Whether you score a job at Amazon or another buzzy business, our local Nashville agent breaks down what you should know if you’re thinking about packing up.
Long Island City is out, Crystal City and Nashville are very much in. That’s the plan for the new Amazon HQ2 anyway.
Interested in securing a job and moving to one of these hot new tech hubs? We’re breaking down everything you need to know about each city, where to live, and what life will be like.
Read on for Redfin’s guide to moving to work at Amazon Nashville, and click here to discover Crystal City.
Home to the capital of country music, famous fried chicken, historic Vanderbilt University, and bachelorette parties galore, Nashville is hotter than its namesake signature poultry.
Visitors flock for legendary country music venues like the Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium, and the Johnny Cash Museum, and the urge to stay and call it home is more than palpable.
On Redfin.com, a third of searches for homes in Nashville last quarter were from users outside the metro, consistent with last year’s level.
We spoke to Nashville-based Redfin agent Mel Priess to provide a full city breakdown. Here’s everything you need to know about moving to Nashville.
City overview
“Nashville is an ‘it’ city and that’s why Amazon is coming here. People love Nashville. You’ve got the entertainment industry, sports, and a huge foodie scene. Major chefs from around the world come here to open restaurants,” said Mel Priess. “Famous country music entertainers like Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton have night clubs, and leading companies are opening offices left and right because it’s a great place to do business and recruit top-tier talent.”
- Nashville has a Walk Score® of 28, meaning most residents are car-dependent for daily activities, but there are some very walkable parts of Nashville. Similarly, the city has a Transit Score of 24 and a Bike Score of 25.
- Nashville’s median home sale price in January 2019 was $284,000, according to Redfin data.
Quality of life in Nashville
“There is no state income tax, low property taxes, low unemployment, the weather is great, and schools are highly rated. Nashville is a major hub for business and is one of the fastest-growing cities in the last five years, making it one of the best places to live and raise a family.”
Migration and growth in Nashville
“The city’s growth has attracted people from the East Coast, West Coast, and Chicago,” Mel said. “The airport is undergoing a $2 billion renovation and operates flights daily to Europe. That wouldn’t be happening if Nashville wasn’t happening.
Leading tech companies like Amazon choose Nashville as an operations base and bring jobs to the area because there’s so much here. In turn, people are attracted to move to Nashville from more traditionally affluent areas, because of the low cost of living, exciting career opportunities, and thriving cultural scene.”
The Nashville real estate market
“The Nashville market is very competitive. Home prices in the area have increased more than 25 percent in the last three years. I don’t see the market slowing down this year. There’s a lot of new construction all over the Nashville area, and very low unemployment, which together helps to create a healthy market for buying and selling homes.”
Where to live in Nashville
- Downtown: “The city has really embraced Amazon, and the company will be building a whole campus from scratch right in downtown. For people who want to walk to work, there are three vibrant downtown neighborhoods all within four miles of where Amazon’s new campus will be.”
- The Gulch and Germantown: “One of hottest areas downtown is The Gulch. Most of the people who live here work downtown and walk to work. It’s lively, with so much to do, surrounded by the city’s best clubs and restaurants. Also in close proximity to Amazon’s new office is Germantown, which is a hot area for people moving into the city.”
- Walk Score: Gulch, 82; Germantown, 70
- What you can buy in downtown Nashville: An upscale 1 BR/1BA condo in a high rise for $370,900 in The Gulch. In Germantown, a modern industrial loft with 1 BR for $317,000.
- Where to go in downtown Nashville:
- “You can party at night clubs owned by music legends, and they are all downtown. Check out Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, the Florida Georgia Line House, Blake Shelton’s new place, Ole Red.”
- “With more than 160 venues throughout the city, it’s easy to catch live performances 365 days a year. Downtown, there are blockbuster concerts at Bridgestone Arena, Ascend Amphitheater, The Ryman Auditorium, and so many others. There’s also the Country Music Hall of Fame, and CMA Fest, which is the Country Music Awards Festival, taking place every year during the first week of June.”
- “For food and drink, go to Tootsies, a honky tonk, historic go-to bar. There’s also The Stage, which is a fun country bar, and Acme Feed and Seed, which is a great place to chill overlooking the river and city skyline.”
- “Sports teams like hockey’s the Predators, are one of the best teams of the past three years in the NHL, and they play at Bridgestone Arena. In the NFL, the Tennessee Titans are downtown at Nissan Stadium, and Nashville just received a major league soccer franchise, which will begin playing in 2020.”
- West End: “West End, home to Vanderbilt University, is also very close to Amazon’s new office, and a popular area worth looking at if you want to be near downtown.”
- Walk Score: 82
- What you can buy in West End: A two story, 2BR penthouse for $550,000.
- Where to go in West End:
- “Nashville is perhaps best known for hot chicken! There are hot chicken exclusive foodie spots all over Nashville, but Hattie B’s is the best.”
- “BBQ is everywhere in the south, but in Nashville, Martin’s BBQ and Edley’s are a few of my favorites.”
- Suburbs: “People looking for more space should consider the Brentwood and Franklin areas. The commute a 30 to 40 minute drive, like any major city.”
This post first appeared on Redfin.com. To see the original, click here.