Yet Another "Relocating to Nashville" Thread... (Franklin, Germantown: relocation, tornado)

[Carol McCullough]

Based on what you desire, I think you should continue to consider East Nashville. I also really dislike commuting long distances and really prefer a walkable community. As Dena said, that is a rare commodity here. East Nashville is very close to downtown and also has easy access to interstates when you must rely on them.

Most of East Nashville has an established infrastructure with wide sidewalks. If you locate near 5 Points, you will be able to walk to lots of great places (a short list: Turnip Truck organic market, Sweet 16th bakery, Marche Artisan Foods, Woodland Wine Merchant, The Groove record store, Cumberland Hardware, Pizzareal restaurant, Bongo Java cafe...I could go on, but I did say "short"...).

Shelby Park & Shelby Bottoms Greenway are great assets of the area as well. If you weren't able to check it out during your previous visit, I encourage you to do so. East Park Community Center also has a great gym, pool, indoor track and other amenities.

With regard to schools, if you locate in the Stratford cluster, your children would likely be eligible to attend Lockeland Design Elementary, a very good magnet school. Alternatively, East Academy is a very affordable, yet high quality (non-religious) private school.

I have a 4-year old and another on the way. I think the area is very family friendly. If you have concerns about safety, your best bet is to talk to the neighbors. Most will be more than glad to give you an honest opinion. I was not fortunate to have the budget you are working with, so I live in one of the more up and coming parts of East Nashville (Cleveland Park) that is not yet walkable (in the sense that there is little retail/service to which one can walk). I know that it will improve with time, however, given its proximity to town and based on how much it has improved in the past 5 years.

If your greatest objection to East Nashville is that you shouldn't have to pay so much to live in an "up and coming" area, consider the fact that this makes it a good investment for you. Many people here do not seem to value short commutes, walkability, and neighborhood feel. Meanwhile, lots of people who transplant here can't believe their good fortune to live so close to downtown in a great older neighborhood. All the things you are looking for are precisely why this area is assured to continue rising in value. As gas prices go through the roof, that will only be amplified.

[jbmill3]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Carol. What you said reflects a lot of our current thinking, and E. Nashville is definitely very high on our list. (If we found a great place in the Vandy/Belmont area we'd think hard about it, but, based on what we saw, I think we're much more likely to find a great place in E. Nashville.)

I don't really mind living in an "up and coming" area, I was just honestly a bit stunned that prices in Nashville generally were as high as they are.

I do worry a bit about safety, because we don't personally know the area well, and everyone's threshold for "safe enough" is a bit different. Some people seem to think it's fine there, others obviously don't, and I'm not fully sure whose opinions better reflect our own. I can tell you that when we visited, certain areas of E. Nashville seemed great, while others (not so far away) seemed a bit shady. Overall we thought it seemed like a fine neighborhood. But some people on this board and other places really talk down the area.

[bluesky42day]

I would like to echo what Carol said and also ask that you heavily consider East Nashville. I joined this group today just so I could reply to posts such as these to promote my neighborhood for what it is instead of what people perceive it to be. I am a young single female that lives alone in a so called "up and coming" area and I LOVE IT. I work Downtown and my office is only 2 miles away, 7 minutes and I'm there, 10 minutes and I'm home. I walk my dogs to 5 points and ride my bikes to the Titans Stadium for events and down to Shelby park on the weekend, it's great.

[mad fiddler]

Originally Posted by jbmill3

I do worry a bit about safety, because we don't personally know the area well, and everyone's threshold for "safe enough" is a bit different. Some people seem to think it's fine there, others obviously don't, and I'm not fully sure whose opinions better reflect our own. I can tell you that when we visited, certain areas of E. Nashville seemed great, while others (not so far away) seemed a bit shady. Overall we thought it seemed like a fine neighborhood. But some people on this board and other places really talk down the area.

East Nashville is in transition, so there can be a tremendous difference in the space of a few blocks. My understanding is that most of the violence is drug related, so if you're not buying or dealing you're pretty safe. My partner lived on Fatherland for a few years, and really liked the neighborhood.

I've learned to discount the opinions of some on the forum when it comes to living in the city.

[Ally6729]

I've lived in Brentwood all my life but am still unfamiliar with which downtown neighborhoods encompass which streets. Does "East Nashville" include the area around Farmer's Market and Jefferson Street? There are a lot of new houses being built in that area that are all very nice and reasonably priced, but I'd never live there by myself let alone with children. Then again, I've seen several families with kids moving into that area lately (my best friend rents a house on Phillips Street). The judgment of what's dangerous and what isn't is very subjective...I don't think anyone can answer questions about the safety of up-and-coming areas for you. The best way to decide if it's safe is to go there and walk around yourself...although that's hard to do when you live in New England.


I know you want to live downtown, but in my real estate searches online I came across a town called Old Hickory, TN...if the hustle and bustle of city life is what you want this is definitely NOT the place, but it's very walkable and very safe. Plus it's only a 15 minute drive to downtown. There are a lot of very cute historic houses there and in your price range you could probably get something great. A house there would meet your requirements for square footage, walkability, safety and a short commute...but wouldn't fit the bill when it comes to being in an area where a ton is going on. It's right on Old Hickory Lake too, which is nice.

[jbmill3]

Thanks Ally6729. I'm not really interested in any "hustle and bustle" at all--I'd rather avoid it, truth be told. I have no interest in "nightlife", etc. Walkable and safe sounds nice. I am interested in a short commute. Google maps is showing Old Hickory as more like 25 minutes to downtown--and my experience is that the times shown on the online indicators are often vast understatements. Do you really think it's only 15 minutes away? On a map it looks to be nearlly as far away as Franklin (or the far side of Brentwood), which I think is a lot further than 15 minutes out.

[Ally6729]

Originally Posted by jbmill3

Thanks Ally6729. I'm not really interested in any "hustle and bustle" at all--I'd rather avoid it, truth be told. I have no interest in "nightlife", etc. Walkable and safe sounds nice. I am interested in a short commute. Google maps is showing Old Hickory as more like 25 minutes to downtown--and my experience is that the times shown on the online indicators are often vast understatements. Do you really think it's only 15 minutes away? On a map it looks to be nearlly as far away as Franklin (or the far side of Brentwood), which I think is a lot further than 15 minutes out.

I got my 15-minute estimate from MapQuest. When I found Old Hickory, TN, on the Internet I decided to see how far it would be from a house I liked in historic Old Hickory Village to the Predators games in the Sommet Center downtown (1500 Broadway)...I'm a huge fan, so the length of that commute is important, haha! Anyway, it said 15.48 miles. When I can't drive it myself I judge distance by getting driving directions on MapQuest...usually the miles are accurate, and the time is a little long (they think you'll drive the speed limit the whole way, hehehe).

[bluesky42day]

I've never had to commute from Old Hickory to Downtown but I have had to commute from both North of Nashville and South of Nashville, and t's insane. There are just so many people and not enough roadways and Nashville is growing by the day so it's only going to be more congested in the future. The townhome I rented in South Nashville was 10 miles from Downtown which is about 15 minutes without any traffic but when does that happen? So I was still looking at a solid 35-40 minute drive in the a.m. and a good 45-50 minute drive home in the evenings, without a major wreck of course. So just make sure you factor in traffic. jbmill3 I would like to recommend you check out realtracs.com and look on there for homes in your price range. I posted on another thread about 604 South 12th Street (east nashville) it's within walking distance of 5 points has a large backyard with a privacy fence and looks beautiful on the inside, they are asking $239,900.

[Carol McCullough]

Originally Posted by Ally6729

I've lived in Brentwood all my life but am still unfamiliar with which downtown neighborhoods encompass which streets. Does "East Nashville" include the area around Farmer's Market and Jefferson Street?

The area you are referring to is likely Germantown. Salemtown and a few other neighborhoods are in that area as well. Germantown is not going to be any more affordable than East Nashville, but it has an interesting vibe. My office is there. There are lots of upscale homes, lofts and condos mixed in with some great restaurants and a lot of industrial properties. Urban is definitely the word. I tend to think of it as geared more towards young singles and couples without children, but you do see a stroller now and then.

Originally Posted by Ally6729

I know you want to live downtown, but in my real estate searches online I came across a town called Old Hickory, TN...if the hustle and bustle of city life is what you want this is definitely NOT the place, but it's very walkable and very safe. Plus it's only a 15 minute drive to downtown. There are a lot of very cute historic houses there and in your price range you could probably get something great. A house there would meet your requirements for square footage, walkability, safety and a short commute...but wouldn't fit the bill when it comes to being in an area where a ton is going on. It's right on Old Hickory Lake too, which is nice.

I think Old Hickory is a great area with historic homes, a vibrant neighborhood group, and some very active community members. Having commuted to the Old Hickory area for work some, I would suggest that 15 minutes is not an accurate potrayal of the commute from there to downtown. Maybe 20-25 and perhaps more in traffic. Unlike interstate driving, you can't assume you're going to be able to go a mile a minute. It ain't going to happen.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by jbmill3

I don't really mind living in an "up and coming" area, I was just honestly a bit stunned that prices in Nashville generally were as high as they are.

I've been in quite a few of those homes in East Nashville, and they are just gorgeous!