RETURN TO HOMERealtor Thursday
A conversation with Connie Harvey of Prudential Woodmont Realty Group in Brentwood, Tennessee
Nashville is not only the capital of Tennessee, but is located in almost the center of the state. Fifty percent of the US Population lives within 650 miles of the city making it accessible to beaches, mountains and numerous lakes. With Four complete seasons, no income tax, low property taxes it’s a very desirable place to live for most anyone!
History
Nashville celebrated its Bicentennial in 1996 of becoming the 16th state admitted to the Union. Settled on the western banks of the Cumberland River, it was originally named Nashborough and was a Fort for western bound settlers. During the war of 1812, the state of Tennessee sent hundreds more soldiers than was requested and became known as the Volunteer State. In 1828 
Andrew Jackson was elected the 7th President of the United States. His home, the Hermitage with over 1100 acres, is the nation’s oldest and largest Historic Site Museum. It contains original art, furniture, fabrics and many other artifacts.
Like many other southern cities, Nashville and the surrounding counties, played a large part in the final months of the Civil War. Civil War fans come from around the country to visit the sites and museums dedicated to the War.
Ratings
U.S News and World Report, in January 2009, ranked Nashville 5th on their top 10 list of most desirable cities to live in. They examined things like cost of living, healthcare, taxes and a variety of cultural offerings. The Centers for Disease Control polled 1.3 million people in December of 2009 and ranked Tennessee the 4th Happiest State to live in. 3 of the Universities rank among the best in the Nation. Vanderbilt University, Belmont College and Lipscomb all fell in the top 20. The State has ranked in the top 5, in 5 of the past 7 years as a place to do business. Since 1990, over 600 companies have relocated to Middle Tennessee.
Going Green
The Nashville Parks and Recreation have created the Greenways Commission and Greenways for Nashville. The Greenways are parks and paved trails that connect different neighborhoods throughout the city to schools, recreation areas, shopping and downtown. They run along rivers and streams, as well as railroad corridors and scenic highways, often winding past farms and wetlands!
Hemlock Semiconductorrecently set up shop in Clarksville where they will produce polysilicon used to make Solar Cells for Solar Panels to produce clean electric power.
The new Music City Center which should be completed in 2013, will have a 360,000 gallon retention tank to store rainwater for the outdoor landscaping and watering the 4 acre green roof. They are working very hard to achieve the LEEDS Silver Status.
The People
When I moved here in 1985, Nashville was still a sleepy small Southern City. In the past 25 years it has truly grown into an international hub! Nashville boasts the largest Kurdish population in the U.S. with about 3% of the population either Asian or Native American. Approximately 24% of the population is younger than 18 with the Median age at 36.8 years old.
Things to Do 
They don’t call this Music City for nothing! From the Grand Old Opry next to the Opryland Hotel to Green’s Grocery in Leiper’s Fork, one has to make an effort to not have music around them! Music in this city ranges from Country, and Hip Hop to the Nashville Opera or Nashville Symphony. Printer’s Alley in downtown is one of the most popular venues for music without a ticket!
The Tennessee State Museum has thousands of historic items on permanent exhibit and is also hosting Treasures from Tutankhaman. The Frist Center for the Visual Arts currently has 6 great exhibits not counting the ever present interactive education gallery. Cheekwood Botanical Gardens was the former home of Joel Cheek, the founder of Maxwell House Coffee. Just last summer they hosted the Chihuly exhibit of glass sculptures. The Tennessee Performing Arts always has a great selection of Broadway plays.
Sightseeing can include a day at the Hermitage, former home of President Jackson, a visit to Carton Mansion and Civil War site, a drive along the Natchez Trace – a 400 mile long National Park that stretches from Nashville to Natchez Mississippi – or just a quiet picnic on one of the beautiful Warner Parks.
Sports include the Tennessee Titans NFL, the Nashville Predators NHL and the Nashville Sounds minor-league baseball.
The Future
Nashville will continue to grow as the current administration is very set on continuing to bring businesses to this area. The State has started marketing to Seniors as a great place to Retire. There are many Active Adult Communities in the Middle Tennessee area and the 55+ is the fastest growing demographic in the Nashville area. They are drawn to Nashville because of the top Medical Facilities, mild Climate and low Taxes.
About Connie Harvey: I moved to Nashville in 1985 from Rome Italy. I had been living there since just after graduating from College in Mobile, Alabama. I had friends from high school living here and they boasted that the city had lots of jobs and single men! I’ve loved the city since moving here so much that when I got married in 1990 and moved to Chicago where my husband was I made him promise me that we would move back when he took early retirement. I have been in Residential Real Estate here since 1995. I love the hills, scenery and seasons that this area has to offer. I can be reached at 615-400-6655 or at harveyc@realtracs.com. For up to date information about our area, follow my blog at www.NashvilleTennesseeLiving.com.
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This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com