Fill Me In About Nashville, Tennessee Please! (Portland, Charlotte: student loans, neighborhoods)

[darrenlamb45]

Hi all,

I am currently a college student who is casually searching for potential biggish cities to move to after graduation. I actually visited the Nashville area last summer and really enjoyed it. I had initially feared that Nashville would be entirely too country, but it truthfully is not (from what I could tell anyways).

That said, the main reason I am writing this thread is that I have heard that Nashville is relatively affordable for being a rather large city. Can anyone familiar with the area attest to that? I've searched and done research on many similar sized cities (Denver, Boston, Portland, Seattle, Twin Cities, ect, ect) and I have found that they are all pretty pricey.

I, myself, plan to work in the human services (part of the reason I'm looking for cheaper alternatives). My rough estimations put my intended take-home salary around $32,000-$40,000 right out of college (I attended community college my first two years for free. That said, I only have two years of a cheapish public school in student loans).

I am also receiving a Spanish minor. What is the Hispanic population like down there (I'm from Illinois, hence "down there" haha)? If it's a large percentage, it's not a deal breaker by any means. Are there any predominately Hispanic neighborhoods?

Also, assuming I can all goes well financially, what are some good neighborhoods/parts of town that younger college grads seem to migrate to? I know there are a lot of universities/colleges in Nashville, but are there any young adult-specific parts of town? Just curious.

Just as an observation, the main part I visited of Nashville was East Nashville which I enjoyed thoroughly. From my observation, it seemed a little bit more alternative (maybe hippie too? probably the wrong word). Again, can any tell me if that assumption is close-ish? I really enjoyed the fact that I got into a bar for $5 and watched tons of great bands for a few hours.

Lastly, and probably the least important as far as actually living in the city goes, but what is the music scene like down there? I am HUGE concert goer, I still buy CDs, I'd buy vinyl if I had a record player, I buy the books my favorite musicians write, ect, ect.

Anyways, before ever actually visiting, like I mentioned earlier, my perception of Nashville was very country. I was completely wrong. However, because it is the Mecca for country artists, what is Nashville's ability to get non-country shows like? Specifically metal (pick any sub genre) and/or hard rock. Is there an indie/folk scene down there too? I saw via my "BandsInTown" app that the likes of Tool, Slayer, and Lamb of God are gracing (pun) Nashville's presence. Are bands like these a common occurrence?

Thanks for reading and your future responses! It is very much appreciated!

[darrenlamb45]

If it's not a large population***

[adele115]

Originally Posted by darrenlamb45

Hi all,

I am currently a college student who is casually searching for potential biggish cities to move to after graduation. I actually visited the Nashville area last summer and really enjoyed it. I had initially feared that Nashville would be entirely too country, but it truthfully is not (from what I could tell anyways).

That said, the main reason I am writing this thread is that I have heard that Nashville is relatively affordable for being a rather large city. Can anyone familiar with the area attest to that? I've searched and done research on many similar sized cities (Denver, Boston, Portland, Seattle, Twin Cities, ect, ect) and I have found that they are all pretty pricey.

I, myself, plan to work in the human services (part of the reason I'm looking for cheaper alternatives). My rough estimations put my intended take-home salary around $32,000-$40,000 right out of college (I attended community college my first two years for free. That said, I only have two years of a cheapish public school in student loans).

I am also receiving a Spanish minor. What is the Hispanic population like down there (I'm from Illinois, hence "down there" haha)? If it's a large percentage, it's not a deal breaker by any means. Are there any predominately Hispanic neighborhoods?

Also, assuming I can all goes well financially, what are some good neighborhoods/parts of town that younger college grads seem to migrate to? I know there are a lot of universities/colleges in Nashville, but are there any young adult-specific parts of town? Just curious.

Just as an observation, the main part I visited of Nashville was East Nashville which I enjoyed thoroughly. From my observation, it seemed a little bit more alternative (maybe hippie too? probably the wrong word). Again, can any tell me if that assumption is close-ish? I really enjoyed the fact that I got into a bar for $5 and watched tons of great bands for a few hours.

Lastly, and probably the least important as far as actually living in the city goes, but what is the music scene like down there? I am HUGE concert goer, I still buy CDs, I'd buy vinyl if I had a record player, I buy the books my favorite musicians write, ect, ect.

Anyways, before ever actually visiting, like I mentioned earlier, my perception of Nashville was very country. I was completely wrong. However, because it is the Mecca for country artists, what is Nashville's ability to get non-country shows like? Specifically metal (pick any sub genre) and/or hard rock. Is there an indie/folk scene down there too? I saw via my "BandsInTown" app that the likes of Tool, Slayer, and Lamb of God are gracing (pun) Nashville's presence. Are bands like these a common occurrence?

Thanks for reading and your future responses! It is very much appreciated!

I suggest posting this in the Nashville forum where you are likely to get more first hand experience. You can also include "ex-Chicagoans in Nashville" to get a direct comparison.

[NOLA101]

Nashville is a booming Sunbelt town. Not at all "country" unless you get out of the city. The closest analogue would probably be Charlotte.

[usamathman]

Yeah. Wrong thread. I am from Nashville. It is no way on the level of Chicago. But, it is a really nice midsized city. Lots of good music.....sports (professional and collegiate).....and plenty of food and good shopping. Has gotten expensive over the past three or four years. If you are looking for a slower place than Chicago it is definitely a place to consider.

[long101]

Coming from someone who has been visiting Nashville annually for years... It has gotten extremely expensive over the past few years. I was there a few months ago and there were tons of new buildings being built. I spent half my time complaining about the cost of a beer, I swear they doubled in 5 years.

Also depending on where you live in Nasville, theres a very good chance you will have to own a car. Something that you can pretty easily get away with in Chicago.

Overall I love Nashville. Its North enough that you get 4 seasons, but south enough that the winter is not bad. However I dont think I can ever move there after living in Chicago, especially with a somewhat similar COL

[BRU67]

Does anyone but me find it interesting that this poster is nowhere to be found on the Nashville board?

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by BRU67

Does anyone but me find it interesting that this poster is nowhere to be found on the Nashville board?

Yes, and why is the question posted in the Chicago forum?

[janet bubby]

Originally Posted by BRU67

Does anyone but me find it interesting that this poster is nowhere to be found on the Nashville board?

If you find someone with only 9 posts misposting to be "interesting", then yeah.

[titanspreds_04]

Things to know about Nashville:

-Yes, a large pop of Chicagoans have, for whatever reason, moved here.
-Its annoying because most of them moved here because they "fell in love with country music". How original. LOL
-They whine and complain about in chicago we had ths or we had that. blah blah blah
-They all aggresively denounce Illinois and blame their old state for every possible mishap they have ever faced in life.
-They fake southern accents and are rude to tourists for making Nashville too crowded.
-They think they are the first people to "discover" new neighborhoods in Nashville.

-Alas, the Chicagoans are still here in TN.