Relocating from Seattle, Chatanooga a good choice? (Chattanooga, Portland: best cities, how much)

[u4icmusic]

I don't know when you lived here, but Chattanooga is diverse now. Maybe you are referring to Hamilton county or the suburbs that are mostly white, but in the city of Chattanooga, there is much diversity with neighborhoods filled with a mixture of Blacks, Whites, Hispanics and Middle Easterners. Yes, there are a few "ghetto" areas in the city, but they are not contiguous, nor do they cover the entire city, just as they don't in most medium or large cities across the country.

[creeksitter]

You might check out Knoxville if your family is in the upstate SC, it is an easier drive due to the interstate. I think there is more diversity because of UTK, several foriegn markets, also a great seafood grocery - the Shrimp Dock.

I think it will be a LOT easier to find work in Chatt or Knoxville than Asheville. Do your job search before you make the final decision where to relocate.

[boroc7]

Reviving this--but seriously, Chattanooga is far from diverse. You can't compare it with Seattle. I lived in Seattle for six years, and there is serious diversity there compared to this small town. You have major suburbs run by mayors who aren't white--or even black. There is great cultural diversity there, although nothing compared to LA, NY, DC etc.

[Nonlocal]

For what/where it is, Chattanooga's diverse. Seattle's much bigger and in a completely different geographic location (Asian immigration). True, the two can't compare. But judging Chattanooga in and of itself, I don't think it's bad at all, especially for being a Bible Belt city.

[WestCobb]

For what it's worth, when I was visiting Chattanooga with a black friend last year, she looked around and said ... omg, this city is WHITE. I didn't notice it before, but the place is pretty white. I love Chattanooga, and I don't think that the lack of diversity makes is a bad place, but it's not what most people think of when they think "diverse."

[LS Jaun]

Originally Posted by WestCobb

For what it's worth, when I was visiting Chattanooga with a black friend last year, she looked around and said ... omg, this city is WHITE. I didn't notice it before, but the place is pretty white. I love Chattanooga, and I don't think that the lack of diversity makes is a bad place, but it's not what most people think of when they think "diverse."

Touché
A city being diverse has nothing to do with it having a population that is open minded! As a matter of fact there are many cities that you will see a reverse correlation between ethnic diversity and incidents of racism and discrimination. There are plenty of "Diverse" cities where they are not ok with your race if you are not of their ethnic background. Anyone of any race should prefer to live in a city that identifies itself as "American" and is accepting of there fellow American's ethnic backgrounds. There are plenty of predominately "White" cities where any person of any ethnic background would feel safe to live in.

[etta]

Originally Posted by WestCobb

For what it's worth, when I was visiting Chattanooga with a black friend last year, she looked around and said ... omg, this city is WHITE. I didn't notice it before, but the place is pretty white. I love Chattanooga, and I don't think that the lack of diversity makes is a bad place, but it's not what most people think of when they think "diverse."

Y'all obviously didn't visit Highland Park.

[etta]

Originally Posted by Where2go??

I am 30 years old and have been living in Seattle for the past 10 years. I love it dearly but am thinking of moving to be closer to my family (all in SC). Someone recomended Chatanooga for similar landscapes, temperature, activities, etc. I am looking for a smaller city with mountains, good food, fun things to do, hiking, farmers markets, and some progressive peeps. I have never been to Chatanooga and wondered if it might be a good fit. Any feed back would be much appreciated!

Chattanooga is a nice smaller city with smaller mountains, pretty good food, fun things to do, hiking, great farmers markets with a good local organic food scene. Not enough progressive peeps in my opinion(yet). It does seem like they are moving here. Some areas of town are diverse, others are not. Seattle is huge compared to this town. I have trouble finding decent chinese food here. There is no chinatown. There are quite a bit of tacos.

In my neighborhood I like to walk to Main Street regularly to eat cheap tacos at one of the many taquerias. There are some really good ones. I don't know any spanish so sometimes it takes a minute to communicate I want to order vegetarian only for my significant other. San Marcos(near S. Orchard Knob Ave. & Main) is my latest favorite since they make huevos rancheros.

Definitely going to be a climate difference. We have 4 seasons. When it rains it POURS. Not drizzle or mist. Gorgeous bright colorful leaf changes in the fall. A little snow in the winter but not much. Rainy green springtime. Hot in the summer with plenty of swimming holes to help. Quite a bit of sun year round. Excellent for growing vegetables.

I do think this is a really pretty little city with sweet mountains. The river is wide. I love sitting on the docks watching kayakers & various boats go by. Cost of living is ridiculously low! The Walnut street bridge is great. It's just really different than Seattle so it would be a change.

I moved here from Asheville NC about 2 years ago. I like Chattanooga better but you should definitely check out Asheville. It's so close to SC. It's also far more progressive & better restaurants.

[Nonlocal]

Originally Posted by WestCobb

For what it's worth, when I was visiting Chattanooga with a black friend last year, she looked around and said ... omg, this city is WHITE. I didn't notice it before, but the place is pretty white. I love Chattanooga, and I don't think that the lack of diversity makes is a bad place, but it's not what most people think of when they think "diverse."

I'm from a city in the North (Tacoma, WA), where there IS quite a bit of diversity, even for a northern city. I think Chattanooga might out-do it though. How in the world is this city white? Have you driven anywhere east or south of downtown? Every time I walk the Northshore / Walnut St. bridge area, there's a healthy mix of cultures. The only time I'm struck by the "whiteness" of the city is when I go to the nicer restaurants, or strictly walk around about a 4-5 block radius of Market St. & Broad St. (and on some days, Frazier Ave.). And that's just a reflection of economic inequality (that you'll find in almost any city), not a lack of diversity. I live in the North Chatt / Hixson / Red Bank area and while white people are predominant around here, I see plenty of Latin influence as well.

I would say this city is racially divided, clearly (which can make it appear "white" if you stick to a very small bubble within the city). I would not say it's a "white" city. It depends on where you go. There are definitely some areas (East Ridge? Alton Park? etc.) that you could go and, if isolated to that area, would come away saying Chattanooga is a very "black" city. There are divides. But with that said, there are still a few areas where there is some mix, sometimes more than I would ever expect to find. In the big picture, I persist that the diversity is not bad here. The harmoniousness of the cultures is debatable, though.

[Nonlocal]

On a similar note, I was down at Coolidge Park yesterday by the water fountain with my girlfriend. In the span of about 15 minutes, we saw at least five different ethnicities (not counting mixed) and heard two different languages. Just in the fountain alone, kids from four different distinct cultures (Latin, Asian, Black, and White) were playing together in harmony. As we walked around the rest of the area, this diversity was present everywhere else as well.