Relocating from Ohio to Nashville for Grad School (Cleveland, Lexington: real estate, rent)

[BonyT]

I'm more generally interested, I guess, in how much of a "culture shock" I can expect, relocating from southwest Ohio (Dayton, Ohio area) to Tennessee. I've lived my whole life in the southern Midwest, as opposed to "the South." What am I in for? What should I take into consideration, apart from financial/budgetary concerns?

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by BonyT

I'm more generally interested, I guess, in how much of a "culture shock" I can expect, relocating from southwest Ohio (Dayton, Ohio area) to Tennessee. I've lived my whole life in the southern Midwest, as opposed to "the South." What am I in for? What should I take into consideration, apart from financial/budgetary concerns?

I have never lived in Ohio, but I have family that does (Columbus). You might get a better answer from someone that has relocated from the Midwest, but in my visits (especially to the Cincinnati area), I did not find the culture to be that starkly different.

Nashville is certainly Southern, but keep in mind that Nashville is in the Upper South, and shares a lot in common with Appalachia as well as Middle America.



Being that you have no experience here, I'd say the biggest thing to take into consideration is an open mind. If you are worried about differences, you may find it more comfortable to focus on similarities.

[CountryGirl2b=]

I looked at Cincinnati before I moved here. My Mom grew up there and I still have friends there that I visit often. I guess it's close enough to Dayton to be somewhat similar.

1. The Nashville airport is much bigger than the Dayton airport! (I had to pick someone up there) Southwest flies here so fares are probably cheaper in the long run than out of CVG.

2. The light is different here. It's brighter. Maybe we get more sunny days, or it's just a matter of latitude, but the light is different. Sky a bit more open (shorter trees perhaps - and I'm NOT kidding!)

3. We are on Central Time so prime time starts at 7. Jimmy Fallon is on at 10:30.

4. I have never found Cincinnati to be unfriendly but Nashville is uber friendly.

5. Our roads don't have those potholes in them from snowplows. Or not as many. I was up in Cincy last month and it was a bumpy ride.

6. We have issues when it snows (maybe twice a winter). Schools are out for a couple of days and side roads are a mess. We don't have a big snow-removal fleet!

7. More restaurants here are "meat & 3'. We have a heavy emphasis on "sides".

8. Culturally I really don't think there's a huge difference, as Nashvols said. We're not the deep South and there are a lot of transplants.

9. Rents are probably higher but that's just a guess?

10. We don't have anything like Touchdown Jesus but we DO have a lot of mega churches!

11. We don't have a major league baseball team - the Nashville Sounds are AAA. We DO have a pro hockey team to make up for it though . . .

[sucrose]

You can't buy booze on Sunday, and you can't get it at the grocery store.
People still go to church.
The bigger churches have their own traffic cops.
Don't expect sidewalks in suburbs.
When ordering iced tea you have to specify 'sweet' or unsweet.'
Deep fried pickles!

There are a lot of liberals in the city but I find people here are less comfortable talking politics and social issues so you may have no idea where someone falls on the spectrum. But if you're in East Nashville there's a very good chance they lean left.

[nashvols]

Beer is not booze?

[sucrose]

No, beer is stinky, awful-tasting, urine-colored fizz water.

[CountryGirl2b=]

Well, you CAN buy beer in grocery stores after a certain time, and you CAN buy local wine at the Belle Meade Plantation on Sundays. But that's it. You have to plain ahead if you want to get snockered.

[sucrose]

Good to know about the Plantation in case of emergency. Wonder how they get around the law.

[BonyT]

Haha! Great replies, Nash and CountryGirl. If I end up moving out that way I'll have to meet up with both of you.

We definitely have the 'sweet' and 'unsweet' thing with tea up here, though it's a fairly recent thing. You hear it mostly in fast food places and restaurants. Speaking of which... most of our meals at sit-down restaurants come with only TWO sides, LoL! You guys are living in the lap of luxury down there.

Sidewalks in the suburbs are hit and miss. Usually the main streets are paved, but the side streets are not.

ETA: You can buy beer and wine coolers before 1pm on Sundays (up here), and anything else after that.

[CountryGirl2b=]

Wow, they still make wine coolers????

I was told Belle Meade Winery is a historic site and that's how they get around it . . . Made sense to me at the time.

Wow, just checked the Jack Daniels Distillery website. THEY have tastings on Sunday too!

Let's hear it for historic alcohol!