Moving to Nashville from Los Angeles (Memphis: lease, vehicle registration, mortgage)

[hml1976]

Agree. I would spend the money and deal with the commute and live in West End or Hillsboro.

When my husband and I moved from NYC to Nashville in 2003 I worked in La Vergne and it was like a bizarre new world to me, serious culture shock. Do yourself a favor and live near the city and enjoy the nightlife, it will make the transition easier.

I should mention that I love Nashville now...but I still avoid La Vergne like the plague

[vlv723]

Hi All,

I really appreciate all the advice you've given.

So now, my goal is to find a roommate in Green Hills/Hillsboro area and hopefully it will accept my dog...it's a small dog.

I've seen that place in Smyrna...I am a quiet guy, but since I'll be new to the area, it'll be better off to explore the city and nightlife.

[vlv723]

Bump...

So, after talking with family, they recommend living independently, even if it's a studio.

I did see 2 studio apartments: one nearby the airport and another in Madison, TN. The one in the airport (on Thompson Lane) is less than $400 while the Madison one is probably between the $450 range.

I don't have much to bring besides my personal belongings (clothes, computer, car, etc.) and my dog. I can just buy furniture off of Craigslist or Wal-Mart =P

I still want to live with roommates but two things concern me besides having a dog, which I know most won't accept:

-Race factor: I'm Asian/Pacific Islander...or should I say, Filipino. I wonder if that will be a problem finding roommates.
-Should I start finding now or when I get there? If I choose to get there, what is a cheap place where I can temporarily live while I look to find a place. My co-worker would let me but since he has cats and I have a dog...wouldn't be a good idea.

Please advise...thanks again in advance.

[scottv]

I don't think your race will be an issue with finding a roommate, especially if it's in the city-there are some Asians around Nashville...I hate to say it, but unless you get a cheap apartment around a college area in a place like Madison or near the airport you might be living next to a crackhead...it will be tough finding a place long distance, so if I were you I would crash at your coworkers place and throw them a little cash while you look...try to figure out a way to have your dog get along with the cat

then look around craigslist for a good housing situation-good luck

[vlv723]

Hey all,

So I might finally close the deal with a person who is renting a room in Brentwood. So hopefully, once I finally hit the city limits, I can go straight moving in.

Now, from what the person told me, there's no internet available (which I really need), I'm willing to get the service myself. What internet services are available in the Brentwood area. I need to find something that is fast and not too expensive.

Also, what is a good gym to go to and how much is the monthly membership? Thanks in advance.

[Tennesseeride]

Symrna is good the SAm Ridley rd has a few decent apartments. Enough shopping and the hospitol is near, you can drive down Murfreesboro Rd to Murfreeboro city or get on the Hwy I-24 to Murfreesboro for more shopping and resturants. I call it mini fun until you go to Nashville..big fun. Your commute will be much easier just staying in your own town. Murfreesboro is catching up there look at both towns for apartments and comparte gas and your life style. Mabe being close to friends will help the shock of relocating ....take it from me former Calfi of Silicone Valley. Have a good trip

[scottv]

There are YMCAs around Brentwood that are good for the money...$50ish/a month, could be less depending on your age/income...they have a website with pricing...comcast is the big internet provider, choices will probably be them or dsl through a phone provider, but i dont have a home phone (cell only) so i wouldnt know for sure...comcast sometimes has specials for the first 6 months for $20/month for existing cable customers...panera bread off old hickory blvd has free wifi

[vlv723]

Happy New Year!

So, looks like everything is set for me...the roommate (going to stay in Brentwood), the job, and the change of scenery. All I have to do is get over there.

You think driving from California to Nashville in 3 days is possible? I pretty much got my trip down: From my house to New Mexico to Arkansas to Nashville. (To=overnight stay)

Well, in Feb, my car is up for an annual registration renewal. Will it be a problem driving in TN with California License plates or should I apply registration to TN? According to my boss, it's cheaper there than here in California. If I pay now to get it renewed in California, it's $190. How much is it over there and what procedures I have to go through in order to get a TN license plate?

Not only that, in July, my CA driver's license is up for renewal as well. Same questions as above (do I need to take tests, difference between TN and CA, etc.)

Appreciated again with advice.

[alleycat]

In Nashville, it's $10 for the inspection fee, and $80 for tag renewal. I'm not sure what it is in Williamson County but it's probably similar. I don't know the answer to your other questions offhand Someone here who's moved to Tennessee can probably tell you. If not, you can call the Metro Nashville Trustee's office for information about registering your car . . . believe it or not, they are actually pretty helpful for a government agency. The Tennessee State Government can probably answer your question about driver's licenses.

I don't think I could drive from California to Tennessee in three days, but then I start getting really tired after about eight hours on the road and think it's better to stay at a cheap motel overnight. That's just me however. You may be able to start alert for longer than that.

[Curious...]

Originally Posted by vlv723

Hi All,

Next month, I'll be moving to the Nashville area from Los Angeles (West Covina to be exact). I'm really excited exploring a new city so far away from where I was born and raised at.

So, I'm a young guy (mid 20s), already has a job waiting (a transfer), and doing this at my own expense.

I'm finding a good area to live in along with my dog, with a rent budget of $400-$600 a month and be close to work (less than 10 miles and a 20 min commute). The office is in Smyrna, which is south of Nashville from what I researched. The area has to be low-crime as well...

It's going to be my first time renting a place and is it just a deposit along with first and last months rent? I thought it's just the deposit and first month's.

I don't watch much TV but a fast internet connection is a must as I may have to connect to the office. So who are the providers? I think it's Comcast and AT&T but what is better, price-wise since my budget is going to be crippled for a few months while I settle in.

I wonder what places I can visit for the first time as well as the weekend nightlife to hang out.

Anyways, I am looking forward to drive 2000 miles to my new location. I hope I love it since 3 of my co-workers transferred and said they love it.

Thanks for the advise and recommendations in advance!

From California? Well the first thing you will have to get used to in nashville is the southern poverty. The poorest parts (NOT the most most crime filled) of Oakland/Richmond/LA is like the average part of nashville. Poor in Nashville is like undescribible in Ca. Antioch is like compton (NOT in crime but demographics and geo) except with more black people but less mexicans. For example compton is in south LA, Antioch is in south Nashville. Compton has about 90,000-100,000 people, so does Antioch. Compton has less than 50% white people, so does Antioch. Compton has many immigrants, so does Antioch and its far from the mexican border! East Nashville is worst than East Oakland(IN crime and poorness) and the projects in EAST NASHVILLE are more black and ghetto than anypart of Oakland. East nashville beats Oakland in crime and its where most of the crime in nashville comes from, just in that area, (NOT all of it but a lot of it) thats scary! Nashville has more muslims than any city in Ca or in the USA (except Detroit or Chicago). North Nashville is the poorest part of the town and probobly more poor than the poorest part of LA. North Nashville is also one of the african american sides of town and gets a lot of crime like East Nashville. South Nashville is the most diverse side of the city. It is more just as diverse as The bay( SF freamont okalnad san jose) if not more. South Nashville has a lot of immigrants and african americans have a really really HUGE presance their unlike most of the bay. South Nashville has blacks, wjites, mexicans, asians, bosnians, afghans, kuds, somalians, puerto ricans, indians(from india), american indians, and every other race. Prostitution in nashville is know where near california but the hot spots would be in isolated areas and East Nashville- the worst part of town. We have a district in North West Nashville called Bordeaux. Bordeaux is exactly like crenshaw. Bordeaux is about 93% african american. Bordeaux only has about 16,000 people. Our inglewood and your inglewood have a few same characteristics. Nashville's Inglewood has only a few dangerous spots compared to inglewoods and the demographics are about the same except inglewoodhas more black people. Nashville also has some semi ghettos like Madison and Gallaitin just like LA. I am sure you know what i mean because LA is filled with them, the only ones i can think of now is Carson and some parts of Long Beach. We love our Tennessee Titans just as much as you guys love your Raiders and 49ers. We dont worry about forest fires here, tornados are what cause trouble here. Gallatin was destroyed in lik 2005/2006. We also have rich parts like LA. Brentwood,Berry Hill, Green Hills, Franklin, Belle Meade, Goodletteville, Hendersonville, and countless more are just as rich as LA. These cities are like our Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, Santa Moncia, Hollywood, and all LA's other rich cities. Your Brentwood and Nashville's Brentwood are both extremely rich. We also have celeberties that recide here in the rich parts. Rodeo drive in LA is like Music row in Nashville. Nashville is getting taller buildings than LA. LA is a little bigger right noe but in late 08, early 09 we are getting a 70 story skyscraper that is a little bit bigger than the Chrystler building in NYC. The building is called the signature tower and it will be the 3rd highest building in ther USA next to the empire state building and the sears tower in chicago. We are also getting to other buildins made at the same time, but not as big. The gangs are een the same lol. Nashville has Bloods, Crips, MS13, BROWN PRIDE, SERANEOS, HOVVER, SCK, AND SEPERATE SETS OF BLOODS AND CRIPS ENEMY TO EACH OTHER. BUT IN NASHVILLE THEY DONT KILL EACH OTHER FOR STEPPING INTO ANOTHER ONES TURF NOT YET ANYWAY. NASHVILLES GANG UNIT IS DOING A VERY GOOD JOB.