Driving from Mt. Juliet to Nashville/Brentwood - Help! (Franklin: rent, countertops)

[Moshaholic]

Hi All,

I love Tennessee and am moving there very soon. Really wanted to move to the Brentwood area because my work will take me either around there or in the Vanderbilt/Downtown area of Nashville as that's where the action is in my field of technology.

I am thinking about Mt. Juliet because it is peaceful and I can get a lot of house up there, but the drive from there to either the downtown area of Ashville or even worse Brentwood is kind of freaking me out.

Don't get me wrong, I am used to driving a fair amount for work and life in general and we currently live in the Miami area of Florida but I want to make things EASY on myself too and not regret buying a home so far from where I would have to go everyday to earn my living.

So am I going to make myself miserable by living in Mt. Juliet to do this type of driving every day for work?

Anybody else do drives like this? What is the time you spend in traffic? does leaving early help out at all?

Thanks!
God Bless

[septimus]

I wouldn't want to do that commute every day. If you are going to be working in Brentwood, I'd look towards Nolensville, Spring Hill or even the eastern portion of Rutherford County

[BirdieBelle]

It's really, really far.

Mt. Juliet is not really a suburb of Nashville; it's a separate small town that has seen exurb-type growth.

I would not want to do it.

[ExIslander]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

It's really, really far.

Mt. Juliet is not really a suburb of Nashville; it's a separate small town that has seen exurb-type growth.

I would not want to do it.

I guess "far" is in the eye of the beholder. The main exit (Mt. Juliet Road) is about the same distance to downtown Nashville as is McEwen Lane/Highway 96 in Franklin. Not a hop and a skip, but I don't think of that as being in the hinterlands. And Mt. Juliet has always been more of a bedroom community than an actual city, although it's getting more of a self-identity with the recent growth.

Now, if the job is in Brentwood (Maryland Farms or on down in Cool Springs) instead of downtown, and we're tacking 7-10 more miles each way onto the commute... yeah, that could get old, especially if rush-hour tie-ups are included.

[CountryGirl2b=]

What is your housing budget? Are you going to buy or rent first? There may be closer options . . . and sometimes location is worth more than 'more' house.

More house is more to clean, more house to heat, more house to cool, more taxes to pay on the more house and then there's the price of gas and the hours spent commuting which are hours you don't spend in your 'more' house!

[DonCorleone]

I made that commute every day for about 2 years. Mine was from the Hickory Hills Subdivision (which is "Old Hickory" but in Wilson County and really is Mount Juliet in my mind) to Cool Springs, which is a little bit further from Brentwood. Some thoughts:

-I think one big factor is how far your employer is from I 65 and how far your home will be from I 40. If you have a 10 or 15 minute commute to just get on (or off) the interstate, that adds a huge amount of time. But if you're within just a few minutes of the interstate, that helps.

-The commute is not great, but honestly it is not terrible either. There are worse commutes in Nashville (I-24 corridor comes to mind). You will be going with traffic in the mornings until you get to I 440, then it will be much easier all the way to Brentwood. Same thing as you come home...65 to 440 will be easy, but once you hit 440 it will be rougher the rest of the way. 440 is one of Nashville's biggest trouble spots. Too much traffic, not enough space. From door to door it generally took me 40-50 minutes each day. Not great. But I'm not one to really mind a longer commute as it gives me time to prepare for work/decompress on the ride home.

-I do agree it is possible to find homes that meet your criteria without going to MtJ to do it. And all things being equal...sure, it would be better to be closer to work; however, I wouldn't let the prospect of that commute be an immediate rejection of MtJ. That area has a lot going for it and if the commute time isn't an immediate turnoff, I'd certainly advise exploring the option.

[Moshaholic]

Hi Everyone!

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and ideas.

There is a really nice house in Mt. Juilet Right now that my wife and I both love but it would mean the daily drive to down town or brentwood/cool springs.

I'm really torn, but I am feeling that location is starting to win right now over a nicer home.

[ExIslander]

The other factor is, obviously, what and where will you end up buying instead? If you'll still end up in a perfectly nice house (just not quite as big) in a perfectly good place and your family will be happy there, then yes, go for the more convenient location. If this house in Mt. Juliet offers something beyond just some extra space or nicer countertops, things that will positively affect how your family lives (just to toss out some hypothetical examples: extra-big fenced yard for the kids/pets to play in, a swimming pool, an extra bedroom/bath for visiting family, etc.), and you don't expect to find those things in the same price range in other areas more convenient to work... then the commute tradeoff is a tougher decision.

Whichever way you decide, welcome to the area!

[Antioch]

You could take St Rt 171 from Mt. Juliet to Brentwood which is S. Mt. Juliet Rd., which turns into Hobson Pk. in DavidsonCo., Old Hickory Blvd. then Burkit Rd. (all one stretch of road) which ends at Nolensville Rd just above Nolensville,TN, right on Nolensville and an immediate left on Concord if you are going to the Cool Springs area, Or you take St 171 and get on I-24 to Bell Rd which turns to Old Hickory Blvd just above Brentwood. Either way you will be going around any traffic issues you would face going through town during rush hour.

[airen123]

What is your budget?