The truth about Springfield (Greenbrier, Coopertown: zoned, housing, corporate)

[Il-native]

Hi All- We are considering purchasing a home in Springfield. I seems that the public schools may have some problems. I am ok with private schools, but is the area safe? Also is the commute to downtown Nashville really about 30 minutes? We have 2 children 7 and 9 and safety is a major concern. We are moving from a rural town in Illinois.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[alleycat]

I can't help you a lot with the public schools. I haven't really heard of anything particularly bad about the schools there, but there very well could be, especially with the high schools.

While Springfield is a small town, it is large enough to have some good areas and some that are not as desirable. Overall, I would say it's a pretty safe place to live.

As far as the commute, a lot depend on how close someone is to I-24. If you live on the south side of Springfield or Robertson County (around the Coopertown area), then the commute would be around 30 minutes or less, IF there's not a bottleneck at the Trinity Lane area nearer downtown Nashville. Getting from downtown to the I-65/I-24 split in the afternoon would probably be your biggest problem with the commute, that, and getting out of the downtown itself. If you lived in the northern part of Springfield, then you can add several minutes to the commute time.

I mentioned Coopertown, which is an separate town from Springfield that is also in Robertson County; there is also Pleasant View in the northern part of Cheatham County and right across I-24/US 41-A from Coopertown. Both of these are relatively desirable areas; they were once mostly rural, but have grown a bit in the past few years. Neither is really a town in the classic sense however; they are incorporated towns for political reasons (I'm not sure if Pleasant View is even an incorporated town).

If you want to know more about the schools in Pleasant View let me know. I just happen to have two "adopted" grandkids (13 and 10) who go to public school there.

[46Barb]

If you go a little further south of Springfield (less commute to Nashville), you will find the towns of Ridge Top and Greenbrier which are very nice.

[Il-native]

Thanks for the information. The issue is we found a house we love in Springfield and are trying to make a decision on the area. Please help if anyone lives there or knows the area well. Thanks

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by Il-native

Thanks for the information. The issue is we found a house we love in Springfield and are trying to make a decision on the area. Please help if anyone lives there or knows the area well. Thanks

What part of Springfield?

[Il-native]

southwest of town, between 431 and 49, off Lahr Road

[alleycat]

I'm somewhat familiar with that area. The west end of Lahr Road is somewhat rural with just a smattering of houses. Over on the east end, where Lahr runs into S. Main, there is a YMCA and a new park. The area east and to the north of there along S. Main isn't a great area. If I remember correctly, there is what's sometimes called Section 8 (subsidized) housing in the area. I don't want to dump on people just because they don't have a lot of money, but most poorer areas (as least non-rural poor areas), are usually not quite as safe as more affluent areas. I don't really know a lot about that particular area however; might be the finest people in the world for all I know.

I hope that helps a little.

[TNNative]

I did a little research today by internet and if it is the house I think it is, I can see why you would love it. You can IM me and maybe I can check out the area a little closer for you sometime this weekend. That area would be close to I-24 either on 431 or 49, and the commute should be fairly smooth. While Robertson County does have some good schools, I don't know that the ones zoned for that area are that great now. I've been in both the elementary schools, one recently (but only to the office) and the other years and years ago. They are both in neighborhoods so they are not in the mainstream of town. I only know what I hear of SMS and SHS. Some good and some bad. Check out greatschools, the TN school report card or ratemyschool. This will give you a better idea.

[hguru]

Very nice area. I'm not too far away from where you are thinking about moving. It is as safe of place as any.

[TNNative]

Originally Posted by TNNative

I did a little research today by internet and if it is the house I think it is, I can see why you would love it. You can IM me and maybe I can check out the area a little closer for you sometime this weekend. That area would be close to I-24 either on 431 or 49, and the commute should be fairly smooth. While Robertson County does have some good schools, I don't know that the ones zoned for that area are that great now. I've been in both the elementary schools, one recently (but only to the office) and the other years and years ago. They are both in neighborhoods so they are not in the mainstream of town. I only know what I hear of SMS and SHS. Some good and some bad. Check out greatschools, the TN school report card or ratemyteachers. This will give you a better idea.

Correction...it's ratemyteachers.com