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You could look at the neighborhoods off Sutherland ave in Knoxville that are close to a lot of commercial services and there is a great bike trail that goes to UT & downtown. Another option is the near north neighborhoods, which are an easy walk to downtown. There is also a city bus system with varying levels of service. It's fairly cosmopolitan for a small city with reasonable rents outside the downtown area.
You could look at the neighborhoods off Sutherland ave in Knoxville that are close to a lot of commercial services and there is a great bike trail that goes to UT & downtown. Another option is the near north neighborhoods, which are an easy walk to downtown. There is also a city bus system with varying levels of service. It's fairly cosmopolitan for a small city with reasonable rents outside the downtown area.
Hi creeksitter,
No, I do not currently ride a bike but did so quite extensively in my childhood and could do it again. I like to go for long walks and would absolutely love hiking in the Smoky Mountains!
Interestingly Knoxville/Chattanooga was on my larger list, at one time. Some of places that are near the top of my current list, (though, many may not necessarily meet the "affordable living without a car" criteria), literally surround Knoxville; Atlanta, Athens, Charlotte, Asheville, Winston-Salem/Greensboro, Blacksburg, Roanoke and Nashville. Johnson City has also been on my list and has been touted in various articles as having some of the characteristics we're discussing.
I think, (if memory serves), that I originally eliminated Knoxville because I felt that, while it has many of the characteristics I value, there are other places with those characteristics, which offer more variety and opportunities in terms of jobs, culture, entertainment, vibrancy, etc. On the other hand, I don't want to overlook a place that might be just right and the only way to really know for sure is to visit. Of course, I could never visit all the places on my list.
Certainly, Knoxville has some very positive features, in my estimation, which might not be obvious to everyone. You see, I have a creative hobby I believe I could eventually turn into a source of income and personal fulfillment. I'm seeking a place where I could live simply enough to put most of my energy into that work. A place where the demands of making a living are not so great as to rob all my energy, a place where the daily experience of living is not so intense as to distract me and yet, a place which is interesting enough to engage and intrigue my creative processes. Knoxville could very well provide just the right combination. I'll have to do some more research on it.
Louisiana is one of the best states for start-up businesses.
What is the creative hobby?
Thanks, annie_himself. Good to know!
It is writing and I don't know that it could be classified as a 'business', though I do have some ideas for businesses to support me while I'm doing the 'starving artist' thing, one of which could probably only be done in New Orleans. I'm not really very well suited to conventional work and workplaces, need to sort of "blaze my own path" and either work for myself or have a significant degree of variety and autonomy.
Anyway, I think you've got something here. Though I don't know what specific characteristics might make Louisiana one of the best states for start-up businesses, I do have the perception that is the kind of place where a new business owner can make mistakes, (a necessary part of the process), without them necessarily being fatal. Beyond that, as long as he is persistent, eventually, he'll succeed.
Back to the writing thing, excuse my French but, New Orleans engages and intrigues the living crap out of my creative processes on so many different levels! I can only say that about two other places; New York City and San Francisco but can't afford to live in either of them.
It is writing and I don't know that it could be classified as a 'business', though I do have some ideas for businesses to support me while I'm doing the 'starving artist' thing, one of which could probably only be done in New Orleans. I'm not really very well suited to conventional work and workplaces, need to sort of "blaze my own path" and either work for myself or have a significant degree of variety and autonomy.
Anyway, I think you've got something here. Though I don't know what specific characteristics might make Louisiana one of the best states for start-up businesses, I do have the perception that is the kind of place where a new business owner can make mistakes, (a necessary part of the process), without them necessarily being fatal. Beyond that, as long as he is persistent, eventually, he'll succeed.
Back to the writing thing, excuse my French but, New Orleans engages and intrigues the living crap out of my creative processes on so many different levels! I can only say that about two other places; New York City and San Francisco but can't afford to live in either of them.
I completely understand where you're coming from.
It's been numerous lists and stuff talking about the business climate in the state.
Yea the overall art scene is picking up in NOLA and it does that to me. And it does the same to me, I feel like a different person when I walk the streets.
It's a place where certain businesses can thrive, galleries with $100,000 Ansel Adams prints and Caribbeans selling Bob Marley paraphernalia on Canal. The people take notice to new businesses in the right areas and try to patronize them from what I can tell, also the constant foot traffic and tourists like to buy anything because its from N'awlins. If you don't open a store front, creative and artistic business ventures seem to be doing well.
Lavon Wright points out what I was trying to get across. People take the matters into their hands for their city or neighborhood. Downtown NOLA Works
Yeah, I've read accounts of people doing really well just selling things at farmer's markets, street festivals and concerts there.
Wow! Thanks for the great link! I took some time and listened to/read all the info. This is very inspiring, even if someone is not thinking of moving to New Orleans!
Several speakers did mention being able to get around quite well on a bike and not needing a car. I think the critical point, for me, was made by Vera Lester, when she said, New Orleans did not become a homogenized, cookie-cutter city, post-Katrina. That was one of my biggest fears too. Another item that really caught my ear is that the consensus is that the population, in general, got to/had to make a choice to go or stay and the people who stayed or moved in, post-Katrina, are there because they choose to be.
I also like what Maurice Ruffin said about, people will help you which is echoed by Chris Schultz, who says the business atmosphere is collaborative rather than competitive and Ryan Egle, who says people don't have just a "what's in it for me" attitude when it comes to helping others. Maurice Ruffin goes on to say that New Orleans has some truly unique things to offer and when he hears someone at a hotel asking where the nearest Burger King is, he knows that they just don't get it - life is tough wherever you live, why not live in a place where you can stop and smell the roses as you go along. People who choose to live here are not satisfied with ordinary but rather want unusual experiences.
Jeremy Davenport kind of sums it up when he says, "New Orleans is the perfect city for me because it allows me to work, play, eat and create in one contained, walkable space". And finally, Blake Haney addressed a huge issue for me when he says that you can be whoever you want here, New Orleans is more open to other cultures and differences in people. I'm a misfit in many ways and don't like be constantly judged for it, so I was glad to hear him emphasize that point.
Personally, I'm a bit of a rager and have had to learn, (still learning), to stop and expressly appreciate what I like in life, at least as much as I gripe and rant about the things that upset me. I believe that my health actually depends on doing this consistently. Since I was a kid, I've felt compelled to advocate for others and enjoy doing so. I think New Orleans could be good for me in that way too - something to rave about and advocate for, something larger than myself.
I don't talk about it much on these fora, cause I'm here to learn, not to argue but I'm a rabid liberal. Though I currently live in a very conservative city, I would like very much to live in a liberal place. On the other hand, I much prefer a mild to warm climate, in fact, as I age my health increasingly demands it. Unfortunately, most liberal places are either completely unaffordable and/or have cold to harsh weather conditions. I see New Orleans as one of the few places where I could find a 'live and let live attitude', a relatively low cost of living and a warm, humid climate which is so important to me.
I've got to say, annie_himself, that lately I had taken New Orleans off my list of finalists because I'd come to believe that its appeal to me was more that of vacation destination and perhaps, impractical as a home but you've helped me understand that my attraction is much more vital and substantive than I'd ever imagined. I've felt drawn to it and had dreams about it since I was a child - guess they were trying to tell me something, even then. Thank you!
As much as I love New Orleans, it's cheaper to rent a room in many other cities (Chicago and Philadelphia, for instance) overall. They may have more high-end apartments, but on average, NO is very expensive.
I.B., The mountains are one of the great attractions in Knoxville but its hard to get to them without a car . Though there are hiking clubs to join, etc.
But it sounds like your spirit is steering you towards NO and even if you can't afford to lve there it might be good to be a quick bus/train ride away.
Yeah, I've read accounts of people doing really well just selling things at farmer's markets, street festivals and concerts there.
Wow! Thanks for the great link! I took some time and listened to/read all the info. This is very inspiring, even if someone is not thinking of moving to New Orleans!
Several speakers did mention being able to get around quite well on a bike and not needing a car. I think the critical point, for me, was made by Vera Lester, when she said, New Orleans did not become a homogenized, cookie-cutter city, post-Katrina. That was one of my biggest fears too. Another item that really caught my ear is that the consensus is that the population, in general, got to/had to make a choice to go or stay and the people who stayed or moved in, post-Katrina, are there because they choose to be.
I also like what Maurice Ruffin said about, people will help you which is echoed by Chris Schultz, who says the business atmosphere is collaborative rather than competitive and Ryan Egle, who says people don't have just a "what's in it for me" attitude when it comes to helping others. Maurice Ruffin goes on to say that New Orleans has some truly unique things to offer and when he hears someone at a hotel asking where the nearest Burger King is, he knows that they just don't get it - life is tough wherever you live, why not live in a place where you can stop and smell the roses as you go along. People who choose to live here are not satisfied with ordinary but rather want unusual experiences.
Jeremy Davenport kind of sums it up when he says, "New Orleans is the perfect city for me because it allows me to work, play, eat and create in one contained, walkable space". And finally, Blake Haney addressed a huge issue for me when he says that you can be whoever you want here, New Orleans is more open to other cultures and differences in people. I'm a misfit in many ways and don't like be constantly judged for it, so I was glad to hear him emphasize that point.
Personally, I'm a bit of a rager and have had to learn, (still learning), to stop and expressly appreciate what I like in life, at least as much as I gripe and rant about the things that upset me. I believe that my health actually depends on doing this consistently. Since I was a kid, I've felt compelled to advocate for others and enjoy doing so. I think New Orleans could be good for me in that way too - something to rave about and advocate for, something larger than myself.
I don't talk about it much on these fora, cause I'm here to learn, not to argue but I'm a rabid liberal. Though I currently live in a very conservative city, I would like very much to live in a liberal place. On the other hand, I much prefer a mild to warm climate, in fact, as I age my health increasingly demands it. Unfortunately, most liberal places are either completely unaffordable and/or have cold to harsh weather conditions. I see New Orleans as one of the few places where I could find a 'live and let live attitude', a relatively low cost of living and a warm, humid climate which is so important to me.
I've got to say, annie_himself, that lately I had taken New Orleans off my list of finalists because I'd come to believe that its appeal to me was more that of vacation destination and perhaps, impractical as a home but you've helped me understand that my attraction is much more vital and substantive than I'd ever imagined. I've felt drawn to it and had dreams about it since I was a child - guess they were trying to tell me something, even then. Thank you!
Yea even I've been inspired by those people too. And its not just a front either, like some websites/cities will try, that's actually how people are there.
I recently thought about that last part too, but I remembered that when I'm there I'm always looking around, smelling the food I love, listening to great music bellow out of multiple venues, and walking for longer than I planned.
As much as I love New Orleans, it's cheaper to rent a room in many other cities (Chicago and Philadelphia, for instance) overall. They may have more high-end apartments, but on average, NO is very expensive.
You can rent a cheap room in New Orleans for $300-$400.
As much as I love New Orleans, it's cheaper to rent a room in many other cities (Chicago and Philadelphia, for instance) overall. They may have more high-end apartments, but on average, NO is very expensive.
Hi AllTheWayToMemphis,
Ideally, I would be able to find an affordable house to rent. I try very hard to avoid apartments due to regular periodic price increases, noisy neighbors, inadequate parking and having to yank everything out of the cupboards and pile it in the middle of the floor for bug-spraying rituals with little advance notice every few months or so. On the other hand, I would love to find an apartment above a storefront business in an old mixed-use building. While the latter is rare in my current region, I think they would be somewhat more plentiful in places like Philadelphia, Chicago and New Orleans. Failing those two options, I would look at the possibility of rooms in a boarding house-type building, in order to get my foot in the door of the community, get a job and find long-term housing.
As recently as pre-Katrina 2005, there were houses in the areas of New Orleans I'm considering with rents as low as $500-700/mo. News articles I've read, post-Katrina, consistently state that rental prices have increased and City-Data's detailed profile reflects this, as well. However, on the latter's corresponding list of rental rates with the number of tenants paying each of those rates, there is a significant distribution of those paying lower rents. While affordable rents in relatively desirable neighborhoods may be harder to find, I believe they do still exist.
By contrast, while basically offering everything I'm looking for besides a mild to warm climate, Philadelphia has a very high cost of living, in general, though it is true that I just fell completely out of my chair when I looked it up on City Data's detailed profiles and saw that it does have some very low rental rates. After a quick call to the National Weather Service to see if Hell has frozen over, I nevertheless remain skeptical about rents being that low in Philadelphia. So, checking Sperling's Best Places, Cost of Living Comparisons, I see that yes, while the overall cost of living in Philadelphia is higher, the housing portion is much smaller. Good catch, AllTheWayToMemphis! Still, I wonder, if and when the housing market recovers, we won't see a sharp spike in rental rates in places like Philadelphia.
Now with regard to Chicago, I'd already noticed that, according to City Data's detailed profile, rents are much lower than expected but again, checking with Sperling's Best Places, Cost of Living Comparisons, it shows Chicago as being much higher with regard to both overall cost of living and rental rates. It has been my past experience that, were we to check every site on the internet that provides this kind of information, it would be impossible to find two that basically agreed consistently with regard to this kind of information. So, the jury is still out and I would definitely get a local paper, check craigslist and talk to some local people before making a final decision about moving to any of these places.
Back to Chicago, I would not consider it anyway, because of its cold/harsh climate and lack of other desirable characteristics of a type and level demonstrated by cities which did become my candidates.
Thanks for keeping me awake, AllTheWayToMemphis. Looks like relocation-related data may change so fast that I have to throw it out and start over every two or three years. Sheesh!!!
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Hi creeksitter,
. Though there are hiking clubs to join, etc. 
Good catch, AllTheWayToMemphis!
