So You Wanna Move to Nashville huh?

It's been almost a full 5 months since we made our trek back to California. We have had undeniable beautiful weather and our fair share of fresh, delicious, guacamole filled, authentic Mexican food. And In-n-Out burger. We are surrounded by our family and friends again. Buck is playing more music now than the whole past year! So what is there to complain about? Well... not much....

BUT we do most defiantly miss Nashville. What we miss most:

1. Our friends! And our old co-workers. 

2. The music. The endless amount of talent. And seeing a celebrity once a day or so. 

3. Queso cheese dip. 

4. Baja Burrito (or Blue Coast Burrito). 

5. Demos. 

6. Calypso Cafe nachos. (That's just me, Buck wasn't a fan) 

7. The Time Jumpers. 

8. Lightening Bugs! 

I'm sure there are many other things we miss, but we think of our friends and the food all the time ;) 

I do wish I could have been able to visit the Gaylord during this Chritmas season, because I saw the most beautiful photos of the ice sculptures and Christmas displays. Gaylord goes ALL OUT for Christmas and I recommend anyone who is visiting or new to town go and visit Gaylord during the holiday season. 

The new year will bring many travelers and new residents to Nashville. I've had a few folks contact me with questions about moving to the ever-famous Music City. SO...   I will try to help a soon-to-be-Nashvillian out.

The most common questions I've had so far are:

1. What are the best areas to live in?
I would receommend Madison or Donelson. They are generally safe neighborhoods. Next is Green Hills. It may be expensive, but its a very nice area. Lots of shopping and a Trader Joes! East Nashville is the new "up-and-coming" area that is hip and becoming known as "gay-freindly". Its starting to be expensive to live there though becuase the real estate is in demand right now. North Nashville has its good and bad areas. So does West Nashville. I would check an online Crime Map if yuor looking for places online. I do not really recommend South Nashville, its mostly bad. If your moving alone or single, I would highly recommend moving into an apartment. It will be cheaper and in my opinion safer. A decent apartment complex is Stewarts Ferry, its in North Nashville and has a nice clean area with lots of ammentities. Even a washer and dryer inside the apt! I have a friends who live there.

2. Price of living in Nashville?
Prices are generally cheaper in Tennessee... as compared to Calfornia but that goes for any state besides California. The gas is cheap and rent CAN be cheap... but not in Nashville. If you are willing to live outside of the city you can find really cheap rent. Columbia is an hour south, its extrememly affordable. Another cheap place is Pegram and its out the COUNTRY. Its a nice area if you like wide open spaces. :)

3. Jobs?
Good luck is about all I can say. There are TONS of new comers moving to Nashville and they are all looking for jobs too. Minimum wage is $7 I think in Nashville unless your a tipped employee... then your hourly wage can range from $2.00 to $6.00 an hour. I recommend anyone planning to move to start getting connected ASAP with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc. Its ALL about who you know.... ESPECIALLY in the music industry.

4. Weather?
Its a little bit of everything in one day. Seriously. You'll wake up and it will be cloudy and dark with a chilly breeze, and then when you walk out to your car to actually go to work your sweating because of humidity. And so you change your clothes real quick and then you step outside of work on your lunch break and its pouring down rain, or maybe even snow in the December-January months. Just be prepared for everything kind of weather. In all honesty the humidity isn't that bad, as compared to somewhere like North Carolina or Florida. I'm from California where some people don't even know what the word "humidity" means.... and I didn't have too much to complain about. I only really suffered annoyance from humidity when it was hot while it was raining and while it humid as I ran.

5. Any Advice?

• Join a chruch, join a gym, join a club.... GET INVOLVED. Meet people. If your moving here from a far away place and you are moving all alone... there are tons of freindly people out there, you just have to put yourself out there to find them.
• Bring an umbrella. And make sure your car has air conditioning.
• Save money before you move... just in case. You never know!
• Once you get here, get out and explore. There is SO much to do in Nashville. Its a GREAT city.
• Make sure to travel OUTSIDE of Nashville as well. Tennessee is beautiful.  
• Crime map any address or neighborhood before moving there. There are lots of bad areas in Nashville.
• Go to Nashville Guru It is the BEST website to find out about any event or place to go in NASHVILLE! I visited this site often. (http://nashvilleguru.com/)

-Sarah Beth

East Nashville is the new place to be!

This is the Christian Woodmont Church... beautiful as most of them are in TN!

You can find this church in Green Hills.

While in Nashville I joined the Hotbox Fitness group.... its kickboxing in a heated room!

A TOTAL ASS KICKING of a workout! And I LOVED it.