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Old 08-24-2007, 09:03 AM
 
Location: ATL
286 posts, read 1,082,526 times
Reputation: 84

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I'm 28 years old and moved here last year. I have a masters degree so I guess I'm a young professional. lol. My wife too. I interviewed at 3 places before moving here. And basically learned that young professionals are a hard thing to keep here. But that's anywhere in the south where population is less than 500,000 people. I had a friend who moved to Dallas (she's 24) and then she plans on going to California. But she's also single. Anyway, job opportunities for young professionals seem to be bright since there are LOTS of people looking like they're approaching retirement age or should be retired. I swear I've never seen so many people over 70 driving around. We've only been here 1 year, but plan to stay at least 10 years I think. Maybe longer. Just don't like to plan future more than 10 yrs at a time. We just bought a house too. If you plan on visiting let us know and we could play hosts and show you around. We are not native to Chattanooga so can provide objective opinions and answers.


financerelated@yahoo.com
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Old 08-24-2007, 03:46 PM
 
Location: Chattanooga
2,071 posts, read 7,657,815 times
Reputation: 535
Excellent! Sounds like we'll have to plan a Chattanooga forum get-together sometime. We have a daughter turning two this month. Is that too young for spelunking?
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Old 09-10-2007, 10:27 AM
 
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
11 posts, read 73,681 times
Reputation: 26
I have spent some time in Chattanooga (I'm in Baton Rouge now for college) and have mixed feelings about the area. I lived in Cleveland which is 30 minutes down the road on I-75, but spent lots of time in Chatt-town. Whats good about the city is that its very faimly oriented, and is trying to move buisness into the city. It's close to Atlanta, Nashville, and the Smokies so there's lots to do within a 2 hr. drive. If you like the outdoors, then this town has lots to offer. That's what I miss the most about living there. Having 4 season is nice, I miss the fall foliage. Relatively low crime. TVA is a HUGE employer of the area and from what I understand the pay is good (anyone want to get me an internship/job there ?). Electricity prices there are dirt cheap because it's all hydro power. Plus during the fall and spring you never use heat/air, just open the windows at night and let that cool breeze in. Schools are decent, but I'd put kids in a private school b/c the public school system there left me completley unprepared for college academic challenges. Be warned though, the children at private schools there believe they are God's gift to humanity. They all come from rich families and are very.... proud of it (take a drive up Signal Mountian at all the 7 figure homes). I went to Notre Dame HS for my freshman year, and if your parents weren't stinking rich and drove a Benz, then the kids wouldn't talk to you.

Negatives: Constant road construction on major throughways boggs down traffic. Yes, everyone knows everyone. That's good if your "in the loop", tickets get fixed, and you can get away with a lot. I'm Catholic and most people there are VERY Batpist or Church of God. They were not receptive to my religious views. I almost felt prosecuted because of it. The food is horrible. Meat and potoatoes... that's it. I like gumbos, seafood, and red beans... so I hope you can cook what you like b/c the best restaraunt in town is Outback! Personally, I found that many people there viewed outsiders negatively. The people were nice and all, but when you tell them that you are from Louisiana or wherever they tended to think all we did was show boobs for bead and drink. In this town first impressions seem to make or break you, people there are just very set in there ways. Meth is a big problem for poor rural communities. It's sad. Finally, the local university UTC. Not up to par in the sciences area. I studied Chemical Engineering there for 1.5 yrs. and had to get to somewhere with better teachers and facilities. LSU offers that and more for me. UTC is more like a liberal arts college to me. Just stay away from their engineering program, I believe that it is lacking severly.

All-in-all, not a bad place to live. There thick accents make me laugh. I've never heard someone draw out an "a" or "o" more than a Chattanoogan. Someone said Hixon is a good place to live... yes. Check it out, my cousin lives there w/ his wife and 5 yo. boy. They like it there. If you want a "small-town" city then this is a decent choice. I live in a big city now, and it drives me nuts. There's just too many people here and life is way too fast paced. Chattanooga knows how to slow down and relax. I hope this (long) description helps.

Last edited by geaux; 09-10-2007 at 10:38 AM..
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Old 09-13-2007, 10:06 AM
 
Location: Miami, FL
15 posts, read 76,025 times
Reputation: 22
Hi everyone,

I happen to agree, TN is just beautiful anywhere you go. My husband and I purchased land by the Falls Creek State park area and we loved it. We are planning to move in the next two-three years. I have told all our friends about it and they are buying land and building as well. I am working with a developer that is in the pre-construction phase now and he's working on a project that is about 50 minutes from Chattanooga off of highway 111. The developer has another project that's only minutes from University of the South and world-class golf. If any of you are interested please contact me and I'll be happy to give you more info on it.
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Old 09-13-2007, 11:10 AM
 
Location: Chattanooga TN
2,349 posts, read 10,625,756 times
Reputation: 1250
Esther, I would like more info about the Hwy 111 development. Those are my native stompin' grounds and I am definitely curious. Thanks!
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Old 09-17-2007, 08:24 PM
 
Location: Greensboro, NC
2 posts, read 9,892 times
Reputation: 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philagirl View Post
Here are a few reasons my family and I decided to not move back. First, it is a major Old Boys Network Town. I've recently dealt with the City Council there regarding a property issue, and basically everyone in government is either related or grew up together. If you don't have a connection, it's hard to penetrate.

Second, and this is harder for an outsider, many many people in Chattanooga have family there. This may or may not bother you. There are a lot of transplants the last several years, but almost everyone still knows everyone, and many of the transplants still have some family in the area.

Third, the job market isn't great. Make sure that there are other job options available for you, if the one you currently have falls through. Despite it's remarkable growth, the job availability/diversity hasn't kept up with it.
This post was spot on.

My wife and I were born and raised in Chattanooga. Our two kids were born there and both sides of our family still live there. We visit Chattanooga two to three times per year. We moved to Greensboro, NC two years ago as a result of a good job offer my wife accepted. Moving from Chattanooga to central North Carolina was one of the best decisions we've ever made.

Without a doubt, Chattanooga is a very scenic town. A lot of outdoor activities are within an hour or two's drive from town. Chattanooga's downtown has improved dramatically in the last 15 to 20 years. That said, there were enough drawbacks to make us consider relocating elsewhere when the opportunity came up.

(1) Cynical local politics: Though the people can often have that stereotypical Southern hospitality at times, an increasingly cynical atmosphere in the political and social climate began to develop during the last few years we lived there. Yes, that happens in a lot of places, but the local politics here can be particularly poisonous.

(2) Schools: Too much emphasis on private schools often at the expense of having good public elementary and secondary schools. When the local elected officials send their kids to private schools, you can't expect the public schools to succeed.

(3) Emphasis on tourism: Great place to visit, but the new wears off quickly once you realize that Chattanooga's fastest growing job sector is in tourism and retail.

(4) Major snob factor: Chattanooga is dominated by a well-connected Good Ol' Boys (and Girls) Network. If you didn't graduate from one of the elite private high schools, you'll hit a glass ceiling as you progress in your career. Everybody knows everybody in Chattanooga and if you're not in the loop, you'll get stuck where you are. In order to progress in your career and increase your income, you have to relocate. Sadly, outsiders are not welcome.

Why did we choose central North Carolina instead? Close to the beach and sand. Close to the mountains and snow. Economic growth. Jobs. Good public schools. Elite universities. Trains to neighboring cities and states. Cost of living. Some of the best golf in the country. Lots to do on the weekend. Progressive outlook without losing that Southern charm. And just a six hour drive to visit family in Chattanooga.
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Old 09-19-2007, 02:50 PM
 
Location: Chattanooga
2,071 posts, read 7,657,815 times
Reputation: 535
I didn't grow up here, didn't attend school here, and pretty much moved here knowing just one person in the area. Now I'm preparing to break into the local business scene...I'll keep you informed of my progress
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Old 09-20-2007, 03:40 AM
 
Location: Signal Mountain, Tennessee
849 posts, read 2,945,966 times
Reputation: 364
Back the the original poster,

Steelersfan - How did it work out for you?
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Old 09-22-2007, 08:00 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,480 times
Reputation: 10
"The food is horrible. Meat and potoatoes... that's it."


Actually, downtown Chattanooga has an amazing variety of great restaraunts for a city it's size. maybe you are spending too much time in the Hamilton Place area?
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Old 09-24-2007, 12:43 PM
 
Location: Greensboro, NC
216 posts, read 699,709 times
Reputation: 47
If my job didn't lie to me about my pay I would not be moving away. I moved my family up here from FL last Dec and did not make anywhere near what I was told. I had to getr a second job. Besides that it is a very nice place to live.
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