Considering Knoxville and Chattanooga (Dayton, Walden: relocate, insurance, jobs)

[michael49]

I posted this in the Knoxville forum and I got more positive responses for Chattanooga than Knoxville! I'd like to know what Chattanooga residents think, so I'm reposting here.



My wife and I are in our mid 30's. We live in the Northeast, but we are searching for somewhere with milder winters! Plus, the housing prices here are ridiculous for what you get.

No kids yet!

We are very down to earth, unpretentious.

We love the mountains, hiking, camping, kayaing, etc. We are very "outdoorsy" people. We also like to run, although we can only run outdoors for about 7 months of the year here. We lived in FL for a few years, but we really missed the change of seasons, mountains, hiking, etc.

We considered Colorado, but it just too dry out there for us - we like to see things green! Plus, I love lakes - not many in CO, except for way up in the mountains.

We also like some interesting restaurants to go for dinner on weekends (not pricey, just fun and different).

I will be attending a conference in Nashville at the end of October. I think Nashville is much too far from the mountains for us to consider, but I would like to visit Knoxville and Chattanooga, but we may only have time to see one place.

My wife and I both work in health care.

We live near several colleges/universities now and I have often found "college towns" fun places to live; this is one reason we have considered Knoxville.

What do you think? Does Knoxville sound like a good place for us? I know that this is the Knoxville thread and it may be biased, but how would you compare Knoxville and Chattanooga? Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!!

[SPLIT]

M: Hello from a one year ,HalfBack. Chatt ,with its website of OUTDOOR CHATTANOOGA has lots of clubs, amateur weekend races, user friendly access. They have started a BLUEWAY here down the creeks, river, even camping on the islands, thru the Grand Canyon of the East.
Still in progress / build is the 305 mile Cumberland Trail just up on Walden ridge. There is college presence here with the UTC. Lots of Medical parks growing as we have large Insurance co base here. Pres Bush visit for Medical early part of year.

North side of town has more elbow / rural room towards Soddy , Dayton, but this whole Rt # 27 river valley is getting discovered. Also not really that far from Knoxville for a weekend, or a special airplane flight connection, but Chatt airport growing volume.

[shamrocktn]

I have lived in both Chattanooga and Knoxville and I am a huge fan of Chattanooga!

Knoxville has a few perks, but overall, as an outdoor enthusiast, there is more available at your doorstep in Chattanooga. Chatt has more character and charm to it as well. Not too big and not too small. There is always some sort of festival going on and some reason to celebrate.

Housing prices are super cheap here to! You have the option of living in TN or North GA and the price per square foot is way better than Knoxville.

The Outdoor Chattanooga website is a good tool to check out the stuff that's going on and check out HistoricChatt.com for a good housing search site.

I hope this helps!

[TriDad]

please allow me to introduce the following thread:

Visiting Chattanooga and Knoxville...need advice please

[jkmewright]

^^^ That thread by Tridad just about covers it all. See ya when you get here

[bellaluna13]

I grew up in knoxville...lived in NH and MA for 10 years and relocated back to Chattanooga 5 years ago. Trust me...if you like the outdoors...Chattanooga is the better town for you. You have access to every kind of outdoor activity within range of the city (except for maybe some good snow skiing).

Knoxville is a great place to visit but I'm glad to be in Chattanooga....this town is truely experiencing a rennaisance and I don't think you will be dissappointed. Also....my son is almost grown now but this is a great place for families with young children....lots to do with them.

[veronica41282]

Chattanooga is really terrible. Knoxville has more diversity and jobs which is something Chattanooga seriously lacks. Forget about finding a reasonably priced attractive home. Everything is utterly hideous and very overpriced. There are no decent grocery stores. If you're not a local, you are at a serious disadvantage. Think twice before coming out here or at least think of Deliverance.

[jkmewright]

Veronica my dear, Deliverance is going too far. That's too much.

[Bones]

"Deliverance"......hmmmmm......

[RiverView]

Originally Posted by veronica41282

Chattanooga is really terrible. Knoxville has more diversity and jobs which is something Chattanooga seriously lacks. Forget about finding a reasonably priced attractive home. Everything is utterly hideous and very overpriced. There are no decent grocery stores. If you're not a local, you are at a serious disadvantage. Think twice before coming out here or at least think of Deliverance.

So..... you are still not a fan of Chattanooga