Vandy Hopeful with Questions (Chattanooga, Lexington: crime, school, college)

[teebird1012]

Yes I know I'm one of thousands of people who hope to attend Vanderbilt in Fall 2009, but I do have some questions for the locals.

1. Since Vanderbilt doesn't allow freshmen to have cars on campus, is Nashville fairly easy to navigate without a car?

2. I've heard mixed remarks about West End Ave and the area around the campus. Is it really a bad area? How is crime in Nashville overall compared to other cities similar in size (ie Louisville and Cincinnati)?

3. I know the city is Music City, but does that only pertain to country music?

4. What are some really good restaurants in the general vicinity of campus? I love good Asian/sushi and Italian eateries.

I've only been to Nashville once and that was a day trip to tour campus. I didn't really get to experience the city itself, but would appreciate some input from the locals! Thanks!

[Mike in TN]

Originally Posted by teebird1012

1. Since Vanderbilt doesn't allow freshmen to have cars on campus, is Nashville fairly easy to navigate without a car?

Nashville - no. Vandy area - yes.

2. I've heard mixed remarks about West End Ave and the area around the campus. Is it really a bad area?

No.

How is crime in Nashville overall compared to other cities similar in size (ie Louisville and Cincinnati)?

Pull up the crime states on city-data's mainpage. I would assume it would be similar to those two cities. If I had to guess, I'd say it's worse than Louisville, but better than Cincy.

3. I know the city is Music City, but does that only pertain to country music?

No.

[alleycat]

Echoing Mike's comment a little . . .

1. You can live here and go to Vanderbilt without a car without much problem. If you want to do anything else however, it would be easier if you had a car. You will probably make friends with someone who has a car and that will make it easier to go to other places.

2. The area around Vandy is relatively nice. Just use reasonable precautions. I don't know whether you're male or female; if you're female, use the same precautions you would for any urban area late at night. If you need them, you can call the Vandy police and they will come and escort you anywhere you need to go around the area (if you're female, don't hesitate to call them--that's what they're there for). Better to be safe than sorry. Again, it's not a bad area; just be a little careful as you would in any area where there are a lot of people.

3. You can find all sorts of music here. Yes, this is the country and gospel capital of the world, but that mostly pertains to recording and production. We have a world class symphony, and other types of music. A few years ago the Rolling Stones played the Vandy stadium. The Eagles and Bruce Springsteen will be here in September, I believe.

4. There a number of restaurant around the Vandy area. You'll be able to find most of what you want. I kept complaining about the lack of great Italian restaurants, but that just me whining. ;-)

If you have any other questions, just ask. We try to help those who are moving to Nashville, and give them the best advice we can. And good luck with your studies. I have a friend who will be going to Vandy for his Masters degree this fall.

[IngleDave]

Well put, Mike, short and to the point. I'm sure teebird will be quite content with Vandy and Nashville in general. If we answered all the questions in too much detail, what would there be left to discover. Patience, tee, you'll discover things to your liking every day. Most things you'd ever need are within walking distance of the campus, but, as a freshman once without a car, make some friends who have them. Knowing Vandy kids, you'll be riding in style.

[teebird1012]

Thanks you three for the help! I'm male by the way, but was just curious as to how crime in Nashville compared to other cities of its size (Cincy and L'ville are both 1 hour away from Lexington). I'll be coming back down to Nashville on September 4-5 to make one final look at the school before I send out applications. Thanks again for getting back to me so quickly! You're much speedier than when I asked about UVA on the general VA forum! I did have one more question. When I finally do get to have a car (ie sophomore year), how bad are the drivers in Nashville? People in Lexington DO NOT know how to merge or understand how a 4-way stop works. I can handle big city traffic as I've driven DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles so that's not a concern, but the fact that I always avoid some sort of collision when I drive in Chattanooga to see family worries me a bit.

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by teebird1012

Thanks you three for the help! I'm male by the way, but was just curious as to how crime in Nashville compared to other cities of its size (Cincy and L'ville are both 1 hour away from Lexington). I'll be coming back down to Nashville on September 4-5 to make one final look at the school before I send out applications. Thanks again for getting back to me so quickly! You're much speedier than when I asked about UVA on the general VA forum! I did have one more question. When I finally do get to have a car (ie sophomore year), how bad are the drivers in Nashville? People in Lexington DO NOT know how to merge or understand how a 4-way stop works. I can handle big city traffic as I've driven DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles so that's not a concern, but the fact that I always avoid some sort of collision when I drive in Chattanooga to see family worries me a bit.

I don't find the drivers bad in Nashville. Yes there are a few, but Everytime I go to Bowling green there are always a few crazies.

Diane G

[Steve_TN]

Originally Posted by teebird1012

Thanks you three for the help! I'm male by the way, but was just curious as to how crime in Nashville compared to other cities of its size (Cincy and L'ville are both 1 hour away from Lexington). I'll be coming back down to Nashville on September 4-5 to make one final look at the school before I send out applications. Thanks again for getting back to me so quickly! You're much speedier than when I asked about UVA on the general VA forum! I did have one more question. When I finally do get to have a car (ie sophomore year), how bad are the drivers in Nashville? People in Lexington DO NOT know how to merge or understand how a 4-way stop works. I can handle big city traffic as I've driven DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles so that's not a concern, but the fact that I always avoid some sort of collision when I drive in Chattanooga to see family worries me a bit.

My only complaints about drivers here is that they do not use their turn signals. It's up to you to guess which way they are going to go. Also, they can't drive in slippery weather.

[teebird1012]

Well that doesn't sound too bad then, people here in KY can't drive in slippery conditions either.

[DonCorleone]

I get the sense that the West End area is fairly sheltered when it comes to crime. It's not as bad as any of the other areas of downtown (East, South, North Nashville). It's certainly one of the better parts of downtown...lots of college kids and young professionals out there. It's very easy to navigate without a car, but like Mike said, Nashville at-large is not easy to get around in without a vehicle.

The driving is kinda typical...sheer volume of drivers means that there are some idiots out there. West End traffic is very rough during rush hour as people head towards the interstate from their offices. But I wouldn't let it discourage you from attending Vandy. It's an excellent school. Just do me a favor and show up to the football games. Seems like the student section is always half-empty.

[teebird1012]

Haha thanks! Sure I'll go to some games! Any team is better than UK football, it's embarrassing...