Johnson City (Kingsport, Bristol, Greeneville: renters, how much, hotel)

[DGDenton]

Hello Everyone,

My husband's job would like to relocate us to Kingsport Tn. I'm looking into Kingsport but would also like some info on Johnson City since it's so close to Kingsport.

(1) Is this a small, medium, or big city for Tn?
(2) Are the people there generally friendly, mean, or somewhere in the middle?
(3) Are there mainly older people, younger people, or a mix?
(4) Does the city pretty much shut down after 9pm or is there some night life?
(5) Is there a variety of food and shopping locations to choose from or is there just a select few?
(6) How mountainous is the area? Meaning are the roads up down up down, relatively flat, or somewhere in between?
(7) We are looking to rent when we move. Where is the best place in Johnson City to live for renters?
(8) I've been hearing about Meth Labs and closed minded extreme southern baptists. Which are true and to what degree are they true? Also is there anything else negative about Johnson City that I might not know about?
(9) How often, how much, and does it stick when it snows? and when/if the snow sticks how well does the city do when it comes to clearing the roads?
(10) What's your favorite and least favorite thing about Johnson City?

Thanks for taking the time to read my thread. I hope to hear back from you fellow Johnson City people. The city looks very interesting but I'm dying to know what the people who already live there think of it.

[christyrana]

I saw that you had posted the same questions about Kingsport. I think you need to understand that JC, Kingsport and Bristol are all the same as far as people. The Tri-Cities area is very friendly as a general rule. Johnson City is more metropolitan with more retail, medical and nightlife. Bristol is more economically depressed and Kingsport seems to be more family friendly.
I lived in Sullivan County until I married and them I lived in Hawkins county. Now I live in Alaska, but that is a long story! Our family does plan on moving back to the area, so it will always be home to us.
Johnson City to me is a place to go and shop, eat and then leave. It is very busy there. I know those who do go clubbing most of the time go to JC. As far as renting, well it just depends on you. If you want to be right in the middle of the city then there are lots of great places to rent, just stay away from downtown. Or if you want a quieter place then there should be plenty of places to rent in the county.
Hope this helps
Christy

[mbmouse]

I agree with Christy,
There really isn't that much difference between Johnson City and Kingsport, except that Kingsport was very evidently built around Eastman Chemical plant. There is actually more industry in J.C, you just don't see it as much. Kingsport Property taxes are higher than Washington Counties and there are more businesses and restaurants in J.C. but living in one gives you easy access to the other. From downtown, to downtown, it is only a 20-30 minute drive, and a pretty one too in MHO.

[AppalachianAngler]

Originally Posted by DGDenton

(1) Is this a small, medium, or big city for Tn?

Medium. Getting close to 60,000.

(2) Are the people there generally friendly, mean, or somewhere in the middle?

Overall I find it very friendly. Maybe not quite as friendly as the smaller towns nearby like Jonesborough, Greeneville, etc. But still very friendly.

(3) Are there mainly older people, younger people, or a mix?

It is definitely a mix. East Tennessee State University is in Johnson City so there is a large amount of young people.

(4) Does the city pretty much shut down after 9pm or is there some night life?

Johnson City does not shut down at 9. The bars stay open until 2 or 3 AM & so do the clubs if that is your thing. There is some music that comes through here, but one of the best music scenes is only an hour away (Asheville, NC). The Down Home usually has great bluegrass, The Casbah gets some good rock bands, and there is a festival in June called the Blue Plum that has a lot of folk/bluegrass bands as well as some others.

(5) Is there a variety of food and shopping locations to choose from or is there just a select few?

Not too many different grocery stores, but there is a decent selection. Kroger, Wal-Mart, Food City, Ingles are the main stores. There is a Natural Food Market in north Johnson City as well.

(6) How mountainous is the area? Meaning are the roads up down up down, relatively flat, or somewhere in between?

It is "hilly" in the city, but overall you probably won't notice it too much. The mountains are very nearby if you want to venture to them & get away.

(7) We are looking to rent when we move. Where is the best place in Johnson City to live for renters?

I really could not tell you other than you may want to avoid renting near the ETSU campus. The area is good, but most of the renters will be students and it could be loud.

(8) I've been hearing about Meth Labs and closed minded extreme southern baptists. Which are true and to what degree are they true? Also is there anything else negative about Johnson City that I might not know about?

Most of the meth labs are not in Johnson City. They are usually in Carter County, or somewhere else more rural. The meth labs do seem to be on the decline though.

(9) How often, how much, and does it stick when it snows? and when/if the snow sticks how well does the city do when it comes to clearing the roads?

Hard to say, but Johnson City (from the reports I've read here) gets more snow than any of the other medium to big cities in TN. A lot of times it will not stick. They are pretty good about cleaning the roads.

(10) What's your favorite and least favorite thing about Johnson City?

My favorite thing is the people and the mountains. My least favorite thing is the downtown area. It is kind of run down and nothing really is there except some bars.

Good luck!

[DGDenton]

Thank you AppalachianAngler, mbmouse, and christyrana for taking the time to give me a better incite into the tri-cities area and Johnson City. Hearing from people who actually live there or know about the place is far more informing then just reading the facts about a city online. All of the information I have been given is really helping me narrow down which city I would like to live in. I have to admit that the Eastman Chemical Plant scares me a little ( I can't believe how huge that complex is!) but the hussle and bussle of Johnson City and all of the college students that live there doesn't sound pleasant either. The scenic pictures of Johnson City and Kingsport are beautiful but I wish I could see pictures of the buildings and street scenes of the town to get a better idea of how the town itself feels. My husband and I do plan to visit before being transferred so if we haven't made up our minds by then we will just have to tour both cities. Thanks again!

[AppalachianAngler]

Here are a few pics I found of Johnson City.

Carnegie Hotel (right across from ETSU's campus):
http://sports.webshots.com/photo/112...53767634IXcCtC

Roan Street
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...72663923KluzWQ

Downtown:


Check out this photo album for pictures of I-26:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1...56212072qAPqJY

The drive on it from Johnson City to Asheville is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever encountered and there is hardly any traffic on it.

[mbmouse]

I don't know about you, but I was unable to open those pictures.
There are some posted on here several pages back of both cities. Have you seen those yet? I took and posted them, I believe there are several street scenes to show traffic. They are labeled by the city name.
Hope that helps