It's official..moving to Nashville. Someone please help!! (Franklin, Hendersonville: rental, transfer to)

[SINGLEMOMX4]

I am single mother of two daughters, ages 11 and 12 and we are moving to Nashville at the end of March. I am a nurse and have accepted a position in long term care in the Donelson area. I am needing help with finding the best area to reside in. I will be renting for the first year, in an attempt to get a feel for the city. I have narrowed my search down to Hendersonville or Franklin (I think..). Of course I am looking for the safest area, good schools (after-school programs and/or a YMCA) and a decent commute. Any information offered is greatly appreciated...Thanks

[alleycat]

Have you ruled out living in Donelson or Hermitage. I have friends with children who live there and they are happy with it for the most part. The schools in that area might not have quite the ranking that the ones in Franklin do, but there could other advantages, such as being near Nashville Shores--fun for the kids in summer.

The commute to and from Franklin wouldn't be terrible, but it could become a problem with you being a single parent with two young children.

Except possibly for the commute, I think you would like living in either Franklin or Hendersonville. This is a very kid friendly area, so there are lots of activities and things for kids (sports, the Adventure Science Center, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, music, youth ballet, etc.).

[SINGLEMOMX4]

Alleycat, I haven't ruled out much. The two areas I mentioned were the ones that had been mentioned to me by others who have visited, know people who've visited, etc. After researching both, they sounded like a pretty good fit. I will be making my third visit this weekend and will definitely be looking into the areas you have mentioned.

The closer it gets to March, the more terrified I've become of making the wrong decision about location..thank you much for the reply.

[alleycat]

Franklin or Hendersonville would probably be a good fit and are both good places to live, I'm just not sure you would like the commute from Franklin to Donelson. Again, it's not terrible, and it will depend on the exact time you commute, but it might be more of a problem for you with the kids. I'm just thinking out loud here.

There are a number of regulars on this forum. We might all have our opinions about something, but we try to steer someone in the best general direction. We would tell you if we thought you were making a terrible decision about where to live.

You might also look at Mt. Juliet. I'm not sure about the schools, but I think they are good. Mt. Juliet used to be a rural area 40 years ago, but it's grown in the past few years and is more like a town now, although a sprawling one.

[artemis]

I would look at Mount Juliet. It would be a much easier commute to Donelson from there.

[nashvols]

I would agree that Donelson and Hermitage are certainly places to consider. I especially like the Donelson area, because it is well-located within the city (it's 6-8 miles from downtown, and relatively centrally located for a suburban neighborhood within the metro area). It has a nice community feel, and is pretty safe, but it is a neighborhood, not a separate town like the other places you are considering (if that factors in any way -- you would be part of a much larger city, not a town or mid-sized city, which has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on perspective).

One knock would be the school system. I don't think the schools in that area are too bad -- and it should be noted that within Nashville, there is a chance to get into the magnet school program, which is absolutely top notch -- if your kids have the test scores...and by lottery. So there are no guarantees there. But if schools are a top priority, and private schools are not an option, then most would agree that at present, your best options would be outside of Davidson County (that will hopefully change in time, but as of now, this is true).

I also agree with above posters that Mount Juliet should be a consideration -- and perhaps moreso than Franklin or Hendersonville, if you plan to stay at this job for a while. It would be a better commute, for sure, and it is a nice community. I personally like Franklin and Hendersonville better, but not by such a margin that would make up for a favorable commute. In the end, though, it should be about which community that you feel the most comfortable with. If you think that you might transfer to another job in the future, then it really doesn't matter which of these communities, as there might be openings closer to home, and each of the ones being considered are about 18-20 miles from Nashville (though in different directions).

[UNITYinternational]

I wouldn't want to rent in H'ville or Franklin and then have to buy somewhere else and change school districts because of commute or budget issues.

Hermitage or Mt. Juliette would give you the option of renting somewhere nice and possibly buying in the same area so that your daughters wouldn't have to change schools.

Franklin or H'ville to Donelson could be a drag of a commute depending on the time of day and a some point your daughters will be in two different schools that start at different times which could make for hectic drop offs.

[N.Cal]

Franklin or H'ville to Donelson could be a drag of a commute depending on the time of day and a some point your daughters will be in two different schools that start at different times which could make for hectic drop offs.

Also, keep in mind your plans on all the days when school gets called out early or cancelled. Do you really want to be that far away?

[DonCorleone]

I would look at Mt. Juliet first due to commute, quality schools, and overall quality of life there. I think it is a decision you wouldn't regret, certainly for a 1-2 year rental term. Hendersonville would also be a good option, but the commute to Donelson is a little onerous. Depending on what part of Hendersonville you're driving from and what part of Donelson you're driving to it could take 25-45 minutes. MtJ's commute would be more along the lines of 15-30 minutes for comparison. Franklin is a great area, but you'd have to be making a major trade-off on commute time to live there. Personally, I wouldn't make that trade-off when there are other good areas closer to Donelson.

[Drake744]

Hermitage and Donelson are good options as long as you're okay with the "Metro" Public School system rather than a suburban one. Metro schools are fine, but I'm sure any newcomer to any city may be wary of the idea. I'd look at the Providence area in Mt. Juliet. Much more convenient to Donelson and is located basically right off I-40. Good schools and a cheaper alternative to Franklin, with a better commute.