Franklin,TN vs. Chapel Hill, NC- Which is better? (houses, to buy)

[jody8423]

Hi all,

I have been reading many posts on this forum about relocating to TN. And so many have mentioned Franklin! Sounds like the perfect place. But I just came back from a visit from Chapel Hill, NC- and I absolutely fell in love with that town! The old beautiful downtown that is still clean and kept up, the people were a breath of fresh air and had the nicest manners, and great shopping malls close by too! It was almost like stepping back in time.. And now after doing some research and looking at Franklin's pictures of downtown, it looks quite alike to Chapel Hill. What do you guys think-pretty similar? Or am I totally wrong? Or is Franklin even better than Chapel Hill and I don't know what I'm missing out on?

[akm4]

Chapel Hill's quite a bit more expensive than Franklin, right? But closer to the ocean......

[CMartel2]

Culturally they're very different towns. Franklin is more suburban (though its own city in other respects, as well), more family-oriented, more conservative. Chapel Hill is much more liberal, much more of a college town. They both have a historical charm about them. It depends what you're looking for.

[mcredux]

It's daylight and dark.

Chapel Hill sits between UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke. The average person you will meet in CH will be more educated and have more going on upstairs. CH has much more going on culturally and socially.

Franklin is just a small southern town. It's slightly more affluent than your average small city because many people in Franklin commute to Nashvile. But culturally, there is zero going on in Franklin.

If you want a place that is socially and culturally vibrant, Franklin won't be a good fit. If you want a place that is cheap and goes at a slow place, then you will like Franklin.

[Big TR]

Originally Posted by mcredux

it's daylight and dark.

Chapel hill sits between unc-chapel hill and duke. The average person you will meet in ch will be more educated and have more going on upstairs. Ch has much more going on culturally and socially.

Franklin is just a small southern town. It's slightly more affluent than your average small city because many people in franklin commute to nashvile. But culturally, there is zero going on in franklin.

If you want a place that is socially and culturally vibrant, franklin won't be a good fit. If you want a place that is cheap and goes at a slow place, then you will like franklin.

lol

[rayrat]

Wow, Franklin's cheap? No culture either?
Damn, you learn so much from these here Internets

Ray (um, in Franklin)

[shinestx]

I've lived in both areas. CH is (duh!!!) a college town. In other words, the college dominates every aspect of the town. Yes, it has culture, but it's the sort that you tend to find on any large state university level. And it has a very good academic medical center. It is a part of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area, but unlike Franklin is to Nashville... Chapel Hill is very much a distinct part of the "Triangle", as is Durham and Raleigh. They are too distinct (Raleigh is state government... white collar... Durham is blue collar, industrial... and Chapel Hill is very "progressive" and all the good and bad that goes with that sort of environment). Yes, Chapel Hill is a pretty town... and it's smaller than Frankline. It is very expensive to buy a home there... but Durham is only 10 miles away, and the homes there are more affordable (However, we thought the houses there in the 1990s were very expensive for what you got ... e.g. lots of vinyl siding). I liked living in the Triangle, but when I was "done with" college and the college scene, I was also "done with" the plethora of college hangout places that populate the area of Franklin Street and the relative lack of nice shopping in the area. Now, Durham has opened a large mall since we lived there, and that may provide a nice alternative). There is a relative dearth of upper level fine dining establishments in CH for this reason. Although, I still love my Carolina Inn.

Anyway, Franklin is more dependent on Nashville than CH is to Raleigh or Durham. Although, both towns have the nice airport facilities of their larger neighbors.

[sfitz]

Quote "Franklin is just a small southern town. It's slightly more affluent than your average small city because many people in Franklin commute to Nashvile. But culturally, there is zero going on in Franklin."

I had to reply to this. My husband & I attended the Chet Atkins Convention Tribute at the Factory in Franklin last Tuesday evening and were in awe of the performance on stage in Jamisen Hall. We were sitting there thinking this was a great concert and Earl Klugh walked out on stage as a surprise performer. What a treat! Maybe this isn't a cultural experience for some people but we were very impressed. Tickets were only $20.

[mgrumbles]

check out Franklin TN - FranklinIs.Com to learn more about Franklin, TN

We moved here from Mooresville, NC and absolutely love it here. It is not so different. This place has a great mix of people from all over though as Williamson County is a big draw from California. It also is home to many song writers and singers.

Hope this helps,

MIKE

[jody8423]

Thank you all for your answers this helps out alot!