Is Chattanooga a nice city for a non-religious person? (Knoxville: living in, cost of)

[Caramelka]

We live 70 miles south from Chattanooga. We are looking a for a nice place to live that is family-oriented. We are in our 20s, love spending time outdoors, love zoos & nature trails; good libraries; museums; we are non-religious (but not atheists). We do not care about night life or alcohol drinking. Do you have any animal shelters (I'd like to volunteer there but we do not have one nearby)?

I am tired of extremely religious people around here (we live in a very rural area of Alabama). I am fine with their beliefs but I do not want them to be forced on me in almost every conversation. Would you describe Chattanooga as a very religious or a more liberal place? Would you say it has a lot of diversity in languages & accents?

We are also considering Huntsville, Atlanta, Nashville & Knoxville.

[Nonlocal]

I'm new here (been here since late August, from Washington State), and I'm very non-religious (but also not Athiest). It does seem to me that religion is fairly strong around here, but at the same time, I have yet to have one person approach the issue with me, or pass judgement, or try to push anything on me. People seem very easy-going and "to each their own" around here, from what I've seen. So it shouldn't be an issue for you. It honestly kind of seems like a religious and liberal city rolled into one. So you will see it around you, but you won't feel pressured.

But that's just a perspective from somebody new to the area, some of the long time residents here may offer better insight.

[stella423]

No......

[peppermint]

There are animal shelters, yes. My husband and I are not religious, and we have not had any problems. I volunteered at a thrift store, which was very religious, and I quit during the elections when I heard the other workers calling Obama the antichrist. I don't care who you vote for, but I was annoyed hearing such things. You're going to run into it here in the south. There are people who won't live and let live. But, for the most part, we've had no issues.

[Nonlocal]

Oh, and yes diversity here is decent too, from what I've seen. It's still a southern/inland city, so there's not a LOT of diversity, but it is more noticeable than other places I've been.

[Foshie09]

I have lived in Chatt my whole life (am almost 33 now) and am a Christian but unlike most I do not conform to the standard Christian beliefs that some do. That being said I think Chatt is a great place for anyone to live. Every so often you will see people on a corner preaching or see someone walking around parking lots handing out tracts or trying to talk to you but 95% of them are not pushy at all and if you just politely say no thank you they move on. Mainly you should only have a problem if you go to Church or a religous based event. I think most people in Chatt live by the mind your own business philosophy really.

Regarding pet shelters you might try the C.A.R.E. program, I'm not sure if they take volunteers or not but until we adopted our puppies from them last year I hadn't even heard of them but they are very wonderful with the way they treat animlas and their adopting policies are stricter than most places which imo is a very good thing so that it helps keep animals away from bad owners a bit more.

There are lots of nature oriented things to do in Chatt such as hiking, parks, scenic areas, and historical areas.

Areas such as Huntsville, Atlanta, Knoxville, and Nashville are nice areas but the overall cost of living is higher and due to the fact they are larger cities they are considered more of a "party" city for their fun list. They all offer some nature oriented things to do but imo not nearly as much as Chatt.

I'm not up on all the recent stuff Chatt has to offer however this web site might help you out some.

http://www.chattanooga-charm.com/

[Jon F Moss]

For some religion/church is more of a social thing. Asking one what church they are a member of is more akin to what gym do you belong to or what philanthropic organization do you give to. It's something that many people here in the South grew up with and it is as much a part of them as their Southern accent, BBQ and country music.

The book I read says that true religion is helping widows and children. Although not every need is met, there are a number of organizations (some religious, some faith-based, some not) here in Chattanooga that seek to assist those in need. I do know that this is a very giving community. Generous Giving Home is an organization that cities across the nation would love to have thriving in their area.

That said, I don't take offense when people ask what church I go to. For some it's a cultural thing, for others it's a passion, and for even more it's no big deal. It is what makes up part of the South though By desiring a place devoid of it, you may find the South a bit less hospitable. Is it a component of Southern Hospitality? Perhaps so...

[BlueCuzco]

I've lived in Chattanooga my whole like and am an agnostic Christian. Jon F Moss's remarks are spot on. In the South, as I'm sure you're aware, churches serve as community centers with a little Jesus on the side. You can see this in the question "What church do you go to?" If they were asking it from a Christian standpoint, they would ask, "What church are you a part of?" or something more along those lines. On occasion I'll meet someone who doesn't know how to address matters of faith appropriately, but it's only occasional, and then its usually alright. Southerners historically are pretty good at keeping their Jesus in one place and the rest of their lives in another.

The shelter I hear the most about is McKamey (link).

In terms of your other interests, Chattanooga will serve you very well. The outdoors scene (and yes, more and more it is a "scene") is pretty active, and there are loads and loads of things to try out a fifteen or twenty minute drive from downtown. Of course you've got spots like the Chattanooga Zoo, Tennessee Aquarium (ranked one of the best in the country), and Chattanooga Nature Center. The Hunter Museum is worth visiting just for a architecture, and in 2012 the history museum will reopoen right by the aquarium. Chickamauga is a cool place, as well.

[atlantagreg30127]

Note that you will only be a two hour drive from both Atlanta and Nashville too, so if you do need to get a big-city fix you can hit the roads and spend the afternoon in those places as well.

But honestly, with all the bums in downtown Atlanta these days, I probably spend more recreational time in Chattanooga than I do Atlanta, and I haven't found Chattanooga to be of the "religious zealot" type of place, really. It's a pleasant place overall, with good and bad areas as any city of any size has. I honestly think that the tourist district downtown has drawn such a huge mix of people from all over the U.S. and even many spots in the world, that over the last few years it's slowly had a trickle-down effect on the whole city, and they're a bit more "international" in the way they think than most similar cities of their size.

As an experiment recently though I did find one of the differences between there and larger markets, though: I tried the "Happy Holidays" bit as opposed to "Merry Christmas" thing when I was just up there and went into stores and other places, and ran into some stares. No one "corrected" me but I could tell a small handful wanted to. lol. That being said, in parts of rural Alabama where you're coming from, most likely they would have stuck a finger in my face and said, "Say it! Say CHRIST-mas!!! Say it you commie yankee!". LOL . So I think you'll do fine in Chattanooga.

My Sister lives in Knoxville and it (to me) has more of a smaller Southern city feel to it - less mixed/touristy than Chattanooga... I don't think by your statements it would be your cup of tea. Nashville is more touristy/mixed (and expensive), so it could be an option, but I haven't spent as much time there. Atlanta is a whole different planet than rural Alabama. You have to be READY for Atlanta. Traffic, crime, smog, traffic again, bums downtown - there's actually a lot NOT to like here, but then there's also an abundance of retail shopping, some interesting attractions, lots more jobs than most places, etc. In other words, you gain a lot by living in Atlanta, but in return for that you also have to put up with a lot, too. Huntsville is great if you have IT job potential - not so much for the "avoiding strong religion" stuff, though. imo. You know, you could possibly look at locations in-between Atlanta and Chattanooga. A smaller NW Georgia town, maybe? Could give you what you want, while only being an hour away from either city, too.

[stella423]

Convert !