Franklin vs. Bellevue...a different take (Memphis: travel, rent , jobs)

[mad fiddler]

Originally Posted by dxfret

I live in Nashville and have for 3 years. Prior to that I lived in Memphis for 3 years. Before that, in Nashville for 25 years. I know a great deal about both cities and have viewpoints on both. Sorry if you view it as negative. I call 'em, like I see 'em.

I'm confused. You posted this in the Memphis forum just three days ago:

"I have lived here for 3 years and am hoping to get out of Memphis ASAP. My company has a very difficult time recruiting people to work here. It seems that everybody wants to avoid living in Memphis. The reasons the reputation of this city is so poor has already been well-discussed. Let's face it, there are just so many better choices and more progressive places to live.

"I've spent a lot of time in Nashville in recent months and that city has got to be on anyone's list of best places to live. Compared to Memphis, Nashville has so much more to offer."

(I'm not stalking I read the Memphis forum, too.)

[ariesjow]

Originally Posted by mad fiddler

Thank you, alleycat. The comparisons are wearing me out, too. A lot of times they don't make any sense. They're like comparing a subcompact to a pickup. A subcompact is right for some people -- especially those for whom gas mileage is important -- but to complain it's "undesirable" because it won't pull a boat is pointless. Pickups are great for hauling stuff, but if most of my driving is a long highway commute, they don't make much sense.

An "undesirable" neighborhood for Person A might mean no Ann Taylor nearby, but for Person B it might mean no WalMart. Both are right in calling the area "undesirable," but each seems to think the word means only what they think it means.

We prefer to save a lot of money, so we're in a working class neighborhood where houses are less expensive. Others with the same income would rather have a brand new house with all the amenities, and are okay with spending more.

We prefer diverse neighborhoods, while others are more comfortable with people of their own race and social class.

What's wearing me out is that people talk as if there's some kind of objective measure of "desirability" for a neighborhood, without taking into account that there are always tradeoffs. Want a funky urban neighborhood? Then there's going to be a little more crime. Want an area with high end shopping? Then you're going to pay a lot more.

We all have to figure out what's most important, and what other things we'll give up to have them. All of us are working with limited resources, and setting those priorities differently doesn't necessarily mean that we're "settling for less." It just means different things are important for different people.

I agree completely with your post. This is why I shake my head at the "that neighborhood is terrible" type lingo and also suggest that one should explore an area for his or herself. This and other boards should only be used for rudimentary research and insight.

The truth is that people have no idea what's going to be a good fit for another person. We may offer suggestions based on the criteria others give out but they are not always spot on. I've read numerous posts from people planning to move here who were recommended to check out one area and end up chosing a location 180 degrees different. It happens. We have different life experiences, expectations, incomes, interests, sensitivies, etc.

[Tunky]

I see your point aries, although some of the information I gathered in this thread would be hard to pick up on a quick trip or two...and that's all we have time for before the move. Knowing that Franklin has a good library is helpful, for example.

[akm4]

LOVE our library. Very responsive, great kid's area, etc.

Franklin wasn't on my home-buying radar until I ended up at the square one afternoon. I parked, walked around, and decided this was it. That was 7 years ago, and we still love it. I spent some time shopping there today amid some tourists. I feel very lucky to call Franklin home.

Hope you find a place that will make you feel the same way. Good luck!

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by alleycat

I don't really disagree with you for the most part, however I live in Bellevue and commute to MetroCenter. I usually travel a little off of peak rush hour traffic but it takes me 20 minutes (+/-) in the morning and around 25 minutes in the afternoon. The people I work with who live in Hendersonville tell me it takes them longer (part of that may be because they're traveling right at the peak of rush hour or because they hit the bottleneck at Trinity Lane).

Not that it matters to the original poster, I believe she's mostly interested in the commute to the airport.

The Center Point Road onramp to Metro Center is 10 minutes off-peak. If someone lives deeper into Hendersonville, like way out Walton Ferry for example, their commute will be at least 25 minutes, and probably more during the worst of rush hour. That was the point I tried to make in my first post when I said that commute times don't vary a whole lot from suburb to suburb once you make it on to the interstate; length of drive is largely dictated by how far you live from a major highway.

I do agree with you, and I've said it before, that Bellevue is generally the easiest commute overall.

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by ariesjow

I agree completely with your post. This is why I shake my head at the "that neighborhood is terrible" type lingo and also suggest that one should explore an area for his or herself. This and other boards should only be used for rudimentary research and insight.

The truth is that people have no idea what's going to be a good fit for another person. We may offer suggestions based on the criteria others give out but they are not always spot on. I've read numerous posts from people planning to move here who were recommended to check out one area and end up chosing a location 180 degrees different. It happens. We have different life experiences, expectations, incomes, interests, sensitivies, etc.

The suggestion that one should explore an area from himself is a good one, but sometimes people need to find a place to rent ASAP and they don't have time to explore. In that situation, I feel the socially responsible thing to do is to steer them away from areas that are known to have high concentrations of crime, drugs, gangs, and illegals, especially if there are children involved.

I have never thumbed my nose at an area because it doesn't have an Ann Taylor or expensive shopping. I couldn't care less about that stuff. I buy most of my clothes from a grocery store. However, I will tell someone who is considering blindly moving his or her family to a higher-crime area such as Madison or Antioch that there are other, safer options out there.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by Pimpy

The Center Point Road onramp to Metro Center is 10 minutes off-peak. If someone lives deeper into Hendersonville, like way out Walton Ferry for example, their commute will be at least 25 minutes, and probably more during the worst of rush hour. That was the point I tried to make in my first post when I said that commute times don't vary a whole lot from suburb to suburb once you make it on to the interstate; length of drive is largely dictated by how far you live from a major highway.

I do agree with you, and I've said it before, that Bellevue is generally the easiest commute overall.

That's true. I cringe whenever I give someone estimated commute time because I know I'm going to be wrong one way or the other. To make even a close estimate I'd have to know EXACTLY where someone was coming from and EXACTLY where they were going and EXACTLY at what time. The only thing we can we here most of the time is give someone a rough estimate.

[Tunky]

Originally Posted by Pimpy

The suggestion that one should explore an area from himself is a good one, but sometimes people need to find a place to rent ASAP and they don't have time to explore.

Yes. And that's why I asked in the first place.

Originally Posted by Pimpy

In that situation, I feel the socially responsible thing to do is to steer them away from areas that are known to have high concentrations of crime, drugs, gangs, and illegals, especially if there are children involved.

I have never thumbed my nose at an area because it doesn't have an Ann Taylor or expensive shopping. I couldn't care less about that stuff. I buy most of my clothes from a grocery store. However, I will tell someone who is considering blindly moving his or her family to a higher-crime area such as Madison or Antioch that there are other, safer options out there.

[mad fiddler]

Originally Posted by Tunky

Yes. And that's why I asked in the first place.

(I can't get multi-quote to work.)

I agree that it's good to get information out for those who might have to make a quick move.

All I ask is that the information be accurate, and that it not make blanket generalizations that have little basis in fact, whether those generalizations be positive or negative.

For example, it wouldn't be accurate if I were to post this story in response to every positive post about Franklin:

Cops say now's time to address gang fears | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean

Just be a little more accurate and considerate.

[nashcat]

Well, I live in Bellevue and I love it here.
I have never seen any of the "sketchy" elements that someone on here said, but I'm sure there are some.
Like Franklin, Bellevue is diverse. There's some "old" areas, some nice, some not the biggest and best, but none of them are run down or crime ridden.

I love Downtown Franklin, and I'm sure I'd like living in Franklin. My girlfriend lives down there in a condo. It's very quaint and nice, except for the fake suburbanites that I sometimes run into (some of them are very nice), and the traffic isn't fun.
I personally have no need for the shops that are down there, but I guess it's nice to have.
But it's the same for malls and Wal-Mart or Target or whatever.
I'm in Downtown Nashville, Hillsboro, or West End when I go out. FOR ME, the character of that part of our region beats anything in Bellevue, Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet, and for sure Murfreesboro.
But I'm someone would never, ever, ever, base where I live on shopping.
Bellevue's mall sucks. Yes. They're supposedly building some ridiculous new shopping center/mall here that will also feature a new giant library. Great! haha. Nashville West (one exit down from OHB in Bellevue) has a ton of new big box things, just like that big asphalt hellish thing in Mt. Juliet. I'm glad it's there if I need to buy a TV or some shoes or something, but it doesn't affect my daily life.
Same with Franklin. I don't care that they have a nice mall or a quaint downtown with a Starbucks and some nice restaurants.
I can get to Publix in 5 minutes, Green Hills in 15, and Downtown in 20.

For me, Bellevue is more affordable, and has a very laid back and "real" character to it that doesn't exist in the other suburbs. Some of the developments are "ranch style" and older, some are very cookie cutter and new, but I feel connected to the cool part of Nashville and many other parts of the area (Including Franklin which isn't very far away).

If you can afford Franklin, and like the "new" look of everything around you, it's very very nice and safe and you'll like it.
If you want to save a few bucks (and I know 840 is opening, but there's no way around the fact that Bellevue is 15-20 minutes closer for your husband traveling to Memphis), and want a safe nice place with good neighbors, great parks, some good restaurants nearby, and good access to downtown, Bellevue is your choice.
It's nice, and it seems to be getting nicer (I've lived here for almost 5 years.)