I grabbed a quick lunch last week at one of my favorite Franklin eateries. A small group of “mature” ladies were seated in the booth behind me and their conversation made me giggle. They’d clearly lived in Franklin for quite some time and were bemoaning the fact that it has turned into a “city.” One of the sweet dears was positively beside herself about the “traffic situation” and claimed that she couldn’t even make her away around town. Now, I realize that if you grew up in Franklin you’ve been the witness to amazing growth and development, especially in the last ten years.
Both Brentwood and Franklin (topics of my last two posts) have seen tremendous growth, both in terms of population increases, commercial building and residential development. We’re blessed to live in a thriving, bustling community, but I know that some of our more established residents are still getting used to a busier way of life. They dream of a slower, more relaxed pace and lifestyle.
Enter the charming communities of Leiper’s Fork, Thompson’s Station, Spring Hill and Fairview. All are located in Williamson County with its low taxes, high quality of living and amazing schools and each boasts its own flavor and adds something unique and special to our county. Join me as we take a virtual jaunt through these delightful towns and districts… maybe you’ll find the bucolic lifestyle you’ve been looking for!
Leiper’s Fork is a pretty magical place. It’s the dream destination for many searching for that rarified country lifestyle. The town calls itself a village and that’s pretty apt. There’s one main street that intersects the town and that street is dotted with antique shops, art galleries and some pretty snazzy accommodations that package themselves in an “aww, shucks, aren’t we quaint” sort of way. If you’re looking to get a taste of what life is like in Leiper’s Fork, I strongly suggest a few nights at the Leiper’s Fork Inn. This luxury inn is actually two historic homes that were redesigned and redecorated with locally sourced antiques. It’s a short walk to the village and the famous Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant, where you can order the best sweet potato fries and sweet tea and enjoy them while listening to local musicians. And by local, I mean, super famous and amazingly talented… many of Nashville’s top music stars call Leiper’s Fork home.
Thompson’s Station is another sweet community located south of Franklin and Brentwood. It boasts the same pastoral beauty and rich history of Leiper’s Fork, but is a younger, smaller community. The most recent data lists Thompson’s Station with about 2, 600 residents and a total area of 14.7 square miles… plenty of room to stretch out and claim your piece of the heavenly rolling hills. The community is very invested in building and marketing itself as a model of livability, sustainability and creativity, while protecting the natural resources and beauty which brings new residents to this growing and vibrant town.
Just between Thompson’s Station and Franklin is the thriving Spring Hill community. It’s just a little larger than Thompson’s Station (at 17.7 square miles), but much more populated (with almost 30,000 residents). Spring Hill grew from 7,000 residents to 30,000 in about twelve years, largely thanks to the construction of General Motor’s Saturn plant. Although the Saturn line is now defunct, the plant has been redesigned as an “ultra-flexible” plant for GM. Even with such robust growth, you can absolutely find some amazing homes on impressive acreage in Spring Hill with a highly desirable price tag and that price tag is what’s made Spring Hill so desirable to many Williamson County residents. One note… Spring Hill actually straddles the Williamson County/Maury County line. If you have school aged children and want to take advantage of the strong public schools in Williamson County, make sure you clarify that with your Realtor. ®
And finally, there’s the little town of Fairview. Longtime residents would prefer for Fairview to remain Williamson County’s best kept secret, but as Franklin, Brentwood, and Spring Station continue to grow, residents are looking to the west for more land at affordable prices. Fairview is still pretty rural… there’s not a Target to be found, although Publix and Walmart have recently opened stores in the Fairview shopping district. Fairview is the home to Bowie Park with some top-notch hiking and camping opportunities. The town enjoys its sleepy pace and works hard to maintain it, even though it’s a quick 20 minute commute to metropolitan Nashville via 1-40. Many real estate professionals look to Fairview as the “next big thing” because there is still plenty of land to be had at incredibly reasonable prices.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my meandering narrative about life in Williamson County as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. If nothing else, I hope I’ve shared my love of this area with my readers and encouraged them to wave their WillCo resident flags proudly or enticed them to investigate the possibility of buying a home here. I know with a lifetime resident’s certainty… you will never regret buying a home in Williamson County.
