Help - Thinking of moving to Franklin, Tennessee area (Hendersonville: apartments, rent)

[whisperingwind]

We are thinking of moving to the Franklin, Tennessee, area. Can anyone tell me:
(a) Is this a nice place to live if you are close to retirement age, but still actively working?
(b) How is the general unemployment rate there?
(c) Are there areas around Franklin you would recommend? We plan to live in a nice apartment first.
(d) Any other ideas or suggestions you can offer will be great. Thank you.

Whispering Wind

[DonCorleone]

-Franklin is a very desirable spot to live at any age. I personally know several people nearing retirement age who live there. I think you'll find it to be a great spot.
-I'm not sure about the unemployment rate...but my guess is that it just depends on what sector of the economy you're looking at. I read a report a few weeks back that said Nashville was pretty much in-line with the national average of just under 10% unemployment.
-There are lots of great subdivisions in Franklin, but one of the most popular is Westhaven: Westhaven | Franklin | Brentwood | Nashville | New Homes They also have townhomes at the front of the subdivision that are exceptionally nice. As for apartments...you won't have a problem finding one in Franklin, but I'm afraid I don't have any specific advice there.
-Spend some time in historic downtown Franklin, it's fantastic. It is also near a major commercial development, Cool Springs. Not sure what your price range is, but Franklin is on the high side. You might also look towards Spring Hill to the south, Brentwood to the north (but is equally pricey as Franklin...maybe even more so), or maybe Mt. Juliet (there's a Del Webb community there) or Hendersonville.

Good luck.

[whisperingwind]

Thank you for your response. Can you tell me about the weather. Do you get lots of snow and ice? I currently live near Pittsburgh, PA, and am tired of the ice, specifically.

We get about 40" in an average winter in Pittsburgh. How does Franklin, or the Nashville area compare in real figures?

Do you get a lot of sunshine throughout the year?

I really appreciate your help.
Thank you.
Ruth

[gbone]

Originally Posted by whisperingwind

Thank you for your response. Can you tell me about the weather. Do you get lots of snow and ice? I currently live near Pittsburgh, PA, and am tired of the ice, specifically.

We get about 40" in an average winter in Pittsburgh. How does Franklin, or the Nashville area compare in real figures?

Do you get a lot of sunshine throughout the year?

I really appreciate your help.
Thank you.
Ruth

You could probably get quicker and more accurate answers to many of these questions by just doing a Google search. Most answers you get here are going to either be best guestimates(which will vary) unless they also do some kind of search to come up with factual information. Just trying to save you some time in getting accurate answers. You could also do a search on City-Data as many of these questions have been previously addressed. In general, the winters in the Nashville area are much less severe than Pittsburgh.

[soulful]

Honestly, some winters Nashville/Franklin won't have any significant "ice event". The last big one I remember was in Dec 2004 and even that was mild by midwestern/northeastern standards.

The "ice belt" tends to be slightly north of TN. Middle Tn. typically gets little compared to Missouri/Kentucky/Ohio/Indiana.

You will encounter a few inches of snow from time to time. However, the roads are quickly cleared and it is generally a non issue. Also, the schools tend to close for even minor amounts of accumulation (which takes some getting used to for those moving in from snowier climates).

[gbone]

The following link is an example of the information you can find on a simple Google search that answers many of your questions:
Nashville, Tennessee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hope this helps.

[Wingz]

I live in Franklin and think it is a great place for someone your age (my age) to live. I have several neighbors who bought in my neighborhood while working and have stayed after retirement. We also have young couples with children, a nice mix.

As for apartments, virtually all of the nicer ones are in the Cool Springs area, which is the northeast side of Franklin.

As DonCorleone said, Westhaven is one of the most popular new areas. However, it is in the far western edge of Franklin and connected by one two lane highway. The Interstate, and our major shopping areas are on the east side of town. All medical clinics, imaging centers and doctor's offices are clustered near the hospital which is on the east end of town. That might be a consideration as you approach retirement age. Also, almost all office jobs are in Cool Springs, the opposite side of town from Westhaven. Westhaven truly is beautiful, but the location may not suit you. There are so many nice neighborhoods in Franklin you need to wait until you are here in an apartment to start house hunting.

Per the link provided by gbone, we average 10 inches of snow a year, but that is a long term average. Snow has totaled only two or three inches a year the past decade. The National Weather Service says Nashville gets 56% of available sunlight, Pittsburg 45%. A noticeable difference. As soulful said, winter is a non issue. It's what you get used to. I've been in Pittsburgh in winter and you will think winters are mild here. Those of us who moved here from Florida find winters terribly harsh. I have to scrape frost off of my windshield by November every year. It's just not natural.

Unemployment? Much depends on your field and background. The latest numbers show the US unemployment rate is 9.8%, Tennessee is 10.8, Nashville 9.8, and Williamson County (Franklin) 7.7%. It is less in the healthcare industry, which is large here. A recruiter told me that when the Nashville rate was 8.5% , it was 4.5% for college graduates. The national and Pennsylvania rate went up in September, while the Nashville rate went down, so perhaps we will recover sooner.

If I were a newcomer, I would rent in Cool Springs, then look for a house on the east side of town and a job in Cool Springs.

[akm4]

Originally Posted by Wingz

As DonCorleone said, Westhaven is one of the most popular new areas. However, it is in the far western edge of Franklin and connected by one two lane highway. The Interstate, and our major shopping areas are on the east side of town. All medical clinics, imaging centers and doctor's offices are clustered near the hospital which is on the east end of town.

I agree with most of your post, just wanted to note there is a 2-doc clinic within Westhaven. Vanderbilt practice, Dr.s Boone and Alderson.

[DavidH74]

Originally Posted by Wingz

A recruiter told me that when the Nashville rate was 8.5% , it was 4.5% for college graduates. The national and Pennsylvania rate went up in September, while the Nashville rate went down, so perhaps we will recover sooner.

What kind of recruiter did you use or do you know? I'd like to try to find a job in the Nashville area, particularly Franklin, and need help.

[Wingz]

Originally Posted by akm4

I agree with most of your post, just wanted to note there is a 2-doc clinic within Westhaven. Vanderbilt practice, Dr.s Boone and Alderson.

I'm so glad you posted that, I didn't know. That's great because Westhaven's vision is to be a community, not just a development. There aren't many places where you can walk to the doctor from your house.