Anything like Shaker Heights, Ohio in area? (low income, house)

[exit18b]

Wow! Thanks for the info. Houses with some character.

[septimus]

If you are looking for houses with character, Cherokee Park, E. Nashville, Hillsboro/Vandy area all have houses with character. The issue then becomes the schools. Metro has some amazing magnet schools, but not everyone gets into them and the private schools are expensive if you have multiple children it gets really expensive.

Another area in Metro that I like is Old Hickory. The housing stock reminds me of th e north east.

Downtown Franklin has cute houses with character but they are pricey. This area (greater Nashville) has really grown in the last 20 years so a lot of the housing stock is less than 25 years old.

Some of the newer subdivision are trying to bring character back so not every house looks the same.

Good lluck with your search.

[groovamos]

Originally Posted by septimus

good luck...

Just prepare that the schools in Williamson County are the best in TN they probably won't be what your are used to in Shaker Heights or Jersey.

Be prepared. The above person has a distinguishing perspective as a "progressive" new englander in solidly prospering red state environs. And realize that Williamson county lobbed 3 public secondary schools into the Newsweek top 500, while Cambridge, MA rated none in this category. For an extensive discussion of this topic and of the above person's unrelenting and unrepentive point of view, see here:
//www.city-data.com/forum/nashv...n-ma-need.html

[groovamos]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

One of the most striking things about that map ... no web of interstates!

I was 10 in 1960, and my paternal grandparents were in Atlanta. I remember asking my mom at that time if Nashville was ever going to have "expressway(s)" like Atlanta, and she said yes, they were in planning. I don't know how she got this answer. Maybe she knew the interstates were coming, from reading the Banner which showed up every evening on our gravel (soon paved) West Meade driveway or watching the B&W TV set with the swivelling sheet metal cabinet in our den. The expressway with which I was familiar was what is now the monster road (I-75, I-85) running alongside midtown and downtown Atlanta. In the '50's this was built by the state and was maybe 6 lanes at the time, very impressive to a Nashville kid. I don't remember what it was called or its extent and routing, except that I remember seeing Georgia Tech on the north and the Carling brewery on the south routes. And being in the front passenger seat as my grandfather got pulled over on that road and given a ticket. Which he signed with trembling hands, explaining that he had been watching his grandchildren. In the 1957 southeast, Atlanta had the only expressway and Nashville had the tallest building.

Sometime circa 1964 I became vaguely aware of this interstate system and my first sight of it was the shining 4 lane I-65 at Harding Place. The beginning of a new era.

[septimus]

Originally Posted by groovamos

Be prepared. The above person has a distinguishing perspective as a "progressive" new englander in solidly prospering red state environs. And realize that Williamson county lobbed 3 public secondary schools into the Newsweek top 500, while Cambridge, MA rated none in this category. For an extensive discussion of this topic and of the above person's unrelenting and unrepentive point of view, see here:
//www.city-data.com/forum/nashv...n-ma-need.html

I will re-interate that I have never been so nickeled and dimed by a school system. Every other week there is some sort of fundraiser etc for our school.

Also my daughter's elementary classes had 18 kids and a full-time aide in each grade. In WCS the classes are 18-23 kids at our zoned school and 1 aide per grade (5-6 teachers) versus one per teacher.

If the county really cared about the schools my kids' classroom teachers would be sending out notes begging for books, paper and other basic supplies.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by septimus

I will re-interate that I have never been so nickeled and dimed by a school system. Every other week there is some sort of fundraiser etc for our school.

Also my daughter's elementary classes had 18 kids and a full-time aide in each grade. In WCS the classes are 18-23 kids at our zoned school and 1 aide per grade (5-6 teachers) versus one per teacher.

If the county really cared about the schools my kids' classroom teachers would be sending out notes begging for books, paper and other basic supplies.

[knucklehead_vol]

Originally Posted by exit18b

Possible move to Nashville. Currently live in Shaker Heights, Ohio and I grew up in Teaneck, NJ. So to put it blunt, I do not like the "subdivision" world. Looking for walkable neighboorhoods with decent schools no more than $400k. Also must be close to Nashville. Sitting in a car for more than 30 mins is not desired.

Only place I can think of like this is Midtown Memphis in Tennessee. I am in walking distance of parks, restaurants, schools, etc. and if walking is too far just hop on a trolley. But Nashville is nice, I have heard about East Nashville which seems to be similar to Midtown, just not as big.

[exit18b]

Thanks for the info. Schools are the most important thing. Son will be in 11th grade. This is tough. Oldest 2 kids are at college and 1 left. We have always wanted to live somewhere "cool" and "hip" after the puppies left. We may look at renting for 2 years and then buying a house where we want to be. Keep the info coming............

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by exit18b

Thanks for the info. Schools are the most important thing. Son will be in 11th grade. This is tough. Oldest 2 kids are at college and 1 left. We have always wanted to live somewhere "cool" and "hip" after the puppies left. We may look at renting for 2 years and then buying a house where we want to be. Keep the info coming............

That's really not a bad idea...not just for getting into the "right" school district, but to also get a feel for the city and a lay of the land. You might find that a suburban school district would be the best choice for the short term...but when the kids finally move out, you're probably not going to need the extra space.

You might also find that one "cool, hip" area is more to your liking than another. It's a difficult decision to make in a short amount of time...certainly not one to be made in haste.

I would definitely endorse the idea of renting first before you buy. In today's housing market, making the wrong decision could prove to be tough to right in the long run.

[citymama]

I haven't read all of the posts, but coming from living right off of Detroit in Rocky River, I was able to walk EVERYWHERE and be in the best school district in the state. I am currently house hunting and am really struggling finding a place I love because I miss what I had in Ohio.

Sorry to be a wet blanket. Coventry, Ohio City, Rocky River, Lakewood, the Heights ...... there is nothing like that here. The hoods close to Vandy are really neat and eclectic, but I didn't get as much as a family vibe during my short jaunts over there.