at almost 1800 acres. A hikers paradise. And just wait till you get a load of the pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland providing a link to almost 30 miles of greenway from downtown to Priest Lake. I'm off topic, but you guys need to see this thing when the suspension cables are set. It's a beautiful bridge and can be seen easily from Briley. It should open in the spring.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I am not as familiar with Nashville, but based on what I've seen...

I would say that most areas near Downtown Louisville are probably cleaner, safer, and more vibrant than what I've seen of Nashville. There are bad areas West of Downtown, but there are really nice areas South and East of there.

Jefferson County and Davidson County have grown about exactly the same since 2000, despite the fact that nearly all of Jefferson's growth comes from urban fill in, since there are basically no rural parts of the county left. Louisville also has a much lower crime rate (7th safest city >500k) than Nashville 6th most dangerous city >500k)

I would think Louisville's park system would win hands down, with three parks of 400+ acres connected by 30 miles of tree lined parkways, which were designed by the same guy that did NYC's Central Park. There is also a new waterfront park that is 300+ acres and growing

Obviously, Nashville's surrounding counties - and thus the metro area as a whole- are growing exponentially more than Louisville's are - that's a statistical fact.

For starters, the Census bureau has revised its population estimate for Davidson County so that Davidson County's 2005 estimate is up 6.6 percent since the 2000 Census. Jefferson County (Louisville) saw an increase of less than 1 percent.

Nashville population up 6.6% - Nashville Business Journal:

As others have pointed out, Nashville has gigantic city parks that dwarf anything in Louisville. And they haven't even mentioned 1200-acre Radnor Lake, a state natural area also located within Davidson County. (*Side note: Shelby Farms in Memphis, at 4500 acres, is the largest urban park in the country.)

Davidson County wouldn't be growing so quickly if it were as dirty and crime-ridden as you described. On the contrary, the areas around downtown Nashville are thriving. As skycraperpage. com illustrates, Nashville has 77 high-rises with 8 more under construction. Louisville has 53 high-rises with 1 under construction.

All it takes is a quick drive along Broadway and West End between Nashville and Broadway to see clusters of new high-rises and the huge, beautiful, well manicured urban neighborhoods surrounding several universities and Music Row. And thanks to all those college students and aspiring musicians, Nashville has a gazillion more things to do than most comparably-sized cities its size (including Louisville). Foreign guides to American cities routinely list Nashville as one of the places to see. In the years I lived overseas (France, Belgium, the Philippines, China) I don't recall anyone ever aspiring to visit Louisville. A guide book I saw over the summer for French college students visiting the US had an entire chapter on Nashville and Memphis. Louisville wasn't even mentioned.

From 2000-2006 Davidson County saw 22,988 new single-family homes. Jefferson County saw 18,419 new homes. Davidson County is 4 percent rural, Jefferson County is 2 percent rural. (We can thank city-data.com for those stats, by the way.) So whatever urban in-fill is taking place in Jefferson County is even more prolific in Davidson County, especially considering the hundreds of additional acres in parks that Davidson County has over Jefferson County.

[censusdata]

I'm not sure about both counties being nearly the same percent rural because Jefferson Co has nearly twice the population density as Davidson does (1,801 to 1,135). Davidson Co is also 25% larger in land area than Jefferson.

Regardless of new housing starts, Davidson only outgrew Jefferson by less than 1,000 people, 8,805 to 7,896. A lot of Louisville's fill in comes from abandoned buildings being reoccupied by immigrant groups such as Somalis and Muslims, and not just new construction.

Davidson County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
Jefferson County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

As for the parks, I only mentioned the ones in the Old City limits designed by Olmsted. There are several other large parks in the suburbs that are over 300 acres, such as McNeely Park and EP Sawyer State Park. The city is going to add 1,500+ acres of parks along the Floyds Fork corridor as well. Jefferson Memorial Forest, which is maintained by the city, has over 6,000 acres

[JMT]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I'm not sure about both counties being nearly the same percent rural because Jefferson Co has nearly twice the population density as Davidson does (1,801 to 1,135). Davidson Co is also 25% larger in land area than Jefferson.

Regardless of new housing starts, Davidson only outgrew Jefferson by less than 1,000 people, 8,805 to 7,896. A lot of Louisville's fill in comes from abandoned buildings being reoccupied by immigrant groups such as Somalis and Muslims, and not just new construction.
]

Nope, Davidson County added nearly 40,000 between 2000-2005. The Census Bureau revised its estimates:

2005 Estimates Challenges

Nashville also has a lot of immigrants. According to the Census Bureau, between 2000-2006 Nashville added over 25,000 immigrants, Louisville added under 12,000. The Census Bureau says that in 2006 Davidson County had 60,854 foreign-born residents. Jefferson County had 32,759. Nashville is also home to the country's largest Kurdish community, one reason Nashville was one of only 5 cities in the country to hold Iraqi elections last year:

Nashville proud to be home of Little Kurdistan

As far as suburban parks go, I'll have to sit down and count, but I would seriously doubt that Louisville's suburbs have as many acres of parks as Nashville's suburbs given all the large state parks (and even a couple of national battlefields) that are in the city's ring counties.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by JMT

Nope, Davidson County added nearly 40,000 between 2000-2005. The Census Bureau revised its estimates:

2005 Estimates Challenges

Nashville also has a lot of immigrants. According to the Census Bureau, between 2000-2006 Nashville added over 25,000 immigrants, Louisville added under 12,000. The Census Bureau says that in 2006 Davidson County had 60,854 foreign-born residents. Jefferson County had 32,759. Nashville is also home to the country's largest Kurdish community, one reason Nashville was one of only 5 cities in the country to hold Iraqi elections last year:

Nashville proud to be home of Little Kurdistan

As far as suburban parks go, I'll have to sit down and count, but I would seriously doubt that Louisville's suburbs have as many acres of parks as Nashville's suburbs given all the large state parks (and even a couple of national battlefields) that are in the city's ring counties.

First, be careful with ESTIMATES. They are only that. Next, I hate this city versus city crap but here ya go. Nashville and Louisville have both been booming with immigrants for awhile, mainly because they had so few immigrants before:
Carnegie Reporter, Vol. 3, No. 3 | New Immigrants in New Places: America's Growing "Global Interior"

"One of the most striking differences among today's immigrants and refugees is where they settle. Nashville is part of a new American frontier sometimes called the "global interior" that runs from Minnesota to Texas where immigrants and refugees have moved in unprecedented numbers since 1990. Of the nation's one hundred largest metropolitan areas, Nashville ranks first in the number of new immigrants arriving from 1991 to 1998 relative to the number of foreign-born counted there in 1990. Atlanta, Georgia is second and Louisville, Kentucky is third."


Louisville is a much OLDER, denser, more eclectic city than Nashville. Also, I am definitely going with Louisville on parks here. Nashville doesn't have a 6,000 acre muncipal forest within its city limits nor does it have historic parks lined by parkways designed by Olmstead. Furthermore, Louisville has perhaps the largest suburban park expansion in the country that will create a 100 MILE RING around Louisville-Jefferson, adding literally THOUSANDS of acres of parks in the suburbs:

LouisvilleKy.gov - City of Parks - City of Parks


I've lived in both cities. Nashville has a more vibrant, tourist friendly downtown (at this point). The MSA is also growing faster, and the economy is a little better (not that Louisville's is bad its just not in the boom that Nashville is). But all in all, Louisville is 10 times as interesting for anyone interested in histroric, urban, walkable neighborhoods and a sense of place with local restaurants and boutiques. Both are great growing cities that are similar in size but realistically much different in many ways, especially culturally. Also, Louisville is a much more urban, concentrated city. Nashville is more spread among multiple centers with Franklin and Mufreesboro. Louisville has nothing like Franklin outside its core county.

[alleycat]

Why ARE we spending so much time on Louisville in the Nashville and Tennessee forums? I'm sure Louisville is a fine place to live, and I can understand someone who is trying to chose between the two cities asking questions, but there's been several posts lately with little other point that to try to find some justification why one is better than the other (can't both just be great places to live?). It's beginning to sound like a pi$$ing contest. This thread seems to have been started months ago just to start a flame war.

Just my opinion . . . which is worth what anyone paid for it.