Pictures of Clarksville evoke a sleepy Mayberry RFD vibe, but there’s a lot more to do here than similarly sized cities and its diversity and younger population is an incredible strength for a smaller town. In addition to excellent restaurants, Clarksville has plenty of bars and clubs if you’re looking for more adventurous late-night socializing. The Downtown area of Clarksville is so beloved in fact that Clarksville was named by Money Magazine as the #1 place to live in the U.S. in part due to the historic downtown: https://clarksvillenow.com/local/clarksville-named-best-place-to-live-by-money-magazine/

Outdoor recreation is big also, with plenty of hiking, biking and climbing close by. Families also have plenty to do with go-karts, mini- golf and museum (kid and grown-up) exploring available in town.

Here's how one local describes it: 
*Here’s my take. The Downtown Clarksville area has a pretty cool vibe. There are a few decent restaurants here, and they’ve added a few more recently. Lots of chains, though. It has more of an “industrial” feel to me. Very little curb appeal. There are some really quaint neighborhoods (like Sango and near Tiny Town) and a few others, which is where I would buy if looking to settle permanently. Tons of property in the middle of nowhere if you want seclusion. The houses are pretty inexpensive.*

Small Town Meets Diverse City

The Best Thing About Clarksville, TN?

Clarksville is primarily a sprawling suburban town, and most growth is out rather than up but it is getting congested. Residents complain the infrastructure has not caught up to population growth, leading to traffic jams that are uncommon in most cities along the Tennessee/ Kentucky border. This can make commuting into nearby Nashville even more of a pain than it should be.

Local pov on issue in Clarksville: *The number one thing I hate in Clarksville is that NOBODY knows how to get the hell out into the intersection on a green light to turn left. It makes me insane. Maybe it’s a TN law, but if it were, nobody could ever turn left without a left turn arrow. Clarksville people are just STOOPID about this.*

*I have yet to honk people for this, because everyone in Clarksville is so nice and laid back, and I’m trying to abandon my big city ways, but I have been tempted to get out of my car and walk up and rap on the driver’s side window and say, bless your heart, would you mind moving your car into the intersection before the light turns red?*

Getting Crowded

The Worst Thing About Clarksville, TN?

Locals in Clarksville are known for being small-town friendly. It's a pretty diverse area for a small city with residents known for being welcoming to newcomers despite being annoyed by city expansion. Outdoor enthusiasts will take solace in knowing that wooded trails and the local riverwalk are all in town so you don’t have to take a drive to experience the fresh air and views. There are also plenty of mountain biking trails and rock climbing crags just a short drive out of town. There’s been plenty of growth in breweries, wineries, bars and performance theater in the downtown area so social opportunities are bountiful. Nashville is also less than an hour drive for those looking for an escape to a bigger city every once and awhile.

If you want to get a taste of what living in Clarksville is like then check out the calendar of events: https://clarksvillenow.com/events/#/


Lifestyle of Clarksville

Home to the Fort Campbell Military Base, Clarksville’s number one employer is the military. Large corporations like Bridgestone and Trane Company have large operations in Clarksville that employ hundreds of locals. Nashville is also a bit less an hour away for anyone willing to commit to a long commute.


Workstyle of Clarksville

If you want a city with a small, diverse, southern feel with amenities that stretch beyond what is typically available, including the energy of a college town, Clarksville is an incredible option. 


Fun, Diverse, Affordable

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Downtown Clarksville is the happening neighborhood for young professionals and college students in Clarksville. Austin Peay University is in the area and so there is a mix of college students, the majority of which live off-campus, and young professionals living in the apartments and condos of the popular blocks downtown. It’s no wonder given the high walkscore for these living options to both downtown work and the bars, restaurants, cafes and theaters within the neighborhood. 
- Downtown


Young Professionals/College Students

Downtown

One interesting characteristic to neighborhoods in Clarksville is how people refer to them based on the number of the exit off the freeway. Even though many neighborhoods have names locals will often refer to as an example, “Exit 11” which is further south, and is a really nice place to live. It’s almost a small town within the city, with great homes but also a nice commercial district with restaurants and cafes. So if you like a combination of suburban and urban for raising your kiddos check out Exit 11. The farther north you go the more you’ll find less expensive rental and inexpensive housing options. Exit 4 is downtown and where the majority of the commercial scene is but if you start your search think about below exit 4 as the most “suburban” family neighborhoods. Once you get down near Exit 19 you get a rural experience and a longer drive to downtown. 
- Exit 11
- Exit 8


Families

Exit 11

Clarksville

**which neighborhood is best within Clarksville? moving in from western Illinois burbs**

First, let me say that everybody is Clarksville associates their "neighborhood" with their exit number off of the interstate. The higher the number (the further south), the more affluent the area. Avoid Exit 1 (some nice houses, but looks can be deceiving.). Exit 4 is hit or miss. Exit 8 is nice and upcoming. Exit 11 is almost a small town all to itself. It had it's boom about 20 years ago and left Exit 8 as almost rural. Exit 8 is now experiencing a small boom. I would stay in the Exit 11 area on the south side of town, especially if you have kids in school and plan to put them in public school. It is also the closest and easiest commute to Nashville, which greatly increases your job opportunities. Exit 8 will get you more land for your dollar, though, as will going out to Exit 19, which is truly rural. Most of the rental units are going to be on the north side of town, though, primarily because it is close to Fort Campbell. Rentals are available on the south side, but they tend to go quickly and have higher rents than the north side. Most of the rentals on the south side are homes with the occasional condo unit, and if you venture a few miles out of town, you can find rentals with acreage and sometimes even a barn. Stay around Exit 8 and Exit 11 and you won't have any problems in the neighborhood. Avoid Exit 1 as well as anything around Dover Rd., Dotsonville Rd., Liberty, Purple Heart, Peacher's Mill, Ft. Campbell Blvd, Lafayette, New Providence, and anything around the downtown area. Those are the worst areas. Exit 4 is hit or miss - there are nice neighborhoods intermingled with problem neighborhoods. Exit 4 is also where most of the retail is, so you also have to deal with traffic in that area. Exit 11 has a smaller retail area, but has all that you'll really need (it really is like it's own little town - you will hear the area referred to as "Sango" also, as they really don't want to be associated with Clarksville). Most of the chain restaurants and the mall are at Exit 4, though. The industrial park is also at Exit 4. 




**which neighborhood is best within Clarksville? moving in from western Illinois burbs**


I live off of Exit 1 and am totally happy with our choice of location! We are in city limits which affords us lower water rates and our commute is minimal so we each fill up our vehicles apprx every 3 weeks. We have 2.5 acres about 2700 sq/ft 4 people. Our apprx monthly expenses $65 water/sewer, $300 city for power/cable/internet and then we also pay an additional 14 month for weekly home service garbage. We have a high school junior attending Northeast High School which was named as a U.S News Best High Schools Bronze 2012. There is only one school district for the entire county, Clarksville Montgomery County School System. Please don't base your future home solely on the school zone as they frequently change with the growth that Clarksville is experiencing. There is a new high school going in in the area above Sam's Club and guess what?? They are pulling children from the areas north of I-24 across exits 1,4 and 8! I should mention that I have only recently moved back to Clarksville after living in California for the past 25 years. I was born here and left because life offered me a better opportunity somewhere else. We are not a military family but there is an abundance of military families in my neighborhood along with city employees, teachers and law enforcement. I like the diversity!




**What don't you like about living in Clarksville, TN?**

I’ve lived in Clarksville now for about 4 months. I moved from Seattle.

The number one thing I hate in Clarksville is that NOBODY knows how to get the hell out into the intersection on a green light to turn left. It makes me insane. Maybe it’s a TN law, but if it were, nobody could ever turn left without a left turn arrow. Clarksville people are just STOOPID about this.

I have yet to honk people for this, because everyone in Clarksville is so nice and laid back, and I’m trying to abandon my big city ways, but I have been tempted to get out of my car and walk up and rap on the driver’s side window and say, bless your heart, would you mind moving your car into the intersection before the light turns red?

With that said, I love Clarksville. There are many things I miss from Seattle and a lot more that I don’t, since Seattle has become a crime-ridden asinine tax-oppressive socialist idiocracy in the last several years.

Salmon is more expensive in Clarksville. Like it’s not ridiculously priced in Seattle nowadays too.

Ethnic markets, that’s what Nashville is for.

Music and live shows? Pretty damn good. I miss Jazz Alley, but City Winery is pretty awesome.

Everything in Clarksville is 20% to 50% cheaper than in Seattle. Including groceries and housing is 75% cheaper. I get 10x the internet speed I got from Comcast in Seattle for half the price here.

There are a lot of black people in Clarksville, a lot more than in Seattle. And they have been sweet as pie to me. I’ve got a leg injury, and I’m a big old fat white guy, and black people I don’t know offer to help me in the Walmart parking lot. In Seattle, no white people offered to help me with the same injury.

Which brings me to neighborliness. Black or white, it’s wonderful how people offer to help each other out and I’m not afraid of black people and as far as I can tell from the black people who talk to me like I’m just another person, I just want to say again, race relations seem pretty damn good here.

**What are the people like in Clarksville, TN?**

It's really a mixed bag of a town. it's interesting because Clarksville has a liberal arts university Austin Peay State University. That school is pretty liberal and has some great programs. However the university serves the greater Clarksville area which includes Fort Cambell a military base containing the 101st airborne division. So you get all types at the school and everywhere around Clarksville. This make for a very varied set of people but can also create a lot of tension between various groups. Clarksville is still very much a part of the south so you have a lot of conservative, Christian, and unfortunately even still some racist issues that are still prevalent. Clarksville basically has a space for most types of people. Although that space and community is smaller for some groups than others you will find people you probably will love and fit right in with and you will also probably find people who you can't stand and drive you nutty. I grew up there until I was 27 then I moved to Japan. I haven't lived there the past seven years but my mother still lives there and I have family and friends there. Personally I left because even for how varied and interesting Clarksville is for me I never felt comfortable or accepted completely there for the type of person I am. But it's a place like any other with a wide variety of cultures, beliefs, ideas, and opinions. It's just slightly more volatile than other places because you have such a variety and such strongly held beliefs. Hope this helps.

**If Moving To Nashville, Tn. Be Check Out Award Winning Clarksville Tn**
Money Magazine"'s #1 pick for the best place to live in 2019.



Clarksville, Tennessee

The Queen City

Looklyloo Score: 80

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