I choose Farragut (house, construction, tornado)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Monicaabc

Touche` but the manicured view is much nicer than the **** fighting roosters, the lean to houses & double wides on the street getting to my $390k home.

Sometimes there's some awfully nice folks in those double wides.

Sometimes there's some horrible people in those $390,000 homes.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Sometimes there's some awfully nice folks in those double wides.

Sometimes there's some horrible people in those $390,000 homes.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Hik, you are SO right. I am gonna rep you for that post.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

Hik, you are SO right. I am gonna rep you for that post.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!

I live in a diverse (racially, sexual orientation, income, etc.), lower-middle class neighborhood in North Knoxville. There is not enough money in the world to make me want to live in Farragut. I'm a very conservative guy, so it has nothing to do with politics.

I enjoy living in a neighborhood where our homes were designed so we know our neighbors. Drive through Farragut and see how many houses don't have front porches. Or how many neighborhoods don't have sidewalks. Or--and I am not making this up--how some of the neighborhoods won't let you have a clothes line in the back yard or even let you park in the street. I have friends in one Farragut neighborhood where they are required to leave their garage doors CLOSED.

It's like people in Farragut rush home from work or the country club, park their cars in the garage or in the back of the house--completely out of sight of the neighbors--then stay inside the rest of the night. Out of sight, out of mind.

I'd rather live next to a mobile home filled with happy, friendly, working class folk than a $400k McMansion filled with people who can't stand the thought of sending their kids to the same school as--GASP--kids from a housing project or from a trailer park.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by JMT

Drive through Farragut and see how many houses don't have front porches. Or how many neighborhoods don't have sidewalks. Or--and I am not making this up--how some of the neighborhoods won't let you have a clothes line in the back yard or even let you park in the street. I have friends in one Farragut neighborhood where they are required to leave their garage doors CLOSED.

It's like people in Farragut rush home from work or the country club, park their cars in the garage or in the back of the house--completely out of sight of the neighbors--then stay inside the rest of the night. Out of sight, out of mind.

I'd rather live next to a mobile home filled with happy, friendly, working class folk than a $400k McMansion filled with people who can't stand the thought of sending their kids to the same school as--GASP--kids from a housing project or from a trailer park.

This reminds me of where I lived in Florida. It sends shivers up my spine.

You know, you start living like that, and you become terribly disconnected. You start thinking that other people don't matter that much. Next thing you know, you're rude at the grocery store and cutting people off in traffic.

You start judging yourself and others by the car that you drive, because that's the only thing that you see. You forget that there is more to life than material possessions and people have feelings. You can hurt people by what you say and do.

At one time, I was a newspaper reporter that lived in a 200-year old restored colonial. It was once owned by the hospital president. I drove a Volvo.

In a blink of an eye I lost it all.

I now live in a double wide.

I've lived by a certain belief my entire life...

Never spit on the homeless man living in the gutter. He may be a Harvard graduate, and next year he could be your boss.

[SuzieQFL]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

This reminds me of where I lived in Florida. It sends shivers up my spine.

You know, you start living like that, and you become terribly disconnected. You start thinking that other people don't matter that much. Next thing you know, you're rude at the grocery store and cutting people off in traffic.

You start judging yourself and others by the car that you drive, because that's the only thing that you see. You forget that there is more to life than material possessions and people have feelings. They can hurt people by what you say and do.

At one time, I was a newspaper reporter that lived in a 200-year old restored colonial. It was once owned by the hospital president. I drove a Volvo.

In a blink of an eye I lost it all.

I now live in a double wide.

I've lived by a certain belief my entire life...

Never spit on the homeless man living in the gutter. He may be a Harvard graduate, and next year he could be your boss.

Great post, hiknapster. I'm one of those still unfortunate enough to be trapped in Florida. You are exactly right. While not everyone in Florida is trying to keep up with the Joneses (who are those people anyway?!) and there a a lot of nice, wonderful, caring people here - there are way too many who do judge you by your house, your car, your clothes. I think I don't let that stuff bother me, but I admit that there have been times when I've invited people to my house for the first time and caught myself wondering if they'd think it was "good enough."

People are people though. I doubt that when it comes right down to it, it's not a state or a city. I'm pretty sure there are those people who will judge you for what you have or don't have no matter where you go. You just have to not get caught up in that nonsense.

[Monicaabc]

Well let me just say........the house we want to buy in Farragut looks like
chicken fighters lived there (inside). It's true.....things can be pretty on the outside but rotten on the inside. I come from a long line of trailers........I'm from Alabama. My double wide has been shot at by my neighbors. Maybe I'm jaded. I know the stereotypes. Stereotypes aren't always accurate. But please people, do you know any chicken fighters??? The stereotypes are true. BUT maybe, just maybe people in Farragut are fighting their own stereotypes. We talked to people in the neighborhood. Everyone seemed really nice. There were people out walking, walking their dogs, kids were out playing, people were open to talking to us. Also, as far as expense goes the house we're getting in Farragut is much less expensive that what we looked at in Maryville. We may be in the low rent part of Farragut??? LOL

[Monicaabc]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Sometimes there's some awfully nice folks in those double wides.

Sometimes there's some horrible people in those $390,000 homes.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

True that hiknapster!

[goodbyehollywood]

What hiknapster says is so true. It's a wonderful post, a poignant reminder that it's people that matter, not things. People-- family, friends, kind strangers-- are gifts. They come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes the homeliest boxes hide treasures we never would have expected. And sometimes, a pretty box holds something hideous.

But dismissing everybody in Farragut as a snob takes the stereotype the other way. There are many reasons to live in Farragut that have nothing to do with being ostentatious, elitist or in debt up to your eyeballs. Those are all generalizations... while people are individuals. Yes, there are snobs in Farragut. But there are many genuinely nice people, too. Why judge people by their neighborhood? Their actions will speak louder and more accurately than their zip code ever could.

And, really, is a manicured yard such a bad thing? Personally, I've seen some pretty snazzy gardens growing around a double wide. It's all about taking pride in where you live, whether it's brick, tin, wood or stone.

[gemkeeper]

Just to add a thought to hiknapster's great observation and to goodbyehollywood's excellent post... Sometimes, we are also quick to judge someone's character and personality because they do have a lot in a material way.

It's good to know that most recognize that not only can you find a treasure in a plain box, sometimes it is in the fancy, shiny one.

What we drive, where we live, how glitzy our house is does not define who we are. I think everyone on this forum who has found their special home in E. TN or wherever it is - doesn't love it because of the exterior wrap; we love it for the people we know and love there - rich, poor, or in debt.

[bbkaren]

abc, it might seem like our posts themselves sound as though you're being judged for liking Farragut, or for liking it for the wrong reasons...I'm sorry for that!

See, I live in Northern New Jersey, the land of the McMansion. Where we've lived in a rural area, but still don't know the names of the 3 little kids that live almost next door for 5 years now.

One of the reasons we keep to ourselves here, is that in our area, you ARE judged by what you have, or by how neat you keep your yard.

We've gotten nasty notes in our mailbox that our christmas tree stand is still on our deck and "isn't it time you put that away?" (it's still there, 6 months later). We've gotten complaints via 3rd-hand rumor in the neighborhood, that our motion detector light wakes up the neighbors. See, wouldn't you think they'd come by and mention that? A couple years ago? We had no idea, and were horrified to hear of it. Apparently they were quite upset but rather than ask us like a neighbor would, they used the rumor mill to inform us--and by that time they were plenty mad about it.

People don't know each other here, even when they live next door.

They don't care what's happening next door, nor do they care to do something small for someone else "just because".

It starts with that "status" type neighborhood, with the rules and restrictions. Those are designed to keep the individual at bay and keep the surroundings as emotionally sterile as possible. I think, anyway.

When you said "manicured" I cringed.

I think of corkscrew landscape trees, perfect yards with immaculate gardens carved out. And the homeowner who peers out at it all, through a slit in the curtain--and has never laid a finger on the grass or the dirt out there. Nor on their 1.75 children, whom the nanny takes care of. Nor on the engine of their car, which is serviced by the Hummer dealer...you get the idea. It's not a real life.

To me, real life is dirt under the fingernails; the smell of cow poop (no really! I love farm smells, even though there are none here), stacking the firewood you'll be heating your home with all winter (yup we do that, and people think we're freaks). Changing your own flat tire, shoveling your sidewalk, mowing your lawn.

What is real life to those phantoms in the McMansions? I can't imagine what their days are like.

Ok anyway, I've gone off on a tangent (what a shock). Just wanted you to know I don't mean to come off as judgmental at you--I'm just a little over-sensitive to the "keeping up with the Joneses" thing. And I hate manicured lawns