Moving from southern ca to Brentwood ? (transplants, houses, magnet schools)

[Momtotom]

My husband and I are considering moving from San Diego to Brentwood. Our budget for a house is arouns 800,000 and I am amazed at what I am seeing on zillow compared to here. Can anyone tell me more about Brentwood ? Is it good for young families - we have a one year old and I'm currently pregnant. The schools look amazing. Are the people friendly or is it a snobby area? Will be be disliked For being clearly non- southerners ? Are summers very humid ? We actually would like to experience more weather so some rain and snow is a good thing. Also wondering about entertainment for both us and the kids - parks/playgrounds, restaurants, etc.

Thanks !

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by Momtotom

My husband and I are considering moving from San Diego to Brentwood. Our budget for a house is arouns 800,000 and I am amazed at what I am seeing on zillow compared to here. Can anyone tell me more about Brentwood ? Is it good for young families - we have a one year old and I'm currently pregnant. The schools look amazing. Are the people friendly or is it a snobby area? Will be be disliked For being clearly non- southerners ? Are summers very humid ? We actually would like to experience more weather so some rain and snow is a good thing. Also wondering about entertainment for both us and the kids - parks/playgrounds, restaurants, etc.

Thanks !

It's a very friendly area with mostly families and MANY transplants. Those of us who are lifelong Tennesseans will tolerate you because we are used to it. There is no shortage of parks (more than 1,000 acres of city-owned parkland) and more restaurants opening every other month.

It is VERY humid here in the summer. Lots of other weather as well!

Your price range should give you plenty of options. Use Realtracs.com to search, but keep in mind that the entire City of Brentwood is in Williamson County. The "Brentwood zip code" of 37027 extends into Davidson County, but that is actually Nashville, and the schools and taxes are different.

[Momtotom]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

It's a very friendly area with mostly families and MANY transplants. Those of us who are lifelong Tennesseans will tolerate you because we are used to it. There is no shortage of parks (more than 1,000 acres of city-owned parkland) and more restaurants opening every other month.

It is VERY humid here in the summer. Lots of other weather as well!

Your price range should give you plenty of options. Use Realtracs.com to search, but keep in mind that the entire City of Brentwood is in Williamson County. The "Brentwood zip code" of 37027 extends into Davidson County, but that is actually Nashville, and the schools and taxes are different.

Interesting, thank you ! And all of that definitely sounds promising ! Except the humidity but can't win them all. Are the schools in Davidson county not as good ? The houses I was looking at on zillow had Brentwood High and were all ranked a 10

[shinestx]

Williamson County schools are generally quite good, but they're still public schools. Some have baccalaureate programs and/or advanced studies programs. I have two siblings with kids in Williamson schools and their kids are all on a college track.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by Momtotom

Interesting, thank you ! And all of that definitely sounds promising ! Except the humidity but can't win them all. Are the schools in Davidson county not as good ? The houses I was looking at on zillow had Brentwood High and were all ranked a 10

Don't use Zillow.

Use Realtracs, the local MLS, and search in Williamson County in the Brentwood High and Ravenwood High zones.

The local high schools are public schools, but they are the top rated public comprehensive high schools in the state (Brentwood is #5 and R'wood is #7), and the only other schools that come close are magnet schools.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best...ools/tennessee

It's a chance to see your tax dollars at work. There is literally no need to pay private school tuition unless you want a religious education.

[Momtotom]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

Don't use Zillow.

Use Realtracs, the local MLS, and search in Williamson County in the Brentwood High and Ravenwood High zones.

The local high schools are public schools, but they are the top rated public comprehensive high schools in the state (Brentwood is #5 and R'wood is #7), and the only other schools that come close are magnet schools.

Top Tennessee High Schools | Best High Schools in Tennessee | US News

It's a chance to see your tax dollars at work. There is literally no need to pay private school tuition unless you want a religious education.

Thank you ! I went to a small private school growing up and had a really bad experience, so I actually prefer to send my kids to public as long as it's a good school. Speaking of schools - by chance do you know if there is a lot of drug use ?

[shinestx]

I send some of my kids to public schools and they are in the advanced studies programs. I think a public school experience actually helps them learn better how to deal with people of all types. The drug use exists everywhere. I went to a "prestigious" private school and there were drugs all over the place. Thing is... the kids there could afford every type of drug.

I don't know from experience about Williamson schools, but I'd expect that the drug use there is not nearly as bad as at Davidson County schools. I have another sibling in Davidson and they send their kids to a "magnet school" in town. And I can tell you the drug use there is really bad. Not surprisingly, it's a lot of pot. For some reasons, smart kids today think that pot is just fine.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by Momtotom

Thank you ! I went to a small private school growing up and had a really bad experience, so I actually prefer to send my kids to public as long as it's a good school. Speaking of schools - by chance do you know if there is a lot of drug use ?

There is drug use, although it's not pervasive, and my kids have seen the negative effects of it firsthand. A couple of kids they knew well but weren't friends with ended up having serious problems.

It's a common issue at most US high schools. Some people hear that and run screaming, but being around guys who lost athletic scholarships and had other negative repercussions helped my older sons see the real-life risks of drug use.

It's a fact of like, and it doesn't scare me from having my kids in Brentwood Middle and High school. They are big schools with lots of kids from all kinds of families, and they have plenty of friends who DON'T use drugs.

There are also lots of extracurricular activities to participate in.

[Momtotom]

Originally Posted by shinestx

I send some of my kids to public schools and they are in the advanced studies programs. I think a public school experience actually helps them learn better how to deal with people of all types. The drug use exists everywhere. I went to a "prestigious" private school and there were drugs all over the place. Thing is... the kids there could afford every type of drug.

Yea... makes sense. I guess I'm just scared of areas where it seems recently all high schoolers are on heroin. Somehow we escaped that where I am from.

[Momtotom]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

There is drug use, although it's not pervasive, and my kids have seen the negative effects of it firsthand. A couple of kids they knew well but weren't friends with ended up having serious problems.

It's a common issue at most US high schools. Some people hear that and run screaming, but being around guys who lost athletic scholarships and had other negative repercussions helped my older sons see the real-life risks of drug use.

It's a fact of like, and it doesn't scare me from having my kids in Brentwood Middle and High school. They are big schools with lots of kids from all kinds of families, and they have plenty of friends who DON'T use drugs.

There are also lots of extracurricular activities to participate in.

Thank you, makes sense!