Ya’ll, Franklin, Tennessee is making news again! I almost decided not to write another post about how amazing our little (not so little) town is. I worry about sounding like an overly proud parent touting yet another accomplishment of the place we call home. Also, there’s the teensy little concern that we don’t actually have gobs of new space for newcomers and every time I write another “Franklin is the best place to live ever” post, I visualize an Ellis Island-like influx.
Not that I don’t want you to move here, I do. But, the house market is a bit tight (see my seller’s market post) and houses are flying off the shelves, practically faster than we can list them. Perhaps that’s even more reason to make Franklin your home – knowing your house investment will always pay off – but if you’re still unconvinced, consider this.
USA Today just came out with their 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards and guess who landed on their 10 Best Main Streets list? Yep, you guessed it. Thriving, charming and over the top darling Franklin was named the 6th best main street in the whole entire United States. Now, I know what you’re thinking, who the heck beat us for the first through fifth places? Calm down, you oh-so-loyal Franklinites. I can’t imagine any town beating us out either, but still 6th place is something to be pretty proud of. And it also should come as no surprise when you consider our streets that are “lined with iconic historical buildings,” and filled with boutiques, cafes, restaurants and live music venues that keep things hopping. Then, there’s the unbelievably popular yearly festivals including Dicken’s Christmas, Main Street Brewfest and the Main Street Festival, when the entire town comes out to celebrate en masse. Aside from all that, it’s still one of the few true main streets in the country that draws a crowd each and every day. Housing in and around Main Street is some of Franklin’s most desirable and the town continues to improve their master plan to maintain Franklin’s historic charm while updating and expanding to accommodate our growing population.
Oh, and then this, a few days after USA Today was tooting our horn, The Huffington Post declared Franklin as the second best city to retire to in America. Yep, second! In making their selections, they considered cost of living, climate, healthcare cost and quality, crime, well-being, walkability and cultural vitality. Take a walk down Main Street any time of year and you’ll be inundated with cultural vitality. From the historic Franklin Theatre to the old Courthouse to the Carter House and Carnton Plantation, culture and history abounds. Despite growing home prices, the cost of living remains quite low with a very low tax rate. Crime statistics are all but non-existent here and access to some of the country’s very best health care is a short trip to Nashville (and Vanderbilt, Baptist, Centennial and St. Thomas!) away. But the most important statistic, whether you’re moving here to raise a family or moving here to spend your golden years? That all important sense of well-being. Because no matter how you slice it, living in, visiting, walking around and absorbing all that Franklin has to offer? It just makes you feel good. Kind of like coming home.
