r/nashville • u/Impossible-Pomelo-85 • Sep 16 '24

Leaving Nashville Discussion

Have you been living here for a while now and are you wanting to move either because of the traffic, politics, home prices, jobs, culture or religion etc ? Please share your opinions because I have plenty and want to hear other's! Thank you!

Oh and where are you moving to?

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u/Psyerax Sep 16 '24 edited Sep 16 '24

28M I grew up in Nashville, born at Baptist hospital! met my girlfriend online during covid and when we decided who was moving where it was an easy choice for me.

I moved to California back in January and man… it’s so beautiful here. This is the best thing i have ever done in my life.

in Nashville i had no hopes of ever owning a home, especially in the neighborhood i grew up in (sylvan park). my parents rented my whole life. my job was at a dead end. i didn’t have much to lose by taking the chance.

I’m now making more money in a new career i love. i’m just really proud of myself for taking this leap. never thought i would say that. i was such a doomer when in nashville but now im so optimistic for my future.

All of this to say, not saying Nashville is bad. this is just what my personal life experience was. i think for anyone moving somewhere new, anywhere, can be very good, or bad ig. it’s worth taking the leap for a new life if you are considering it!!

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u/FunnyGuy2481 Sep 17 '24

I’m not sure how it’s easier to own a home in California. You must have had a crazy career move.

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u/Psyerax Sep 17 '24

no no, i still can’t afford a home lmao. please don’t read that i moved to afford a house. the down payment needed for a house is a decade worth of saving it feels like…

but we are living comfortably even if renting. and it’s a really nice 2bd 2ba place to ourselves. no roommates!

I went from repair technician to aerospace testing. it was a huge career move for me, and a lot of luck considering i don’t have a college degree…

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u/FunnyGuy2481 Sep 17 '24

+1 to the good luck as someone who also doesn’t have a degree and makes six figures.

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u/Psyerax Sep 17 '24

thank you, the imposter syndrome is real every day but i’m doing my best.

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u/FunnyGuy2481 Sep 17 '24

I feel that. My best advice is to always be prepared for a job search financially. That helps calm the nerves.

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u/Pinche-Matiche Sep 17 '24

As long as you know what you’re doing I trust ya. Plenty of people with degrees that don’t know what they’re doing lol

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u/yolkmaster69 Sep 17 '24

It’s so insane to me that someone in fucking Aerospace testing isn’t able to save up enough to make a down payment in the first year of their career. No shade on you or how much you make, it’s everything else that is so terrible.

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u/Psyerax Sep 17 '24

Dude I've heard this exact comment between two engineers way above me in pay grade.

"How fucked is it that you're an engineer and you can't afford to buy home close to your work?"

Everyone is feeling it, doesn't matter how much you make it seems.

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u/FunnyGuy2481 Sep 17 '24

Good for you. I was just wondering because it didn’t add up. Lol. Sounds like you just found love and a good job. Lol

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u/hashtag_wills Sep 17 '24

Good for you! I’m from California is the most beautiful state. LA has incredible food.

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u/JohnHazardWandering Sep 17 '24

Not surprising. California is more expensive but you do get paid more. Here, housing is expensive but you get paid far, far less than California. 

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u/smittywrbermanjensen Sep 17 '24

That was the exact same motivator for me when I left Nashville for NYC. I was born and lived 24 years in Nashville. Left in 2020. My hourly pay almost doubled when I moved to NY, and if you look at less gentrified neighborhoods the rental prices are honestly comparable to Nashville rentals these days.

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u/JohnHazardWandering Sep 18 '24

Agreed. If you want to live in Antioch, yeah, it's cheaper, but that's not really a comparable when the other option is living in NYC or LA. 

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u/Impossible-Pomelo-85 Sep 16 '24

Thank you for your reply! I'm happy you had the courage to take the leap!

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u/jp_trev Sep 17 '24

I did the opposite of this 4 years ago and feel the same way! Optimistic, can afford a nicer home, make more money, lol, maybe we’ll switch back in a few years

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u/Psyerax Sep 17 '24

if i were to relocate again id really like to give the pacific northwest a try. i think we both benefit from a living environment reset haha

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u/[deleted] Sep 17 '24

You are finding it easier to get by in California than TN? Curious what part of Cali?

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u/Ok_Cry_1926 Sep 17 '24 edited Oct 02 '24

I also found it easier to get by in California than in Tennessee — I was paid so much more, better access to public transportation and high-end but affordable entertainment costs, and sure I'm renting an apartment there but I'm also only in my house to sleep because there is so much to do in the city, so many places to go, endless weekend getaways. If I fell on hard times I got reasonable unemployment, short-term state disability if I got sick, safety nets to keep me going. There is an optimism when you're treated with respect as a worker and paid above the bareminimum, I had hope for my future when I lived in California and now I just sort of slog through my days here even though on paper I have a "better" career with "more" opportunity, it sure as fuck doesn't feel that way. Things I could do for $10 + a train ride in Cali cost $100 + $40 parking in Tennessee on significantly less pay. Lower standard of living if your only litmus test for "happiness" isn't "owning a big house." Like if that is what gets everyone off here, great, but turns out it isn't what makes me, personally, happy.

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u/Psyerax Sep 17 '24

I don't personally have interest in buying a home, theres a lot of baggage that come with that. We agreed on no plans for kids either. We're just keeping it easy and low stress enjoying our hobbies together outside of work. I just touched on the home ownership thing because it seems that's why a lot of Californians moved to Nashville/other southern cities. But as a Nashville native, i couldn't realistically afford a home with Nashville wages.

I haven't taken train yet! I see it every morning going to work, it looks so cool. I think its the Amtrak surfliner that goes through Ventura county. I want to take it to Santa Barbara for a day for fun even if its just an hour drive lol

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u/anaheimhots Sep 17 '24

Isn't it amazing, how many want to move to no-income-tax red states, without realizing all the benefits they're leaving behind?

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u/Ok_Cry_1926 Sep 17 '24

I’m born and raised here and had to come back for family — of all the major cities in all the states Nashville and Tennessee would be my last picks. I’d even rather just be in Knoxville right now, affordable social activities with the college in mind, access to the mountains and solid cinemas, tho I’m sure I’d be sad to find that ruined by “blue state flight” too if I could get out there.

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u/anaheimhots Sep 18 '24

I'd be jealous for the Big Ears Festival, if I could afford it.

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u/Elcapitano2u Sep 17 '24

I’d agree w this, San Francisco is cheaper to go out than here in Nash. Many spots in North Beach with good happy hour, great food in Chinatown that’s fresh and reasonable. City bus or just walk over to the Presidio and hike. If baseball is in you can get a Giants ticket for a good price, not so much for Warriors tho. Nashville is purely a tourist attraction with tourist prices everywhere. We have non existent public transportation and overpriced monopolized parking everywhere. Going downtown just pisses me off.

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u/Psyerax Sep 17 '24

i am definitely doing better for myself, but i’m also living with a second income for the first time as an adult.

I moved to Ventura county~

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u/sacrol07 Sep 17 '24

We moved from tn to Calif for a job for about ten years and we were able to make more money, pay off our debts, live life to the fullest, meet awesome people. It was great while it lasted but then shit hit the fan and we’re back in tenn now and it super sucks. I literally hate it here. It’s just so much better on the other side of the sierras than this shithole called Tennessee. And my husband is a Tennessee native. Calif opened so many doors for us until an asshole ruined our life vibe. It’s been shitty ever since

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u/Last-Purple-462 Sep 17 '24

congratulations! what field are you in now?

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u/Psyerax Sep 17 '24

aerospace testing! my day to day is basically exposing various components to different environments like extreme temperatures, shock and vibration exposures and to certify if they meet required standards. the engineers do all the test planning and big brain stuff. i just have to carry it out based on their instructions. it’s actually really fun and interesting. i’m learning something new every day