Post by hellonurse on Dec 21, 2012 20:13:16 GMT -5
We may be relocating. The two likeliest areas are Nashville and Raleigh. Anytime someone on this board does a "where would you live if you could" type post, I've noticed that multiple people said Nashville.
I'm researching (still in the very early stages) and everything that I'm learning about Nashville is making me cringe a little. High crime rate, low ratings for their public schools, etc.
I hope this doesn't come off as rude- the area we currently live in certainly has it's own issues. I'm genuinely curious. Nashville would be better for us in the sense that we have family that lives nearby, but besides that it is pretty even with Raleigh.
Thoughts on either city? We are going to visit Nashville for a long weekend next month- any recommendations for things to do, places to eat, etc? FWIW, we have three kids, ages 7 and under.
Post by orangeblossom on Dec 21, 2012 20:31:54 GMT -5
I loved Raleigh. We have friends there that are like family. If we were to move again, it's top on our list. The housing prices are good. They have gone up, but you can still get a nice house for a decent price. There are good school districts, and the area has grown and continues to grow a lot.
Post by GailGoldie on Dec 21, 2012 20:38:16 GMT -5
can i ask where you live now? that would make a difference in what i'd recommend. Nashville is a lot more "southern" ... while Raleigh isn't as much (from my experiences in both cities).
I'm from NJ and lived down south for a while- and know some people from this area wouldn't do well in the areas I lived in b/c they just aren't into the "southern" stuff... so again, that might change what i'd recommend.
I do love the NC area - beautiful - nice seasons, not too extreme either way, etc.
can i ask where you live now? that would make a difference in what i'd recommend. Nashville is a lot more "southern" ... while Raleigh isn't as much (from my experiences in both cities).
I'm from NJ and lived down south for a while- and know some people from this area wouldn't do well in the areas I lived in b/c they just aren't into the "southern" stuff... so again, that might change what i'd recommend.
I do love the NC area - beautiful - nice seasons, not too extreme either way, etc.
Post by dr.girlfriend on Dec 21, 2012 20:46:58 GMT -5
I lived in Chapel Hill. I liked the Raleigh area when I worked there once a week, but I didn't really explore much. There are a lot of transplants to the Research Triangle area, which can be nice.
I lived in Raleigh & it was a nice city. But I was in college so take that with a grain of salt. I do like NC though, it was the 2nd choice state when we decided to move.
I've lived in KS my whole life--our governor is Brownback, home of Westboro Baptist Church and the stuff Septimus posts about Tennessee scares the shit out of me. Raleigh is way less crazy than Tennessee.
We used to live right outside of Raleigh. I liked it just fine at the time, but nothing about it made me want to stay long term. I think Nashville would be more interesting to be honest. And TN is a state with no income tax, so there's that. I think the COL is pretty comparable not counting the income tax benefit.
We used to live right outside of Raleigh. I liked it just fine at the time, but nothing about it made me want to stay long term. I think Nashville would be more interesting to be honest. And TN is a state with no income tax, so there's that. I think the COL is pretty comparable not counting the income tax benefit.
We have no income tax in FL either, so that is a consideration. Not something that would keep us from going with Raleigh if its a better fit, but something to add to the pro/con list.
Nashville is just a fun city. My parents live in another city in TN and we usually make a day trip to Nashville when I visit. I haven't researched schools, but I think just like any city there are good areas for school and bad ones.
Post by sockerheel on Dec 21, 2012 21:45:18 GMT -5
I just moved to Nashville. It feels small after living in Dallas, but it's still a good sized city with a lot of amenities. It has a cool downtown with live music, bars, places to buy cowboy boots (lol), etc. There's a bbq place DT - Jack's BBQ - that was pretty good. I just ate at The Local Taco last night -- they serve organic and local food when possible. I recommend the smoked salmon taco with the mexi tater tots and the Dos Flores margarita.
My vote is for Raleigh. My mom moved there when I was in HS and left for a few years only to go running back. As a nurse, it's easy for her to find work and I believe that will be a plus for you. Besides a L to MCOL, I like that the many colleges/universities bring a lot of diversity on multiple levels. Raleigh is not a big city, but it's been growing. From what I can remember, Research Triangle Park is a very well educated area with lots of transplants from the north. Plus, you get real seasons :-)
The school systems are a crapshoot but that's an issue you can find everywhere. GL!
I love Nashville - two of my BFFs are from there and both loved growing up there.
(Will DD this later due to identifying info) One of them went to a prestigious girls school. Had an ok experience, feels no real ties.
The other went public and so did her three younger siblings (the latter went to magnet schools). Their dad is a dean at Vandy. I can't imagine the schools they attended were less than excellent TBH. My friend had two HS best friends from Russia, one was half-Peruvian, etc. much more diverse than I had expected based on TN stereotypes.
Also FWIW these two friends are the most liberal people I know. Their families are not local though (parents from CA, Chicago, etc).
My brother lived in Raleigh for a while. It was fine but kind of meh ultimately based on my experiences there and what he has shared.
Post by hellonurse on Dec 21, 2012 22:01:58 GMT -5
mrsbecky07- didn't want to quote so you can DD later, but thanks for the info! Vanderbilt is where I hope to go to finish my MSN. There are options near Raleigh to, but that would be my first choice.
My vote is for Raleigh. My mom moved there when I was in HS and left for a few years only to go running back. As a nurse, it's easy for her to find work and I believe that will be a plus for you. Besides a L to MCOL, I like that the many colleges/universities bring a lot of diversity on multiple levels. Raleigh is not a big city, but it's been growing. From what I can remember, Research Triangle Park is a very well educated area with lots of transplants from the north. Plus, you get real seasons :-)
The school systems are a crapshoot but that's an issue you can find everywhere. GL!
Thanks lady. No matter where I go, I'm still recruiting you for real estate purposes.
Another vote for Nashville though I don't think you can really go wrong with either. DH and I hope/plan to move to Nashville in a few years. We have three young kids and plan to live just south on Nashville in Williamson County. In addition to the no state income tax they have good schools, low property taxes, and easy access to all the amenities of the city. Also, just fyi, Jack's Bbq on Broadway is delicious and the Farmer's market next to the Bicentennial Park is awesome.
Another vote for Nashville though I don't think you can really go wrong with either. DH and I hope/plan to move to Nashville in a few years. We have three young kids and plan to live just south on Nashville in Williamson County. In addition to the no state income tax they have good schools, low property taxes, and easy access to all the amenities of the city. Also, just fyi, Jack's Bbq on Broadway is delicious and the Farmer's market next to the Bicentennial Park is awesome.
I lived south of Raleigh. I hated it, but I lived in a small town..10k. Problems with race, class, and gender. Yuck. Nashville might be the same. if there are transplants in raleigh as mentioned above it might be okay.
I've been to Nashville once, about 15 years ago. While my trip was a blast, I hated hated hated Nashville. I hate contemporary country music, and I couldn't escape it (I do admit I loved the Country Music hall of Fame and the Opryland hotel was awesome). I don't think there was more than one synagogue (I was religious at the time and wanted to go to services and couldn't find any of my denomination), and I felt out of place. I have no idea what it would be like actually living there now but I knew it wasn't for me. Again, I was 17-18, so take this with a grain of salt, but also from reading H4s' posts, I still don't think it's for me.
While I've never been to Raleigh, we are actually considering moving to the Raleigh burbs in a few years if things pan out with Hs business. We do plan on visiting before we decide, obviously, but on paper it seems more for me. Lots of NY/NJ transplants, more diversity, UNC and Duke, plenty of synagogues, and we have family nearby. My ILs are considering a move to NC too so that would help a lot. Compared to NJ, housing prices and taxes are much more reasonable, even in expensive areas like Cary. I think it would be much easier for me to make friends. And if need be, we'd probably be able to afford private school.
I think it's also easier to make NC blue than TN blue
Post by FishChicks on Dec 22, 2012 10:20:51 GMT -5
I lived in Tampa for a few years during grad school, and then worked extensively in Nashville, among other locations (TX, MI, CO, NY, etc). What really surprised me was how utterly, unabashedly racist my clients in Nashville all were. Texas, Florida, and Michigan were the picture of polite diversity in comparison. I wasn't prepared for that attitude, and how open it was, in Nashville. I probably just managed to work with a whole lot of bad apples, but it would make me think twice about moving there. I would definitely return to Tampa before Nashville.
Post by diamondsnpearls22 on Dec 22, 2012 11:08:25 GMT -5
Raleigh hands down! I grew up there and after moving away, I really really want to move back. I could type a laundry list of many reasons why Raleigh rocks, but i'm on a tablet and its hard to type, but know you will not be disappointed if you chose to move there. And i am totally jealous you get that choice!