recent college grad looking for affordable housing in/close to downtown nashville (Germantown: apartment complex)

[awayfromMD4now]

I'm a recent male college grad, currently in jackson,tn (originally from east coast) i'm starting a job downtown in a couple weeks and looking for a apartment to live downtown or close to downtown that is affordable and not section 5 housing or ridden with crime. also if somehow possible i would like to keep my commute to 10-15 mins at the most. i know very little about areas in and around nashville and just wanted to get some input besides what ive heard from others and my little experience in the city

Edgehill
Germantown/downtown
East Nashville
Donelson
west end/vandy area (aware is pricey)
and anywhere else that i'm missing that is close

[DonCorleone]

I'll take a stab at this since no one has responded yet...full disclosure: I'm a lifelong Nashvillian but have never lived in any of these areas and don't know many who do. But here's my knee-jerk reaction based on what I've heard from others:

Edgehill: historic community, cool vibe...I get the sense that this is more of a home community rather than apartment, though.

Germantown: ditto. Germantown borders Rosa Parks Blvd, which is a transitional neighborhood...meaning that it is going to have some rough patches around it. Again...mostly homes, not a lot of apartments although I did see some condominiums on Rosa Parks a few months back that looked really cool.

East Nashville: very popular place to live...also a transitional neighborhood. Plenty on these forums weighing the pros/cons of E Nashville.

Donelson: more of a suburb...the least close to downtown, not as many young people, but probably most affordable. Plenty of apartments, condos, homes to rent. Convenient to I 40, Briley Pkwy, the airport. But you're looking at a 20 minute commute, minimum. Not the end of the world.

West End/Vandy: plenty of rentals, young demographic, but expensive. I'd probably start my search here and see if you could find anything affordable...but just be advised that it is a very trendy place and the pricetag reflects that.

Other places...Bellevue has a young demographic, but it is a little further out than Donelson (in the opposite direction). It would be cheaper and like Donelson it has plenty of affordable options. You might also consider the Brentwood/Nippers Corner area which is a short commute to downtown (20 mins or so), young, and plenty of apartments. It's also a more upscale community.

I'm sure there are lots and lots that I'm overlooking. I'd advise you to search the forums, there have been a lot of people with the very same issues as you're facing. Let us know if we can help. Good luck and welcome to Nashvegas!

[sek1986]

how much are you willing to pay? I'm currently paying $565 per month for my apartment (and that's month to month!) which is at the intersection of I-40 and Briley. It's nothing glamorous but I've saved big bucks over the past year. I usually take Elm Hill Pike to Fesslers Ln and get on 40 there and you are literally in downtown. It takes about 5-10 minutes. I just bought a house in E. Nashville so I will be moving, but you should check out the apartments around that area. Especially if you want to save some $$.

[awayfromMD4now]

sek1986 are you talking about ashland hills? location and price would be great, however everything ive seen online about the place seems to be negative. i havent gotten any 1st hand info from there, how is the apartment area, and surrounding area by it?

[Edgefield D]

I live in Edgefield (East Nashville) and there's an apartment building on my street with a for rent sign. I'm a mile from downtown. This is a very old part of Nashville and I think the apartment building is probably close to 100 years old. It's a neat looking building though. If you are interested in the phone number, I can send it to you. I'm not sure how much they rent for.

[sek1986]

hmmm... ashland hills doesn't ring a bell. my apartment complex is called parliament place. if you want to google it you can, or google map glastonbury rd. there are a lot of other apts around here, mission briley apts is one that looks nice, but i don't know how much they run. i guess it just matters how sensitive you are to price vs. amenities, because this place definitely doesn't have many amenities! but the staff has always been fast when i've needed repairs, they keep the building maintained, and are for the most part helpful.

i would also have to echo edgefield d's comment: east nashville is a really neat area. i'm moving over there in 2 days! so if you're looking for a place that's unique and lively you should check it out.