Carthage..Pleasant Shade area (Memphis, Cookeville: for sale, jobs, hospitals)

[gdb120]

We will be coming down from Northern Indiana to the Carthage/Pleasant Shade are this week to view some property to buy..can anyone give me any information on this area?..hospitals/Drs/Vets..anything at all..I'm assuming there are large hospitals that specialize in Nashville?..thanks so much donna

[alleycat]

I can't help much with your questions about Carthage.

Nashville is a regional medical center with several respected hospitals, two medicals schools, and a world-class children's hospital.

[JMT]

As usual, alleycat is right on.

I'd like to add that I suspect many people in Carthage don't go all the way to Nashville for medical care. The hospitals in Cookeville and Lebanon probably offer many of the specialties that used to exist only in big cities.

[alicenavada]

Hello! You came to the right place. I actually live in Pleasant Shade. We bought 20 acres here back in 2005 and built a home on the property. We have lived here since February of 2006. It is a GORGEOUS area. The land is largely untouched and uncultivated but redbud trees grow wild and deer feed right in your front yard (which could be a bad or a good thing depending on whether they are eating something you've labored over...he heh). The hills are beautiful and the people, although clannish, are friendly. I am from Memphis Tn so this rural life is a big change for me. But my husband is from Lebanon (about 35 miles away, going toward Nashville) so this is the area he was raised in. I have three boys, ages 8, 4, and 7 mos.

Here are a few bits of info:

Shopping/ Entertainment: Carthage, Hartsville, and Lafayette are small towns about the same distance from Pleasant Shade-15 minutes or so. All are about the same size w/ little choices for shopping, a few fast food joints, local furniture stores, and a grocery store or two. Carthage just got a Super Wal Mart (the smallest in the nation incidentally) and Lafayette has one too. Hartsville has some local grocery stores but not much else. For 'real' shopping (cothing, a Home Depot, movie theaters, and good restaurants), you'll have to drive to Lebanon (about 45 minutes) or Cookeville (also about 45 minutes). Gallatin is another choice and yes-it's another 45 minute drive. See a pattern here? Pleasant Shade/Carthage are very centrally located.

Doctors: Carthage has a hospital and the ER has served us well. But my kids' doctor is in Lebanon and he's a GREAT one. I would not want any other pediatrician. Medical care in Lebanon has been nothing but a positive experience for us. I had by last two children at UMC and things were fine. My OBGYN is also in Lebanon and he's good too. I was a little concerned about the drive since my labors go quickly but it actually worked out (though I was only at the hsp for 45 minutes before I delivered this last time!). And of course, the Riverview Med Center in Carthage was onthe way, if I thought I couldnt make it. Incidentally, I had my first baby in Nashville ( my husband and I lived in Hermitage at the time) and the experience was much less personable and enjoyable. I like the smaller town dynamic.

Vets: are GREAT in rural towns because they have experience w/ all kinds of animals and seem to take their jobs very seriously. The Carthage vet is a great one.

Schools: Public School is what it is. Most of them are mediocre. But Defeated ELementary where my son goes is a good one, nonetheless. His teachers are friendly and the classes are small. I get annoyed when I feel the teachers are too strict w/ the curriculum and 'close-minded' when it comes to anything they aren't familiar with. And i also hate the fact that people around her (even teachers) blindly accept things as fact simply because that's they way they heard it as kids-such as urban legends and 'science facts' that have been since proven to be wrong. My son had a polite debate with his teacher a few weeks ago about whether toads give you warts. My son was right of course...he's seven, after all.

Churches-If you are religiously inclined, Carthage has alot of different denominations and most of the residents are pretty devout. I'm a Jehovah's Witness and am definitely in the minority, but there is a small congregation of 59 nevertheless.

The downside to living here is DEFINITELY the allergy/ sinus problems we experience. It has gotten worse since we moved to this more rural area. We love Nevada and Utah so we're going to try a move there to see if our symptoms improve. So we'll be putting our place up for sale in the next 6 months. We bit off more than we could chew, it seems. My husband spends alot of time driving to and from work and therefore, the only time he has to work our property is the weekend. So 'free time' is almost nonexistent for him. Keeping it maintained is very daunting and we would like to see it in the hands of someone who has the time and funds to keep it nice.

If you'd like more info or to see some pictures of the area, let me know via private message.

[alicenavada]

Oh yeah, something else about Nashville hospitals that may set your mind at rest. Vanderbilt is considered by many to be one of the best hospitals in the country and both UMC in Lebanon and RIverview in Carthage over 'life-flight' to Vanderbilt in the event of special circumstances. A friend of mine was in a car wreck a few years ago ona back road close to our house...she was cut out of the car and taken by ambulance to Riverview where they deemed her injuries more serious than they were equipped to handle so they called the helicopter in. She was at Vandy in less than 30 minutes...

[ljse]

I am from alabama but my aunt an unkle and 2 cusins live in smith county TN and i would say that lebanon would be your best bet for hospital, shopping, ect. Also i would take into consideration that like here in my part of alabama, folks from smith couty TN tend to be somewhat clannish, meaning that they arnt very accepting to outsiders. So unless you have familly or some other ties to the area i wouldnt expect a warm southern welcome you may be expecting. Good Luck.