To all residents of Chattanooga area (Signal Mountain, Collegedale: crime, houses, safe neighborhoods)

[natguy]

Trying to decide whether or not to relocate to Chattanooga so please help me out and tell me what you think is the best and worst things about your city

[shinestx]

See my post from 3 years ago... http://www.city-data.com/forum/32038338-post9.html

[natguy]

Originally Posted by shinestx

See my post from 3 years ago... http://www.city-data.com/forum/32038338-post9.html

Lot of pluses but no specific one of yours nor negative one

[luvmyboxer]

We might be able to provide better insight if you could tell us more about what you're looking for, as pros and cons may differ depending on if you're a single young adult compared to a middle-aged couple with kids or a retired older couple, etc. Also, what sorts of things are important to you in evaluating a city- climate? Cost of living? Jobs? Recreational opportunities? etc.

[natguy]

Originally Posted by luvmyboxer

We might be able to provide better insight if you could tell us more about what you're looking for, as pros and cons may differ depending on if you're a single young adult compared to a middle-aged couple with kids or a retired older couple, etc. Also, what sorts of things are important to you in evaluating a city- climate? Cost of living? Jobs? Recreational opportunities? etc.

Not looking for anything specific but rather general commentary from residents of what they like most or least about their city.
We our a couple with no kids in our mid 50's living now in a very urban neighborhood of Chicago and are just fed up with our brutal winters

[tartesos]

Originally Posted by natguy

Not looking for anything specific but rather general commentary from residents of what they like most or least about their city.
We our a couple with no kids in our mid 50's living now in a very urban neighborhood of Chicago and are just fed up with our brutal winters

Do you want to hear the weather is great, there are abundant hiking opportunities, fishing, hunting and 3 major cities 2 change hrs away, one of them with the busiest airport in the world(ATL)?. No state income tax, safe city( most of it) and food scene, outdoor opportunities, local breweries, all awesome.
You can have for neighbors young or old people depending on where you live.
No state income tax and your money goes a long way.

Been here 5+ months and love everything, but I75 and hwy 24 traffic at rush hour.

[natguy]

Originally Posted by tartesos

Do you want to hear the weather is great, there are abundant hiking opportunities, fishing, hunting and 3 major cities 2 change hrs away, one of them with the busiest airport in the world(ATL)?. No state income tax, safe city( most of it) and food scene, outdoor opportunities, local breweries, all awesome.
You can have for neighbors young or old people depending on where you live.
No state income tax and your money goes a long way.

Been here 5+ months and love everything, but I75 and hwy 24 traffic at rush hour.

I want to hear your favorite aspect as well as your least favorite

[luvmyboxer]

Most favorite aspects: low cost of living, mild winters, traffic not bad compared to many other cities, lots of opportunities to be outdoors
Least favorite: long, hot, miserably muggy summers that last around 6 months! Gang violence, mostly confined to a few neighborhoods, though not always

[natguy]

Originally Posted by luvmyboxer

Most favorite aspects: low cost of living, mild winters, traffic not bad compared to many other cities, lots of opportunities to be outdoors
Least favorite: long, hot, miserably muggy summers that last around 6 months! Gang violence, mostly confined to a few neighborhoods, though not always

Yes the long hot summers scare us Yankee's a bit and is right now our biggest hurdle we have to decide on although I would think one can escape it on the weekends by going up in to the mountains for the day ???? Crime of course is also a consideration and we have heard a lot of negative about that but being Chicagoans we know a lot about that and what areas to avoid. What areas of Chattanooga need to be avoided ???

[luvmyboxer]

Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain are both cooler than the valley in the summer, but they're only about 2000 feet higher than Chattanooga, so not a HUGE relief. So if it's 95 and miserably muggy in the city, maybe it's 90 and almost as muggy on top of Signal Mountain. If you go farther afield, e.g., on a day trip to the Smoky Mountains 2-3 hours away, there are lots of peaks up to 6000 feet high (e.g., Clingman's Dome- the highest point in Tennessee, where the maximum temp has never reached 80 degrees even on the hottest summer day)
As for which areas to avoid- it's hard to specify, because there are some very safe neighborhoods that border some very dangerous neighborhoods. For example, most people consider the North Shore area to be very safe- lots of families living there, some of the best schools in the state, lots of local businesses and restaurants- but just a few feet away (on the other side of North Market Street) are some neighborhoods that are still very sketchy (though gentrification is always a work in progress.) Same thing with Missionary Ridge- the very top of Missionary Ridge is mostly wealthy people, but the sides of the ridge, particularly toward the GA side, quickly disintegrate into rough areas with crack houses, etc.). Most of Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain are considered very safe. Many of the suburbs (Ooltewah, Collegedale, etc.) are very safe.