Reasons for moving to the TRI and from where? (Knoxville: transplants, real estate)

[SarahSal]

Per another post (and the moderator's suggestion), it seems that many of us have 'immigrated' to the Tri-Cities from somewhere else!

Soo, the question is; what part of the country are you from and how and why did you come to choose this area?

Personally, I've read posts from a few folks from New England and can't help be curious about them because we're originally from CT - and have 'history' in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

BTW, It's also great fun to read forums on this site from other states and their individual cities. We lived in Wilmington, NC for 7 years near the historic downtown area and I was shocked to read about the alleged uptick in crime there..

[Beretta]

Sarah,

Please see the attached as to at least half of your question. Good luck making a decision!

SMG

http://www.city-data.com/forum/kings...where-you.html

[SarahSal]

Thanks, SMG! That was such a fun read..
*Loads* of Florida transplants - a few from New England, too.
No decision to be made! I'm here in Limestone, TN and enjoy the beautiful countryside in this entire area. Lived in Mtn City for 18 years (before that Wilmington), NE Connecticut (the "icebox of CT") and before that Fairfield County.

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by SarahSal

I'm here in Limestone, TN and enjoy the beautiful countryside in this entire area.

Ah, glad to know you are here. Your location up at the top right is confusing. By the way, do you know Ricky (name removed for privacy)? He has lived in Limestone his entire life and I have known him for over 25 years.

[SarahSal]

No! We really have met few people here except for a terrific neighbor named TJ Johnson (and her dad) who takes care of our horses when we're away for the winter. We're really in the country.

BTW - I like your quote..

[mbmouse]

I too am originally from CT, central, middle of the woods, country, barely a little dot on the map of a little state hahahahahaha.
Just before I was old enough to decide my Dad got transfered to South East FL. I could not stand it since the day I got there. To many people, to much traffic. As a teenager I saw (not do!) to many drugs and deals, hate crimes and all kinds of stuff that I never should have seen. Stupid me though fell in love way to young, bought a house then had 2 children. So 11 years after I got there I could stand no more! hahahahaha Plus my youngest was in Kindergarten, I decided within his first week there, I was NOT going to raise my children in FL.
I took out a map (not much info on the internet 12-13 years ago like there is today) found somewhere in between CT and FL as I still had family in both. I didn't care for the "keep up with the Joneses" attitude that was so prevalent in New England. Looked for work, ex husband was offered a job in Knoxville, they moved us lock stock and barrel up here. We started out in Jefferson Co. Didn't care for that area nor the schools much. So 2 years later we moved to Greene County. Love the little school for the boys, Bought a beautiful old farm house that I loved, but needed lots of work, but work was scarce.
In the divorce, he got the company, I got the house hahahhhahaha
A few years later I couldn't handle the 2 hour a day drive back and forth to JC where I was working and being a single Mom.Sold the house and moved to JC at the same time my now husband and I were dating. 2 years later we got married and moved into his house in Gray. So now, almost 12 years and 4 moves we have found home in Gray and absolutely love it. Schools are great, people are great, easy to get to anywhere. Love the weather (well, except those few weeks in August that remind me way to much of FL!), our money goes much further here than FL for sure. Hubby is a native here and we like so much about the area that the few little things we don't care for really don't bother us.
The folks followed us up 6 years ago, my brother is planning to do so next year, we all love life in the Tri-Cities area.

[jabogitlu]

I moved to the Tri-Cities from....

.... Greeneville.

But first I moved to Knoxville!

Mouse, my one-day plan is to move into a farmhouse in Greeneville! LOL! You don't still have yours, do you? I like living in Johnson City, though. I had to go to Kingsport this morning and when I got back to Johnson City I felt a huge rush of relief. And I used to work in Bristol - same way. I seriously think Johnson City is the only place in the Tri-Cities I could live, lol! (Wellllllllll, okay, I could live in Mountain City just fine!)

[SarahSal]

MBmouse - You had quite a journey to get here!
Where in central Connecticut did you live?
I started in Darien, then Norwalk where I went to school, then Bethel, then Oxford and finally ended up in Goshen, an hour from Hartford (and another old farmhouse we restored), which initially was so incredibly and debilatatingly cold I used to go for rides in my car just to get warm! After a winter trip to Costa Rica we decided that's it - we can't take the cold - we're moving! Almost moved to CR but ended up instead in Wilmington, NC, which we loved until June, July and August rolled around --- HOT, very HOT. We went to the mountains for a visit (had a camper at Watauga Lake), looked for 2 long years and finally found a semi-abandoned farm with lots of acreage bordering the National Forest (it was a deal we couldn't resist). Slowly renovated that and decided we couldn't bear not to be there full-time so we bit the bullet and moved there full-time. Our son was then at ASU in Boone so it was a perfect working out. We sold the farm 2 years ago (yes! to a couple from Florida) and moved to Limestone, which we do enjoy. But I still miss the farm and being *in* the mountains - and most of all our son and his little family who are still there in a cabin down the road. *They* were supposed to move to Asheville, which is why we initially started looking at real estate 'off the mountain' - then they discovered their budget and prices in Asheville didn't mesh.. We're still hoping they'll move closer to this area. Found some great, inexpensive property on Viking Mtn in Greeneville last year that they liked (closer to Asheville and their friends) but the time wasn't right... Sooner or later they'll probably make the move - we have our fingers crossed..

Life is nicer and more complete when your family is close!

[jabogitlu]

SarahSal, I grew up just a few minutes from Viking Mtn Road. It's the most beautiful piece of country I've ever experienced.

[mbmouse]

jabogitlu, Nope, sold it after doing a BUNCH of work to it to someone who has about trashed it. I drove by it a few weeks ago and about cried.

Sarahsal, ever hear of Lake Hayward? Probably not unless you took a wrong turn in CT and kept going for miles and miles for the heck of it hahahahaaha. It is in between East Haddam on the CT river (where the Goodspeed opera house is) and Colchester. It was the only place I had ever lived until the move to FL, was a nomad for a while, now rooted here.
You now live in a BEAUTIFUL part of N.E TN now. Yes, having family close is very nice indeed! My folks bought an 1840 colonial out in Hawkins County and restored it ( I think it is a weird family thing, old houses that is hahahahaha) as their retirement project. I have posted several pictures on CD of there yards, gardens and views. There are some real gems here and there in this area.