Moving to Hendersonville/Gallatin/Mount Juliet- Schools and Housing Info (Lebanon: middle-class, real estate)

[eefrog]

So we were able to visit Hendersonville a few weeks ago. After the visit we have a better idea of what the commutes maybe like and what areas can be more realistic for us to live in.
My work location will be in Lebanon, so I am thinking of getting situated either on the border of Hendersonville/Gallatin. We loved the Fairvue plantation subdivision/area and ideally we would love to be able to find a rental there.
Our other option is to live in Mount Juliet. We know very little to nothing about Mount Juliet. We saw the providence are and it looked pretty nice, but that area is zoned for Rutland Elementary and I have not heard anything good about that school.
So my question is what would the experts on this forum recommend?
B/w Lakeview, Stoner Creek, West Elementary - which one is the best elementary school?
Are there any comparable subdivisions in Mt. Juliet to that of Fairvue plantation in Gallatin?
Is Hendersonville still an option, if we want to keep the commute to no longer than 30 minutes?
I know I have asked a lot of questions here, and I thank you in advance for reading and submitting your valuable feedback.
Thanks,
eefrog

[Pimpy]

Your best bet is to go for something in the Station Camp district, between Hendersonville and Gallatin. Fairvue Plantation would qualify. The schools are top-notch and you should be able to pull off the commute in 30 minutes tops.

Gallatin proper would be closer to work, but the schools aren't nearly as good. Hendersonville proper has great schools but you would probably be at more than 30 minutes for your commute.

Mount Juliet is a good option, too, but none of the schools you named there are as reputable as the ones in the Station Camp cluster.

[DonCorleone]

Pimpy's right on. Definitely look in the Station Camp area.

I live in Hville and moved there from Mt. Juliet. I can't think of any neighborhoods that are quite like Fairvue Plantation, although I suppose Willoughby Station is in the ballpark. I know there are other higher-end neighborhoods in MtJ but most of the neighborhoods there are more middle class...very nice middle class...but you're not going to find a golf club on the property. Closer to Lebanon is Five Oaks...that is probably closer to what you're looking for and a more apt comparison to Fairvue Plantation. Not sure about the schools out that way, though.

Personally, I say Hendersonville is the safer bet as far as schools go, but you can definitely find some nice places in MtJ and Lebanon.

[vivelafrance]

The Hunt Club, Savannah, and Blue Grass Downs are 3 other high-end neighborhoods that would probably come the closest to Fairvue in the Station Camp district. All 3 are are in Hendersonville but only about 5-10 minutes farther than Fairvue. Google says Savannah to downtown Lebanon is 35 minutes. I don't think you'll have nearly as many similar options in Mt. Juliet but you're commute would be shorter.

Hwy 109, which connects Gallatin and Lebanon, is currently undergoing expansion. Expect some traffic headaches for a while but it should be great when completed.

[goodman2]

Since you're going to be working in Lebanon eefrog, you might want to choose Mt. Juliet for proximity. I wouldn't worry about which town has the (so called) best public schools, I went to public schools in Nashville my entire life and graduated, so anything there would have to be suitable (or better).

[ExIslander]

A few comments on the above comments:

* Hendersonville and the Station Camp area definitely have an advantage in availability of high-end real estate. Mt. Juliet has nice properties, but they're more scattered, nothing like Fairvue. Providence is more of a middle-class development, most of the pricier property is north of U.S. 70 and near the lake.

* The schools in the Mt. Juliet High School cluster, particularly Lakeview Elementary, don't have anything to apologize for relative to any of the Sumner County zones.

* Five Oaks in Lebanon (previously mentioned) is the closest thing to Fairvue in Wilson County. Five Oaks doesn't have favorable school zonings, though. (I've heard lots of the kids there go to nearby Friendship Christian but that's just hearsay, I don't know any of them.)

[rev. phil]

we are planning to move from long island to hendersonville tn. im retired on s/s. my wife is a medical sect. i am also a minister & officiate weddings in ny. and do well at it. my wifes kids seem to think even if the cost of living is cheaper we would not make as much money there..so why move..it would even out.ny. make more spend more..tn make less..spend less. as much as we are praying about it we would like some input also.. too move or not too move ???? phil

[El Passeaux]

I grew up in Massachusetts and live in Hendersonville. I could never live up there again. To me, the quality of life is better here. Yes we dont have the quality of theatres or museums and might not be "as sophisticated" as some will say, but the pace and people here are tremendous and the weather is better.

[DonCorleone]

Originally Posted by rev. phil

we are planning to move from long island to hendersonville tn. im retired on s/s. my wife is a medical sect. i am also a minister & officiate weddings in ny. and do well at it. my wifes kids seem to think even if the cost of living is cheaper we would not make as much money there..so why move..it would even out.ny. make more spend more..tn make less..spend less. as much as we are praying about it we would like some input also.. too move or not too move ???? phil

As you scan the forums here you'll see lots of folks with similar thoughts/concerns as your own as far as relocation goes. Certainly there are a lot of factors to consider, but as El Passeaux mentioned, the COL/quality of life is betterand the weather is (by most people's standards) better. Sure, we get oppressive heat in the summer...about what you're used to but a little longer and more humid. But the winters are far milder. We still get the 4 seasons here so it is not like Florida or the extreme southeast with mostly mild/moderate winters.

Nashville at large should offer plenty of opportunities for your wife as a medical secretary. We are a big healthcare industry hub here and have a very high per-capita of doctors and other specialists. Hendersonville also has a good amount of medical professionals...there is a regional hospital there and another larger one in nearby Madison. Still, many commute to Nashville as well for medical jobs...about 30-40 minutes depending on location.

Clearly being in the "buckle of the Bible Belt" there are lots of ministerial opportunities in a normal environment, but I'm not sure what it is today. Not sure if you're looking for wedding-type work but we do have a very few wedding chapels around that specialize in that. My guess is that line of work is fairly limited and might be hard to break in as an outsider since there are so many ministers here. I actually had a client who was a wedding chapel minister and really enjoyed the work.

However, because there are so many churches you might have luck in finding an opportunity, although there's a chance you could find an open pulpit in a local church I suppose. I just don't know what the job market is right now for ministers. My guess is that it might be fairly tight. You might have to branch out a little bit and find related ministerial work.

Anyways, hope that helps. My take is that the job market for your wife's skill set is probably pretty good. Again, there's plenty of opportunity but also lots of capable workers here too...so that could be pro/con. Same goes for your skill set as well. Nevertheless, I just haven't run into too many people who relocate here that didn't think it was a good decision. Just be sure you're aware of the pitfalls and that where you'd be moving to is not going to be the same as where you're moving from.

Best of luck and blessings to you in your search.