moving to Nashville, I have read other threads (Germantown, Charlotte: crime, new home)

[relocatra]

Hi, I have read through tons of informative posts answering people moving to Nashville and have learned a lot.

I'm afraid that some people though are equating ethnically or economically diverse with a 'bad' or 'sketchy' neighborhood. It's kind of easy to tell when that's happening.

My question is related to the areas around Fisk University, Watkins Park, The Centennial Medical Center and Baptist Hospital. For employment and health care reasons this area would be easiest for us to live in. Are these areas actually dangerous or are they just more diverse than some people care for?

Is there a specific area between Fisk and Centennial that you would recommend or not recommend? Such as West of 45/60, North of Charlotte, etc?



Thank you so much for your help.

[Pimpy]

If you take the time to look at Nashville crime maps, you'll see that people who describe the bad areas for what they are have very good reasons for doing so.

The area around Fisk is one of those areas. First of all, it isn't "diverse" at all. It is dominated by one race, which by definition is the opposite of diversity. Second, crime there is through the roof. The same goes for Charlotte Avenue from downtown all the way to the Wal-Mart on the other side of I-40.

If you're working near Fisk/Baptist/etc., which are on the west side of downtown, I would recommend Bellevue. It is very affordable and much safer than the areas you mentioned. It is a little bit further out, but ten minutes added to your commute is a small price to pay to live in a safe, clean area.

[relocatra]

Thank you, I will look into Bellvue then.

[ben52284]

It really depends on your priorities. I live a couple blocks west of Fisk, and we haven't experienced any crime in the 2.5 years we've been here. However, as pimpy said, the area really isn't exactly diverse--economically or ethnically. The whole area you described is still somewhat of a lower income area, but I believe that it is at the beginning of a rejuvenation. There is a lot of new home construction, and a lot of new renovation projects. If you are looking to raise a family, you might want to look into east nashville or germantown to get the feeling of a more diverse, but safer neighborhood, and as pimpy stated, if safety is a higher priority, a suburb like bellevue might be good. If you don't have children yet, and you are ok with a somewhat lower income neighborhood, I firmly believe that the area you described isn't dangerous unless you are looking for trouble, and therefore is a good investment possibility.

[bnewman]

Depending on your budget, Bellevue is a great option. You might also look at Sylvan Park, which is closer to the area you'll be working. Nasvhille Crime Maps are definitely a great tool for you to look at when deciding on an area to live.

[relocatra]

Thanks, everyone. I am taking all of these tips into consideration for refining my search.

Do Bellvue or Germantown have a good grocery store and library branch?

[ben52284]

I haven't spent much time in bellevue, but the downtown library is fantastic, and only a few blocks south of germantown. I usually shop at kroger's on rosa parks and monroe, and it is certainly a solid option, but I will occasionally drive the 10 minutes to green hills to shop at the green hills krogers for slightly more options. The farmers market is also on rosa parks, just south of jefferson.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by relocatra

Thanks, everyone. I am taking all of these tips into consideration for refining my search.

Do Bellvue or Germantown have a good grocery store and library branch?

The two main grocery stores in Bellevue itself are Publix and Kroger. A little further away is a Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Aldi, etc., as well as a Sam's Club and a Super Wal-Mart.

There is a small branch library in Bellevue (there are plans underway to built a new library there but it'll be a couple of years before it's completed). However, you can request anything in the Nashville Library system online and have it delivered to any branch library for pickup.