Which one? Kingsport? Johnson City? or Bristol ? (Fairmount, Watauga: sales, appliances)

[ChesterVa]

I am a mailman looking to retire to Tennessee because of the no state income tax and what I understand is a lower cost of living. I currently live below Richmond Virginia and remember visiting Bristol about a dozen years ago. in May i am returning to that area to scope out neighborhoods and look around and was wondering how the 3 compared. I will be looking for an older renovated home under $250,000. I love to cook and I believe there are Kroger's there ? What about ethnic food markets or the like ? as a diabetic I don't eat out much, but i do enjoy flea markets, and antique stores and anything that has to do with home furnishings. I'm also fairly liberal minded and have read that Johnson City would be the more liberal minded of the 3, any truth to that ? In the end though , as a lover of houses, i'd really like to find a neighborhood of great affordable older homes. the name Fairmount in Bristol has come up in searches. Any places i should completely avoid ? BTW, do people in that area ever go over to Virginia to buy groceries (or whatever) to pay lower sales tax ? ANYTHING at all to give me guidance is greatly appreciated. thanks.........

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by ChesterVa

I am a mailman looking to retire to Tennessee because of the no state income tax and what I understand is a lower cost of living. I currently live below Richmond Virginia and remember visiting Bristol about a dozen years ago. in May i am returning to that area to scope out neighborhoods and look around and was wondering how the 3 compared. I will be looking for an older renovated home under $250,000. I love to cook and I believe there are Kroger's there ? What about ethnic food markets or the like ? as a diabetic I don't eat out much, but i do enjoy flea markets, and antique stores and anything that has to do with home furnishings. I'm also fairly liberal minded and have read that Johnson City would be the more liberal minded of the 3, any truth to that ? In the end though , as a lover of houses, i'd really like to find a neighborhood of great affordable older homes. the name Fairmount in Bristol has come up in searches. Any places i should completely avoid ? BTW, do people in that area ever go over to Virginia to buy groceries (or whatever) to pay lower sales tax ? ANYTHING at all to give me guidance is greatly appreciated. thanks.........

I go to VA to buy groceries and some other things, more because it's where the closest grocery stores are than because of any huge savings. VA prices are higher on groceries than the exact same item at the same chain 10 miles down the road in TN. So there is only a small savings. You can save a bit if you make big ticket purchases that you can carry home yourself, appliances, furniture, etc.
Bristol doesn't have any ethnic food markets that I'm aware of. I've seen one asian place in Kingsport. Don't know for sure about JC but I would imagine they would have something. Krogers, yes, and Food City, Sams club and walmart, Aldi in Kingsport and JC (crossing my fingers Bristol gets one too) are the main grocery stores.
JC probably is the most liberal since the population tends to be younger and the because of the university. Bristol has more of an older population (as in lots of retiree age and up) and let's just say that not all of them have moved forward in time on some issues. A good place to practice your tolerance of others whose thinking may not match your own, lol.
Most of the tri-cities area has a lot of older homes. I don't know all the neighborhood areas of Bristol yet but if you are talking about the area I'm thinking of there are a lot of mostly nice older homes and some that I think are steals if you have the means to fix them up.
508 Kentucky Ave , Bristol , TN
1101 Windsor Ave, Bristol, TN
515 Georgia Ave, Bristol, TN
1021 Carolina Ave, Bristol, TN
808 Pennsylvania Ave, Bristol, TN

[ChesterVa]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

I go to VA to buy groceries and some other things, more because it's where the closest grocery stores are than because of any huge savings. VA prices are higher on groceries than the exact same item at the same chain 10 miles down the road in TN. So there is only a small savings. You can save a bit if you make big ticket purchases that you can carry home yourself, appliances, furniture, etc.
Bristol doesn't have any ethnic food markets that I'm aware of. I've seen one asian place in Kingsport. Don't know for sure about JC but I would imagine they would have something. Krogers, yes, and Food City, Sams club and walmart, Aldi in Kingsport and JC (crossing my fingers Bristol gets one too) are the main grocery stores.
JC probably is the most liberal since the population tends to be younger and the because of the university. Bristol has more of an older population (as in lots of retiree age and up) and let's just say that not all of them have moved forward in time on some issues. A good place to practice your tolerance of others whose thinking may not match your own, lol.
Most of the tri-cities area has a lot of older homes. I don't know all the neighborhood areas of Bristol yet but if you are talking about the area I'm thinking of there are a lot of mostly nice older homes and some that I think are steals if you have the means to fix them up.
508 Kentucky Ave , Bristol , TN
1101 Windsor Ave, Bristol, TN
515 Georgia Ave, Bristol, TN
1021 Carolina Ave, Bristol, TN
808 Pennsylvania Ave, Bristol, TN

WOW !! thank you for all that information, it is just what i was looking for. I would hate to depend on Realtors for the truth on what any city or neighborhood has to offer. About shopping in Virginia to avoid Tennessee's higher sales tax, i actually had this weird thought that I'd be stopped at the border and my car searched to see if I was bringing back groceries from Virginia.

[Rangerred]

Sounds like Johnson City would be the best fit. There have been numerous threads comparing/contrasting the various cities in the TRI but I'll address the issues you brought up.

All three of the cities have Kroger, Food City (fairly large regional chain), and Walmart. Aldi is in Kingsport and JC. Johnson City, though, also has The Fresh Market and Earth Fare (similar to Whole Foods). There is also an Indian market, at least two Asian food stores, an African market, and several Hispanic grocers. The ethnic restaurant scene in JC is also above and beyond everything else in the region (i.e. Indian, Turkish, Iraqi, Greek, Cambodian, German, authentic Mexican and Chinese, and plenty of sushi).

Johnson City also has a number of older neighborhoods. The Tree Streets is by far the best known and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Just google "tree streets johnson city" and there is a plethora of information. The Gump Addition and areas along Holston, Unaka, and Watauga avenues have older homes as well.

[rccrain]

I too think you'd feel more at home in JC. The tree streets is a solid recommendation and a good place to start.

[ChesterVa]

Originally Posted by Rangerred

Sounds like Johnson City would be the best fit. There have been numerous threads comparing/contrasting the various cities in the TRI but I'll address the issues you brought up.

All three of the cities have Kroger, Food City (fairly large regional chain), and Walmart. Aldi is in Kingsport and JC. Johnson City, though, also has The Fresh Market and Earth Fare (similar to Whole Foods). There is also an Indian market, at least two Asian food stores, an African market, and several Hispanic grocers. The ethnic restaurant scene in JC is also above and beyond everything else in the region (i.e. Indian, Turkish, Iraqi, Greek, Cambodian, German, authentic Mexican and Chinese, and plenty of sushi).

Johnson City also has a number of older neighborhoods. The Tree Streets is by far the best known and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Just google "tree streets johnson city" and there is a plethora of information. The Gump Addition and areas along Holston, Unaka, and Watauga avenues have older homes as well.

thank you, this is exactly the information i was looking off. I am very much looking forward to exploring the area in May.

[ChesterVa]

Originally Posted by rccrain

I too think you'd feel more at home in JC. The tree streets is a solid recommendation and a good place to start.

thank you, i am going to Google "tree streets Johnson City" right now.

[farmbif]

I bought in Grainger Co., Drove 25,000 in east Tn looking at properties two years ago. I looked at several places in Johnson City, Greenville areas. Lots off all kinds of properties in Johnson City, prices were too high for me for what I wanted which was 40+acres w house, plantable field/ pasture and mature trees and mountain peak. seemed like the properties in Greenville anyway have been getting split up quite a bit especially evident along the Ashville Hwy. heading east up to Cherokee Forest. if you look at tax property map. Large parcels first get a small corner seperated the the remainder of property sold then split up further. Too much growth for me. A very nice place and Northeast Tn. has some of the nicest people anywhere in the country.

[ChesterVa]

Originally Posted by farmbif

I bought in Grainger Co., Drove 25,000 in east Tn looking at properties two years ago. I looked at several places in Johnson City, Greenville areas. Lots off all kinds of properties in Johnson City, prices were too high for me for what I wanted which was 40+acres w house, plantable field/ pasture and mature trees and mountain peak. seemed like the properties in Greenville anyway have been getting split up quite a bit especially evident along the Ashville Hwy. heading east up to Cherokee Forest. if you look at tax property map. Large parcels first get a small corner seperated the the remainder of property sold then split up further. Too much growth for me. A very nice place and Northeast Tn. has some of the nicest people anywhere in the country.

thank you for this information.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Dude just search my post history, I've been asking the same questions for 3 years.


I knew what Double T was going to say about the groceries as I had the same idea and she gave me the same feedback. It was a surprise. My last trip I did a comparison and found groceries in Roanoke, another city we are considering, were less expensive when taxes where included than Johnson City by nearly 10%.