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I think people here overestimate the importance of the "look at all these cities in a day's drive!" factor. I can't imagine people are going to drive more than 4 hours unless it's a NYC / LA / Chicago type of city.
When I lived in Columbus, OH, which is known to be within a day's drive of most of the US population, I rarely visited cities outside of the 3 hour radius. The only cities I drove to that were >4 hours away were DC and Chicago. Maybe I would have driven to NYC but even that seemed too far and a bit pointless when I could just hop on a plane.
Well, to be fair, Asheville and Knoxville aren't bad places to visit. Atlanta and Charlotte aren't terribly far either. I live in ATX but will agree that Nashville is in a better spot in the country. ATX is more of a place thats kinda like Vegas, its great while you're their, but if you venture outside of it, there isn't much more to see that you can't see in ATX.
I guess that's kind of how I feel about Nashville. It's in a more historical and beautifully forested part of the country for sure, but not close enough to any places I'm willing to make a road trip for except Atlanta and the mountains.
I think people here overestimate the importance of the "look at all these cities in a day's drive!" factor. I can't imagine people are going to drive more than 4 hours unless it's a NYC / LA / Chicago type of city.
When I lived in Columbus, OH, which is known to be within a day's drive of most of the US population, I rarely visited cities outside of the 3 hour radius. The only cities I drove to that were >4 hours away were DC and Chicago. Maybe I would have driven to NYC but even that seemed too far and a bit pointless when I could just hop on a plane.
But even if you only were willing to drive 3 hours, Columbus’ radius (WV, Western PA, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, south Michigan) is quite diverse. I’m sure there are nuances to Houston and Dallas differences, but it certainly doesn’t feel the same as the spread between Charleston WV and Detroit.
While older data, it will suffice for a stand-in as I don’t think attitudes have changed that much in the last decade. Average one-way trips are around 260 miles, with over 90% of them by car. And even a majority of trips between 500-1000 miles were by car (54% to 42%). It’s only around 900 miles where the tipping point seems to be where planes become the mode of transportation for a majority.
We are a auto-driven society and we like to do long weekend trips (260 miles would probably be about a 5 hour trip).
Well, to be fair, Asheville and Knoxville aren't bad places to visit. Atlanta and Charlotte aren't terribly far either. I live in ATX but will agree that Nashville is in a better spot in the country. ATX is more of a place thats kinda like Vegas, its great while you're their, but if you venture outside of it, there isn't much more to see that you can't see in ATX.
I am of the exact opposite view.
I prefer the small towns in and around Austin and San Antonio more than those main cities.
Both will continue to be great music and bar towns, but which one will be more of a real “city” by the end of the decade? I think the answer is Austin for one simple reason:
Nashville really messed up by not passing their light rail proposal, while Austin passed an ambitious one. That to me is the biggest difference and will have a huge impact on how the cities grow. If Nashville can get another rail measure on the ballot soon and pass it, then it could be a different story.
Both will continue to be great music and bar towns, but which one will be more of a real “city” by the end of the decade? I think the answer is Austin for one simple reason:
Nashville really messed up by not passing their light rail proposal, while Austin passed an ambitious one. That to me is the biggest difference and will have a huge impact on how the cities grow. If Nashville can get another rail measure on the ballot soon and pass it, then it could be a different story.
I agree. Nashville was ahead in infrastructure with the widening of its interstates and commuter rail addition years ago. Today, I cannot say the same. Nashville has not passed light rail or modified its converging interstate mess. It is a hassel to have to drive through bottlenecks and merge with out of town traffic and transfer trucks that refuse to use the bypasses. Infrastructure does not seem that important in TN. Also, Nashville has a lot of valuable real estate wasted on ugly metal buildings/warehouses in the core.
I agree. Nashville was ahead in infrastructure with the widening of its interstates and commuter rail addition years ago. Today, I cannot say the same. Nashville has not passed light rail or modified its converging interstate mess. It is a hassel to have to drive through bottlenecks and merge with out of town traffic and transfer trucks that refuse to use the bypasses. Infrastructure does not seem that important in TN. Also, Nashville has a lot of valuable real estate wasted on ugly metal buildings/warehouses in the core.
I agree with this infrastructure seems to be a afterthought in Tennessee especially when a place like Nashville needs it now the NDOT might be a good step forward for the city in the years coming
Both will continue to be great music and bar towns, but which one will be more of a real “city” by the end of the decade? I think the answer is Austin for one simple reason:
Nashville really messed up by not passing their light rail proposal, while Austin passed an ambitious one. That to me is the biggest difference and will have a huge impact on how the cities grow. If Nashville can get another rail measure on the ballot soon and pass it, then it could be a different story.
Both are high growth areas. Corps moving into both. Oracle in Nashville adding thousands-w/o light rail.
Well, to be fair, Asheville and Knoxville aren't bad places to visit. Atlanta and Charlotte aren't terribly far either. I live in ATX but will agree that Nashville is in a better spot in the country. ATX is more of a place thats kinda like Vegas, its great while you're their, but if you venture outside of it, there isn't much more to see that you can't see in ATX.
So imo, Atlanta doesn't give you anything that Dallas/Houston wouldn't. Same with Charlotte vs Nashville/Austin and Knoxville vs Austin.
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