Cool, pedestrian-friendly Nashville apartments?

March 9, 2009 3:02 PM

My boyfriend and I are moving from Boston to Nashville in late May or early June. We are looking to rent a one bedroom and would prefer to pay no more than $600 a month, within city limits or as close to the city as possible. We've been looking in East Nashville as recommended by friends but so far searching via the internet hasn't been extremely helpful. Specific street names/apartments would be greatly appreciated.

Ideally, we'd like a swimming pool, washer/drier, and patio. We want to live in as pedestrian of an area as possible, and/or close to trees, a park, etc. Basically, I want to find the place that is most like Boston in Nashville (except, of course, the cost of living part.)

So, please tell me about your favorite neighborhoods and apartments as well as any places to avoid. Thanks!

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I'm posting this on behalf of my baby sister. I had referred her to these threads already (one two three), and while she found them quite helpful, I think she still desires some up-to-date specific answers.

I'm constantly bragging about how Metafilter has the smartest, most helpful people on the Internet, so I appreciate your indulgence. :)

posted by Famous to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

I live in Nashville and if you need an opinion on anything in particular, just mefi-mail me. I will say that looking for a nice apartment in walking distance to a park in a pedestrian friendly area is most likely going to cost more than $600. Having said that, the area around Belmont University is very pedestrian friendly. There is a part not too far away. This complex is fairly cheap (around $700) with everything else you asked for. West Town Apartments
posted by aburd at 5:20 PM on March 9

I was distracted and apparently my grammar broke mid-post. But please feel free to hit me up with other questions if you want.
posted by aburd at 5:22 PM on March 9

This site seems to have a lot of links to other apartments in the area. Including this one.
posted by aburd at 5:28 PM on March 9

If you are interested in East Nashville, definitely check out the East Nashville Google Group. A lot of the apartments and houses tend to be through local landlords and there aren't really big apartment buildings or complexes. Low probability of having a pool as well, but Shelby Bottoms Park runs along the river and is a great park and greenway.

Nashville on the whole is not the most pedestrian/bike/transit friendly place ever- but you should have good luck sticking to East Nashville, Belmont/ Hillsboro and 12th South.
posted by bbq_ribs at 6:35 PM on March 9

Lived in Nashville for three years: my recommendation is to live in the Hiilsboro area, as close to Belmont University: between 21st and 12th, North of 440 and south of Edgehill. Vandy students drive the prices up, but it's a great area, and really it's the only place I found that was remotely walkable in that pedestrian-hostile place. East Nashville is cute but it's not really near anything. They love their cars in Nashvegas.

Don't go downtown until you have visitors, because every out-of-state guest will insist on doing the same stupid bar crawl through the honkey-tonks, and the charm wears off fast. Stop by Bongo Java and berate them for losing the Nun Bun. Go to Grimey's Basement on a nightly basis. Hang out on Vanderbilt's campus, whether or not you have any official business there. Visit the Parthenon.

Nashville is the sort of place a Northerner like me hates until he leaves. Then, it's Nostalgia City.
posted by anotherpanacea at 11:19 AM on March 10

for $600 a month you are probably going to have to choose between pedestrian-friendly and amenities. there are plenty of inexpensive complexes in bellevue, donelson, hermitage, madison, and south nashville/brentwood that give you decent space, central air conditioning, laundry rooms, pools, sometimes tennis courts. you will have to drive everywhere, although there may be some daytime bus service downtown.

if you want to live in east nashville or the vanderbilt/belmont area, you will probably have to buy window air conditioners, use a laundromat, and join a gym for a pool (although there are public lakes and parks where sunbathing is tolerated). the tradeoff is that you will drive less (although nowhere is as pedestrian-friendly as boston) and many things will be bikeable, if not walkable. if you really like to go out and get trashed, nashville has almost no public transit infrastructure, so east nashville or the belmont area are good bets if you want to be able to stumble home safely.

apartments downtown are generally overpriced and are not really near anything useful--there may be a few bars and restaurants, but they will be very touristy. you'll have to drive to get to a movie theater, grocery store, takeout joint, etc etc.
posted by thinkingwoman at 3:31 PM on March 10

Thanks for all the help, here's a message from my sister:

Thanks so much for all the advice! We'll be visiting in two days, so it will definitely be easier to wrap my head around all this information when I can see it in person. I'm checking out the places suggested and will post a follow up on what we decide or our final choices. Thanks again!

posted by Famous at 12:42 PM on March 17