Malagos

Hi all,

My company is supporting my girl friend and I to move to the US. My partner had an L1a visa from her company already and we have just submitted my L1a visa application with the Lawyers (will be going to the London consulate soon).

Now the visa bits out the way I wanted to ask your knowledgable selves to help us find a good area to rent.

We currently focuses on the area around Percy Warner Park (south west) because I've been advised its low crew and a nice area but am I cutting out any other areas in my narrow sight?

We're looking at an apartment in a gated community, 2bed with study space or 3bed (1 bedroom will become the study).

Many thanks!

Malagos

chromeless

Hey there!

There are a few great neighborhoods in Nashville; the area near Percy Warner is very nice, but you can have slightly longer commutes. The northern part is Green Hills, which is just south of 440 and a wealthier area, where you can expect rents to be quite high.

The area near Vanderbilt University is closer into town, has slightly lower rents comparatively, but are walking distance to parks, great restaurants and bars, music venues, and etcetera. Living in this area couples all of the convenience of being near downtown without really feeling "downtown", and imho is one of the better areas. There are three different little micro-sections in this area, each perhaps about 20 blocks each; Midtown is the area slightly north of Vanderbilt University, which is a little younger and trendier. West End is the area along West End Ave, which has mostly high-rise condos and townhomes, and is close to Centennial Park, a massive park with the Parthenon, and which hosts TONS of great community events in summer, like free concerts, movie showings, etc. Hillsboro Village is the area south of Vanderbilt University but north of Interstate 440, a great residential neighborhood with stately homes, good schools, and walkable shops and bars and restaurants with a lot of local character.

12 South is another great area that's up-and-coming, and very similar to Hillsboro Village, though the focus is a bit on younger families. Less condos and more actual homes, a gorgeous park, a tight-knit community, walkable bars and restaurants-- some of the best-rated in Nashville!

East Nashville is another great area to consider, which likely has the lowest prices of the lot, and is very popular right now with all manner of folks. It's also the biggest of the ones I'd recommend, and has several different internal neighborhoods, again which are walkable to parks, libraries, great food and music...!

All of those links go to a local home search site, directly to homes for sale; but above the maps, you can click the 'Property type' box and look for rentals instead! Easy peasy. A lot of people moving into town try out Trulia and Zillow first, but they can only show 90 day old data, so they're more frustrating than helpful.

If you want to learn a lot about Nashville's cool neighborhoods (and there are a LOT of them), google 'Nashville guru' and cruise around that website! It really can't be beat, in terms of information.

Bob

First off, you getting married or you not planning on sticking around much?

B2 co-habiting partner gets you 6 month stretches and no ability to work and can be trouble getting drivers license and possibly getting the company medical insurance.

Get married, all sorted, get a L2.

There have been a few threads on the Nashville area in the past, last summer I think, so not massively recent, but a good starting point if you search.

Anyway, welcome to BE you two.

Nutmegger

He said that each of them is getting an L1-a on their own merits.

Pulaski

You are correct, but between you and Bob, you missed the benefits of being married even if both "partners" are on their own L-1.

(i) If either half loses their job, or is told to repatriate, they can switch to an L-2 and find another job, and

(ii) They double their chances of getting green cards - whichever employer agrees to sponsor them, they both get green cards immediately if they're married.

Bob

I read "had", as in past tense, rather than the girlfriend "has". Oh well.

Malagos

Thank you all for your information! I have done a Forum search on "Nashville, TN" and "Nashville" but only found one post from last year (as mentioned above) and then posts from 2013+ so thought it best I make a new more recent post.

I will now look into each of the areas indicated by Chromeless, thank you! Will let you know my findings and thoughts, but I know that my partner and I would both like to live in a gated community for at least the first year.

Yes my partner has an L1-a, she has had it for 1 year so far and her company have already had the Lawyers prepare the visa extension paperwork/application (not sure on terminology here). We fully plan on getting married, this will likely happen while we are in the USA but not something we will be rushing into right now. We are in a fortunate (and lucky) position that if she lost her Job we are financially stable to support the loss of earnings until either 1) she gets another job, or; 2) we get married and she gets a job (if I were to loss my job the relocation agreement states that the company will pay the costs to move us back to the UK).

Hopefully the above gives you all a little more information (sorry I had not provided it sooner).

I am also now looking at the pain and rigmarole of paying back our Student Loans form the USA and also Non-resident Landlord tax. I have found these forums a gold mine of information for this so thank you all! However, if anyone has any "hot off the press" information here I would be extremely grateful!

I would like to add another question into this thread that has popped into my head overnight:

1) Whats the sort of timing/order of getting SSN, Bank account and then agreeing a rental agreement in the USA? The information pack my Relocation agent has provided seems to indicate a counter dependency on the rental agreement and the Bank account. The information I currently have is I need a Bank account to get a Rental agreement and I need a residential address to get a Bank account.

- My current thinking (but only an assumption right now) is that as my company will provide us with accommodation and a car on immediate entry into the USA for up to 30days we can list this as out residential address (all though not permanent). When we then find a more permanent location to situate ourselves we can then update the Banking information with the new address. This is the process I would follow in the UK but not sure if the US is as lenient with the change of address process?

Sorry if I am asking the basics or "silly" questions, by nature I am planner. I like to know everything that needs to happen, in what order, by when and any dependencies. As you're all so experienced and knowledgeable I hope you do not mind if I pick you minds as much as I can.

Many thanks

Malagos

Pulaski

You don't need a SSN for a (non interest-earning) bank account. If you get push-back ask to speak to a supervisor as there is no legal requirement to have a SSN, but you are required to provide a "government issued ID number" (if necessary, tell them "the USA PATRIOT Act only requires a government issued ID number, not an SSN ....." - those are the magic words! ), for which a passport will suffice. If the supervisor pï$$es you around too, just go to another bank.

The address is slightly more of a problem, because you usually need something showing you as having received mail at the address you're using - but pretty much anything is sufficient, including a postcard mailed to yourself. Some people recommend getting a library card registered at your address to prove your address. You're going to be able to change your registered address at any time through the bank's on-line interface, or at a branch.

themadpooper

Wife and I visited Nashville a few months ago, great night out, especially if you like country music

Try the hot chicken (Hattie B's) and local bbq (Jack's), proper southern grub