DATELINE NBC Study said Nashville is America's Friendliest City (Knoxville: rental car, appointed)
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Actually its sorta of good to be leery of newcomers but at some point its good to at least wave and say hello, and then as they prove to be more trusthworthy, then maybe talk some more and then go from there, I for one hope its a friendly town, if we move there, I plan on making lots of new friends and blending in the best I can! I still have my pgh accent, but hey I am sure that will be ok! Thanks for the informative link!
I wish you the best of luck if you move here. Maybe you will be lucky like I was and find a few other recent transplants like I did when I moved here six years ago. Nashville is freakishly unfriendly. Yes, people on the street may be polite in all their southern ways, but it is only a surface level nice. You will see the other side once you move here. The people who are friendly are all from other (usually bigger cities). I have lived in cities. I would not really call Nashville a real city. It is a big town that tries to be a city. It is small enough that it has some of the draw backs of a small town, like limited choices, and everybody knowing your business. After six years, I have a hard time meeting someone who does not know someone I know. But here, they don't realize what they do in the small town, keep your mouth shut, don't gossip, treat people nice because we all have to live here. They also don't have the anonymity of a big city.
I love Nashville for the scenery, the climate, the cost of living and various other things, but I do not remain here for its friendliness. I just thank God for the people who have moved here and continue to do so that are friendly. Those of you from here that think this is a friendly place, you don't know what friendly means. And this is true both in the churches and the population at large. My first Sunday here I had someone look at me (at church) when I said I just moved here and was hoping to make friends look at me and say "good luck it will be at least five years before anybody will take you serious enough to believe you will stay and take time to be friend." She was right. After six years, I finally have a decent core group of friends (but all from other places). I have one friend that has been here 10 years and he has decided that he will leave Nashville when he next changes jobs because of the unfriendliness of Nashville.
BTW- Customer service and food service here is the worst I have experienced in the whole country and I used to travel extensively for work.
If you in there spending money. Your wanted for the most part. If your driving,walking,fishing, ect. These can be some of the rudest people I have ever been around.
I have been living in Nashville since 1982. People in Nashville during my early years here were more friendly than they are today. This is not to say they are not friendly today, just not as friendly as they were in 1982. When my wife and I travel to Denver to visit her son, we both notice how much different the people are there than they are in Nashville. Most are just outright rude. When we travel outside the area, it does make us appreciate Nashville people more and more. And, also Tennessee Highways.
I believe Nashville has become more unfriendly due to the rapid growth of the city. In 1982, the atmosphere was more laid back than today. People are always in a rush today and seem to think only about themselves without regard to others around them. I think this is probably true in every major city in America. Relatives in Denver tell us that city was one time a very friendly place. Our last visit to Denver last year seemed a bit better than the visits before. Or maybe I am just getting used to the overall rudeness in America.
One thing I notice about Nashvillians, they can be the most friendly people to your face. But, get them behind the wheel of a car and look out. They are like Dr. Hyde and Mr. Jekyll. I never seen a place where a driver can be fooling with the radio (it is hard to find a good radio station in Nashville), talking on their cell phone, drinking coffee, reading the newspaper and giving you the one finger salute all at the same time while driving 75mph though downtown.
I lived in the Johnson City area in the 60's - early 80's. My parents still live there. Johnson City had the most friendly people one could find anywhere back in the 60's to 80's. Unfortunately, when I venture up that way to visit my folks, the people seem ruder than they are in Nashville. I had people behind me in traffic lay on their horn the millisecond a traffic light turns green. And Johnson City traffic is getting as crowded as Nashville.
It is really sad. As I stated earlier I think this is happening all over the country.
Hi, I was reading everyones posts about Nashville being unfriendly or friendly and if you want to see unfriendly or rude, just visit chicago! I live in the Chicago area and if you want incredible traffic, rude and unfriendly people and a high cost of living and brutually cold and snowy winters then Chicago is your place! I have visited Nashville and the people are saints there compared to the people in Chicago!
Hi, I was reading everyones posts about Nashville being unfriendly or friendly and if you want to see unfriendly or rude, just visit chicago! I live in the Chicago area and if you want incredible traffic, rude and unfriendly people and a high cost of living and brutually cold and snowy winters then Chicago is your place! I have visited Nashville and the people are saints there compared to the people in Chicago!
- Paul
I have lived in both places. I currently live in Nashville and I'm going to move back to Chicago in about a year. I haven't noticed a great difference. Of course, I might be one of the people that you guys are talking about.
Having visited Nashville for only 1 and 1/2 days I am hoping my initial impression is wrong, So far this is the most unfriendly city I have ever visited. The one exception is the bums! And, no, they are not asking for money. But they are the only ones that seem genuinely friendly. The people that are paid to be nice to you seem like, well, that they are being paid to being nice to you. After spending almost 2 hours this morning trying to find a church servuce (it was like something out of Dawn of the Dead) when I finally found some people at a 4th church, they were closing up shop and could of cared less about my story that I calmly explained to them. That people don't care that churches are so unwelcoming to strangers is puzzling to me. I'm not sure if its because I was a Northernor, a non-Nashvillite, pushing a wheelchair (I seem to be coming less diabled, after lenghtly medical probs, every day, Praise God!) or what, but it was very strange. Especially after hearing about what a friendly and Christian city Nashville supposedly is.
Well, I believe everything happens for a reason. But it was certainly a strange experience. Appreciate other people's comments/experiences.
Hopefully my experience was an aberation, but are certaainly there are some serious needs in downtown Nashville.
I don't know where you attended services but my chuch Brentwood United Church which is full every Sunday, would welcome you.
I have lived here a little over a year and overall find the people very friendly.
Maybe you ran into some people from NJ, who are not friendly at all.
Nashville has a wonderful Christian Atmosphere and even the colleges have many christian groups. I find the young people as a whole very willing to help out here.
Yes, people on the street may be polite in all their southern ways, but it is only a surface level nice. You will see the other side once you move here.
I agree with this. We've been here for almost five months, and this feels very accurate to me. Lots of talk of good, friendly Christian people...but when it comes down to it, we've encountered some pretty nasty people so far. I'm also a pretty big hippie/liberal/greenie and vegan, which definitely isn't the "in" thing to be in such an overwhelmingly conservative area (compared to where we're from, anyway). I haven't given up on Nashville completely, but I've never had such a hard time meeting people as I have here.
We've moved around quite a bit in the past few years, and I have to say that people were the friendliest by far in Colorado. The only reason we left is because my husband couldn't find work in his field there...otherwise, we'd be there permanently for sure. Colorado is beautiful and full of people that are noticeably more friendly...in our experiences, anyway. Hopefully we'll be back there sometime in the not so distant future.
I wish you the best of luck if you move here. Maybe you will be lucky like I was and find a few other recent transplants like I did when I moved here six years ago. Nashville is freakishly unfriendly. Yes, people on the street may be polite in all their southern ways, but it is only a surface level nice. You will see the other side once you move here. The people who are friendly are all from other (usually bigger cities). I have lived in cities. I would not really call Nashville a real city. It is a big town that tries to be a city. It is small enough that it has some of the draw backs of a small town, like limited choices, and everybody knowing your business. After six years, I have a hard time meeting someone who does not know someone I know. But here, they don't realize what they do in the small town, keep your mouth shut, don't gossip, treat people nice because we all have to live here. They also don't have the anonymity of a big city.
I love Nashville for the scenery, the climate, the cost of living and various other things, but I do not remain here for its friendliness. I just thank God for the people who have moved here and continue to do so that are friendly. Those of you from here that think this is a friendly place, you don't know what friendly means. And this is true both in the churches and the population at large. My first Sunday here I had someone look at me (at church) when I said I just moved here and was hoping to make friends look at me and say "good luck it will be at least five years before anybody will take you serious enough to believe you will stay and take time to be friend." She was right. After six years, I finally have a decent core group of friends (but all from other places). I have one friend that has been here 10 years and he has decided that he will leave Nashville when he next changes jobs because of the unfriendliness of Nashville.
BTW- Customer service and food service here is the worst I have experienced in the whole country and I used to travel extensively for work.
I found customer service and food service here to be fast and efficent. In NJ where I moved from I sat for at least 20 minutes before someone took my order.
I think people take me seriously that I'll stay here because I always Add I went to college here and that my Husband requested to be transfered here. We did not have to Come.
I joined a New Neighbors club and met lots from all over, but every year we have amnesty mounth, so some natives join because of the activities the club has to offer. We actually have a few natives that moved away and then moved back, so are considered newcomers.
I love it here and feel people will be friendly to you if your friendly to them.
Diane
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