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We are considering a move to Knoxville or Richmond (along with a few other cities, but these are the front runners). We aren't very familiar with both cities, so any input is appreciated! The most relevant concrete issues are:
Reasonable cost of living (seems similar in both cities - slightly lower in Knoxville, but salary would likely reflect that, too)
Short commute to work downtown
Reasonable pace of life/work-life balance
Excellent schools
Other less concrete issues are how "family friendly" a city is and what the overall culture is (how comfortable people who are not from around there/not from the south will feel). Please feel free to comment on anything else that is relevant!
FYI - in Knoxville we would live to the west of the city; in Richmond, it would be either north or west.
The biggest difference for me: Richmond is the southern edge of the northeast urban corridor while Knoxville is west of the mountains putting it smack in the heart of the mid-south. So very different cultures, accents, vibe, etc. Richmond is more urban. Knoxville always struck me as a bit "hayseed". Not saying one is better than the other but being from metro DC I have a slight bias for eastern cities. Knoxville is maybe a little more "family friendly", probably has less crime, congestion, etc. Climate for both areas is good with fairly mild winters. Scenery around Knoxville is better and it has the Smoky Mts. nearby. Richmond is a better looking city IMO with nice old walkable neighborhoods like the Fan. I always found Knoxville a little scruffy looking.
Thank you. I have never been to Richmond, but this is what I have assumed (based on online info, and experience in Charlottesville, which barely feels southern at all). Knoxville seems to be growing in some good ways, but it is distinctly and thoroughly southern.
Urban doesn't bother us, and a larger city probably offers more from the cultural and job opportunities perspectives. The downside I can see is that the commute would probably be a worse, but I think that's pretty marginal.
We have also considered Pittsburgh - which would be more urban, congested, larger, less southern (well, not southern at all, although somewhat midwestern), more expensive, etc. than either of those. On a spectrum, I feel like it's Knoxville - Richmond - Pittsburgh from smallest and most southern culturally to largest and most cosmopolitan.
r small, have you visited Knoxville in the last 5 years? Because downtown has undergone a complete transformation.
Not that there aren't scruffy districts but most of west Knoxville is well maintained suburbia.
<ducks out to put "Keep Knoxville scruffy" bumper sticker on my car>
I used to know Knoxville pretty well having gone to school at UT for a couple of years. But that was many moons ago. I've been there a few times since but not recently. I remember the western suburbs as being very nice. Downtown wasn't too bad with at least one very nice theater. Some of the close in neighborhoods could have been nice but looked poorly maintained and were chopped up with student housing. And the Cumberland Ave. strip was pretty ugly with alot of fast food joints. By the way, OP, I'm a big fan of the Burgh. One of my favorite cities. The only thing negative I could say about it is the Western Pa. winters are a bear. At least compared to the mid-Atlantic.
Knoxville's downtown has been pretty majorly revitalized since then, I believe. It's small, but nice. The culture is probably my biggest concern.
Haven't been to Pittsburgh in years, but I hear it's wonderful these days. The weather is a beast, though. I hear it's as cloudy as Seattle, actually. It's probably not a front runner for a few reasons (unrelated to the city), but I know it tops lots of "best cities" lists.
Knoxville culture is more Appalachian than Southern - it's subtle but there are differences. The western part of town has a lot of transplants and could be considered mainstream American culture.
Like Pittsburgh, Knoxville is located in Appalachia which is another layer of culture added on to Knoxville's Southern culture. The city has cleaned up quite well adding several new grocery stores, strip centers, retail, and restaurants. It is less urban than Richmond, but cleaner and slightly smaller. Knoxville feels like many small towns grown together, while Richmond feels like one large town with many suburbs radiating out from the city. Like Creeksitter said, Appalachian culture and Southern culture are not synonymous, the west side of Knoxville with its mcmansions and shopping centers might as well be in Nashville or Atlanta. Richmond and Knoxville are both welcoming to outsiders. You'll be fine in either city.
Downtown: Richmond has the better downtown and offers more stuff you'd find in bigger cities, markets, boutiques, nice restaurants.
Amenities: Richmond
Parks and Recreation: Knoxville and it's not even close.
Food: Knoxville has more chains and fast food. Richmond has more fine dining.
Shopping: Richmond has more upscale ad high end shopping.
Traffic: Knoxville's rush hour is a cakewalk compared to Richmond. It's much easier to get around in Knoxville.
Cost of Living: Slightly lower in Knoxville. However, Tennessee has the highest sales tax in the nation, and there are taxes on food as well. While there is no state income tax, there is tax on dividends and earned interest. Salaries and wages are also lower in Tennessee.
Economy: Knoxville and Richmond are stable Mables. Neither is growing fast, but neither is on the decline.
Crime: Richmond's crime is worse.
Diversity: Richmond by miles.
Transportation: Richmond by miles.
Friendliness of people: Knoxville based on experiences.
Public School System: Richmond and it's not even close.
I'm curious why you say Richmond is so much more diverse. Knoxville draws residents from around the world for UT and ORNL. What is the draw for Richmond?
Knoxville has its share of innovative local restaurants as an alternative to the chains. Not so many fine dining establishments, I'll agree. The culture is more casual.
Last edited by creeksitter; 09-03-2014 at 05:07 AM..
Shakeesha, this is really helpful! Thank you! It really helps to paint a good picture of the differences for me. If you come back to this post, could you expand upon three things for me?
1) Public school system -- this is very important to us, but the rankings I've found comparing specific school districts (say Midlothian in Richmond to some the schools in west Knoxville) seem pretty comparable. If this is incorrect, I'd like to know! Upon what is your comment about the public schools based?
2) Transportation -- you are referring to public transportation? I would love to be able to commute via public transportation rather than car. Is this a possibility in Richmond? I hadn't even considered it an option!
3) Traffic -- You say it's worse in Richmond (I had sort of assumed this). Is this general congestion, or rush hour traffic? Does it extend to getting around the suburbs, or is it mostly in the city?
Thank you again!
Creeksitter -- no idea why Knoxville is so much more homogenous than Richmond, but it definitely is. In the cities, Richmond is 39% white and Knoxville is 76%.
And thanks to those who clarified that the culture is Appalachian, rather than Southern. Not being from the area, I am not sure what the differences are between those two!
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