Ireland To Nashville, help? advice? (Portland, Midtown: apartments, rentals, insurance)

[Grayce23]

Heyas!

So basically, I've been pouring over this for ages and I've changed my mind a good few times about where I wanna go to, but I'm looking at Nashville!

I'll be coming over on a 12 month Graduate Visa to work and hopefully experience some American culture!

I have a few basic questions and I haven't really been able to get much information on them!

1) My degree is in Accounting and Finance, but I also have qualifications in Business, focusing on management, logistics and supply chain demand as well as marketing. From the research I've done Nashville has become a big player in the finance area? What would yous say on that?

2) My visa is both very vague, and very restricting at the same time! I have to get a job in an area related to my studies! But it could be anything like a trainee manager in a restaurant as I've management experience. However, I can't take up jobs like being a waitress etc! Ideally I do want to be in the finance, accounting area as I'm going on to sit my chartering exams!

3) I'm 23, but will be 24 when I'm making the move, and (I hate saying it) but I'm Irish and fancy being close to pubs! I like a bit of everything! Love good nightlife, but I also love a quiet pub you can go down to and sit at the bar and have a chat! Any reccomandations on where to consider living for this? Also rental predictions would be good too as I'm saving so that I can afford to go a bit more expensive on rent if I have to!

4) A big reason in me focusing on Nashville is how friendly I've heard it is and how chatty people are! I love that! I was considering New York or Boston originally but I've just returned from New York and I swear, I've never seen more Irish pubs, or met more Irish people in me life! I really want to embrace American culture and experience all sides of it, but living somewhere like Boston (that has the largest Irish population out of any other city) would just put me back in with my own and I wouldn't be learning much about different ways of life!

5) Finally, I will be going over on my own, ideally I'd like a 1 bed apartment but I'm not fussy at the end of the day! I'll take a spare room if there's one going (I wont share a bedroom though) but I've seen alot that a car can be essential! It's been very hard to get accurate rental prices from Ireland, and then with not knowing the area too well I can find lovely places for cheap, but they're probably in the back arse of nowhere! Any advice on where would suit? Also any advice on buying a car potentially? as in prices? I have on here in Ireland but that's something that varries!


Soz for taking up half the place! This seems like the best place to come for help and advice! Cheers for reading that!

[Grayce23]

Also rental price, I wouldn't like to go higher than $800 based on my savings I might be able too, but $800 is what I'd set my highest at now!

[Hey_Hey]

Buying a car for one year of being in the US is likely not a good option. You can live in Nashville without a car in certain areas and rely on public transit, walking, biking, and ride sharing with Lyft and Uber. By the time you count gas, depreciation of the car, maintenance, and insurance you will save a few hundred bucks a month. Set your rental budget at around $1000-1300 and look in and around Vanderbilt/Midtown/West End. You will be able to bike and/or walk to the grocery, your job, entertainment, bars/restaurants, and parks from there. You will likely be able to find a decent (not luxurious) studio or 1BR apartment for that.

If you were to set your budget at $800 you will require a car and that will then cost you just as much and be a good ways out of the city. I walk as much as I can to places, and it really helps you get to know the place you live in. Driving everywhere cuts you off from the built environment and the people that live and work around you. For many people not having a car isn't an option, but it may be the most economical and best option for you to experience a new city in a new country.

[Big TR]

!

!!!!

!!
!

!!!

[CountryGirl2b=]

I think Hey-Hey is right, that buying a car for one year in the States is impractical. Here is a local used car dealer, my niece bought a car there. You'd have to spend about $7,000 to get something decent. And insuring it might be tough since you don't have a driving record here. Might even be an extra $1000?

Used Cars Nashville TN | Used Cars & Trucks TN | Autopro of Nashville

Your $800 rental budget won't get you much on your own. Maybe see about a share situation? If you could up your budget you probably could find something where you could walk or depend on our limited public transportation system. This is a forum for Vanderbilt students . . there are a couple of share situations listed. One for $425 a month. I realize you are not coming THIS year but this might be a good resource when you do.

Classifieds*|*Vanderbilt University

Not sure about finance jobs. Nashville is known for music and healthcare but I guess finance is a fairly broad field in that you COULD work for a restaurant or hotel doing their books. I might start in the hospitality industry. Try some of the big hotels downtown? They might be more familiar with whatever visa you have (as opposed to a Mom and Pop place).

Nashville IS friendly and would be very different than Ireland (and NY and Boston). It's also quite popular at the moment and a lot of young people want what you want. A decent job and a cheap but cool apartment in an area where you can walk to pubs. So, you might want to have a Plan B, just in case?

Even if it's Boston. Someplace with really decent public transportation. Seattle, NYC, Boston and San Francisco are good but expensive. Cheaper (and that's not by much) cities you might consider would be Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Portland Oregon, and Minneapolis.

Best of luck!

[Galandriele]

There is Aramark and UBS that opened recently Global Business Services offices in Nashville area, which is basically a financial shared services center.
As for rent, you would probably need to look into a colocation in order to find something in your budget.

When exactly o you plan to move? And have you ever visit Nashville before?

[artemis]

[quote=CountryGirl2b=;39087707]I think Hey-Hey is right, that buying a car for one year in the States is impractical. Here is a local used car dealer, my niece bought a car there. You'd have to spend about $7,000 to get something decent. And insuring it might be tough since you don't have a driving record here. Might even be an extra $1000?

Used Cars Nashville TN | Used Cars & Trucks TN | Autopro of Nashville

I work for an insurance company & we insure people with International drivers licenses all the time. The price depends on your age & where you live, the is no set dollar amount.



Nashville IS friendly and would be very different than Ireland (and NY and Boston). It's also quite popular at the moment and a lot of young people want what you want. A decent job and a cheap but cool apartment in an area where you can walk to pubs. So, you might want to have a Plan B, just in case?

Even if it's Boston. Someplace with really decent public transportation. Seattle, NYC, Boston and San Francisco are good but expensive. Cheaper (and that's not by much) cities you might consider would be Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Portland Oregon, and Minneapolis.

The Doneson area is on the bus line, with easy access to Downtown. It's also home to McNamara's Pub & Restaurant, one of the best Irish restaurants I've ever been to.

McNamara's | A Nashville TN Irish Pub and Restaurant

[Grayce23]

Thank you very much for all the replies!

I would still love to get a car! But a bike is a great idea for starting out! Another thing I was wondering is if there's many dog shelter I could volunteer at? I obviously can't adopt a dog, but would love to be around them! My dad will hopefully becoming over with me for a few weeks to help me get set up apartment wise! Another issue I've noticed is that rentals don't tend to come furnished? Is that the norm? Or can you request them to be furnished?

[sucrose]

Do exclamation marks now mean something different to the Irish, or are you just perpetually exited? (If excited--well, I do envy you.) Anyhow, here's a link to some animal rescue/adoption groups: Nashville Animal Rescue and Adoption Groups - Nashville Lifestyles

Generally, apartments are unfurnished. A few (mostly short-term) offer furnished but you rarely get the option to choose. If furnishing is an issue you might want to go with sharing, where you would most likely need only to furnish your bedroom. Craigslist is a good resource for cheap furnishings but be careful about used mattresses (bedbugs).

[Grayce23]

Yeah they are used a lot more freely! Primarily because of our extensive use of sarcasm, they're needed to differentiate. It's one of those things, I never would have noticed it till you pointed it out. I'm also dyslexic and, unfortunately, grammer and spelling are my downfall.

Cheers for the link, I can't wait now!