Which City (Knoxville, Chattanooga, Jackson: home, buy, university)

[leonard]

Planning to move this summer.

Not sure if to the Chattanooga, Knoxville or Tri City area. I am not that familiar with the Tri City area, so I am asking for some input. I will be visiting end of April to see for myself, but a heads up helps.

Specifically what are the differences between Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol? Any advantages to one over the other?

I will be retired, have no kids and do not want to be IN a city or too far out in the sticks. Most stores, medical facilities, activities available, etc I can find, it is the things that locals know about an area that I am looking for.

Plus any and all opinions.

Thanks

[Josh Woods]

Hello,

I think to best explain the area to you I should start with the following:

Johnson City

This is where your major chain restaurants and the majority of people in the area live. The Mall @ Johnson City features some really nice stores such as (Sears, JC Penny, Victoria's Secret, ect).

The "attractions" are more to do in Johnson City than Bristol or Kingsport and the City is more of a "modern" city in terms of what businesses you will find in the area.

Kingsport

This city is making a major focus on revitalizing its downtown. They have two major projects underway to make downtown a "safe (it already is)" place to go with nice ice cream shops, pastry places, floral shops, outdoor dining patios, ect.

Kingsport Mall does lack the conviences and upper end stores of the Mall @ JC, but it is still serviceable.

Bristol

I currently live in Bristol, work in JC, only go to Bristol to go home. The restaurants are all over the state line at exit 7 in Bristol, VA and because they are all in one spot and serve both Bristol, TN & VA as well as Abingdon, they can be quite overfilled most nights. Mainly Chain Restaurants.

*******************

To answer your question, this is the advice I would give me own family if they were moving to the area and not wanting to be in the sticks or in the city.

Piney Flats, Jonesborough, Telford, Erwin, Elizabethton, Gray and Boones Creek are the areas you need to be looking.

Piney Flats is a growing area. It doesn't have a "downtown" it is mainly a pass through area. Burger King, McDonalds, Food City and Some Gas stations. But is close to Bristol (10 min) and JC (10 Min).

Jonesborough has a historic downtown, it is the oldest city in TN as well as a nice place to have a sunday evening dinner/lunch and watch the locals on the dining patios downtown. (10 min or less from JC) this is one of the best places to live by southern living magazine. It is also home of the national story telling festival.

Gray & Boones Creek put you just minutes from JC and about 10 minutes from Kingsport. Both offer dining without going into the big city that would be sufficient.

I hope this serves you well, please let me know if you have additional questions.

[jabogitlu]

Couldn't agree more, but I'm sure some people will chime in with "But Kingsport and Bristol are just as nice as Johnson City!"

I'd imagine that once you come and visit, you'll figure out which area you like the best yourself.

[mbmouse]

I agree as well, with the addition that Kingsport (you were right on this one Jab LOL!) does have a Mall with just about the same stores as the JC mall. The other thing is that they just added the Kingsport Pavilion which has a HUGE supper Target, Best Buy coming and a bunch of other stores.
I see Kingsport as being a bit more progressive in a few areas, such as recently discussed on here, that you can have a beer or drink on the street at a restaurant with patio dining or during the Friday and Saturday free summer concerts on Broad street downtown. They also have a thriving downtown urban center that is growing and changing with all independant shops and such. Then again so is Bristols downtown core. JC is trying, but they have been trying for years.
But all in all, the 3 different cities all have a different "feel" to them and it is really up to individual/family as to which on is preferred.
I personally like Gray because you can have the amenities of all three depending on which direction you head but feel like you are way out in the country.

[SarahSal]

Excellent and accurate advice from all the posters! And, yes, Jab and MB's right - it's how you 'feel' about each place that will help you make a decision. Might also help to have a few conversations with shop owners in each town and thus get their take - and a sense of the place.

If I were doing it all over again, I'd choose somewhere close to Jonesborough because, as someone said, it definitely feels more progressive and culturally inclined than some other areas (this might be important since you're from CA - but that's just an assumption on my part)..

[rccrain]

I find JC is the best for me personally. For you I would recommend the greater JC area even more strongly since you mentioned Medical and Retail options. These would be JC's two strong points.

JC medical center is one of the finest in the state which benefits from partnerships with the largest university between Blacksburg and Knoxville.

[jabogitlu]

which has a HUGE super Target,

I don't mean to nitpick, but it actually isn't a super Target. It just seems very, very super when comparing it to Johnson City's 15 year old crumbly Target. The only Super Target around these parts is in West Knoxville.


I will agree with Mary Beth on Kingsport's, especially, and to an extent, Bristol's, downtown cores. They are, at this point, far superior to Johnson City's. Kingsport's is a bit more sprawly, while Bristol's is more close together/quaint, and it's like business never left downtown.

Meanwhile, Johnson City's downtown is making good strides on a couple blocks, but the vast majority of it is derelict.

[Cougargm]

We'll be making our third visit in three years (becoming an annual tradition!) to the tri-cities next month. Just curious as to locals' views on Fall Branch and Blountville. We saw some nice areas in those two towns; both have a rural feel but aren't too far from the cities.
Also, a question pertaining to traffic: Between JC and Kingsport, which has the heavier traffic in the main shopping/dining areas? Which city has the "worst' rush hour? I know neither city has what most people would consider heavy traffic, as it's all relative, but during the week and on Saturdays, which city's shopping area has the heaviest traffic?

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I don't mean to nitpick, but it actually isn't a super Target. It just seems very, very super when comparing it to Johnson City's 15 year old crumbly Target. The only Super Target around these parts is in West Knoxville.


I will agree with Mary Beth on Kingsport's, especially, and to an extent, Bristol's, downtown cores. They are, at this point, far superior to Johnson City's. Kingsport's is a bit more sprawly, while Bristol's is more close together/quaint, and it's like business never left downtown.

Meanwhile, Johnson City's downtown is making good strides on a couple blocks, but the vast majority of it is derelict.

Opps, sorry there Jab, I just kind of assumed it had a food section to it. I have only been in there twice to grab something, didn't take the time to really look around and once stoped at the Starbucks in there to grab a coffee. I guess I just assumed if there was the starbucks, there was the groceries too!

Originally Posted by Cougargm

We'll be making our third visit in three years (becoming an annual tradition!) to the tri-cities next month. Just curious as to locals' views on Fall Branch and Blountville. We saw some nice areas in those two towns; both have a rural feel but aren't too far from the cities.
Also, a question pertaining to traffic: Between JC and Kingsport, which has the heavier traffic in the main shopping/dining areas? Which city has the "worst' rush hour? I know neither city has what most people would consider heavy traffic, as it's all relative, but during the week and on Saturdays, which city's shopping area has the heaviest traffic?

It really all depends on where and which shopping you want to do. The high traffic areas in conjunction with shopping areas in JC are: Roan St in front of the mall and State of Franklin by 26. Both can get pretty congested during peak times.In Kingsport it is Eastman Road and Stone Dr area and most of Fort Henry drive around the mall there. But neither are really bad, just a few extra minutes or so.

[jabogitlu]

There is a lot of congestion (relative!) in Johnson City around the Market St. / State of Franklin intersection, then heading past the Medical Center out to ETSU, and swinging up University Parkway all the way to the intersection with Route 67 (Cherokee). This is mostly, of course, between 7:30 and 8:30 and 3:30 and 5:30. A LOT of people live in South Johnson City, and combine that with JCMC and ETSU traffic and it can get a little snarly. Turning left onto Market from SoF, and trying to get through the red light just on Mkt St (coming from downtown towards Jonesborough) can be tough.

Also, Market Street westbound (well, now actually Jackson Blvd) in Jonesborough at the intersection with Boones Creek Rd. can get backed up during the afternoon rush hour as people go back home to Telford, Limestone and greater Greeneville.

I have sat on State of Franklin heading towards the I-26 overpass for 10-15 minutes trying to get through the red light cycles. That kind of traffic, without an accident to warrant it, is virtually unheard of in the Tri-Cities. But it isn't usually that drastic.

And, as mb noted, Roan St at Target (what one poster - was it kamoshika? - fondly referred to as the Greg's Pizza Interchange) is always busy and during peak times and at Christmas shopping season it is INTENSE, this coming from the boy who learned how to drive in Knoxville. (Not that Knoxville has any major traffic problems, either, but...) Mostly it's because people don't know how to drive here.

Sunset Drive is also heavily travelled as one of the major connectors between Roan, Knob Creek Rd. and Franklin through the heart of the city.

That having been said, traffic in the Tri-Cities is a cakewalk. I'm sure you realize that, having visited multiple times.

Opps, sorry there Jab, I just kind of assumed it had a food section to it.

Oh, it does; quite a bit of food actually. But Super Targets are actually labeled as Super Target on the building, and they include even MORE food and more other stuff, too.