Moving To Nashville: Discovering the Best-Kept Secret – Cool Springs, TN

If you're thinking about moving to Nashville and feeling overwhelmed by the many neighborhood options, you're not alone. Choosing the right place to live can feel like navigating a maze, especially when areas blur lines between cities, towns, and shopping hubs. One such area that often causes confusion but deserves your attention is Cool Springs, Tennessee—a dynamic corridor nestled between Brentwood and Franklin that offers a perfect blend of suburban comfort, modern amenities, and business vitality.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll pull back the curtain on Cool Springs, exploring everything from its geography and lifestyle to its housing market and what makes it an ideal spot for families, professionals, and anyone looking for a vibrant yet convenient community near Nashville. Whether you’re relocating for work, seeking top-rated schools, or just want access to great shopping and dining without the downtown price tag, Cool Springs might just be the hidden gem you’re looking for.

What is Cool Springs? Understanding the Area

One of the first questions newcomers ask is: "Is Cool Springs a town, a city, or just a shopping mall?" The answer is a bit of all those things—but technically, Cool Springs is none of them. It’s an area that locals consider its own little town due to the abundance of amenities and activities, but if you look at a map, you won’t find “Cool Springs” labeled as a city or town.

Originally named after a giant farm, Cool Springs was once a picturesque landscape of cattle fields and horse farms. Today, it has transformed into a master-planned community bustling with shopping centers, businesses, and a variety of residential options. It sits strategically between Brentwood and Franklin, along the I-65 corridor, spanning three major exits that serve as gateways for residents and visitors alike.

Think of Cool Springs as a vibrant corridor—a destination in its own right where suburban dreamland meets a Silicon Valley-style business hub. It’s a place where convenience, commerce, and community converge, making it one of the most accessible and desirable areas in Middle Tennessee.

Location and Accessibility: The Heart of Convenience

Cool Springs boasts a prime location with I-65 running straight through it, offering quick access to major nearby cities and destinations:

• Approximately 25 minutes to downtown Nashville (depending on traffic)
• Just 10 minutes to the historic city of Franklin
• Only 8 minutes to Brentwood proper

Whether you’re commuting to the Nashville airport, heading downtown for work, or traveling to Spring Hill or Murfreesboro, Cool Springs serves as a strategic middle ground. The area also supports hybrid work lifestyles, with several companies providing employee shuttles and parking options, making living and working here a breeze.

The Corporate Powerhouse: Business and Employment in Cool Springs

What helped propel Cool Springs’ growth into a bustling community was its evolution into a corporate hub over the past 20 years. The area was designed to accommodate commercial high-rise buildings at affordable prices, attracting major corporations and creating a strong local economy.

Some of the notable regional headquarters based in Cool Springs include:

• Nissan North America
• Mars Petcare
• Community Health Systems
• Mitsubishi Motors of North America
• Schneider Electric
• Healthstream

This concentration of corporate offices means high-paying jobs, excellent school funding, and a steady influx of professionals who contribute to the area's vibrant, high-end executive atmosphere. The business community supports a thriving residential market and adds to the overall appeal of Cool Springs as a place to live and work.

The Lifestyle: Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment

At the center of Cool Springs’ lifestyle is the iconic Cool Springs Galleria, a classic high-end mall featuring a wide array of stores such as Dillards, Macy’s, and the Apple Store. But the area is so much more than just a mall.

Surrounding the Galleria, you’ll find every big-box store imaginable—Costco, Target, Nordstrom Rack, HomeGoods—and a variety of restaurants catering to all tastes. From beloved chains like Chick-fil-A and Shake Shack to local gems such as Tupelo Honey and Amerigo, Cool Springs offers an excellent dining scene.

One personal favorite is Chrysalis, a tiny, cozy Italian restaurant with impeccable food and a welcoming atmosphere. It’s the kind of place where sharing plates and discovering new favorites becomes a delightful tradition. Over time, residents continue to unearth new culinary gems, making the dining experience here ever-evolving.

For entertainment, Cool Springs has multiple movie theaters, fitness studios, salons, and even two trampoline parks called Defy—perfect for families looking for fun activities. There’s also a bowling alley and plenty of fast-casual dining options, making it easy to spend a full day enjoying everything the area has to offer.

While it’s not walkable in the traditional downtown sense, everything in Cool Springs is within a five-minute drive, giving you the convenience of having it all close without the hustle and bustle of a city center.

Where to Live in Cool Springs: Neighborhoods and Housing Options

Cool Springs offers a diverse range of housing options to suit different lifestyles and budgets, including townhomes, condominiums, apartments, and single-family homes. The residential areas tend to be small pocket communities that provide a sense of neighborhood spirit and community.

Most residential neighborhoods are technically within the city limits of Brentwood or Franklin but are considered part of the greater Cool Springs area. Some popular neighborhoods within or adjacent to Cool Springs include:

• McKay’s Mill: A family-friendly community with pools and walking distance to Publix. Highly sought after for its great homes.
• Ashton Park: Ideal for townhome living and within walking distance to the mall.
• Stream Valley and Lockwood Glenn: Newer builds with lots of green space and community activities.
• The Enclave, Cool Springs East, and Chennowith: Older, established neighborhoods with mature trees and classic architecture in Brentwood and Franklin.
• Raintree Forest and Sullivan Farms: Offering more affordable options with great amenities, perfect for growing families.

One thing residents appreciate about these communities is the lack of cookie-cutter homes. There’s a pleasing variety in architectural styles and layouts, which adds to the charm and individuality of each neighborhood.

Price Ranges in Cool Springs

As of late 2024, here’s what you can expect in terms of home pricing in Cool Springs:

• Apartments and Condominiums:$350,000 to $650,000
• Townhomes:$500,000 to $750,000
• Single-Family Homes:$750,000 to over $3 million, depending on location, lot size, and home features

The range reflects the diverse housing stock available, from upscale condos for professionals to expansive family homes in gated communities.

Why Choose Cool Springs? The Big Draws

Cool Springs offers a compelling combination of benefits that make it a highly desirable place to live:

1. Convenience: Proximity to downtown Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, and the airport makes commuting and errands simple.
2. Career Opportunities: The local corporate headquarters provide jobs and career growth for professionals.
3. Top-Rated Schools: Zoned for some of the best public schools in Williamson County, plus excellent private options like Harpeth Academy and BGA.
4. Entertainment and Dining: A wide variety of restaurants, shopping, and recreational activities reduce the need to travel far for fun.
5. Community Spirit: Master-planned neighborhoods offer community events like food truck Tuesdays, holiday parades, and neighborhood amenities such as pools and pickleball courts.

Cool Springs truly offers the best of suburban living without feeling isolated, making it perfect for busy professionals, families, and anyone wanting a balanced lifestyle.

Who Might Find Cool Springs Less Ideal?

While Cool Springs has a lot to offer, it’s important to be honest about who it may not be the best fit for:

• If you crave walkability: Unlike neighborhoods such as East Nashville or Sylvan Park, Cool Springs requires a car for most errands and activities.
• If you dislike traffic: The area experiences heavy traffic, especially around the mall during holidays. Learning the back roads can help, but traffic is part of life here.
• If you want historic charm: Cool Springs is a relatively new development (20-25 years old) and lacks the antique feel of older neighborhoods in Franklin or East Nashville.
• If you have a strict budget: Housing here tends to be on the higher end compared to other parts of Williamson County or nearby areas like Nolensville, Fairview, or Spring Hill.

For those who prioritize these factors, there are plenty of other great neighborhoods in the Nashville area that offer different lifestyles and price points.

Innovative Local Talent: Meet the Young Creators of “Play Up”

One of the many exciting things about Cool Springs is its vibrant community, including its youth. Recently, while walking through the Cool Springs Galleria, I was approached by three high school students who developed an innovative app called “Play Up.”

“Play Up” is a calorie-tracking app that uses artificial intelligence to offer better accuracy and ease of use than many existing apps on the market. These students, juniors and seniors from Williamson County and Germantown, identified that manual logging of food intake is tedious, and current AI apps are often inconsistent.

The app allows users to log meals by voice commands, photos, or direct database searches. For example, you can say, “I had a chicken avocado sandwich from Panera Bread,” and the app will fetch precise nutritional info and calories from its database. This feature is particularly user-friendly for people who might struggle with traditional app interfaces, such as older adults.

These young innovators are in the process of launching “Play Up” on the app store, and I’m genuinely intrigued by their work. This kind of entrepreneurial spirit is yet another reason why Cool Springs is a thriving, forward-thinking community.

Final Thoughts: Is Cool Springs the Right Fit for You?

If convenience, community, and lifestyle are high on your list, Cool Springs delivers in spades. It offers:

• A thriving business environment with major employers
• Access to top-notch schools
• An abundance of shopping, dining, and entertainment options
• Well-planned neighborhoods with strong community engagement
• Easy access to Nashville and surrounding cities

Whether you’re a busy professional, a family seeking great schools and activities, or someone relocating for work, Cool Springs is a compelling choice that blends suburban comfort with urban convenience.

If you’re curious about whether Cool Springs could be your next home or want help navigating the Nashville area’s many neighborhoods, don’t hesitate to reach out. Starting the conversation early can help you map out a clear plan to find the perfect fit for your lifestyle and budget.

Have you visited Cool Springs before? Were you confused about where it is or what it offers? Share your thoughts below, and let’s keep the conversation going about this best-kept secret near Nashville.

Until next time, here’s to finding your perfect Nashville home!