...at least, according to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, who just released their list of "50 Smart Places to Live." *

Although "Music City" may have worked fine in the days of Hank Sr., our top pick among great, affordable places to live needs a new moniker. We suggest "Nashville: Music Is Just the Beginning."

Southern hospitality. Gently rolling hills with big, affordable homes. A mild climate (albeit with occasional tornadoes). Oh, yes, and a phenomenal entertainment scene that goes far beyond country.

I've told a number of people this over the years, but have seldom been taken seriously. Apparently, however, Nashville is becoming more of a destination, and this is writ large in surveys such as this.

(Don't get me started on the glitterati making their way to Mid-TN. But it doesn't really hurt that celebs like Aaron Neville, Nicole Kidman, Ben Folds and Jack White have decided to call [Metro] Nashville their collective new home, I suppose.)

Nashville tops the list at #1 this year, and the criteria and rankings are spelled out here.

For a more suburban feel, there are Franklin and Brentwood, two communities south of the city where four-bedroom single-family homes start at $355,000.

"Start at?" Crikey. Those are condo prices.

If the number of Garbaj Mahal startups in Cool Springs are any indication, it's boom-time. And to judge by the number of teardowns in the For(r)est Hills incorporation, a sizeable parcel of land is fast becoming the hottest commodity in the area. (In three years, the market valuation for my property has appreciated over 25%.)

And I notice that some of the other "smart" destinations include Asheville, Lexington, Atlanta, Austin, and Richmond.

The secret seems to be getting out.

(* Well, it's not an education survey, anyway. Tennessee still ranks among the bottom in most public education rankings. So if you want a good education, maybe Nashvegas isn't your best bet.)