Information on Franklin & Brentwood Please!

[Tunky]

speaking as a white middle aged couple living in Franklin....we are not "white bread", aren't bigots and find people that are boring as dirt.

[greencard]

50% of Nashvillians moved here from California. Gays are quite welcome. Gays absolutely SAVED East Nashville. When gay couples moved here a decade back and started rehabbing the beautiful old houses, East Nashville was reinvented as an Arts community.

[mad fiddler]

Originally Posted by greencard

50% of Nashvillians moved here from California. Gays are quite welcome. Gays absolutely SAVED East Nashville. When gay couples moved here a decade back and started rehabbing the beautiful old houses, East Nashville was reinvented as an Arts community.

Gotta disagree. Some parts of Nashville are more gay-friendly than others, but I remember how unpleasant things got when Metro tried to pass a non-discrimination ordinance a couple of years ago.

They're about to introduce another one -- tomorrow, I think -- and though it will probably pass this time, a lot of people are going to fight it.

[greencard]

Last week the The City of Franklin, Mayor and Board of Alderman, decided our small neighborhood needed a sewer line.
They threatened to condemn our homes and take them from us if our septics failed. Each of the 10 property owners on our little street (many elderly) must now pay the city $15,000 whether we tap into the sewer line or not.
Should we chose to tap into the sewer line, we would have to tear up our paved driveway, lay 100 yards of pipe and pay to have our septic system removed.
If you were thinking of retiring in Franklin Tennessee, don't.

[anesthetistrick]

I agree Franklin/Brentwood are nice areas. I grew up in Franklin and still have family there. Now, I live in Virginia Beach. Presently, the problem with Franklin/Brentwood both are foo foo, yuppie, etc. Lots of stay at home soccer Moms driving around their one kid in large SUVs, going to the spa or having their foo foo coffee with 33 gms of sugar, etc. Then, they want to know why their waist and buttocks are resembling a spare tire. Have another Starbuck's coffee, your insulin levels are thanking you-- store fat, store fat-- looks like her butt and waist need more fat pockets. Franklin/Brentwood are all about status. Hope you have the income to keep up. Most are living up to their eyeballs in debt. Not all are healthcare professionals like myself, lawyers, athletes, country singers, etc. I still come back often to visit family. Would I ever return there permanently, not a chance. A little bit too slow for me. Unless you are into shopping, chain restaurants and being in redneck central, it may not be for you either. One good thing, most people are friendly with the exception of snobs who are transplants from the North or California. Another positive, crime is low, and its a great conservative family town. If you happen to be single, stay far away. Anyway, all of this comes from someone who grew up in Franklin. Again, I still make trips there to visit family. I will continue to visit, but I don't want to live there. Yes, it has changed quite a bit over the years. Hope this helps.

[danooyawka]

I live in Franklin, tho I'm originally from NYC. While there's a definite middle-America family vibe here, there's a lot of people from all over the country and a pretty well-educated demographic, so it's not especially narrow or provincial.
Depends on what your friend is looking for; a quiet suburban feel or a more urban, high-energy kind of place. Also, Nashville has an active gay community. Franklin's is darn near invisible. I'd suggest your friends come down and take a look for themselves.

[timandsu]

Tennessee has been run state-wide by Democrats for the last 120 years, and now the Republicans have taken over the state legislature and are likely to take over the governorship next year, so watch out. They've already put in guns in the bars and state parks. That being said, Williamson County is overwhelmingly republican and Brentwood has multi-million dollars homes stacked on top of one another. The country music people who live there build monster-sized houses. That being said, Nashville is a tolerant town, for the most part, and I would consider a move to East Nashville. It is undergoing a revitalization and is a very hip place to live, or Belmont and 12th Avenue, or Green Hills, where alternative lifestyles are more easily accepted. East Nashville has beautiful old homes that have become run down, but the historic neighborhoods are bringing them back. Just get a good realtor and watch where you buy.