My impression of Knoxville (Maryville, Gatlinburg: appointed, fit in, transplants)

[JJFIVEOH]

Recently I spent two weeks in NC/SC/TN and just got back last week. Five days were spent in SC for racing, the next week was spent in western NC (stayed at a condo in Maggie Valley) and the last day and a half was spent in Knoxville with the intention of getting a quick impression of the city because I have a goal of getting out of SoFL. I have already started a couple threads to get opinions from everybody on here about Knoxville living and also in the NC section about Asheville living. I am looking for a place to live that is in the mountains (or very near), has a stable economy and is still a fun place to live. I haven't ruled out Asheville but the job market seems to be geared towards the service industry. I think it's a great city but it may not have much to offer as far as jobs outside of the service industry. It also seems like a city that is content on sticking with the status quo and are happy to improve on what the already have. I may also consider Greenville, SC; although I did not get enough time to check that city out.

When I made hotel reservations for the Hilton downtown, I did not realize there was a Vols game that day so when we arrived in Knoxville early on Saturday we spent an hour or two traveling the immediate outskirts and purposely headed to the hotel to check in to beat the traffic. Surprisingly, when the game finished there was little change in traffic and the crowd was minimal. We could have spent more time traveling the outskirts. After we checked in, we decided to spend the rest of the day downtown. I was very impressed with Gay Street, the buildings were spectacular, the food was awesome, the variety of shops was great and the people were very nice. I was impressed with the rejuvenation that the city has been working on by keeping the old buildings and turning them into residential/commercial. Old City left a lot to be desired, although it was not bad at all. Based on some of the lofts I have seen for sale in that area I expected more. Market Square was cool, albeit much smaller than I expected; it seems Gay St was much more 'happening' than Market Square. After talking to some of the locals, I wasn't aware that the university was in fall break and the game was not a big draw based on the team they were playing. They assured me downtown is usually much more bustling. After researching Knoxville before I left one thing that concerned me was the fact that the city was going through this major rejuvenation project and may have stalled because of a poor economy. A lot of cities have tried these projects and they started them when the economy was good and ended up having to stop because of lack of funding. But the impression I got from the locals was that Knoxville actually started all this when the economy took a turn for the worst and it is still in progress.

I am not a religious person, but the churches downtown were very impressive. Living amongst religious people is not an issue to me by any means; one has to expect religion to be prevalent when you're in the South. One thing I did notice is that people in Knoxville did not feel the need to wear their beliefs on their sleeves. Not that it matters, but nobody felt the need to make sure I knew what they believed in. Around here it's quite the opposite. We stayed in Knoxville into Sunday and hung around until early afternoon before finally returning home, and I did not see much of a church crowd downtown. I figured with all the churches the streets would have been packed. But there was very little attendance at the churches. Was that because it's not as a religious city as I thought it may be, or was it because it was an off weekend. Either way it makes no difference to me, it was just something that crossed my mind.

I am a single male in my mid 30's so entertainment and proximity to downtown is rather important. The possibility of loft living has intrigued me. The prices seem reasonable, the proximity to downtown can't be any better, and the fact that many of them are new construction is also a plus. One dilemma I do have is I drag race on a regular basis and have a car and trailer that need to be stored. Storing it isn't an issue, the fact that I do most of the work on all my vehicles is. Loft living would certainly keep me from doing any 'garage' work. Still not sure how I could work my way around this. I did come to the conclusion that if I were to live in a loft it would have to be right downtown because even though you really can't count on real estate as an investment, if you think you can use it as an investment later on down the road then being in the heart of the city can only help the value or at least stabilize it. Lofts outside of Gay St may seem like more of a risk. I did not get enough time to drive through enough of the immediate outskirts but I wasn't too impressed with the conditions of the roads or the drivers. It seems like as soon as I left downtown people wouldn't hesitate to tailgate and everybody seemed to have very little patience. One thing I did notice in NC was that people weren't in any hurry, they would move over if you were going faster and pretty much were very considerate on the roads. I did not get this impression in Knoxville. We did travel I-75 for about 10 miles outside the city but didn't get off the beaten path to check out the homes. We also did get to spend a little time traveling the side streets southeast of I-40 between the highway and the river. Although didn't get any further than Morrell Road. I was surprised to see that the wealthier neighborhoods were situated in an area where the commercial businesses were rather old. It seemed most of the area I checked out was probably built in the 70's as some most of the stores were older construction. I would have loved to have had more time to travel a little further outside the city in case I decide to purchase a home instead of a loft. Any input on the suburbs would be greatly appreciated. I would most likely be searching for a smaller modern style home with newer amenities.

One thing I was very impressed with (this goes for the entire area I stayed for two weeks) is that everybody is just flat out nice! If one person didn't acknowledge you as you walked by them by nodding, saying 'How ya doin'' of whatever.... you thought there was something wrong with them. Around here if somebody acknowledges your presence the first thing that comes to mind is 'what do you want from me '. Or they'll just lay a shoulder into you. No matter where we went, everybody seemed to take pride in what they do no matter what they did for work. Around here they'll just scowl at you because in their minds they are just too good for what they do so they won't hesitate to treat you like trash. I was also impressed with the cleanliness and safety of the city. Very few homeless, didn't see any hookers or drug dealers. I felt that I could walk around any part of the city at any time of night and not feel threatened. It amazed us that the Sunsphere was open to the public til late at night without any security. When we saw it late Saturday we said it wouldn't be open and to our surprise when we pressed the elevator button it was open to the public for free at late hours.

I'm still not sure what the night life is like. Is it a good place for singles. Is it a good place for somebody in their 30's. Is it a good place for finding entertainment on days other than on the weekends. We ate at Downtown Grill and the food was GREAT! I loved the fact that many of the stores and restaurants were either 'Mom and Pop' places or small chains. Here in Boca dining is pathetic. We are overrun by corporate chains that have overtaken all the small businesses so in return you get pathetic service and products because they know you have no other choice but to shop there because they have run everybody else out of town. The variety of shops and restaurants was great. I get the feeling if you lived downtown you would be hard pressed to find something you needed that you couldn't walk to get. I was told Knoxville is a small city with a big city atmosphere. Besides the fact that downtown was relatively dead for a Saturday night after a college football game, I have to agree.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Take this for what it's worth, this is just the impression I got after spending a little more than one full day there. I was very impressed with the city and the pros definitely outweighed the cons. I had a great time and am going to spend the next few weeks looking at my options and hopefully everything falls into place where I can relocate and call Knoxville home. Thanks for the hospitality.

[DaveC20853]

"Any input would be greatly appreciated."

Come and spend a week, get to know downtown, the suburbs, the country, the mountains and more people. You won't be disappointed.

[JJFIVEOH]

Oh trust me, I was far from disappointed. If I pointed out any negatives it was only to keep it a fair review. There weren't many I can tell you that. Although, the REAL mountains being 45 minutes away is probably my biggest complaint. But, considering I need to drive 10 hours just to get 1,000 feet above sea level...... that's walking distance.

[hiknapster]

If you had ventured over to Market Square on a Saturday morning you would not have been disappointed. Friday nights are nice, too. I just depends on when you go. I guess you didn't make it to the Old City?

For some perspective, we are from Florida, too. We've lived here 6 years. LOVE it. We own an auto repair shop. If you can find a garage that would let you rent a bay. I don't know. Just thinking out loud. Or live close to the city. We are within the city limits, just off of I-75. It affords us a 10 minute ride to the city. Maybe. Yet we are 20 minutes to Turkey Creek.

Speaking of which...Turkey Creek is very new. Not all commercial districts are old around here. Google Turkey Creek Shopping and you will see.

We have two Earth Fares and two Fresh Markets but we have a Costco coming, a Trader Vics, a Whole Foods and two Publix.

We are not religious. However there are churches that require cops due to such a large attendance.

The truth is you didn't spend enough time here to really see the area. Your limited knowledge is not giving you an accurate picture. Like you didn't see the crowds at the game. It's because you were in the wrong spot for that - probably a good thing.

Don't feel bad. A recent member stayed at the Hilton and thought the ONLY place that had anything going on was near the college. She was "this" close to Gay Street, Market Square, the Old City and didn't see any of them.

[TedTLPN]

Originally Posted by JJFIVEOH

Recently I spent two weeks in NC/SC/TN and just got back last week. Five days were spent in SC for racing, the next week was spent in western NC (stayed at a condo in Maggie Valley) and the last day and a half was spent in Knoxville with the intention of getting a quick impression of the city because I have a goal of getting out of SoFL. I have already started a couple threads to get opinions from everybody on here about Knoxville living and also in the NC section about Asheville living. I am looking for a place to live that is in the mountains (or very near), has a stable economy and is still a fun place to live. I haven't ruled out Asheville but the job market seems to be geared towards the service industry. I think it's a great city but it may not have much to offer as far as jobs outside of the service industry. It also seems like a city that is content on sticking with the status quo and are happy to improve on what the already have. I may also consider Greenville, SC; although I did not get enough time to check that city out.

When I made hotel reservations for the Hilton downtown, I did not realize there was a Vols game that day so when we arrived in Knoxville early on Saturday we spent an hour or two traveling the immediate outskirts and purposely headed to the hotel to check in to beat the traffic. Surprisingly, when the game finished there was little change in traffic and the crowd was minimal. We could have spent more time traveling the outskirts. After we checked in, we decided to spend the rest of the day downtown. I was very impressed with Gay Street, the buildings were spectacular, the food was awesome, the variety of shops was great and the people were very nice. I was impressed with the rejuvenation that the city has been working on by keeping the old buildings and turning them into residential/commercial. Old City left a lot to be desired, although it was not bad at all. Based on some of the lofts I have seen for sale in that area I expected more. Market Square was cool, albeit much smaller than I expected; it seems Gay St was much more 'happening' than Market Square. After talking to some of the locals, I wasn't aware that the university was in fall break and the game was not a big draw based on the team they were playing. They assured me downtown is usually much more bustling. After researching Knoxville before I left one thing that concerned me was the fact that the city was going through this major rejuvenation project and may have stalled because of a poor economy. A lot of cities have tried these projects and they started them when the economy was good and ended up having to stop because of lack of funding. But the impression I got from the locals was that Knoxville actually started all this when the economy took a turn for the worst and it is still in progress.

I am not a religious person, but the churches downtown were very impressive. Living amongst religious people is not an issue to me by any means; one has to expect religion to be prevalent when you're in the South. One thing I did notice is that people in Knoxville did not feel the need to wear their beliefs on their sleeves. Not that it matters, but nobody felt the need to make sure I knew what they believed in. Around here it's quite the opposite. We stayed in Knoxville into Sunday and hung around until early afternoon before finally returning home, and I did not see much of a church crowd downtown. I figured with all the churches the streets would have been packed. But there was very little attendance at the churches. Was that because it's not as a religious city as I thought it may be, or was it because it was an off weekend. Either way it makes no difference to me, it was just something that crossed my mind.

I am a single male in my mid 30's so entertainment and proximity to downtown is rather important. The possibility of loft living has intrigued me. The prices seem reasonable, the proximity to downtown can't be any better, and the fact that many of them are new construction is also a plus. One dilemma I do have is I drag race on a regular basis and have a car and trailer that need to be stored. Storing it isn't an issue, the fact that I do most of the work on all my vehicles is. Loft living would certainly keep me from doing any 'garage' work. Still not sure how I could work my way around this. I did come to the conclusion that if I were to live in a loft it would have to be right downtown because even though you really can't count on real estate as an investment, if you think you can use it as an investment later on down the road then being in the heart of the city can only help the value or at least stabilize it. Lofts outside of Gay St may seem like more of a risk. I did not get enough time to drive through enough of the immediate outskirts but I wasn't too impressed with the conditions of the roads or the drivers. It seems like as soon as I left downtown people wouldn't hesitate to tailgate and everybody seemed to have very little patience. One thing I did notice in NC was that people weren't in any hurry, they would move over if you were going faster and pretty much were very considerate on the roads. I did not get this impression in Knoxville. We did travel I-75 for about 10 miles outside the city but didn't get off the beaten path to check out the homes. We also did get to spend a little time traveling the side streets southeast of I-40 between the highway and the river. Although didn't get any further than Morrell Road. I was surprised to see that the wealthier neighborhoods were situated in an area where the commercial businesses were rather old. It seemed most of the area I checked out was probably built in the 70's as some most of the stores were older construction. I would have loved to have had more time to travel a little further outside the city in case I decide to purchase a home instead of a loft. Any input on the suburbs would be greatly appreciated. I would most likely be searching for a smaller modern style home with newer amenities.

One thing I was very impressed with (this goes for the entire area I stayed for two weeks) is that everybody is just flat out nice! If one person didn't acknowledge you as you walked by them by nodding, saying 'How ya doin'' of whatever.... you thought there was something wrong with them. Around here if somebody acknowledges your presence the first thing that comes to mind is 'what do you want from me '. Or they'll just lay a shoulder into you. No matter where we went, everybody seemed to take pride in what they do no matter what they did for work. Around here they'll just scowl at you because in their minds they are just too good for what they do so they won't hesitate to treat you like trash. I was also impressed with the cleanliness and safety of the city. Very few homeless, didn't see any hookers or drug dealers. I felt that I could walk around any part of the city at any time of night and not feel threatened. It amazed us that the Sunsphere was open to the public til late at night without any security. When we saw it late Saturday we said it wouldn't be open and to our surprise when we pressed the elevator button it was open to the public for free at late hours.

I'm still not sure what the night life is like. Is it a good place for singles. Is it a good place for somebody in their 30's. Is it a good place for finding entertainment on days other than on the weekends. We ate at Downtown Grill and the food was GREAT! I loved the fact that many of the stores and restaurants were either 'Mom and Pop' places or small chains. Here in Boca dining is pathetic. We are overrun by corporate chains that have overtaken all the small businesses so in return you get pathetic service and products because they know you have no other choice but to shop there because they have run everybody else out of town. The variety of shops and restaurants was great. I get the feeling if you lived downtown you would be hard pressed to find something you needed that you couldn't walk to get. I was told Knoxville is a small city with a big city atmosphere. Besides the fact that downtown was relatively dead for a Saturday night after a college football game, I have to agree.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Take this for what it's worth, this is just the impression I got after spending a little more than one full day there. I was very impressed with the city and the pros definitely outweighed the cons. I had a great time and am going to spend the next few weeks looking at my options and hopefully everything falls into place where I can relocate and call Knoxville home. Thanks for the hospitality.

I grew up in South Florida, lived in Chicago, lived in Orlando, moved to the Knoxville area, and now I am back in Orlando. Your goal of getting out of South Florida is admirable, though I would think if you are making a living in Boca you aren't doing too bad with Miami a hop skip and a jump away for entertainment. Culturally speaking Miami is light years ahead of Knoxville. All the major tours go through Miami where as Knoxville is often over looked in favor of Atlanta which is at least 3 hours away on a good day. There is culture to be had in Knoxville, and with Oak ridge's influence that helps, but where a Miami Might have an event every other day, Knoxville pretty much is a weekends only deal. Not to say there is nothing, but the good stuff is typically on the weekends, and not every single weekend.

I imagine your experience with the dead downtown was after a Vol's loss. To say the heart of this community is tied to this college's sports teams is the understatement of the century. I bet if you drew blood from everyone in Knoxville, at LEAST 80% would have Orange Blood. Though this is a bit of a warning in that it seems that a lot of the die hard fans literally do not understand how the Vol's ever loose. It's not logical to them, it does not compute.

You are right about the revitalization starting right when the economy was crashing for everyone else. I moved there right around that time like MANY MANY other people from out of the state, and Knoxville was a lot more than less still booming. It took a couple of years for the crash to catch up to Knoxville. Throw in a few government scandals and it was a recipe for disaster for those plans. You do have to give them credit for trying though.

About being a single Male in your 30's... I am not sure about this one.. Depending on if you are gay or not. Being single will be an advantage living downtown as you don't have the burden of worrying about schools and whatnot associated with family life. That being said the dating scene is geared towards the co-eds at UT which obviously are a good bit younger. Keep in mind a lot (notice I didn't say majority) of these girls start young, Finding a girl your age without children will not be easy. Finding a guy will probably be ok as there is a decent homosexual community there.

It's a shame you didn't get to do much with the suburbs there as Maryville is OUTSTANDING!! It was the last location I lived, and it's the best combination of small town living with the access to big(ger) city amenities.

When it comes to restaurants, there are a lot of decent places. The thing that most comes to my mind is Kobe. There are a couple (maybe a few) locations, but it beats Benihanna with a stick. The food quality is excellent, the service is very good. The only flaw is if you sit down to the dinner table you need to order your sushi with your drinks right up front if you hope to eat it as an appetizer.

Driving in Knoxville is strange. The main problem is all the outside influences. With so many people from so many places, the rush hours leave you victim to the lowest common denominator in front of you and behind you... Compared to Miami though, it's a freaking wet dream!! The only legitimate gripe I have about driving in Knoxville at large is that when it snows, it shuts the roads down and people largely drive PARANOID slow.

The People of Knoxville and religion... Oh boy.. The following paragraphs are JUST MY EXPERIENCE, not to be confused with anything I will profess to be what you can expect.

Let me start with the one thing I found pleasant yet disturbing at the same time. Minorities there are extremely respectful, and VERY RARELY come across a thug/entitlement attitude. While this is pleasant as you can have more effective relationships with minorities than other places I have lived, it seems that there is an undercurrent of awareness of Knoxville's southern history.

Yes, up front, most people there are awkwardly friendly. It is beautiful!! But this is founded on southern hospitality. Remember that behind that is a genuine and founded distrust of outsiders. When you move there, this will make it pretty difficult to find work. People will interview you, be friendly as all get out, see you are more qualified then anyone else, then turn around and hire their high school buddy.

The next thing to know is there is racisim there at all levels, from the uneducated people in the hollers you expect to the high level college educated people, there is still racisim there. It's not blatantly obvious, but it it reveal itself when you least expect it and that's right about the time you are discovering what a cool person your boss is.

Religion is the CORNERSTONE of existence there. There is an expression called 'the Tennessee talk' and essentially it goes along the line like this... you are introducing yourself and getting to know someone when they ask you what church you are going to. The question is asked innocently, but notice they tend to ask what church... Not "do you happen to be religious?" then ask your church.. No, it's what church. Now when you answer that you don't attend, or whatever you want to say, don't expect to be dragged out and lynched for being a heretic. That will NOT happen, but it will have an effect that will vary on the open mindedness of who you are dealing with.

Enough about the people...

The sum total is the following: Getting a job here will be your toughest challenge. It took me about 6 months before I got my first job when I was in IT. When I got into nursing, it took less time, but after spending a year in LPN school there, I had connections. If you can afford to be without work that long or have a job lined up before you go, then I say by all means MOVE TO KNOXVILLE!! While I pointed out most of the downsides, there are intangibles that make living there worth it. Like a clear morning after it snowed in the mountains when you can see the snow capped peaks in the distance... WOW.. Being able to drive to Cades Cove and spend the day (while driving out of the cove sucks) being there just is fun and soothes your soul. Gatlinburg is so cool for a Floridian, plan on spending a lot of time there if you can. Is it an entertainment meca? Nope. Are there a lot of things to do there like Florida? Nope. But there are things you can do there that you can't do in Florida, and even if you end up moving back here, or to Asheville afterwards you will realize you had a great life experience by having been there.

[hiknapster]

Some people blow into town with a condescending attitude and no actual resume or talent to back that up. Southerners are polite but they aren't stupid. If you are a jerk they will smile to your face and keep walking. Those blowhards end up as sour grapes, leave with their tail between their legs and then spew lies about the area.

TRUE story.

Your mileage may vary.

[JJFIVEOH]

Thanks for all the replies so far!

Ted, thanks for the detailed "insiders" perspective. FWIW, the Saturday I was there the Vol's beat Buffalo, lol. When I mentioned that downtown seemed dead, it wasn't an insult. I was just surprised it wasn't busier all things considered. In fact, I was kind of relieved it wasn't jam packed it made it much easier to check out downtown.

I hope my post didn't give the wrong impression about religion. Just because I am a non-believer I have absolutely no problem with those who do believe. In fact, it has no bearing on how I treat people nor do I hope it wouldn't have any bearing on how they treat me. I love discussing religion with people. It's no big secret the South is religious and if I had a problem with it I wouldn't consider moving there. I was quite impressed with the churches, architecturally. I just don't appreciate it when people try to "convert" me when they know my beliefs. I don't tell people my beliefs unless they ask. It was rather refreshing to see that people didn't have the need to wear their beliefs on their sleeves like they do around here.

I think it's safe to say that finding a job is going to be more difficult than in the past in any city. I have no intentions of moving until I find one. I have the benefit of being able to pack up at the last minute if anything does come up so I'm just planning ahead. I would consider finding a short-term rental so I could spend some time living in the area making it easier to readily available to pursue a job, or even find something out of my field temporarily. But, I'm not going to buy a place and then move hoping to find a job.

I really wish I would have had more time to check out the suburbs. Now that I have been to Knoxville and have looked a little more into the outskirts, I see I have missed a lot. I frequently browse through hotpads, trulia, etc. to see what homes are like in different neighborhoods. It seems the majority of the homes are either tiny little shacks, or 2500+ SF 4 bedroom homes. I would prefer a 2-3BR, 1500 (+/-)SF home with vaulted ceilings. Something I'd have to research and see which neighborhoods these types of homes are more prevalent in.

You're absolutely right about SoFL and its entertainment and cultural diversity! Awfully tough to find many places in the US that can beat it. It certainly is one of our positives. But the weather, the scenery, the lack of hills, the people...... it all gets really old really fast. And it outweighs the cultural/entertainment factor in my opinion. One of my biggest factors in looking for a city to live within the mountains are the mountains themselves. As long as there are things to do within the city, I'm happy with that. I don't need a cultural mecca to fulfill my needs, lol.

hiknapster, you make a great point! It's these types of people with their condescending attitudes that makes me want to get out of SoFL. It may seem petty, but after years of dealing with it every single day it starts to take its toll. Personally, I wouldn't bring an attitude like that to a new city. Cities are shaped by their locals, outsiders need to do their part to fit in....... not try to reshape it. You bring in too many people over a short period of time and it just creates chaos. The population over most of SoFL has increased about 200% over the last 40 years.

[TedTLPN]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Some people blow into town with a condescending attitude and no actual resume or talent to back that up. Southerners are polite but they aren't stupid. If you are a jerk they will smile to your face and keep walking. Those blowhards end up as sour grapes, leave with their tail between their legs and then spew lies about the area.

TRUE story.

Your mileage may vary.

Really? Please do tell!!

I think it's amusing that when I give an HONEST account of what's going on, and even close with the suggestion that moving to knox is a good idea, you still make a lamely veiled slam at me. It's like I have even ever met you, or ever did ANYTHING to you. You are bitter that I came up there, did something for myself, and did prosper DESPITE your warnings. Have you actually seen my resume? Have you seen me actually working to judge my talent? We all know the answer to that is no. So your bitter empty words will fall on deaf ears... again.

Originally Posted by JJFIVEOH

Thanks for all the replies so far!

Ted, thanks for the detailed "insiders" perspective. FWIW, the Saturday I was there the Vol's beat Buffalo, lol. When I mentioned that downtown seemed dead, it wasn't an insult. I was just surprised it wasn't busier all things considered. In fact, I was kind of relieved it wasn't jam packed it made it much easier to check out downtown.

No problem!!
Try moving around downtown after boomsday (another great reason to live in Knox) and get back to me I am surprised I missed that, but I'm sure you will figure out the rest is mostly true.

Originally Posted by JJFIVEOH

I hope my post didn't give the wrong impression about religion. Just because I am a non-believer I have absolutely no problem with those who do believe. In fact, it has no bearing on how I treat people nor do I hope it wouldn't have any bearing on how they treat me. I love discussing religion with people. It's no big secret the South is religious and if I had a problem with it I wouldn't consider moving there. I was quite impressed with the churches, architecturally. I just don't appreciate it when people try to "convert" me when they know my beliefs. I don't tell people my beliefs unless they ask. It was rather refreshing to see that people didn't have the need to wear their beliefs on their sleeves like they do around here.

I'm sorry I gave you the impression they will try to convert you...I certainly didn't mean it that way... but something I did omit is that while they won't harass you about not going to church, they will invite you to theirs. It's not a malicious 'Darth Vader' Episode 5 "Join me" in any way shape or form, it's usually more an innocent invitation to get to know them better.

Originally Posted by JJFIVEOH

I think it's safe to say that finding a job is going to be more difficult than in the past in any city. I have no intentions of moving until I find one. I have the benefit of being able to pack up at the last minute if anything does come up so I'm just planning ahead. I would consider finding a short-term rental so I could spend some time living in the area making it easier to readily available to pursue a job, or even find something out of my field temporarily. But, I'm not going to buy a place and then move hoping to find a job.

Excellent plan, but I suggest if you can afford it, rent a place (like roomate situation) and get an 865 phone # for your resume. Your job search will take longer if you don't project a serious interest in the area.

Originally Posted by JJFIVEOH

I really wish I would have had more time to check out the suburbs. Now that I have been to Knoxville and have looked a little more into the outskirts, I see I have missed a lot. I frequently browse through hotpads, trulia, etc. to see what homes are like in different neighborhoods. It seems the majority of the homes are either tiny little shacks, or 2500+ SF 4 bedroom homes. I would prefer a 2-3BR, 1500 (+/-)SF home with vaulted ceilings. Something I'd have to research and see which neighborhoods these types of homes are more prevalent in.

If you get to rent a place first, that will be the key to having the time to figure out what suburb will work for you. Just because I adore Maryville, doesn't mean you are going to like it at ALL. Which does remind me of something I loved/hated. The Maryville city school district is one of the best around... The highschool identity is the "Rebels". So if you are in that area you will see kids running around in pick up truck with rebel flags flying. It's supporting their home team, which like the Vols they are rabid about, but as a 4th generation supporter of the union it is a bit disturbing.

Originally Posted by JJFIVEOH

You're absolutely right about SoFL and its entertainment and cultural diversity! Awfully tough to find many places in the US that can beat it. It certainly is one of our positives. But the weather, the scenery, the lack of hills, the people...... it all gets really old really fast. And it outweighs the cultural/entertainment factor in my opinion. One of my biggest factors in looking for a city to live within the mountains are the mountains themselves. As long as there are things to do within the city, I'm happy with that. I don't need a cultural mecca to fulfill my needs, lol.

Awesome! Then Knox will certainly satisfy... The Mountains and my camera are part of what kept my sanity there.

Originally Posted by JJFIVEOH

hiknapster, you make a great point! It's these types of people with their condescending attitudes that makes me want to get out of SoFL. It may seem petty, but after years of dealing with it every single day it starts to take its toll. Personally, I wouldn't bring an attitude like that to a new city. Cities are shaped by their locals, outsiders need to do their part to fit in....... not try to reshape it. You bring in too many people over a short period of time and it just creates chaos. The population over most of SoFL has increased about 200% over the last 40 years.

She was trying to take a shot at me. It all started when I was targeting knox as a place to live and I refused to believe her that it would be tough to get a job.. she was right, but that wasn't enough for her apparently

[weisgarber1]

Several totally incorrect "opinions" stated as facts here.

Remember that behind that is a genuine and founded distrust of outsiders.

Says who? There is no founded distrust of outsiders any more than there is any where else. There "IS" a resistance to seeing the laid-back lifestyle disappear with the influx of transplants, but not distrust. Absurd claim.

The next thing to know is there is racisim there at all levels, from the uneducated people in the hollers you expect to the high level college educated people, there is still racisim there.

Racism? What cave have you been sleeping in over the last few years? Racism exists wherever one goes in this country, in fact, all over the world, perhaps you haven't traveled much though.

Religion is the CORNERSTONE of existence there.

Religion IS NOT the cornerstone of existence here. Many are religious and many aren't. The majority, like many other places, aren't.

Yes, up front, most people there are awkwardly friendly.

Awkwardly friendly? What is awkwardly friendly? Most people are genuinely friendly, unless they smell a "rat."

Some of your comments are intended to be disparaging, interspersed with a few more positive observations, but your intent is clear. Not very clever really.

[J&Em]

As an older person coming here from out of state I don't have the experience with job hunting and social scene Ted has offered but I agree with some of the other aspects of what he had to say. I'm sorry you missed looking at Maryville and the smaller towns around it if your intent was to be closer to the mountains since the town is in the shadows (aka the Foothills) of the Smoky Mountains.

Drivers on I-40 and I-75 do NOT represent local drivers at all. Of course it does not help to have the confluence of two interstates run though the center of Knoxville. As an experienced rush hour driver in the NYC metro area I recognized the tailgating and rushing drivers, 75% are out of state and I'd be willing to guess many of the rest have moved here from other places with those driving habits. Once you get to more local roads you will notice the opposite kind of driver, a lot more courteous. The first 4 way stop signs I encountered when first here were an eyeopener because everyone waited their turn, gave the other guy a chance and were so polite it almost seemed comical, especially after the "elbows out" kind of driving I had been used to. I'm not laughing though, it's nice to drive this way.

Religion as a whole is very much alive here, with many Christian denominations and multiple churches for those denominations. It is not however mandatory to be religious or attend church. Being invited to someone's church is considered a friendly and warm gesture and most will leave it at that. A few people I have met have run into stronger feelings about church going and have felt a bit isolated in their particular neighborhood, but they have also not made a conscious effort to get involved in other social activities/clubs/volunteer organizations to find others that are like them.

Some people have posted up bad experiences and have left. Some have done well but have had their experiences frequently discounted by louder voices in the forum and have stopped posting. I've met lots of people who have come from all over the country and settled successfully in the Knox region and have met many very welcoming locals. You have done well so far with your first visit and you sound like someone who could comfortably make the move, just as long as you remember that once you live here there is no "us" and "them." I know someone who has not blended in well, complains about it and then goes on to make statements like "These people still haven't learned to do this (fill in blank) the right way..." and compares it to where they lived 15 years ago. "These people" have been happily living here for many generations and it is their way, so I can understand their resentment and ensuing isolation of the complainer.

With the economy the way it is, it would be obvious that having a job in place would be very important before you move, but it needs mentioning. There are lots of people who are making do and struggling and already here with limited connections. It will be harder for you without connections, unless you are in a specialty in high demand, to find employment right off the bat. It is not so much nepotism as knowing someone or knowing the person who recommended someone makes hiring them seem less risky, and risk aversion is strong here. Come back and explore some more, check out closer to the mountains as well and get a better feel for how it might work as "home" and then start looking for that job so you can come home.