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I was born in Dickson, 40 miles west of Nashville, and lived in Nashville for 14 years. I spent a lot of time back in Nashville and Dickson over the years because my parents and all my relatives were there.
It's a no brainer for me that Phoenix is the better place to live. While I love going back to Nashville and visiting, and really enjoy getting out into the "country" where many of my relatives are, I could not live there.
Tornadoes coming at you all summer is not where I want to be.
100% humidity and 80 degrees temperature is much worse on me than 120 degrees of dry heat.
The winters are a lot milder than Michigan, but you get those occasional icy days when the trees freeze up, get over weighted with ice and fall on your house. It happened to my parents house.
Nashville, and Tennessee in general, have a lot going for it, and my heart remains there. But I prefer to call Phoenix my home.
I can't respond to the cost of living because I don't know what it is in Nashville.
Having spent alot of time in PHX and Nashville, I personally think they both suck. Id choose Phoenix over Nashville, as there are better suburbs, but thats about it. You have mild winters in both places, suck-a$$ summers too. Both are close to amazing scenery and great weekend retreats. PHX has the edge with sports, NSH has the advantage with cheaper housing. The only areas of PHX I like are way too expensive, Id choose someplace like Chandler or Surprise. The only areas of Nashville that I liked were also too expensive, and there are many bad neighborhoods as well.
Having spent alot of time in PHX and Nashville, I personally think they both suck. Id choose Phoenix over Nashville, as there are better suburbs, but thats about it. You have mild winters in both places, suck-a$$ summers too. Both are close to amazing scenery and great weekend retreats. PHX has the edge with sports, NSH has the advantage with cheaper housing. The only areas of PHX I like are way too expensive, Id choose someplace like Chandler or Surprise. The only areas of Nashville that I liked were also too expensive, and there are many bad neighborhoods as well.
I have to agree steve-o. But then Im sick of it here so maybe I am bias.
You are both biased. I've been to far worse places. I was born in Phoenix and have lived here for a while, my family is here and I feel more at home here than anywhere else. I feel the city has a far better chance of developing more wisely than cities that had their downtown booms during the 90's and early 2000's. There is plenty of room for development and one developer isn't controlling the strings as has happened in other cities. Then again, I don't live in a far flung suburb, I live in a downtown historic district and don't have to drive anywhere.
I lived most of my life in the Seattle area, love it there too, except for the constant drizzle and cloudiness (which is why I chose to leave). I don't understand people who say, Phoenix is hot, Phoenix is suburban!!! Ummm, yeah, are you American, do you not speak english? Have you never heard of Phoenix or about the region before moving here? Phoenix is in a desert, and most of its development in years past was car based...only recently has that slowly started to change.
Thank you all for your comments. To answer some of your questions, I'm coming from Jacksonville, FL. I've lived in the Jacksonville most of my life. I like the warmer climate. The humidity sucks sometimes but I can deal with it because I like the thunderstorms. Crime statistics do not really scare me. Jacksonville has been nicknamed Jack-and-kill by some locals. My point is there's crime everywhere you go.
I'm young and single so I'd prefer not to live far from nice clubs, bars, and restaurants.
I've also noticed that the housing market has not declined in the Nashville area. I may be working in Franklin so I'd rather not live north of Nashville (although that seems to be the only area I may be able to afford out there)
Phoenix home prices (i.e. Glendale, Surprise) and rental prices (i.e. Scottsdale) seem to be affordable on $60K.
Thank you all for your comments. To answer some of your questions, I'm coming from Jacksonville, FL. I've lived in the Jacksonville most of my life. I like the warmer climate. The humidity sucks sometimes but I can deal with it because I like the thunderstorms. Crime statistics do not really scare me. Jacksonville has been nicknamed Jack-and-kill by some locals. My point is there's crime everywhere you go.
I'm young and single so I'd prefer not to live far from nice clubs, bars, and restaurants.
I've also noticed that the housing market has not declined in the Nashville area. I may be working in Franklin so I'd rather not live north of Nashville (although that seems to be the only area I may be able to afford out there)
Phoenix home prices (i.e. Glendale, Surprise) and rental prices (i.e. Scottsdale) seem to be affordable on $60K.
If you like the humidity, youll appreciate Nashville. Summers there are mildly steamy to downright Florida-ish at times. Franklin is decent, been through it a few times, but not enough to really direct you towards any areas. The PHX area has some decent bars downtown and many in the surrounding burbs, but I think Nashvilles nightlife and bars are better. Downtown Nashville has some decent attractions, and some nearby ones as well (ie Opry Mills Hotel and mall, Grand Ol Opry, TN war museum, Titans football and Predators hockey, etc). Then there is the cheesy, but kinda neat Parthenon replica. Thunderstorms? Nashville has many more of them, quite a bit of rain and good amounts of sunshine. AZ has nice thunderstorms too, but FAR less frequent than in Nashville. AZ is cloudless and ultra-sunny (HOT sun) most of the year, it can become monotonous real quick to some.
Ms.Sunshine- If you are possibly going to be working in Franklin, then no you do not want to live north of Nashville. Rent in Franklin/Cool Springs/Brentwood area is ridiculous for what you get. Tiny apartments for the money. And just a heads up...Franklin is a soccer mom's heaven. SUV's and minivans galore. Blech. I'm a mom, but I REFUSE to conform to wearing capris and driving a mom-mobile..LOL!
I can tell you right now that the house that we are getting in a very nice area of Phoenix would be at least $400 or more if we got the same house here in Nashville. In Phoenix I will be living in a super safe area and my house house a killer pool and backyard area. I don't plan on leaving it much...it will be like my own little oasis! Anyway, renting in Nashville sucks in my opinion. And no home prices are not dropping. We have so many Californians moving in and they are willing to pay the high prices..I mean $350,000 to them is nothing when they're used to paying $700,000+.
Yes, it gets humid here and it rains...A LOT. This winter and spring has been down right depressing. Oh and I must mention when we go have a blue sky here most of the time it isn't truly blue, but that nice hazed over blue. People that have no allergies move here and quickly develop them. Nashville is sort of like a bowl so it's hard for things to move out once they drift in. I have had non stop sinus headaches since moving here and I am over it! I need some desert air and fast!
Yes, there is nightlife here, but a lot of it centers around country music. Once you have done the whole Broad Street thing a few times it's gets kinda old and all summer we have tourists everywhere walking around in cowboy hats. Can't figure out why they think people in Nashville dress like that.....One thing that bugs me and my husband most about nashville is the attitude. As I have lived here I have noticed that the city keeps wanting to be more and more like LA. It's weird and hard to describe. I even had a gentleman who works in the music industry tell me that he is so sick of how we're trying to be LAish, when clearly we're not. Anyway you cut it it's TN.
Cost of living here isn't all that cheap. Food doesn't seem to be any cheaper than other places I have lived. Our car insurance is ok I guess. I don't think electric is too high here. I pay $50 a month for water/sewer with only 2 1/2 people using it. My husband has been traveling every week so more like 1 1/2 people. Cable is what it is everywhere. Gas right now is $2.45 by my house, but it is $3.59 in Franklin today. We don't have a state tax, but our sales tax is high and on everything.
Tornadoes. No thank you. I am tired of hiding out in my closet. And then there is always being stuck in traffic while the sirens are going off. Yeah, one of many reasons I am moving.
People keep saying it's close to great destinations. Hmm...I must not get out much. You can drive east to the Smokies and down to Alabama, etc, but it's nothing like what you can drive to from Phoenix. That is one thing I am looking forward to when I get out there...the close proximity to so much. My husband and I drove tuesday morning from Phoenix to LA and it took us 5 hours! How awesome is that??? Then you have San Diego, Vegas, Albuquerque and other places to head to.
One other thing I must warn you about in Nashville are the drivers. I know, I know bad drivers are everywhere, but we have some of the worst I have ever encountered here. And yes, I have lived in many places and travel extensively. The people here will just drift in your lane for no reason...that's just how they drive. I also have never seen people who act like they have NO IDEA where they are going even though you know they drive that drive every day. Williamson Co (Franklin) is the worst for that. People have no road manners here whatsoever. Doesn't exactly fit in with the whole southern hospitality thing now does it?
So, I guess my vote would be for Phoenix area. I think your money will go further and you will be able to live in a nice area of town. Plus, just think of all the sunshine you'll get!
I am sorry if this message seems a little catty...I just spent the last 5 days in LA and Phoenix and was enjoying the sun and desert air and views. Now today I am back to driving with idiots and breathing in bad heavy air. I know I personally just feel healthier out west...one can actually breathe out there.
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Thunderstorms? Nashville has many more of them, quite a bit of rain and good amounts of sunshine.
If Nashville got good amounts of sunshine I think I would actually be a lot happier! The storms here and lack of sun become depressing. I know many of my friends and I sit around and complain because we miss the sun and are tired of the constant rain and storms. You might get one good day then of course there is rain behind it....
If Nashville got good amounts of sunshine I think I would actually be a lot happier! The storms here and lack of sun become depressing. I know many of my friends and I sit around and complain because we miss the sun and are tired of the constant rain and storms. You might get one good day then of course there is rain behind it....
Off to count the days until I move.....
I should have explained that winters in NSH are quite cloudy (in the 40% sunshine range), summers are nice with mid-60's % of possible sunshine. Not too much, not too little. Er, at least for me.
Ms. Sunshine (which to me somewhat implies you should move to the Valley of the Sun...)
I applaud your move to post such a question on this board. What I find is most useful information on this board comes with questions that beg a direct, objective response (what is the price of gas in Chandler, list five schools in Surprise, how many restaurants are in Old Town Scottsdale). I get amusement reading posts that delve into subjective responses because, as I have learned in my short lifespan, everyone has hugely varying opinions on all kinds of subjective matters and some people (i.e. ME), are depressed when posters don't give me the kind of answer I want to hear/expect to hear. SO...that's why the comments I am about to post are not really constructive pieces of advice, but more simply highly personal opinions that apply only to me.
1.) I live in Southern Indiana and am neither a fan of the weather in Nashville nor Phoenix. I love air conditioning. I will say, however, that my family used to drive from IN to FL every summer and we always experienced more oppressive heat and humidity as we drove through TN than when we ended up in FL.
2.) I prefer the more nuanced and diverse SW culture than the SE culture in Nashville. Last month I decided to move to Phoenix for a new job and I was astounded to discover that in every conversation I had with a person here in IN about moving to Phoenix, they knew a close friend or family member who has recently moved to Phoenix (sorry, long-time Phoenix residents, for the influx of newcomers). Phoenix is a destination that seems to be popular with the young crowd (I'm 26). I don't hear of any fellow twentysomethings who are moving to Nashville.
3.) I found there to be more things to do - especially way more shopping - in Phoenix than in Nashville. The fact that you can get travel books for Phoenix should alone tell you that there is more to do. Having said that, as much as I love Native American culture, I had more fun in the museum at the Country Music Hall of Fame than I did at the Heard Museum. I'm not a fan of country music, but it was fascinating and very informative.
4.) Think about the overall value systems that are predominant in Nashville. Without being nosy about your politics, both areas are known for being conservative, but PHX seems to have a reputation for more moderate, "live and let live" conseravtism than the Protestant fundamentalism infamous in TN. I have a gay friend who is a long-time Nashville native and was fired as a school teacher for having a partner. Not sure if that would happen in PHX (it might...I hope not...even though AZ ranks dead LAST according to GLSEN's index of gay-related issues in schools...)
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Thunderstorms? Nashville has many more of them, quite a bit of rain and good amounts of sunshine. AZ has nice thunderstorms too, but FAR less frequent than in Nashville. AZ is cloudless and ultra-sunny (HOT sun) most of the year, it can become monotonous real quick to some.
