New hire looking at BNA. Would like to be near outdoor activities hiking etc. 45 min to airport max. I’m currently 45 min to a major non-SWA city. Town of less than 10000 and 20 min to Costco/walmart/major grocery but also can go shoot a few miles from the house. Kids gone so schools are irrelevant. Any suggestions near BNA. Would likely buy an acreage in a few years. Should I just get an apartment in Mt Juliet until I can hold BNA and just scope out the area? Any great apartment suggestions nearby?
Thanks in advance. Hope all of us new hires and new base gets everyone closer to home
RGHJ

 

We moved to BNA in April. Our target was some acreage (ended up with 5) and obviously something outside of Nashville. You may be unpleasantly surprised by the cost of housing—the massive influx of new residents is driving up the costs quite a bit.

The terrain and areas vary, as does the South. You may find a nice area and right next to it find beat up double wides and car shells on blocks…Eastern TN is gorgeous but the drive time was outside our limits.

We looked at about 30 properties all over the surrounding area in all directions and found that our radius expanded to 1.5 hours driving (because the speed limits vary between 45 and 70).

Near the airport, traffic becomes an issue in all directions.

We looked out to Cookeville, Pulaski, Lawrenceburg, etc. You might want to check out Gallatin, and even Spring Hill. It gets very rural south of Columbia, so if you are looking for land, I’d look around there but don’t expect pricing to come down any time soon.

I drive 1:20 to the airport.

 

We went through the same scenario. Bought a Tesla and expanded our radius. We’re way further than originally planned. 1+45 outside Huntsville

 

Man it has changed. I lived in Dickson for a while. Was dirt cheap, pleasant folks and the drive to BNA was 45 minutes. Now the influx has driven the cost even out there pretty darn high and the drive to BNA is significantly longer. People don't seem "Southern" as much anymore either, maybe the transplants are from less friendly places.

 

Seems like for us, Columbia/Spring Hill and south is still where the Southerners are. Once we hit Franklin it’s all over and the driving is noticeably different. We like it here as we wanted rural and my wife is from the South—but you’re right. It’s changing everywhere. That being said, the locals here are extremely kind and friendly. I still get a kick out of the Amish buggies. We just picked up a custom ordered solid oak coffee table and two end tables from an Amish furniture maker in Ethridge—took three months but cost under $500. In some ways it’s 1886 out here, like being in a time warp.

 

Not really BNA specific, but if you're able to do it, rent at the cheaper end of whatever you find reasonable for a year, while you get used to the city and figure out where your personal and family lifestyle is.

 

Tennessee is closed.

I kid, of course, just don’t be one of those that escapes somewhere because of high costs, only to come here and try to bring those same ideas that led to high costs….

 

Look to the northeast side of town. Cottontown/Gallatin/White House area where you can drive 15 minutes into all the amenities of Hendersonville but still live in a country setting. Some pretty areas around there where you can still get a few acres reasonably, at least as reasonable as it gets for Nashville. About 45 minutes from the airport.

If you’re really big on outdoor things, your best bet might be south of Murfreesboro, kind of splitting the distance between Nashville and Chattanooga. From there you can range the Cumberland Plateau with a fairly easy drive. It gets country in a hurry though with Murfreesboro being the last town of any size before Chattanooga. We might have ended up around the Manchester area if not for our kids needing better schools and activities. There are trails and mountain biking right in the Nashville area, but it’s pretty tame stuff.

 

garbage comment of the year, all people and beliefs are welcome in the BNA.

 

Except who you disagree with? “Garbage comment” seems awfully judgmental. Weird and ironic, huh?