Nashville Is A Very Nice City, However.... (Franklin, Hendersonville: sales, car registration)

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by kurlos

Nashville is probably the largest healthcare hub in the southeast. Not only is the Vanderbilt University Medical Center here, but HCA (the nation's largest hospital system) is based here. The practical effect of this is that there are large numbers of highly educated transplants in the Nashville area. Any opinions to the effect that "you have to like country music to like Nashville" are completely inaccurate. In fact, country music is such an "industry" rather than an "art", that its influence in the city beyond tourist traps is negligible. However, there are high numbers of musicians from all genres in the area, MOST of which are NOT country.

The biggest drawbacks in my mind are: poor public transportation and the fact that Nashville is not close to mountains or the ocean (it really is situated poorly in a geographic sense IMO). However, if these are not important to you, then I give Nashville a pretty high rating, and I have lived in the Northeast and Rocky Mountain regions.

And MeHarry Medical College.

I would agree with most of your comments. I've tried to tell others here that Nashville isn't really like it's portrayed in the movies or on TV. When is the last time you've even seen someone wearing a cowboy hat?

I too wish the mountains and ocean with a little closer (but not hurricane close), but I really like the rollinng hills, lakes, and the Cumberland Plateau area of Middle Tennessee. There's some really beautiful places.

[SuzieQFL]

Originally Posted by mr2007

Thanks to all who responded to my comments regarding Nashville.

After traveling across the US extensively on both business and pleasure over the past decade, there are a number of major American cities that I have never been to. They are:

- Tampa FL

I think you would LOVE Tampa! (IF you can take the heat, as it does get pretty warm and humid) but it is one cool city! You'll have to come and check it out!

I think I can now say that of the major cities I have visited (and I would prefer to live in a major city), my favorites are - in no particular order:

- South Florida (anywhere from Fort Lauderdale down to Key West will do. Anyone who hasn't done so should take a drive down The Keys at least once in their life. I did that drive last year (from Ft Lauderdale to Key West and back) and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Stopping at all the little towns in The Keys, taking your time and being in no hurry to get where you're going, all the blue/green water on both sides of you, laid back attitudes -- an outstanding American road trip experience. I hope to do old Route 66 one day as well.) Now back to the list....

The entire east coast of Florida is awful, IMHO. It is one big parking lot,
and much more expensive than the gulf coast. I've lived here 32 years and have been to the keys once. That was enough for me. Some people love it...I didn't. There isn't even a beach for criminy sakes! The water is beautiful, but the gulf water is beautiful too without all that driving. Did you know that from Key West to Pensacola is as far as it is from Pensacola to Chicago? If you love beautiful blue water and sugar sand beaches, you need to see the beaches in NW Florida...between Pensacola and Panama City. OMG! They are beautiful. Sarasota has some beautiful beaches too. I digress....I sometimes have a tendency to ramble Anyway, I'd love for you to visit Tampa and then come back and give a report.


I actually work in Legal for a large financial company, but I think my true calling is to be a Travel Journalist on one of those Discovery Network shows!

I think your true calling may be right. Your writing style is very interesting to read.

[SuzieQFL]

Originally Posted by cassarina

I was in Nashville for several months due to evacuation from hurricane Rita. I am from New Orleans and I now live in the Atlanta area. Nashville was a very friendly place. My whole family was surprised. Because we are black we wrongly associated country music culture with racism. People of all races were very nice. The music scene rivals New Orleans. We got a paper from the hotel that lists all of the music clubs. There is every kind of live music in Nashville. You can hear reggae,soul,blues,jazz and many other types. We would have stayed, but we missed living near water, and my Mother had terminal cancer in Atlanta. We are moving from Atlanta to Sarasota soon,but we LOVE Nashville,and would consider a move if hurricanes run us out of Sarasota. Check out John Henry's on Jefferson street, it's in the hood but worth the trip. We loved the restaruants in the Green Hills area and the children loved the whole area around West End and Vanderbilt.

If I may ask, what is bringing you to Sarasota? If you're used to larger cities, Sarasota may be a bit of a challenge, but it is a wonderful, beautiful town with all the amenities one would need. Let us know how you make out there.

[pamela2695]

Hi mr2007, I am in Memphis, TN and if you want a real wild weekend getaway come here. I am quite sure after your experience here there will never be another place like it. Memphis has a lot to offer more crimes and diversity you can ever dream of. Being from the south is a wonderful thing I myself have lived in Chicago and Rochester, NY. I find that the south allow you to be able to raise the type of family that you want to have. Everything here is much slower but I prefer that in order to get a handle on thing. Sometimes we just need to stop and smell the roses in order to know where we are going.

[TXRyan23]

I moved to Nashville from Florida in 2001.

Since I've been here, taxes have gone up, crime has gone up, gangs have gone up, the housing market has gone up, and the redneck population in the suburbs of Sumner, Wilson, Rutherford, Robertson, and Cheatham counties seem to have also gone up. My wife and I are moving to Houston, TX when we get the money saved up and are never looking back.

[goodbyehollywood]

You are fleeing to a place that has more of what you're fleeing from. Housing is cheaper, but property taxes are higher and crime and rednecks are everywhere. I lived there; I know. Good luck to you!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood

You are fleeing to a place that has more of what you're fleeing from. Housing is cheaper, but property taxes are higher and crime and rednecks are everywhere. I lived there; I know. Good luck to you!

Yeah seriously. It's like someone saying, "There are too many socialists and French-speaking people in Quebec, so I've decided to get away from that by moving to France."

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood

You are fleeing to a place that has more of what you're fleeing from. Housing is cheaper, but property taxes are higher and crime and rednecks are everywhere. I lived there; I know. Good luck to you!

I once lived there too, Houston is an international city with tons of people from tons of races.

Property taxes are higher in some areas ( I've seen $5k in some areas and $600 in others ) and the crime rate is better than Nashville...
Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed

Which is really sad if you think about it, since Houston has a population around what ? 3 million compared to Nashville's 500k ?

You can get a house in Houston for $150k just like one in Brentwood that's going for $700k.

You are correct though, rednecks can be found anywhere, however.. I prefer that mix of several diffrent races rather then the Tennessee norm.

You may be a proud Tennesseean and there's no problem with that, but don't like your UT Orange glasses cloud your head.

[goodbyehollywood]

Originally Posted by FutureTexan

I once lived there too, Houston is an international city with tons of people from tons of races.

Property taxes are higher in some areas ( I've seen $5k in some areas and $600 in others ) and the crime rate is better than Nashville...
Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed

Which is really sad if you think about it, since Houston has a population around what ? 3 million compared to Nashville's 500k ?

You can get a house in Houston for $150k just like one in Brentwood that's going for $700k.

You are correct though, rednecks can be found anywhere, however.. I prefer that mix of several diffrent races rather then the Tennessee norm.

You may be a proud Tennesseean and there's no problem with that, but don't like your UT Orange glasses cloud your head.

I wasn't looking for a debate or to talk you out of it, I was just pointing out-- politely-- that you're not fleeing to a place that doesn't have what you don't like about Nashville. I don't care where you live. Or why. Or when you go, though luckily, there are flights every day. They're seldom full.

As for that totally uncalled for Orange glasses comment, just where do you think Hollywood is? That license plate on my car says, "Lakers." My sweatshirt is as likely to read "UCLA" as "UT." So if you're going to be a jerk, try to at least be accurate about it.

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by alleycat

And MeHarry Medical College.

I would agree with most of your comments. I've tried to tell others here that Nashville isn't really like it's portrayed in the movies or on TV. When is the last time you've even seen someone wearing a cowboy hat?

I too wish the mountains and ocean with a little closer (but not hurricane close), but I really like the rollinng hills, lakes, and the Cumberland Plateau area of Middle Tennessee. There's some really beautiful places.

Alley Cat, I've seen people wearing Cowboy Hats-Tourists! The bigger the hat the furthur noth they are from.
I love it here in Middle Tennessee.
Diane