Memphis or Nashville the move? (Chattanooga, Murfreesboro: real estate, condo, townhome)

[812accucheck]

I know there's a thread similar to this in the Memphis forum, but I wanted to hear y'all opinion and it doesnt address what I need to know. Right now I'm in Louisiana. I have family in both cities up north and I wanted to hear your opinions on each city. Which is better in your opinion? better looking? stuff like that is what I want to know.

[CountryGirl2b=]

Can you be a bit more specific? Better LOOKING? What kind of job are you looking for or are you retired? How old are you (ballpark)? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? What is your budget for housing? I'm guessing Memphis would generally be more affordable because Nashville is on a hot streak right now.

[brentwoodgirl]

What's your budget? Memphis is less expensive than Nashville, so if you have a limited budget, it may be a better choice.

But more importantly, have you looked for jobs in either city?

[812accucheck]

I'm 31 I'm an accountant. I like hiking and kayaking and being with nature. Oh and going to sports games. My budget is around 400k. Im still young so I want to be in a happening city, but not in a too expensive one. And yes I have looked for jobs in both, but I'm finding alot more jobs in Nashville for some weird reason.

Oh and like I want a city that's visually pretty. I'm live in louisiana but from (and spent most of my time in) Cincinnati, so I'm use to rolling scenery, know what I mean? I know Memphis has the river, but can you hike? I really like steep tall hills. I like nature in general lol.

[CountryGirl2b=]

Chattanooga is 'outdoorsy' - you might want to look there?

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by 812accucheck

I'm 31 I'm an accountant. I like hiking and kayaking and being with nature.

Hey, you're the same age as me. I like hiking as well (but I don't get to really do it as often as I would like). There are a number of parks in the area that offer good short, medium, and relatively long hikes. Radnor Lake is a treasure, but it's sometimes a bit crowded (though the tougher hikes in the park tend to be a bit more peaceful). The Warner Parks are also rather large and have plenty of trails. The nice thing about these is that they are fairly close to town. If you want a little more challenging (and scenic) hikes, you can take day or weekend trips to places like South Cumberland (look up Savage Gulf) or Big South Fork.

I'm not a kayaker, so I can't help you there, but there are some places to do that. But I know East Tennessee is a lot better if you like rapids...

Originally Posted by 812accucheck

Oh and going to sports games.

Pro football, pro hockey (if you haven't tried it, I'd highly suggest it), AAA baseball, 2 FBS football schools, 5 D1 basketball schools, etc, etc. Plenty to do if you like sports.

Originally Posted by 812accucheck

My budget is around 400k.

$400k is plenty for most areas.....but in some it won't go very far. Do you want a larger house/lot or do you want to live in a nice/trendy area?

Originally Posted by 812accucheck

Im still young so I want to be in a happening city, but not in a too expensive one.

See above.

Happening = more money. That's not to say you can't find something that works for you well within your budget (or that you may find happening/trendy is less expensive in other cities)...but there is more "happening" here than in most other cities our size in the nation not named Austin or Charlotte. The problem is there are 30,000 others looking for the same thing you're looking for.

Originally Posted by 812accucheck

And yes I have looked for jobs in both, but I'm finding alot more jobs in Nashville for some weird reason.

The reason is not weird. The reason is that Nashville's growth is bonkers compared to Memphis and there are a whole lot more companies hiring. However, with that, the competition is really high, too (again, see above). I'd certainly try to land a job before making the move (if you indeed decide to do so).

Originally Posted by 812accucheck

Oh and like I want a city that's visually pretty.

That's completely subjective, to be honest. Visit first. Explore. Avoid Murfreesboro Rd.

Originally Posted by 812accucheck

I'm live in louisiana but from (and spent most of my time in) Cincinnati, so I'm use to rolling scenery, know what I mean? I know Memphis has the river, but can you hike? I really like steep tall hills. I like nature in general lol.

I think if you find Cincinnati appealing, then you would find Nashville more appealing than Memphis, at least in terms of setting (Memphis might be a little more similar in terms of built environment and grit -- but it's hard to compare since so much of Cincy's development is tied to the landscape).

You should really take a week (if possible) and visit each city for a few days, and try to get a sense of the vibe of each. Maybe take a look at potential areas you would consider living in.

I do also agree with CountryGirl that Chattanooga should be on your radar. Arguably the most "outdoorsy" city in Tennessee, albeit a lot smaller than either Nashville or Memphis. A lot of people believe that Chattanooga is going to be one of the next "cool" cities (I think it already is, but usually the press and fame lag behind a little bit). There is quite a bit happening there, too.

[812accucheck]

I heard about Chattanooga, but I want to stay in between these 2 cities. would $400k be feasible inside the city? And whats up with murf road lol? People always talk about Nashville here, so the growth isn't surprising.

I actually visited in 07, but it was just for a day and I barely got to venture out. I'm guessing the city nowadays would be a lil different, who knows. But anyway, about the nature thing. How do you think it compares to Cincy? Landscape, scenery and all.

Thanks for helping me out

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by 812accucheck

I heard about Chattanooga, but I want to stay in between these 2 cities. would $400k be feasible inside the city? And whats up with murf road lol? People always talk about Nashville here, so the growth isn't surprising.

I actually visited in 07, but it was just for a day and I barely got to venture out. I'm guessing the city nowadays would be a lil different, who knows. But anyway, about the nature thing. How do you think it compares to Cincy? Landscape, scenery and all.

Thanks for helping me out

$400k is feasible inside the city, depending on what you are looking for. Describe your ideal neighborhood and house type. Nashville itself covers a very large geographic area, so there are lots of different housing types. Condo? Duplex/Townhome? Single family? Vintage/historic? Urban, suburban, or even semi-rural? How large a house? How large a lot?

Sidewalks? Nearby restaurants or shops? Within a certain distance to town? Quiet or active?

There may be no neighborhood that fits all of your wants, but with a little info, we can at least give you a starting point (or face the cruel, cold reality that what you want is indeed a fairytale).


I won't say Nashville is a completely different city from 2007. But it's very different. A lot has happened. The real estate crash all but halted construction (but people didn't stop moving here), then as the recovery happened, we had a devastating flood (2010), and since that time, construction has increased steadily....but in the last two years, it has reached nearly absurd levels. The number of large scale construction projects is staggering. A $100 million project is no longer eye-catching...really almost commonplace.


I'll be honest, most of my visits to Cincy have been overnight or passing through, aside from seeing a Reds game as a young kid, I haven't really spent much time exploring. But in driving through, I can see similarities with certain aspects. I think the biggest difference is the built environment rather than the scenery. Cincy is an older, more mature city (not so much in terms of founding/age of the city as when the city came of age and really grew). More industrial, more gritty, etc.

In terms of landscape, I think Cincy's hills are a little more dramatic closer to town, whereas most of Nashville's closer hills are softer and more rolling....but Nashville has more ruggedness on the outskirts around the suburbs and beyond. The Ohio River is much, much larger than the Cumberland, and the bluffs are more dramatic.

The most prominent physical feature around Nashville is the Highland Rim, which is closest on the north and west sides of the city, which features very steep, sharp, spider-like ridges. From a topo map, it looks more similar to what you would find in Northern Kentucky than on the Ohio side.

[Sunflower_gal]

IMHO, the 2 cities have different vibes, besides just their natural landscape as Nashville is much more hilly than Memphis. I would highly encourage you to spend some time in both cities, even if it is just for a weekend.

[CountryGirl2b=]

I think downtown Cincinnati has more pockets of entertainment. The casino, stadiums, the riverbank is more developed, Covington & Newport . . . Nashville's downtown feels smaller to me and not as cohesive - yet. I believe it will get there soonish, though. There's a lot of construction going on which is sometimes annoying and inconvenient. The only building in recent years in Cincy was the casino I think? But topography feels similar. Traffic seems worse in Cincy but some of that is the condition of the highways. When you have snow plows, they tear up the roads. We don't have them here. We use saltwater! (Half kidding)