Opinions on Ashland City (Clarksville, Franklin: condo, houses, landscaping)

[raidergirl]

Hello,
I am looking for any info on Ashland City and a new development called Hidden Lakes Resort. I have two kids that will be going into 2nd & 7th grade next year. Any opinions on the schools & area would be helpful. Thanks!

[alleycat]

I don't think of Hidden Lakes as being that new any more (unless they've developed a new section of it). It's been there for a few years. It's beautiful country, and it seems like they're done a nice job of developing that property. I even looked at it three or four years ago. It's pricey for Cheatham County; but probably in line for similar developments in other areas. It's certainly nicer than many developments.

Ashland City itself is just a small town. I can't say the town itself is the prettiest small town in Tennessee. It's okay, just not a pretty town overall. Most people in that part of Cheatham County go to either Nashville or Clarksville for more options for shopping, restaurants, and that sort of thing.

I assume your youngest would go to Pleasant View Elementary. I don't know much about the school except I have a "pretend" granddaughter who went there (the daughter of a friend of mine). It seems to be okay; I never heard my friend complain. I think the girl goes to Sycamore Middle now (she will finish the 8th grade this year). I can find out more from my friend if you're interested.

I'm not sure where Cheatham County school rank. Somewhere in the middle maybe. One good thing is that some of the worst things about public schools these days probably aren't tolerated in Cheatham County. The one possible negative is Cheatham County does not have the tax base that some other counties do and therefore might be short on classrooms and some of the "extras" that other school systems have. Again, I'm guessing on much of this.

By the way, if I'm not mistaken, they even featured Hidden Lakes on a segment of a local PBS television program called Tennessee Crossroads two or three years ago. I know it was on TV, but I could be mistaken about what program it was on.

[bluesky42day]

I have a co-worker that has lived in Ashland City her entire life. She really enjoys it & chose to stay & raise her family there. Part of the land at Hidden Lakes belonged to her family at one time & she speaks highly of the development. I haven't seen pictures but from the way she talks it seems like they were pretty land conscious & didn't just cram as many houses in as possible.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by bluesky42day

I have a co-worker that has lived in Ashland City her entire life. She really enjoys it & chose to stay & raise her family there. Part of the land at Hidden Lakes belonged to her family at one time & she speaks highly of the development. I haven't seen pictures but from the way she talks it seems like they were pretty land conscious & didn't just cram as many houses in as possible.

Oh, it's beautiful. Wooded, rolling hills, often with views to the little lakes. Nice homes for the most part; not quite as cookie-cutter as it often seen in subdivisions.

Since my earlier post, I've looked up the website for Hidden Lakes. There's a lot of information on the site such as the range of prices of lots, association fees, etc.

And, there is apparently a new section of the development that has just opened.

[raidergirl]

Thanks for the replies. Alleycat, you had mentioned that it's not the prettiest small town in TN. The town we live in now is a quaint, historical small town. In your opinion, what towns are like that in middle TN. We are checking into about a 45 min. drive to Nashville. (any direction) Thanks!

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by raidergirl

Thanks for the replies. Alleycat, you had mentioned that it's not the prettiest small town in TN. The town we live in now is a quaint, historical small town. In your opinion, what towns are like that in middle TN. We are checking into about a 45 min. drive to Nashville. (any direction) Thanks!

Franklin would be my top choice for a town like that. You might also look at Springfield, Gallatin, and Lebanon. A short visit to any of these towns would probably tell you which one feels right to you.

I didn't mean to imply that there's anything really wrong with Ashland City; it just doesn't have a lot to offer itself other than meeting the most basic of needs. It is growing, so that might change in the future. Some crazy developer recently built two high-rise condo towers in Ashland City near the river (I hear there is all sorts of problems with the things so I don't think you want to look at buying one of them). Hidden Lakes would certainly be a pretty place to live. This thread has gotten me interested in going and looking at the development again myself.

If you visit Ashland City be sure to go have dinner at the Riverview Restaurant for catfish (it's right across the river from downtown AC). Really. If you've never had catfish, give it a try. You might be surprised. You can also take a short boating trip down the river on the Blue Heron Cruise.

[raidergirl]

Thanks for your help. We were there last March and we did check out the towns you mentioned above. They seemed too busy and spread out for me. Franklin was a great, however it was too big. We are trying to "simplfy" our lives and get our kids out of the habit of wanting to have everything. We realize that the over obundance of things and activities takes away from family time. Yes, I know alot of that has to do with us as parents, I guess were just looking to get a fresh start and have a more country atmosphere. My husband was in Ashland City yesterday, but he just drove around. Next time we'll be sure to eat at the Riverview Restaurant. Thanks again!

[alleycat]

Given your last set of criteria, you might want to put Kingston Springs on your list. It doesn't really have a downtown, but it has the advantage of being within a quick commute to Nashville, especially west Nashville. Possibly also Mt. Juliet.

Just out of curiosity, what was your husband's opinion of Ashland City?

[raidergirl]

He liked it because it has beautiful scenery. He loves the rolling hills and all the greenery. We live in Michigan and we've had a long winter so things are finally starting to sprout around here. He said the buildings in the town are old but their web sites says they are in the midst of redoing the sidewalks and landscaping. He thought I would like it because it does have a river and park (like our town) and a small town feeling. He never did find the Hidden Lakes community. The town doesn't matter that much to him as long as he's close to Nashville and the surrounding areas.

[alleycat]

If he came from the Interstate highway to Ashland City (Highway 49), he passed the general area where Hidden Lakes is located.

Most places around here have rolling hills and greenery. Ashland City does have the advantage of being close to the Cumberland, with bluffs across the river. There are three or four way to get from AC to Nashville; the advantage of one over the other is where you're going to. From where I live in west Nashville I sometimes take River Road to AC, then Highway 12 to Clarksville (where, until a couple of months ago, my mother lived--my mother has since moved to Atlanta).

And a couple of trivia fact . . . Ashland City is the setting for part of the book The Patron Saint of Liars, and Cheatham County was the home of Pat Head Summit, women's basketball coach at UT and the winningest basketball coach ever. There used to be some English lord who lived somewhere in Cheatham County (I'm not sure where); he was like the Earl of Northwich, or some such. I don't know whether he still lives there or not.