Move to Franklin? (Clarksville: house, landscaping, neighborhoods)

[CAgirlinTN]

We are considering relocating to Franklin and would appreciate any info, advice etc. We moved to Clarksville from California five years ago, but my husband has worked in Nashville the entire time we have been here. We have had a difficult time making friends in this town because it seems to be split into two groups of people. 1. Military people who keep to themseleves or move every two to three years or 2. People who are from here and already have enough friends. It seems that there is a very prominent Good Old Boy system in Clarksville that we will just never be a part of and it trickles down to the kids sports teams. (that are supposed to be randomly put together and are obviously not) I feel so out of place here being neither a military family or a person who has lived here my entire life. We hated the public school so we are paying for three kids to go to private school here as well as my husband is commuting an hour to South Nashville every day. It seems to make sense to move to Franklin because everyone says it is so great and that the public schools are great (we could not afford private school anymore in Franklin). Plus Franklin is only 15 minutes from where my husband works... However, I am reluctant to uproot my kids (who are thriving here) only to find out that Franklin isn't really as great as people say... or that the schools really aren't much better than the ones here. Our oldest will be starting high school next year. If we make this move we hope for it to be a permanent one. There is only so much information you can get about which schools are the best and where to live off of the internet or a couple of visits to the town. What are the people really like in Franklin? Is it a snobby place? I just want a nice place to raise my family with good schools and live close to my husbands job...thoughts? Much appreciated!

[akm4]

The snobby myth is just that- a myth. If it were true, we wouldn't still be here! There are a few jerks anywhere you go, but it's not a pervasive thing. At all. We moved here 9 years ago from NorCal and love it.

I think part of what makes Franklin so welcoming is the large number of families just like yours, who come here from another state. We've become close to native Frankliners too, though, through work, church, school and our neighborhood.

The public schools are TN's best, and there are many private options as well.

It's a great little town with a rich history. It's close enough to Clarksville that you could easily come for a night or a long weekend and get a better feel for the place. Maybe catch a play or sporting event at a Franklin high school, have breakfast among locals at Merridee's, walk Main St., etc. Then factor in your husband's commute time and decide.

Good luck!

[CAgirlinTN]

Thanks! We visited downtown one day and it was great. I really liked the feel of it (I am from a very small town in CA). The schools are what make me the most nervous. When we moved to Clarksville we picked our house based off of the school zoning. We were zoned for the "best" school in town. Great test scores, great ratings, everyone in this town acts like it is the best school ever. It wasn't. It was so cold and sterile and had so many rules. My daughter had many many days without recess. They made the children sit boy girl boy girl in the lunch room to cut down on the noise. When it got too noisy they turned the lights off and made them eat in silence. My daughter was miserable and was starved for socialization. They love their private school now. I am sure the test scores are great in WCS but what is the enviroment like? Do the children get recess? Which schools are the best? The cost of living in Clarksville is much lower so to move to Franklin would mean no more private school. So the decision to move weighs heavily on the schools. I am planning a visit to the schools, but there are quite a few...feeling overwhelmed.

[akm4]

The only time my kids ever missed a recess was on TCAP testing day. They were in FSSD (a pre-K-8 district within Franklin) until high school, but I don't know of any WCS schools that routinely take away recess either! Your poor daughter. I would have been miserable too.

The schools here will let you tour during class time and even eat lunch in the cafeteria to get a feel for it. That might ease your mind, and your daughter's too!

[Kevin south of Nashville]

Your question is a very popular one that we get asked often, but I’m still stumped as to why it’s so common. Guessing that the home values getting higher and higher in price a few years ago seem to mean that your community gets labeled a certain way?

In my personal experience, the people we run into in Franklin (headed to five points now) have been great and are a large part of the reason that so many clients want to move there. Stories of an older gentleman helping a friend of ours across the street in downtown Franklin when she had first moved, some of the families I know that are longtime residents and third generation locals, the folks we met this year at Wine Down Main Street… so many of these seem to be different than the feared “snob.” You’ll probably get more of the overly friendly at the grocery store and school functions than the snob snuff :-) The families that have moved in this year are often given a hard time by their out of state friends for becoming “the Chamber of Commerce” for this place!

Akm4 is a firsthand account and sounds just like the description of what I see in real life. If you would like to talk with some teachers (or former teachers, or new parents) in Williamson County Schools directly, let me know and I’d be happy to put you in touch. They can take all of the mystery out of your evaluation. Also, Wmsn4Life (in this forum) is an excellent resource for WCS information.

[CAgirlinTN]

Thanks again for your reply. Any suggestions as to which neighborhoods are good for young families? Which schools are better than others? We are currently looking around at McKays Mill and Sullivan Farms but would really prefer more of a yard. Are people there friendly? People seem to keep to themself here. It is very cliquish here.

[CAgirlinTN]

Thank you Kevin! I have not really heard that Franklin is a snobby place but people always say it is really expensive to live there. Some people on these boards have said that it is a very keep up with the jones type place. I have never heard anyone say it in person. The people in Clarksville who have money are very snobby and are not at all friendly so it made me wonder about Franklin considering the median income there is so much higher than Clarksville. I would love to talk to the people you mentioned. How would we set something like that up? And overly friendly sounds great. I graduated highschool with people I went to the first grade with, I couldn't go to the grocery store without seeing people I knew...here I feel like a stranger all the time...I like that Franklin is much smaller than Clarksville. We are coming to Franklin and meeting a realtor on the 18th of this month.

[Kevin south of Nashville]

Feel free to DM me and I’ll put you in touch. To respond to a few of your follow up questions:
The specific families I know in the community are :-) As you guys probably were able to see, it’s a big planned community so I’m sure it’s a slice of life anywhere. My direct experiences have been very good (just helped a few families there earlier this year). My wife and I considered McKay’s Mill and in some respects wish we had ended up in this kind of location when we first made the move.

Two families just came from Sullivan Farms into a home for a homeowner of mine last week and they spoke highly of the community. More variation of builders, home features, and lot sizes (really in both of these master planned communities) than you initially expect; so really drive around them or leave your expectation open from one section to another.

If older neighborhoods are in the discussion for you - Oakwood, Maybe Cheswick Farms for greater lot size, not so much Willowsprings or Polk Place (though their landscaping is often fantastic). What kind of yard would be ideal? Throw the ball around vs. play football in, farm ;-) etc?

[CAgirlinTN]

Our back yard now extends 100 feet to our property line and we really like it. We know we may not be able to afford that much land in Franklin but we need to have room to play. The communities seem nice with the pool etc..but an older home with room to put in a pool or one already exisiting would be great too.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by CAgirlinTN

Thanks again for your reply. Any suggestions as to which neighborhoods are good for young families? Which schools are better than others? We are currently looking around at McKays Mill and Sullivan Farms but would really prefer more of a yard. Are people there friendly? People seem to keep to themself here. It is very cliquish here.

The best way to tell if a school is right for you is to visit and meet with the principal. Sometimes you can get a feel for the vibe of a school the minute you walk in. How the idea of your tour is treated will tell you a lot.
The energy and culture of a school often are dictated from the top down by the principal. Kids in a school where the principal shoots baskets with the kids during recess will behave and learn differently from those in a school where the principal sits in the office all day and never smiles.
So I would target some ares with homes you like, then scout out those schools.