Brentwood insight for relocation from Chicago suburbs (Franklin, Nolensville: apartments, house)

[El Passeaux]

Originally Posted by citymama

I found the suburban sprawl, plus other cultural differences to be really shocking and hard to get used to when we moved to the area from cleveland in 2010. We have since moved back up north for the schools and way of living. We prefer the walkable small town feel and settled for a much smaller house and less money in our paychecks to come back. If we weren't able to come back, we most likely would have tried out a private school as I pulled my son out of Kindergarten to homeschool down there. I have heard good things about Brentwood schools and with all the transplants for all over, I'm sure you guys will fit right in and build your network. The Rec centers have all types of classes as does the Brentwood Library. Crockett Park is beloved and the Warner park is beautiful. You will driving a lot. There is no real mass transit and no real walkable neighborhoods. Many people meet their support systems through their church.

I agree with the Dallas sprawl comment further up the chat. No way there is more sprawl in Nashville than the Metroplex. I am sure Houston as well. The last sentence here is the key to Nashville I believe. I believe you will find that the sense of community is not thru the neighborhood although you will likely get to know your neighbors. The main bond will be thru a Church if you go to Church. The Churches for the most part are very active and many peoples lives revolve around Church activities.

[Vandy-bound]

We moved from the NW Chicago suburbs to Brentwood a few years ago. The traffic is really no different than what we found in Chicago...Franklin Rd. in downtown B'wood is much better than, say, Golf Rd. in Schaumburg by Woodfield. Cool Springs traffic can be onerous at times (like the holidays), but still vastly better than traffic into Woodfield or Old Orchard.

As for a support network, we do not belong to a church and have found lots of friends and support anyway. We have not felt like we were lacking support at all in the time we've been here. Good luck with your move--we have really enjoyed our time in Brentwood. We found the Brentwood schools to be even better than our highly rated IL school district, the cost of living substantially lower, and the way of life to be fabulous.

[ExIslander]

A couple of comments about Brentwood:

1. It is the epitome of sprawl, because the city is limited to a one-dwelling-per-acre density.
2. Nearly everyone who lives in Brentwood likes it that way.

It's an affluent suburb; the typical resident could afford to live almost anywhere in the Nashville area. They choose Brentwood because they like having their own little oasis. If you like a little more density, walkability or a place where residential and retail mix easily, there are other neighborhoods and suburbs that would be a better fit.

Looking beyond Brentwood to the metro area as a whole, remember that one person's sprawl is another person's elbow room. Nashville as a whole seems less urbanized and "city" than many comparably-sized metro areas, and a lot of people who move to the area find that a plus. Not everyone does, of course, and the need to drive more is the trade-off.

[Psusquez]

Thank you all! I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

Vandy-bound - your response was very helpful because I'm trying to get a sense of how it compares to here. Not that I expect it to be like here, but this is the only frame of reference I have at the moment. Glad to hear you have had a positive experience and I hope in time I will feel the same!

[thunderstruck666]

Vandy-bound, how does it compare to other areas like Lake Street, 83 etc? The immediate Woodfield area is a cluster, although a little outside there it's not bad. When and if I can find a job in my field (printing), the commute and driving conditions will certainly be a factor in where I decide to locate.

[Big TR]

Traffic down here is easy compared to NW suburban Chicago. Nothing at all like spending quality time on Lake Cook Road, US 12, tooling around Schaumburg, etc.

We moved here from suburban Chicago in 2008. The "sprawl" of Nashville is completely overstated. I drive from south of Franklin 31 miles to my office by the Tune Airport every morning at 6:30 and get there at 7.

I leave the office around 4:15 and stop and get my daughter off of Murfreesboro and I-65, then go up Royal Oaks to Mack Hatcher and get my son from school off Lewisburg Pike. It all takes me less than an hour. 35+ miles.

And all this is when there's construction on I-65 and Mack Hatcher in Franklin, jacking everything up for my commute.

Thunder, I'd say the worst of Nashville traffic is summed up in driving on Lake Street from Kingery in Addison to Bloomingdale. You hit lights, make a few, but overall it's not bad. Construction not withstanding.

[thunderstruck666]

Actually that's a drive I make every Saturday running errands, from Gary to 83. If that's the worst Nashville has to offer, I'm ready for it. Property taxes are insane here so I'm ready to jump ship and head for greener pastures. Have to see if I can get work down there then sell my place before the proposed tax hikes make it un-sellable. Been here 18 years and that's about enough.

[Big TR]

The absolute worst Nashville has to offer is if you decide to live in Murfreesboro and commute to Nashville every day. That's a parking lot some days to and fro. But if you're living 35-40 miles from your work, you should expect it to take over an hour anyway.

I would compare that drive to somebody who drives from Buffalo Grove to downtown Chicago every day. You're choosing to live really far out so you should expect to sit in traffic. The difference down here is there are no public transportation options so you have to drive.

[thunderstruck666]

That's why I'd figure where I'll be working first, then base my living area off that. One of the guys I works with lives in Woodstock and commutes to our place near Wrigley, which is about a 60 mile commute one way. That's no way to live in my opinion.

[aaronmidnight]

I can't compare to Chicago, but what I can say is that Brentwood (especially east of 65 around Concord Road) has basically no retail. It's all residential except for a (very nice) library, YMCA and a gas station until you drive 15-20 minutes to get to Nolensville Road and the retail there (supermarkets, drugstores, restaurants).

So...if you want to be in Brentwood AND near retail, you either have to live on the west side of 65 off Franklin Road, which tend to be more older and/or more expensive, or way out near Nolensville Pike (15-20 minutes from the highway).

Traffic can be a parking lot on Concord and Old Hickory Boulevard and Nolensville Pike during rush hours. Outside of rush hour, traffic seems easy.

I avoid Cool Springs at all costs just because I found it ugly and I loathe malls. But that's Franklin, not Brentwood.

Incidentally, if you want a walkable community feel, you might look into Downtown Franklin or one of the nearby communities. Especially if neither you nor your husband has to do a traditional commute, it could be a great option for you.

(PS - One thing to be aware of is that houses near Old Hickory Boulevard east of 65 tend to have a "Brentwood" address, but are actually part of Nashville in Davidson County. So if you lived off Edmondson Pike, for instance, just south of OHB, your children would still be zoned for Nashville schools. Not saying that's a bad thing, just something to be aware of, since Brentwood housing prices typically are higher than Nashville in part because of a perception that Williamson County schools are first rate.)