I need help (Murfreesboro, Franklin, Hendersonville: rentals, low crime, homes)

[Flamingomo]

So... my husband got a job offer in Nashville and its pretty good and we are really considering it. We had all intentions on moving to California this summer though. This is such a curveball in our plans. I knnow NOTHING about Nashville at all. I feel so lost. We have three boys ages 10, 7 and 1 to consider as well. I don't know what school districts are good, where to live outside of Nashville that is safe, nice and affordable with good schools. I don't want a long commute to Nashville for him, but I don't know about living IN Nashville either. I have looked up some rentals there and the prices are great and the homes are alot larger than what we would get in California, but I don't know what to look for and where to look that would be close. Can anyone help me please? Thanks!

[septimus]

what do you consider a long commute?

I don't think I have a bad commute 35 minutes with a stop at dunkin donuts for coffee, but others can't believe I drive downtown to work.

Good school districts in order of "prestige" are Williamson County, Sumner and then Mt Juliet and Rutherford.

All of which have affordable areas. Williamson county isn't affordable for most in Brentwood, but Fairview which has easy access to downtown Nashville via I-40 does and so does Spring Hill from I-65.

[Flamingomo]

Less than thirty minutes would be ideal. I don't need prestige, I just need safe and a good education for my kids. I don't want to pay more than $1500 max for rent, preferably $1300. I need a yard for my dogs and kids to play in and at least 4 bedrooms. How far is Murfreesboro from Nashville?

[septimus]

I think the traffic from Murfreesboro/Mt.Juliet to Nashville is worse than if you are coming from the South (I-65), West or North.

You might want consider Bellevue which is part of Metro Nashville, but high school can be rough if you aren't in a magnet

[vivelafrance]

The portion of the city of Goodlettsville that is in Sumner County and the Mansker Farms area of Hendersonville are good to consider. They have a very short commute and still offer great Sumner County Schools. Some neighborhoods to search would be Copper Creek, 12 Stones Crossing, and Mansker Farms.

[DonCorleone]

Murfreesboro is a good 45 minute drive from Nashville...but it can easily be up to an hour if traffic is bad...and it often is. Personally, I think Murfreesboro is a little too far for a daily Nashville commute unless you absolutely fall in love with the area down there. And the 'Boro does have a lot to offer...

I'm partial to Hendersonville in Sumner County. It's about 35 minutes to Nashville on an average traffic day during rush hour. Could be more or less depending on what part of Hendersonville you live in. Schools are great, plenty of shopping and activities there (parks, lake, etc), safe area with low crime. And it's close enough to Nashville for its citizens to benefit from everything in the big city. Or as vivelafrance said, Goodlettsville in Sumner County is a good choice too...and a little closer to Nashville as far as commute goes.

You can make the same argument for Williamson County too. Good schools, plenty of activities, etc. It is a little more expensive in parts of Williamson County. As septimus mentioned, Brentwood can be downright expensive in some areas. Same can be said for Franklin. However, there are still affordable areas with great schools and all the other perks as well.

I'm afraid I'm not a lot of help with the rental questions, but I do feel confident you can rent a nice home in either area. It may just take some digging. Have you checked the usual spots like craigslist?

[tryphena1]

I definitely second the recommendation to check out the Bellevue area of Nashville. Even though it's within Nashville city limits, it's very suburban-- downright rural in some areas. Very safe and family friendly. And the average commute downtown in rush hour traffic is about 30 minutes.

[GWoodle]

You may find some "good" Metro schools. Many Metro lower & mid level schools are fine for a 10-7 year old. There are 2 academy's when they get a little older. St Henry appears to be a nice lower grade Catholic school.

Something else Bellevue has going for it is 2 bus routes downtown to cut your commuter/car time. With gas now at $3.00+ you can save some money. For you & a 1yr old check out Red Caboose Park on Hwy70S & the nature center at Warner Park. Try it you may like it enough to find a home & stay! We miss the play pit at the closed Bellevue mall.

[Flamingomo]

Originally Posted by septimus

I think the traffic from Murfreesboro/Mt.Juliet to Nashville is worse than if you are coming from the South (I-65), West or North.

You might want consider Bellevue which is part of Metro Nashville, but high school can be rough if you aren't in a magnet

Whats a "magnet"? I know it attracts metal...but in this case what does it mean? haha!

[septimus]

Originally Posted by Flamingomo

Whats a "magnet"? I know it attracts metal...but in this case what does it mean? haha!

Magnet schools are ones that you have to get a certain test score/lottery to be admitted.