Murfreesboro Info (Rutherford: apartments, find a job, buying)

[topropeprincess]

My family and I are going to be moving to the Murfreesboro area this summer. I am looking for some honest input on the area. Any likes or dislikes? We have a child in elementary school. Which of the schools are better? My husband is in construction, what is that like there? Is it a party city because of the University? Any info on the area will be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[insanesmooch]

Since no one else has responded (at least not in the public forum), I guess I will say a few words.
I'm not sure which elementary schools are the best, but I've heard that Blackman and Seigel High schools are the best- so you might look to see which elementary schools would go to those high schools. Here is the link to Rutherford County schools http://www.rcs.k12.tn.us/
On this link you can go to the left hand side and see links to the report cards for schools and info on which ones are on the No Child Left behind list.
http://www.state.tn.us/education/mreport.shtml (broken link)

Murfreesboro is not a party town, though I'm sure you could find parties if you want to. I went to MTSU and lived in apartments off campus. There were a few times when the noise of neighbors would bother me, but there wasn't much partying going on in those places. There are many families moving to the area- that's why there are the two new high schools. I'm sure there are some new middle and elementary schools too. If you are not living near the university, you won't be affected by it too much. To me the biggest thing about living near campus that bothered me was the traffic. In the summer, it was nice and easy to get around the streets surrounding campus, but in the Fall and Spring it was a mad house.
There is lots of construction going on in the area. Your husband should be able to find a job. But (and this will be controversial) there are a lot of hispanics in the area and a sizable portion of them are illegal- meaning they supposedly work for less money. Though I have a friend in Nashville whose husband works in drywall and he has illegals ask him to sponsor them, but they will only work for $15- $20 and hour. I'm not sure what pay is in your area, but here that would be a lot- especially for someone supposedly working for 'lower' wages. I don't know what is true or false about the pay or the story my friend told. I do know there are a lot of hispanics (legal or not) working construction in the area. So if they are working for low wages, that would affect your husband finding a job and the pay he would receive. Though it also depends on what type of construction jobs your husband does.
The town has grown a lot in the past 10 or so years. And it keeps growing.

[wellkids]

We love living in Murfreesboro and have found it a wonderful place to raise kids (we have four.) Rutherford County is the fastest growing county in the State and one of the fastest in the nation. Construction here, residential and commerical, is booming so I think your husband should have multiple job opportunities. Most of our schools here are very good to excellent, but some are going to be considered favored or better. Murfreesboro is far from a party town but is a very family oriented community. There are lots of activities here for families to do and you will find that parents are very involved in schools, sports, and other extra activities here for children. I could write pages and pages of information for you on Murfreesboro, but it would probably be best if you just sent me an email or PM and I'll try to answer your questions. There is really very little that I dislike about Murfreesboro but there is a lot that I love about it! The thing that I like best about Murfreesboro is that everything you could ever need is located right here. You do not have to commute into Nashville for anything...unless you just want to for some reason. When we first moved here I was afraid I would be driving into Nashville all the time and that just isn't the case. Right now I say that M'boro is a 15 minute town (but I'm sure that is going to change!). M'boro is divided into North, South, East, and West. You basically go from any point of the city to the other in about a 15 minute drive. Much easier than Nashville! If you like the more rural and spacious life, you can also consider buying in the county and our "suburb" communities which would be Christiana, Rockvale, & Lascassas. Hope that helps a little!

[topropeprincess]

Thanks for the posts! It really helps to hear from the locals. You can only find out so much stuff on the internet. Wellkids, I will keep you in mind if I have any other specific questions. Thanks again!!