Beau here-need relocation advice on Chattanooga-ASAP please! (Knoxville, Kingsport: hardwood floors, rentals)

[Beau White]

Hi, Y'all-

Well, I have decided to take the plunge from East Tennessee (Tri-Cities) to Chattanooga, and would appreciate anyone who can provide me advice on area cities/pitfalls/jobs/churches/rentals, etc.

I will read all replies to this post, and I can be directly contacted at:

reachbeau@gmail.com/423.477.8993

Personal Data: White Male/48/Married

Family: Have kids, but none at home

Background: Military/US Army

Skills: Sales, Management, Customer Service

Thanks In Advance-

Andrew 'Beau' White

[BlueCuzco]

Do you have any questions?

[jshields]

I grew up in Kingsport but have lived in Chattanooga since 1997. I went to college at UTC and currently live in Ooltewah. The downtown area is very nice and kid friendly- great restaurants, scenery, etc. feel free to contact me with more specific questions...

I love Chattanooga. We are currently in the process of relocating to Huntsville due to my husbands job and will miss it.

[romeo kilo]

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If you are moving, and you are considering the Northwest Georgia area or the Chattanooga, Tn area, I would like to give you my input:
* I am a 53 year old married white male (High School education with approximately 2 years of college but no degree).
*I moved to Ringgold, Ga (Catoosa County) (Right off of Interstate 75... 90 miles north of Atlanta and 20 miles southeast of downtown Chattanooga,Tn) in Jan 2006 after living in the Tampa Bay, Florida area for 18 years. Here is what I have learned about the Chattanooga area in the past 3 years:
* The vast majority of the people here are locals...conservative and friendly with decent values and are family oriented.
* I have not personally dealt with any Race Issues in the area. I am white and both Catoosa (where I live) and Walker Counties in Ga are 95% white.
*Chattanooga, with a population of 175,000 is a little more diverse, about 60%W and 35%B.
*Hamilton County, Tn (Chattanooga) with a population of 330,000 is 75%W and 20% B
*The Chattanooga MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) has a population of a little over 500,000.
*Though Chattanooga has about 1-1.5 murders per month and its share of crime, we just dont see it.
*I have walked downtown Chattanooga on many occasions at night to go to the IMAX theatre, the Large and Beautiful Aquarium, or to the semi-pro baseball stadium ...all very near the Tennessee Riverfront. We have never once felt threatened!!
*New Homes on the Georgia side are selling now and since I moved here for about $100 per sq ft. We purchased a 3/2 1600 sq ft home on 1acre (in a small subdivision) with hardwood floors, gas fireplace, large rear deck with mountain view, 2 car garage, and stainless steel appliances in 2006 for $155,000.
*The property tax for last year was just over $1,000 (Property Tax on the Tennessee side is definitely Higher!)
*The homeowners insurance last year, including dwelling and possessions was a ridiculous $350 (Very Ridiculous if you are from Florida!!)
*My wife easily got a job at TMobile as a Customer Service Rep at about $25,000 annually when we first arrived.
*She now works for US Express (large trucking co headquartered in Chattanooga) and made approximately $35,000 last year.
*Volkswagen is building a new Automobile Assembly plant here..they have already started hiring white collar workers.
*Dalton State, University of Tenn @ Chattanooga, NW Ga Tech, Temple Univ are a few of the higher education schools in the area.
*Traffic jams are not a problem here. I have never been in anything compared to Atlanta, Tampa, DC traffic. To me, the traffic here is a breeze.
*The weather is Moderate...In the 2nd or 3rd week in Nov it starts to cool off and stays cool until about now, March. But, without the snow (1 inch last year) and ice found farther north. It is definitely a 4 season area.
*Shopping for the ladies: Hamilton Place Mall area...you name the store, and it is there. It's not only the mall, but lots of other stores (lowes, Home depot, Best Buy, WalMart, Steakhouses, Pasta, Seafood, its all there!!)around the mall that make this a HUGE shopping, dining, and retail area. Downtown Warehouse Row for Coach and other high end retailers.
*The list of things to do is incredible. Hiking, Kayaking, Rock climbing, Fishing, Hunting, Boating, Hang Gliding, Cave Exploration, IMAX theatre, Kids Museum of Science, Hunter Art Museum, Tennessee River and a beautiful riverside park..great for the kids, Riverwalk, Best Aquarium I have ever seen, Semi Pro Baseball Stadium, College Basketball and football, Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain, Incline Railway, Beautiful Rock City Gardens, Civil War Battlefields, I can never remember everything. All good, wholesome, clean , family entertainment. Great for the young and the old!
*I cannot speak regarding the local schools since my kids did not attend any schools in this area.
*Although there are jobs, the downward economy is affecting this area like many others across the nation. The VW Plant is a definite huge infusion of money into the area.
*The small Airport is easily accessible
*Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville, Huntsville, Al, Birmingham are all 1-1.5 hrs away.
*In summary, I am a nomad, former US Air Force, and have lived in MS,AL,FL, GA, IL, DE, VA, and 2 years in Turkey. I don't know that I will ever leave this area . The people are nice, friendly, supportive, ...the scenery is beautiful. The things to do and see are endless. The traffic is fine, the crime I dont even notice, and the cost of living is below the national average.
*Email me at 2theknights@msn.com and I will answer your questions. I will also send you photos of this area if you wish. I promote this area because I believe in it.

[Grizzlybear34]

Romeo - Nice to see your comments. I've also been in the downtown areas that you describe later at night and never felt any issues or concerns. Part of that also is that everyone needs to take a little personal accountability for their safety, wherever they are. Keep your head on a swivel when walking in a new area both for traffic patterns and potential for situations.

You left out one of the activities that kind of stands out to me. White water rafting within 45 minutes of downtown Chattanooga! Oh, and the summer concerts downtown, FREE, ...Nightfall Concert Series. Lots, and lots to do.

[romeo kilo]

Ditto Grizzly...whitewater rafting just east of Cleveland, Tn and Cloudland Canyon State Park and a dinnerboat cruise and the Amphibious Ducks and the worlds longest pedistrian walking bridge over the tennessee river and the list goes on....Plus its only a 2-3 hr drive to the Smoky Mtns, Clingmans Dome, Dollywood, Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Cherokee Natl Forest, Maggie Valley, Asheville, NC and the Biltmore Mansion, etc.