<p>I lived there for four years. 
DS loves both VU and Nashville.</p>
<p>We are so excited to learn more about the city!</p>
<p>Hi old CC friend 2VU0609! def need to PM you sometime re your Vandy grads!<br>
My fave hotel was the Hilton Garden Inn which is really sort of behind the law school and a good location re the Commons. Nice two queen rooms are available and you will find it is worth it to pay an upcharge to be on foot and to not have to move your car. Breakfast isnāt included but it is a friendly hotel. Your son or daughter will have limited time to see you and will in general not be interested in getting in line anywhere or in accompanying you to loooong outings to restaurants. There are a lot of decent places to eat within a half mile or quarter mile from campus. The Hilton Garden Inn has a friendly and free shuttle but on highly booked weekends, the shuttle can be annoying to wait on. Remember Nashville has a big convention business, so hotels can be booked up for reasons you canāt figure out. Always good if you can meet your student on foot and worth a little money. Most hotels charge for parking but our sons liked to meet us by walking from campus to the Noshville Deli (more likely to get a table than at the iconic Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro) for big casual breakfasts near the Hilton Garden Inn and the next door Embassy Suites. The West End hotels have even better access to good restaurants on foot. I have stayed happily at the Elliston Place Hampton (free parking!) which has exceptional access to central campus. The Marriotts mentioned above on West End have great walkability assets. When Nashville has conventions or Vandy events and prices are inflatedā¦I suggest Brentwood over the hotels near Opryland. We lived in Nashville as adults twice, and I like to come into town up Franklin Road to 8th Avenue, left on Wedgewoodā¦then wind over to the Commons. Or you can go 65 North and off at Wedgewood. In the Opryland hotel arenaā¦admittedly more updated hotels than in Brentwood but not a real neighborhood. There is a nice Hampton at Green Hills Mall, where your children will shop --but I never found a better rate there than right at the Vandy hotels. I think that Residence Inn is open for business-never tried Hotel Indigo. There are B&Bs as well, but I never stayed in them in Nashville. One on Linden between Granny White and Belmont is close to Vandy and one in Hillsboro Village. </p>
<p>My head is spinning, but I love all this info and am pasting it all into my personal guide that Iām putting together (along with many other Faline2 posts). Does anyone have more info about pick-up of stuff you have mailed to Vandy? Just trying to determine how early to get to move-in week.</p>
<p>I canāt answer your question @sorrento BUT Iām so thrilled this thread is as active as it is! And Iām sure it will become more so when RD is announced.</p>
<p>A bit about me/us ā¦ I have two daughters - the senior that was accepted ED1 to Vandy and her sister (a junior) coming up right behind her. We live in northern Indiana ā¦ Vandy was the first college she visited and the one she kept coming back to. And Iām sure you can imagine how thrilled we all were as a family when she got in! </p>
<p>She was on a German club day trip to Chicago and she checked on the bus w/ all of her friends ā¦ though I wouldāve loved to be w/ her when she found out, Iām thrilled she had her friends surrounding her (and that it was good news!) </p>
<p>Iāve done some meandering around the threads for wants/needs for dorm rooms ā¦ since this is our first off to college, we are learning as we go! I do know after having a conversation at Bed Bath & Beyond that she can get an electronic gun (like the brides do when registering) and we can pick and choose what we need that way. (And of course have it ready to go at a Nashville area BB&B in August.)</p>
<p>Iām rambling a bit ā¦ just excited! We are actually headed down to Nashville at the end of March for spring break - itās our Collegepalloza Tour '14 for our junior - weāll be taking a look at Belmont for her. (Could I get so lucky to have both daughters in college literally across the street from each other? We shall see!)</p>
<p>We are trying to figure out whether it makes sense for us to take DD down to Nashville for a quick weekend sometime this spring (whenever a great last-minute flight deal shows up) just to have some fun and get acclimated. Otherwise, we will just plan to get into town a couple days before move-in . . . though we are so excited to get going already! I also rambleā¦.</p>
<p>We visited over the summer for a Prevu day, in fact KaMamom helped us learn about that! My s had a friend in Nashville, so he stayed a couple more days and really fell in love with Vandy while there. We may make a road trip to visit before freshman year starts, </p>
<p>@KaMaMom ā BBB works like a charm, you can order everything ahead, and when you pick up your order you can use tons of coupons and you can add or eliminate items you may realize you need/donāt need. Also Walmart also does the same. You can order in store or online and pick up locally. Sometimes Walmartās prices are better.</p>
<p>my fave purchases for my two college grads, one from Vandy: a twin long memory foam mattress padā¦works like a dream. Roll it up and tie it down with those springy cords you use on sleeping bags. Might want one of the camping smaller pads rolled up tight for the inevitable room overnight guests for the floor. A desk lamp with full spectrum light bulb. Granted boys tend to study less in the freshman year in my experience in their dorm room but by the time they are living with personally selected roommates or in singles, studying in your room is great and if your desk is under your bedā¦it is gloomy. Try Verilux online or its peers. worth every penny and a good graduation gift for friends. You will need two of those extension cord/surge protectorsā¦one for near the bed and another for under the desk floor. Depending on the room, one reading chair usually fits in and is nice as not everyone can sit on their bed if it is raised up. these are things that are negotiated with roomie after you see your room. The rooms on the Peabody Commons are less predictable in shape. We had a tiny foam sofa with no springs or weight from Pier One for eldest, and I ordered a sort of hybrid foam vinyl covered bean bag type chair for the Vandy room (it came in a heavy box and expanded to its full size). Our sons also had one floor lamp by Verilux that can raise or lower for that reading area. Girls tend to want to get together and see the room before making such decisions. Hangers that are those thin kind to make the most of the closets which are generous in size by college freshman standards on Commons. Things I bought sons for eating in the room were not really used. Advent of buying their coffee at the Commons? Girls may be more into it. One small frig is a good investment with a mini microwave on it. Wish we had invested in a wireless printer although sons seemed to prefer printing from the Library. One rolling bin to put under the beds for storage of linens. a place to deposit a semester of books is a good thingā¦we had plastic stacking bins from Targetā¦but you have to see the room first. Bag of rocks to absorb odors (BBB sells) A simple small stick vacuum, unlikely to survive one or two years so invest accordingly. one of those carryalls for showering trips down the hall. flip flops for shower that dry fast. There is a CVS close by so you really donāt have to stock up on those kinds of supplies. A sleeping bag for Alternative Spring Break trips (yes, very likely they wonāt see you on spring breaks, sigh!) Suitcase should be compact enough to be useful on those trips and can be used for storage under bed most of the year. Son went to St Louis, Atlanta and did an ASB sleeping on the floors of a church in Nashville. Duct tape. :)</p>
<p>See this ^^^ is why I love this place! I would never think of some of these things on my own.</p>
<p>Regarding Hotel Indigo, I did stay there with D last summer. She had won a gift certificate for a free night at a promotional event, so we checked it out after a long day on the Franklin Tour of Homes. It didnāt appeal too much to me, but it would likely be a good choice for someone traveling with a dog. Floors are linoleum. Bathroom doors are louvered, so not a completely private environment. Seemed like a hipster vibe which is fine, but not my style 
</p>
<p>Hi, right back to you Faline2 !</p>
<p>First, congratulations to all the recently accepted students and their parents! This is such an exciting time for all of you. My son is in his first year at Vandy and was also our first to go to college. He is really enjoying his first year! </p>
<p>@sorrento-they have hours on the Friday before move in that you can pick up shipped items at a tent set up on the Commons. You will get a date from the school as to when you can begin shipping your items.</p>
<p>As far as where to stay, I donāt think it really matters if you have a car. We rent a car when we come to Nashville and always find ourselves driving to campus even though we stay at the Embassy Suites Vanderbilt. There is a huge parking lot behind Hank Ingram dorm and we have never had trouble finding parking, even during move in and parents weekend. We are actually in Nashville now visiting a very busy son who is giving us small windows of time to visit with him but Nashville is a great city and we have stayed entertained on our own. We are staying at the Embassy Suites Vanderbilt again and driving to campus.</p>
<p>You will get great advise on this board from the other parents and current students. I have found it to be my greatest resource for information. Last summer @LSHCary was nice enough to send me a picture of her daughters room in the same dorm my son was assigned and I was able to completely outfit his room ahead of time and didnāt really have to do any running around during move in weekend and he has more than enough storage. As you get dorm assignments people can give you more specific information.</p>
<p>Have fun planning and ask away!</p>
<p>Wow ā thank you all! Quick question re the beds: I have read conflicting info on the size ā are they regular or XL in length? Maybe itās best to have XL sheets if thereās going to be a memory foam topper, but the topper should be XL also?</p>
<p>Sorrento, it is possible they are indeed standard. An email to Residential services will get you that final answer if Pancake or a current student doesnāt post. Two more thingsā¦if you are driving inā¦give your memory foam topper 2 days in the sun at homeā¦to air out any foam odors. Yes, then it will also be fatter because it takes a few hours to decompress. But we rolled and strapped the heck out of it. Secondly, TVs are not at all a ānorm.ā My Duke and Vandy sons never had a TV and never wanted one, and were grateful to have roommates who also were not interested. My son can watch our family Netflix and Amazon Prime video anytime he wants on his laptop if he really wants to veg out. DVDs are now a bit old school but the Vandy library hands them out. Our son arranged to screen a few films with friends somewhere or another on weekends. True that some kids must watch sports to relax, so I am not saying you canāt study and have a TV.<br>
I am saying that our kids use several hours a day to stay digitally connected with all their friends from home plus everyone they are getting to know on campus and that they have eroded sleep habits compared to their parents in college whose electronics collections included a desk lamp, a hair dryer and a turntable if they were lucky. They have seriously eroded sleep habits. My sons like your children worked their tails off in high school and in their chosen ECs and had to be up early daily till age 18. Those students who hit the ground with the idea that Vanderbilt is like a 40 hour a week job they must succeed in will develop habits that make sense and allow them to study. Every day scores of cultural opps and invites to social events scroll across their screens. Excellent study habits are absolutely necessary at Vanderbilt and most admitted students have organization skills out the kazoo. Yeahā¦I say TVs are no competition for their time and even at Vandy, you have to make your own luck and create your own opportunities.</p>
<p>The bed length is somewhere between twin and twin XL. I bought twin XL bedding for my son and it fits perfectly over a memory foam mattress topper and a down mattress cover over the foam. The mattresses are not comfortable without any enhancement.</p>
<p>These memory foam toppers sound like a lot of work! And weāre flying in, not driving, so will have to figure that out ā maybe itāll get its own duffle bag. Just started checking out the different kinds online ā adding it to the research list!</p>
<p>And, @Faline2, DD doesnāt even watch TV here (catches up on some shows on computer via Hulu and the like), so no way is a TV on our list. Am hoping she will read your post about needing excellent study and organizational skills (since there wonāt be the nagging that often has accompanied her through HS). </p>
<p>@Sorrento-We went with the Kittrich Campus 2-inch Twin XL-size Memory Foam Topper on Overstock.com and it actually comes in its own duffle bag. You could even ship it straight to campus. We just opened it up in his dorm room on top of the bed and had no issues with smell. Since it is just 2ā" thick it didnāt take long to expand. I put a down mattress cover over the foam to make it a little softer. </p>
<p>@Momthreeboys ā I realize this is redundant now that there is a āHelpfulā star and a āLikeā button, but Iām old school and just want to thank you for the recommendation. Thank you!</p>
<p>Thought I would jump into this conversation. Iām the parent of a 1st year son from California. Given the distance I had to plan wisely. I bought a lot of his things online and had them shipped directly to Vanderbilt. It worked well. I purchase the memory foam mattress from Costco and had it shipped. Son absolutely loves it. And it makes a lot of sense since they will be living on campus in dorm beds for 4 years. I bought regular twin sheets and they fit fine.</p>
<p>We did buy a wire book shelf when we were in Nashville to put next to his lofted bed so that he could have an alarm clock near his head. I would not buy this early because size was important. We spent an hour at Target trying to find one that would fit. Each room is a little different so you really need to see the room. </p>
<p>The closet was a lot larger than I expected and we bought a hanging storage thing that he could stack clothes in and some drawers that fit it for storing odds and ends.</p>
<p>At Christmas he asked for a small hand held vacuum so that he could clean up the floor and a k-cup machine. His roommate has a refrigerator, but they didnāt want a microwave.</p>
<p>Now my concern is where to store all this stuff this summer so that we arenāt trying to move it back and forth. Looks like a storage place.</p>
<p>Itās an exciting time. Enjoy every minute. Iām looking forward to Spring Break.</p>
<p>Thank you for jumping in, Go9ersjrh. This may seem stalker-ish, but I have spent the the past two snow days copying and pasting posts from you and so many others (you know who you are!) into my master Word doc of āThings to Do.ā Glad you mentioned the k-cup machine though ā DD has been talking about one. We are still early in the game and do not yet have a roommate or dorm assignment, but I think our main challenge will be maximizing the closet space. Anyway, thanks for all the words of wisdom, and happy V day form the east coast.</p>
<p>Sorrento;</p>
<p>I have a freshman girlā¦happy to help you think through things Closet space is actually pretty good. Each closet in Commons has a couple of moveable shelves, some hanging space, etc that can be configured multiple ways. For the face of the closet, you will want some type of curtain or shower curtain (and rod and hooks) to act as a ādoorā as there is no door on the closet. When you receive your dorm assignment, youāll get closet dimensions, then youāll know what size tension rod to buy for the closet front. At the bottom of my D closet she has storage drawers and shoe storage that we bought at the Container store and had shipped to Vandy. </p>
<p>We did a combination of shipping to Vandy, taking with us in the car and buying once we got there. Things like extension cords, storage chests, etc are hard to predict what you need until you see the room. </p>
<p>The other thing to think about it how often you might be in Nashville. If often, then this might not apply, however, we are not there very often and therefore our D has a subscription to Amazon Prime Studentā¦she can buy pretty much anything she needs from there and its at Vandy in 24-48 hours. When we are in Nashville, we take her to Target to stock up on snacks and tolietries, but Amazon prime is a nice backup for things like printer paper, etc.</p>
<p>I would characterize the girls at Vandy as dressing nicely for the most part, dresses and sandals in the fall, a nice pair of cowboy boots, dress boots, jeans, leggings, etc are the norm. I would also say that since this winter has been especially cold in Nashville, you have seen the girls dress down some in an attempt to stay warm! There is a wide range of clothing on campus, so donāt encourage your D to entirely change her style just to fit some mythical ānormā that exists. A small umbrella, a nice raincoat and rain footwear are really importantāit rains a lot in Nashville.</p>
<p>Hope this helps, let me know if you have other questions.</p>