Nashville, TN

[EquationForLife]

I would suggest looking for a roommate in a 2 bedroom apartment if you want to live within walking distance at that price. If you have a car and are willing to go further out, there are a lot of options at that price. 

[shineedores]

Avoid apartments east to 16th avenue. Other places should be safe.

[xypathos]

Perhaps some of you can help me in my apartment/rental home quest.

 

I'll be attending Vandy for three years, so while I'm not opposed to moving between years, I'd love to find something I can enjoy for all three years. I'd love to keep my commute to 20 minutes or less - less is better since I am in my 20s and want to enjoy Nashville's night life. That said, I don't care for the club scene at all and my idea of a good night is a place quiet enough for friends and I to have dinner and enjoy some good beer. I'd love close proximity to some good brewpubs or bars that specialize in beer. I'm from NC and spend a lot of time in Asheville so I've been spoiled in that regard.

 

Here's the tricky part though. My long time partner is wheelchair/scooter bound so I'm looking for apartments that are WC accessible, flat thresholds, ground level - if they're second floor or higher, then obviously a reliable elevator is mandatory. From our experience here in NC, the biggest problem we've found is doorway measurements (her not being able to get into a room at all) and the size of bathrooms in particular that can't accommodate a wheelchair, where she's unable to shut the door or move around once inside.

 

We have three cats as well. We've found most landlords that allow cats just haven't cared that we have three, though some certainly have. That said, we're not willing to get rid of or temporarily misplace any of them.

 

My partner is currently a high school English teacher in NC with a Masters degree. So, presuming she's capable of lining up a job we'll have that salary of approx. 40k plus my stipend of approx. 15k, in addition to whatever part-time work I'm able to line up.

 

I've heard a lot of good things about East Nashville, though that's it as far as neighborhoods and neighboring cities.

 

I'd love to hear about other neighborhoods that may be of interest, as well as potential apartment complexes, or areas that tend to favor toward house renters.

 

Our ideal arrangement would be 2 br/1.5+ ba since we will have friends and family visiting us. A room that we could turn into an office would be great as well.

 

Obviously being in Nashville and hitting up places is the way to go. We'll be headed up there mid to late July to do just that but I want to get a head start on locating neighborhoods in Nashville or neighboring cities that I need to scout out on these trips.

Edited March 21, 2014 by xypathos

[kb1234]

Do ya'll have any ideas as to how Vanderbilt's PhD program in materials science compares with schools like case western, wustl, drexel and uconn?

[lonestarflag]

Can anyone give me an estimate of what to expect for utility costs? Electric, water, internet, cable, etc.?

[RomulusAugustulus]

I am officially going to Vandy now, and I need to plan a house-hunting trip for the summer. I'm seeking a dog-friendly house/duplex/fourplex, preferably a two-bedroom, under $1000. I plan to use a realtor for my search.

 

Any advice on how I should time my trip? Two months before moving? Six weeks? Something else?

 

Hi Tuck, I went to Vandy and did a summer trip down to look for a place too. I went down about 2-2.5 months early and most places I saw wanted people to move in by the end of the month, so I would recommend going down no more than 1 month before you want to move. 

Also, oddly enough, just driving around in neighborhoods you might be interested in and looking for "for rent" signs is actually pretty effective in Nashville (rather than trying to sort through craigslist scams or something). Or check the newspaper adds (that's how I found my house). 

[hilsa.]

Anyone know about parking for Vanderbilt? I'm an incoming Peabody M.Ed. candidate and I'm debating trying to find a place within walking distance to save money on gas and parking costs. But if it doesn't cost that much to pay for yearly parking, I'll definitely consider moving farther away from campus.

Also, if anyone is interested in finding a roommate, please hit me up! I'm 23 and a female (totally would love another female roommate or a girl and guy combo for a 3 person place) :]

[ecologaia]

Nashville revival post? I have some questions about the areas and towns surrounding, and an UNUSUAL request: 

 

Can anyone suggest a great place to rent a house where we might live rurally and still be able to commute to Vandy within an hour?

 

I will define rural, as I have had more than my share of responses from people who think a cul-de-sac with a tree in the yard counts. LOL. We are from New Hampshire. If you can count the number of trees easily, that's a bad sign--

 

We don't want to hear traffic, would like a longer driveway set back from the road, with tree cover so that we don't see neighbors, and hope for a small-town feel with a short commute to the city. We have pets that would rather not be run over, and our dogs are farm dogs that chill in the yard while we're gone. So we NEED a yard. 

 

Any one have thoughts?

[EquationForLife]

Anyone know about parking for Vanderbilt? I'm an incoming Peabody M.Ed. candidate and I'm debating trying to find a place within walking distance to save money on gas and parking costs. But if it doesn't cost that much to pay for yearly parking, I'll definitely consider moving farther away from campus.

Also, if anyone is interested in finding a roommate, please hit me up! I'm 23 and a female (totally would love another female roommate or a girl and guy combo for a 3 person place) :]

 

Depending on how early you get there in the morning/how far you are willing to walk, a lot of students that live further out will just street park on adjacent streets and then walk in. The walks are usually about 10 minutes. 

[TonyB]

So what's the political landscape in the Nashville area like? I grew up in southwest Ohio (Dayton/Cincinnati area), and it's pretty conservative up here, especially in the rural areas. Many of the schools I'm thinking of applying to -- Vandy, U.T. Austin, University of Florida, etc. -- are down South, which frankly, is not where I would have pictured myself living up until a year or two ago. Will a liberal like me have a hard time living in Nashville?

[tomkat0789]

So what's the political landscape in the Nashville area like? I grew up in southwest Ohio (Dayton/Cincinnati area), and it's pretty conservative up here, especially in the rural areas. Many of the schools I'm thinking of applying to -- Vandy, U.T. Austin, University of Florida, etc. -- are down South, which frankly, is not where I would have pictured myself living up until a year or two ago. Will a liberal like me have a hard time living in Nashville?

 

I went to Vandy as an undergrad (I'm not from Tennessee, however). At Vanderbilt conservatives have a strong presence, but the Vanderbilt community is definitely liberal leaning. During the 2008 election, they had a big setup to watch the elections in the Commons cafeteria and people cheered whenever a state went blue. Nashville's county, Davidson, seems to be one of the few in Tennessee that votes Democratic, and it shows in the surrounding community. Outside of the city, the surrounding areas are more conservative, but people in Tennessee are so nice, you'll be fine.

[VLynn]

Having grown up in Nashville, when I decided to apply to grad schools, I applied to schools in every other city possible. Yes, Nashville is an up and coming city according to the glossy marketing campaigns the city has paid exorbitant amounts of money for. The trendy bars, restaurants, boutiques, condos are new but the culture remains the same. 

 

If you are looking to join a diverse community with liberal/progressive mindset(s), plan to spend a year (plus) searching for a small group of people to have conversations with outside of your academic department. If you are not familiar with Southern culture/traditions/expectations/politics it would be wise to read up on it before making a decision to attend any programs based in Nashville, specifically, Vanderbilt.

 

The Vanderbilt study body (undergraduate especially) has a well-known reputation in Nashville for very real reasons. Do your research. I would hate to think of an out-of-state grad student coming to Nashville with unrealistic expectations about their upcoming social and city life. Personally, I am very open-minded, independent, late-twenties, female. My opinions on the city and its schools are based on observations accrued over 20 years. If you have any specific questions or concerns, feel free to message me.

 

*** I've noticed a lot of posters mentioning the trendy East Nashville neighborhoods as a possible alternative for cheaper housing. I lived in East Nashville from the age of 21 to 26 for the same reasons until the third time my car was broken into, my neighbor was robbed, and multiple friends held at gunpoint. As cool as the bars and shops in East Nashville may appear, do your research into the area's crime ratings for the past five years. This area of the city is growing with more and more trendy bars, restaurants, shops because the rent is super cheap and for good reason--- East Nashville is built around the original government housing project for the city of Nashville. It would be wise to consider the robbery/drug arrests and murder statistics in the area before considering its fun night life scene and amazing rental rates. 

[lulamae]

 

 

*** I've noticed a lot of posters mentioning the trendy East Nashville neighborhoods as a possible alternative for cheaper housing. I lived in East Nashville from the age of 21 to 26 for the same reasons until the third time my car was broken into, my neighbor was robbed, and multiple friends held at gunpoint. As cool as the bars and shops in East Nashville may appear, do your research into the area's crime ratings for the past five years. This area of the city is growing with more and more trendy bars, restaurants, shops because the rent is super cheap and for good reason--- East Nashville is built around the original government housing project for the city of Nashville. It would be wise to consider the robbery/drug arrests and murder statistics in the area before considering its fun night life scene and amazing rental rates. 

 

 

Hi! I will most likely be attending Vandy for my masters this fall. Being the most recent post about housing in the Nashville area, do you have ay suggestions for affordable places (ideally around $900/month) in safe areas? I will be taking my car so driving isn't really an issue so long as I am still maybe 15-20 minutes from campus.

 

Thanks!

[VLynn]

Affordable, young, safe areas to look that are easily less than 15 mins from Vandy and Belmont campuses:

 

12th Ave South (12 South) Area

Sylvan Park

A few great room-share options are always near Belmont Blvd, Woodmont, and Granny White Pike... easily under your $900/month 

 

More expensive:

 

Gulch Area

Brentwood (20-25 minutes away)

Green Hills area 

West End Ave

21st Ave

 

***Germantown is often talked about as the new trendy up and coming neighborhood, but be warned... the area's safety is questionable to say the least. It's equivalent to East Nashville in that it is located by an original government housing project. Car thefts are the norm.

 

If you can get further out... 25-30 minute drive from campus... there are a few cheaper alternatives, apartment/rental-wise in the cities of Bellevue and Mt. Juliet (new apartments everywhere).

 

Feel free to private message me if you have anymore questions.

 

 

 

Hi! I will most likely be attending Vandy for my masters this fall. Being the most recent post about housing in the Nashville area, do you have ay suggestions for affordable places (ideally around $900/month) in safe areas? I will be taking my car so driving isn't really an issue so long as I am still maybe 15-20 minutes from campus.

 

Thanks!

Edited February 2, 2015 by VLynn

[lulamae]

Affordable, young, safe areas to look that are easily less than 15 mins from Vandy and Belmont campuses:

 

12th Ave South (12 South) Area

Sylvan Park

A few great room-share options are always near Belmont Blvd, Woodmont, and Granny White Pike... easily under your $900/month 

 

More expensive:

 

Gulch Area

Brentwood (20-25 minutes away)

Green Hills area 

West End Ave

21st Ave

 

***Germantown is often talked about as the new trendy up and coming neighborhood, but be warned... the area's safety is questionable to say the least. It's equivalent to East Nashville in that it is located by an original government housing project. Car thefts are the norm.

 

If you can get further out... 25-30 minute drive from campus... there are a few cheaper alternatives, apartment/rental-wise in the cities of Bellevue and Mt. Juliet (new apartments everywhere).

 

Feel free to private message me if you have anymore questions.

 

Thank you!! I'll start looking into these places

[.letmeinplz//]

 

***Germantown is often talked about as the new trendy up and coming neighborhood, but be warned... the area's safety is questionable to say the least. It's equivalent to East Nashville in that it is located by an original government housing project. Car thefts are the norm.

 

 

You guys are scaring me about Nashville... Which is quite the feat when I live in Atlanta.

[VLynn]

You guys are scaring me about Nashville... Which is quite the feat when I live in Atlanta.

 

No, no... don't fear anything. I just thought it was really important to reply to posts about cheap rent alternative areas like East Nashville... to explain why those areas are so much cheaper. There's no such thing as a completely safe city. There are areas with affordable rent that are safe in Nashville like those I listed, but there are also not so safe areas which have cheap rentals. If I were moving somewhere from out of town, I would want to know, so I thought I should post and clarify.

Edited February 3, 2015 by VLynn

[quentinc]

Hi there, I'll likely be attending Vandy in the fall as well and have been doing some early apartment hunting.  Is $795+utilities a decent price for a 1-bedroom apartment just off of campus?  I haven't been able to find anything close by much cheaper for my own place.  I paid a lot less while attending UVA, but that was sharing a house with other students.  Just trying to get a sense of what is reasonable, maybe some alternatives?  I'm not averse to room-sharing; location and safety are more my priorities.  Thanks for any help you can provide!

[navyblackmaroon]

Well, I think that sounds like a pretty decent price considering that Nashville's rents have increased significantly in the past 5 years or so. The caveat is where the apartment is actually located, but it seems like anything by campus has gotten quite expensive (especially Hillsboro Village and the area from 21st to 12th South). I know some people were paying about $800 for one bedrooms in Hillsboro Village some years ago, but I am sure those places have increased their rents since then.

[VLynn]

If it is truly just off campus, $795 is a steal for the area. Do you know the road it is on? I'll happily give you details on anything I can.

 

 

Hi there, I'll likely be attending Vandy in the fall as well and have been doing some early apartment hunting.  Is $795+utilities a decent price for a 1-bedroom apartment just off of campus?  I haven't been able to find anything close by much cheaper for my own place.  I paid a lot less while attending UVA, but that was sharing a house with other students.  Just trying to get a sense of what is reasonable, maybe some alternatives?  I'm not averse to room-sharing; location and safety are more my priorities.  Thanks for any help you can provide!

[higheredhopeful]

A few thoughts on someone who has never been to Nashville and just visited Vanderbilt for a day:

 

This is the route I walked to check things out, if anybody cares:

 

1) there is a lot of new development going on... tons of construction, especially of new apartments and lofts.

2) a lot of the older houses with charm and Southern character are being torn down in place of said new construction

3) there are plenty of sidewalks so walking is nbd. biking isn't really too popular.

4) tons of good food. Nashville is becoming known as a food lover's hot spot. there just isn't a big ethnic Asian (authetntic Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, etc.) scene

5) housing is NOT as cheap as you'd think. 1 bedrooms close to Vanderbilt will run you around $1,000 and studios about $800. But parking passes at Vanderbilt cost $1500 a semester, soooooo... it's a trade-off.

6) there is a lot more to do now than there was 5 years ago

7) lots of people are moving here every day, but they don't usually stay long term

8) even if you don't like country music, it's not too in your face. Nashville is now much more than just like top 40 country or whatever. there's tons of indie country, rock and roll, bluegrass, etc.

9) arnold's is the shit

 

These points were confirmed by my Uber driver, a native Nashvillian

Edited February 28, 2015 by higheredhopeful

[navyblackmaroon]

As someone who has spent the past four years in Nashville, I have to say you are right on the money. The ethnic food scene is extremely limited (at least compared to where I am originally from) and that includes Mexican food (Nashville's Mexican food is downright mediocre). The sidewalk situation around Vanderbilt is alright, but the further you go away from the campus the scarcer sidewalks become. Finally, Nashville's public transit is far from ideal (it tends to funnel everybody downtown, making trips extremely long). I don't expect any of these things to improve in the short term.

[inyourgenes]

Hi! I'm leaning strongly toward attending Vandy in the fall and I'm having trouble finding affordable, safe, clean housing close to campus. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[sport01]

VLynn, I've lived in East Nashville since Jan 2013 and haven't had any problems whatsoever. A friend of mine lived in the same house for three years prior to me, and he never had any problems either. Everyone is chomping at the bit to live on this side of town. Have you lived in Nashville within the last five years? Things have changed so rapidly all around the city; it might be a tad difficult to offer timely advice if you lived here awhile ago. In fact - my opinion on East Nashville is that it's quite safe, but it's getting more and more difficult to find reasonable-rent places for single students now. I live in a dumpy little two-bedroom house, and the houses around me are selling for 250k-450k (after they are bought cheap, quickly renovated [but still small!], and put back on the market). You can imagine what that does to rent. (And to the historic residents of these neighborhoods who are getting shoved out. Yay gentrification.)

 

Other neighborhoods... Walking distance to Vandy is pretty tough unless you can find a house to share with other students. There are some small apartments on Blakemore that friends of mine have lived in; but I think they were studios? I live in East Nash and it takes me about 18 minutes to get to Vandy at morning rush hour. Other times of day - 8-12 minutes. I've also lived in the Richland Park area where West End and Murphy intersect; that's a nice old neighborhood. It'd be a quick bike to campus; a long walk; and a 10min drive (West End backs up at rush hours). And then, before that, I lived out where White Bridge/Harding and Charlotte intersect. (That's where the closest Target to Vandy is!) That was a bit farther, but still - a 20 minute drive at rush hour with no highways / much shorter at off times. Quite a few duplexes over there. The only one that I paid over $1000 for rent was the Richland Park area, because it was a three-bedroom house shared with four people. All that to say...it's always hard to find a good place when you're looking from a distance, but it's possible! (And, to be clear, I've enjoyed all these areas!)

 

To find places that were duplexes or houses, I looked on the Vanderbilt classifieds, Belmont classifieds, and craigslist. I preferred those to apartment buildings. Ask your admissions rep if you can be forwarded any rent listings that might come along; while I was at Vandy, the admissions office received lots of housing availability info and distributed it by the listserv.

 

But...rent is rising fast. :/

[_etruscan]

Figured I'd bump this thread.

I've been accepted to Vanderbilt for Fall 2016. Pending something odd, I am going to attend because, hey, funding! In any case, I have never lived outside of Texas before, living in DFW or Austin most of my life. 

Now I'm obviously looking for a place to live. While the idea of living near Vanderbilt is appealing, one look at the rent nearby dissuaded me of that idea immediately.

So has anything changed since last year? What are good neighborhoods to live in? And how's the public transportation in Nashville, specifically to Vanderbilt? I'm a car owner, so commuting wouldn't be a problem.

Lastly: where do all the Mexicans live? I'm Mexican-American and given that I've lived among my people for most of my life, does anyone know how large the community is in Nashville, as well as where all the Mexican tends and carnicerias are? Mexican food is just food for me