Sick of FL Need Info. On Johnson City (Kingsport, Bristol: wedding, school)

[williboy]

Yea I gotta admit that sales tax does get your attention. Between the fuel to go shopping and the sales tax, it's easier and cheaper to just shop online.

[jrampy]

Hello from us, more miserable Floridians. I had a coulpe of questions that were not addressed in this forum and was hoping to get some info. My hubby and I are both native Floridians (a rarity here) living in Sebastian (east coast just north of Ft Pierce.) and hate it! He is lucky though, as he is an over the road truck driver and gets to be out of state most of the time. Which brings me to my first question. In the Johnson City area, what kind of feedback from other residents would he cause? And where would he be able to park his rig for hometime without causing a ruckus? My other question pertains to this: how realistic is it to think that we could live ok there? Example: we pay $850 monthly for rent, utilities have lately been $250 for 1350 square feet (gotta love FPL), and we spend upwards of 100 weekly at the grocery store. Of course that doesn't include other bills, but we are struggling here.Due to employment and financial issues, everyone here is relocating, and was just wondering if anyone could give me drive times for Massillon, OH and Maggie Valley, NC (my ex hubby is moving to OH, my parents NC). I want to make sure my 9 year old daughter can visit her father or grandparents without it taking 20 hours to do so. I was quite impressed by the person who said that Grey schools have 19 kids per class, and it will soon be down to 12. My daughter starts 4th grade this year, and has never been in a class where the student/teacher ratio was less than 24 to 1. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[williboy]

I go visit my cousin in Canton, Ohio (20 miles from Massillon) and the distance is 430 miles which takes about 7 hours. I live about 12 miles outside of Johnson City, near Jonesborough. It is exactly 90 miles to Maggie Valley, NC. We go visit friends there sometimes and it takes about an hour and a half to drive there.

[leavingnh]

Originally Posted by JoeyBooth2

Hello.
About your questions! Most people in Johnson City for the most part are very nice. We have gotten in the last few years some new people from up north who seem to be stand offish. After you get to know them or after they get use to use be so friendly it rubs off on them an they adapt to the southern way of life. You can buy a nice house for 800-1200 per month or rent a nice place for 550-750 for a apartment or 650-1200 for a house. My house is 1800 sq ft and the electric bill runs 65-85 in the summer my gas in the winter runs maybe 120 avg. We have tons of the chain restaurants. But we have alot of the small restaurants to crave too. I would list them but the person in charge of this site would take them off. Even though I see Applebees, the big chain stores get to stay on there. Just another reason the Chains kill all the small businesses. I had a small coffee shop in Johnson City. Super nice, great coffee great service. After I was opened for 3 years, StarBucks so how well we were doing and opened across the street. Took 90% of my business in a 2 YEAR PERIOD. I sold out. I now run my skateboard shop. MOJO Skateboard Supply, I have owned almost 20 years and I am also a Realtor in Johnson City. My father just so happened to be the GM of Ober Gatlinburg in Gatlinburg in the 1980's. It is a ski slope. There are around 3 ski lodges within a 1 hour drive. Suger Mountain, Ski Beech and Wolf Laural. They are not vail or anything. But you can drive an hour, get to the slopes for a half session and be back home for dinner and work the next day. Cool Huh? Well Hope this info helps. my name is Joey Booth if you have any other queston feel free to contact me.

Across Roan from Starbucks??? Were you the one in the plaza down by State of Franklin bank?

[leavingnh]

Originally Posted by Lookin4myMountain

I'm planning on enjoying Johnson city, I am realistic every place has it's good and bad sides...but what you said worries me. The people I past along the way were polite for strangers and some even waved from thier front porches. I thought this was a free country and we are all God's children, yes I am from Florida, I hate the rat race, all I want is my own little place to leave my girls when I'm gone. We are hardworking and peace loving people...We fell in love with East Tenn. the mountains, the fresh air , all that space. I hope it NEVER turns into Florida I think its perfect just the way it is.
Is it really hard to find work there, because we are leaving our jobs here to start all over again there?! We sent applications ahead of time but no one has responded. Please give me some hope!!!!!!!!

The people always struck me as friendly, although the local women will 'backbite' the 'away' girls in the workplace. When I first moved to TN, many said 'Welcome to Tennessee'...when I returned several years later, people said 'Welcome home!'

[jrampy]

Thank you, Williboy, for your response. It is getting rather difficult to find a place where we feel is the right fit for us. I am hoping to find a community that actually IS a community. Where we live, no one likes to get to know their neighbors, and an environment where people do for one another is nonexistent. i want my daughter to grow up in a place where I won't have to place a tracking device on her when she goes somewhere, or worry about the kind of family her boyfriend comes from.

[PacersFan]

Originally Posted by jrampy

I was quite impressed by the person who said that Grey schools have 19 kids per class, and it will soon be down to 12. My daughter starts 4th grade this year, and has never been in a class where the student/teacher ratio was less than 24 to 1. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My son went to Gray last year and even thought the school was very crowded, his class had 21-22 students last year with a teacher and a teaching assistant. He was in 1st grade. That was smaller than his kindergarten class (up to 26 in it) he had where we used to live (Indiana.) He will be going to the new Ridgeview School this year.

Good luck in your searching!

[fun4me]

Hello Maryanne55,
You lived in Milton, FL...........how funny is that we are from Cantonment looking to move to either TN or Greenville, SC. We like White Pine area around the Douglas Lake, worried if any jobs in the area. We also have given Knoxville some thought. How do you like it there? You say the mountain views are great....LOL did you build a home? This forum is great you get to find out from everyone in different places, didn't think from Milton.
Any hints for us! We need to get jobs too.

Thanks for the feedback!

[southside2006]

you picked the right place, my wife and I are retiring from Florida ( fulltime Law-Enforcement ) we picked this area because of the low crime rate and easy living. We too also love the mountains and cool air.. Florida is not Florida!! it stinks!! Jeff and Angie

[Tucsonmom]

I have read all the posts on this forum and almost everyone
moving or thinking of moving to the Johnson city area is from Florida, (save a few from other places)
What's up with that? Just curious