Should we move to Nashville?
My wife and I are in our mid to late thirties and have a new born baby. We currently live in NYC and are both tired of the grind and high cost of living.
I work in PE and can work remote from anywhere in the country and have heard Nashville is a great place to live and raise a family and get an actual 3-4 BR house. My criteria is decent weather (not steaming hot like Texas or Arizona) while not being frigid cold like Chicago. Nice, friendly people, safe and with good school districts, decent homes without needing to spend 2mm bucks. I am really into music as well and also wouldn't mind being near somewhere with great walks and natural beauty/forests.
We are also considering Denver but it seems kind boring and not that close to skiing tbh - maybe I am wrong.
Thanks for the help.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, Nashville could be a compelling option for you and your family, considering your criteria. Here's a breakdown of how Nashville aligns with your preferences:
Weather: Nashville has a moderate climate, with four distinct seasons. It's warmer than Chicago but not as hot as Texas or Arizona. You'll experience a mild winter compared to NYC.
Friendly People & Safety: Nashville is known for its Southern hospitality and generally friendly atmosphere. As with any city, safety varies by neighborhood, but there are many family-friendly areas.
School Districts: This might be a concern. The WSO threads indicate that the schools in Davidson County may not meet your expectations, especially if you're looking for top-tier public education. Many affluent residents opt for private schools or live in neighboring counties with better school districts.
Housing: Compared to NYC, you'll get more house for your money in Nashville. While the real estate market has been hot, it's still possible to find a 3-4 bedroom house for less than $2 million.
Music Scene: Nashville is a music hub, especially for country music, but it's diverse and has a vibrant live music scene across various genres.
Natural Beauty: Nashville is near many parks and natural areas, offering great walks and access to forests. It's not as close to the mountains as Denver, but there's still plenty of natural beauty to enjoy.
Comparison to Denver: Denver is known for its proximity to the Rockies, which offers skiing and outdoor activities. It may not be as culturally vibrant as Nashville in terms of music, but it has its own charm and is generally not considered boring by outdoor enthusiasts.
Ultimately, the decision should also factor in the potential impact on your career in PE, the cost of living, and the lifestyle you envision for your family. It's worth visiting Nashville to get a feel for the city and see if it aligns with your expectations. Remember, moving with a newborn and establishing a new network can be challenging, but it could also be a rewarding fresh start. Denver and Nashville offer different lifestyles, so consider what aligns best with your family's needs.
Sources: Nashville Commercial Real Estate, One day to decide: US or UK?, Are you experienced? Thoughts on growing older, Would you move to a 'tier-2' city?, Question for Those Who Moved Cities
Thank you, Robot.
Two friends of mine actually recently moved there, both very happy with the area
That's great. Are they staying inside Nashville or a suburb?
One in one outside. Both have a lot more space than they had in NYC - they both really love it
It gets pretty hot in the summer but winter isn’t as bad as some of the places you mentioned. I’d also recommend Austin, TX. Yes the summer is hot and they have had a freeze or two in recent winters but great scene for music, young adult life, and housing is still relatively affordable if you’re from a coastal state
Denver, by far over Nashville.
Nice! Why?
420, Snowboarding, and I hate country music.
100%
How is Denver not close to skiing? It is literally 80mi away. 65mi away if you're in Golden. That's a day trip.
I've heard from friends that live in Denver proper / Cherry Creek area that it is easily 2-3 hours with traffic to get into the mountains by car.
Damn ok wow
I mean it can be 2-3 hours if you leave at 9-11 AM on a Saturday, if there's a blizzard, if there's a major collision on I-70.
I would say typically you're looking at 1.0-1.5 hours each way. It isnt crazy quick but to get great access to amazing skiing AND be still based in a T20 city, you cant beat it really. Where else can you work in M&A (non-remote, for broader audience purposes) and actually have access to some of the best mountains in the world like that?
No offense OP, but you strike me as someone who could take or leaving skiing, because any enthusiast is going to salivate at being able to get to some of the best mountains in North America so quickly. I've been out to Denver / Aspen / Boulder 20+ times and still have yet to hit all the mountains (I'm not even close), so there not only a lot of options in close proximity, there are more options here than in any other state.
If you aren't into skiing or simply don't care, all good, but don't act as though getting to the mountains is like the trek to fucking Mount Doom or some shit.
can confirm
Charleston
Why?
I currently live in Charleston and one of the big drawbacks is that it is not a financial hub, so if you can work remotely that is a big plus.
The food, BBQ, and seafood is pretty good relative to the size of the city and the healthcare is exceptional. Lots of good doctors want to live in the area and MUSC and Roper hospitals are top notch.
The beaches are close by and if you want to live in a beach town like Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island, or Isle of Palms, it is a nice escape even if you’re not on the water.
There are lots of creeks around the city and living in a house with a boat and a dock is very nice.
It used to be a LCOL city, but is more of a MCOL city now. The word is out about Charleston and the area has received a large amount of population growth recently, driving up prices in stores and real estate.
As far as floods and hurricanes go, I don’t consider them to be that big of a deal. I’ve been through many storms including Hugo and if you’re not in a flood zone or on the beach front, it should be ok.
Did a stint in Denver and currently live in Nashville.
Denver Pros: Skiing/Hiking (you're right i70 can be a bitch but you get decent at timing it), slept on food scene, Red Rocks, people are chillers.
Denver Cons: Some strange folks out west, winters are humbling, 3-4br in Cherry Creek will cruise up to that $2mm range, homeless pop.
Nashville Pros: Music scene, food scene, close to the smokies (fishing/hiking), nice people, solid private school scene
Nashville Cons: Californians (yups as above guy said), BNA is light on solid direct flights, housing market not totally fucked yet but getting there
Tbh most nice 4br houses in cherry creek school district are "only" 800k-1.2mm. Nashville it looks like you can find a nice house in Franklin for like 700k.
How is the level of violence/crime in Nashville compared to Denver?
Violence and crime in Nashville are much lower, especially if you are talking Brentwood or Franklin. I live closer to the city so there is occasional riff raff, but have never felt at risk or unsafe. As for Denver, Cherry Creek has initiatives in place to keep the homeless out--but once you leave CC North where gentrification has moved slower you can definitely feel it.
Agree with others, if you choose the right neighborhoods - it can be a great place to raise a family.
Not the biggest fan of the city unless you have at least a few million to spend (which seems to be your case). The well-off suburbs / city neighborhoods are really nice. It's kind of an 'old money' city in that sense.
Would consider LA, better than Nashville but wouldn't really compare the two as similar by any means. If I could work remotely in a high paying job, I'd consider OC or a nice suburb outside of LA proper. You get good weather and generally great beaches to go to, good public schools in any area with >1M homes outside LA proper. It's also a fairly diverse and international city, with better ability to go to Asia and Latin America, and more moderate politics with places like OC nearly 50/50
Nashville is probably a fine place as well, every place may seem more appealing to some and less to others
Taxes in Cali are wild and property prices are through the roof. You can't really find a decent house in the OC for under 1.5mm
This 100% - OC and SD are the spot for a remote worker with a 1-2M budget. Besides international access from LAX you also get SNA and SAN with transcon flights. I'd recommend Southern OC - think San Clemente, SJC, etc.
Ya you aren't finding a house there under 1.5mm and it's probably very mediocre. Then you have high taxes. There also aren't really any proper airports between SD and LA.
OP posts about moving to Nashville, mentioning he is loosely also considering Denver. Top rated comment is advocating moving to LA after saying "I wouldn't really compare the two". Top comments are determined by upvoted by bots or high school students, smh
No offense but it doesn’t seem like the greatest option based on what OP is looking to accomplish
How is your experience doing PE remotely? Have seen a lot of opps for remote PE. Seem like smaller shops, always wondered if it’s a big cut on comp
There is a cut on comp but I am appreciative of the flexibility and significantly better work hours...just doesn't make any sense for me to do it from NYC where my firm is located.
My all in is around 275k which is light as the sole bread winner and with a baby but I am hopeful that moving somewhere cheaper can help me support my family.
Any nice suburb town would be great. Would consider ones near the Atlanta area
If you want to live in Denver and enjoy the mountain lifestyle then don't live in Cherry Creek. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods that offer all the perks but have better access to the mountains and aren't nearly as expensive. Buy a house in another suburb of town for 60% the price and spend the balance on a condo in a mountain town you like.
Apparently the only decent school district is Cherry Creek schools. A friend said Littleton is mediocre but the rest is crap unless you go up to Boulder.
An underrated option is some Philly suburbs like Bryn Mawr, Radnor, Wayne, etc. 1-2M gets you a very good place there. Property tax mild compared to other NE states. Some of the top public/private schools in the country. Much better deal than Nashville iMO.
These are good suggestions. PA is surprisingly expensive compared to what I had thought, what do people do for work in those areas to afford homes over 1m?
Combination of old money (remember Philly was a big business center until the 70s) and Pharma execs. Prices are much lower than anything around NYC or even BOS/DC.
+1; I own a home in one of those towns. Great part of the country to raise a family. PA has some other great small towns outside of the main line as well that could be considered for a remote role: Media, Doylestown, Newtown, Yardley, and New Hope are all great as well.
Chestnut Hill too
How about delaware? Places like Milton, Odessa etc you have mild weather that's generally warmer than NY, good demographics and housing costs are affordable and generally nice / more new
Would you consider FL? Great weather, no state income tax, lots of things to do (theme parks, beaches, tons of sports, great nightlife in Miami/Palm Beach), and was ranked the #1 state for education last year.
FL above MA for education?
Florida was ranked at the top school for education?
Are you sure it wasn’t the top dumbest educational systems?
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education
My source
Too much risk of flooding and hurricanes. Home insurance is through the roof, if you can get it at all as a lot of insurers are simply leaving Florida.
Good point. I just realized that TN has no state income tax too, so definitely a good spot to move.
I love Florida but don't think I could handle living there with all the floods and tornados. Seen some pretty horrific damage happening to houses and people losing everything as insurers back out of the state.
Super helpful! Do people have swimming pools in their homes much in Tennessee?
Would also recommend looking into NC, partially biased because my family lives there lol. Great state, the RTP area around Raleigh is pretty safe, great schools, nature, etc. Decent night life, but might be a little too boring for you, but with a family, I'm not sure how much you are going out at night lol. Lots of recent development so you can get great deals on houses. My friend and his wife also work remote, and recently bought a 4 bedroom house for ~500-600k iirc. Good access to the mountains (maybe a couple hours depending on where you live) and the beach. Outer banks is absolutely beautiful, the beaches there are amazing. Lots of nature and outdoorsy stuff to do.
Surprised nobody has mentioned Florida (Miami, Palm Beach, etc.).
Insurers are leaving the state due to all the floods and hurricanes. Tons of people having their homes torn to shreds and losing all their equity...
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