Maryville Vs Oak Ridge (Knoxville: to rent, new home, transfer to)

[DarlaJean]

Our Family is thinking of relocating. Both these cities appeal to us. Can someone tell me which city is more desireable? Where is the B&W plant located in Oak Ridge. How far is Maryville from Oak Ridge? We live in Ohio now and really want a change. your area is beautiful

[gemkeeper]

Hi, Darla Jean. A local could answer you more directly and I am sure that someone will.

I do know that Oak Ridge is about 30 some miles from Maryville and the morning and afternoon commute is pretty busy. I assume your husband would try to transfer to the B&W site.

They are both lovely towns with lots to offer. But, they are quite different, so it would really depend on what you are looking for in a new hometown. What are your interests? How close to major shopping do you want to be? Do you have school age children? I am sure you get the picture.

Any open ended opinions will be based on whomever is answering your post. This is about you and your family. If you can be specific about what you require in your new town, it will be much easier for all to help you out.

Best wishes in your search. We hope to be living in the area by year's end!

[DarlaJean]

I like a town that has a small town feel but still close to everything. Good schools. I have one left in high school. Clean and charming.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by DarlaJean

I like a town that has a small town feel but still close to everything. Good schools. I have one left in high school. Clean and charming.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "small town feel" since that could mean different things to different people. I don't think either Maryville or Oak Ridge has that kind of a feel. Oak Ridge doesn't even have a downtown, just a near-empty mall where downtown would be. Maryville does have a quaint downtown, but the rest of the town feels much larger with tons of shopping centers, lots of traffic (particularly during tourist season), a bunch of restaurants. It's also right next to the Knoxville airport.

The schools are excellent in both towns. Property taxes are cheaper in Maryville. Maryville is also more convenient to downtown Knoxville, U.T., and the Smoky Mountains.

Of the two, I prefer Maryville, but others could probably make a good argument for Oak Ridge.

[DarlaJean]

Maryville sounds so nice. I love a place that has a quaint downtown, but yet you have access to everything you need. I guess what I mean is I don't want that huge city feel. The town we live in Ohio is so depressed, I don't think it will ever come back. It was once a great place, but the last 20 years has taken a toll. How is the manufacturing industry around there including Knoxville? How is the housing market. Can you find a reasonable price on a 3-4 bedroom house in a nice neighborhood?

[bbkaren]

I was gonna say that too--unless you come from a larger city, Maryville and Oak Ridge aren't what I'd call "small towns". More like "small city".

A lot of your questions would be answered by using the "search" function on this forum, and also by just poking around here.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by DarlaJean

Maryville sounds so nice. I love a place that has a quaint downtown, but yet you have access to everything you need. I guess what I mean is I don't want that huge city feel. The town we live in Ohio is so depressed, I don't think it will ever come back. It was once a great place, but the last 20 years has taken a toll. How is the manufacturing industry around there including Knoxville? How is the housing market. Can you find a reasonable price on a 3-4 bedroom house in a nice neighborhood?

There are several manufacturers in the region. Maryville is blessed to have some manufacturers that have actually expanded in the last few years, in particular Denso, a Japanese company.

I'm not sure what you would consider to be a "reasonable price" so your best bet would be to go to realtor.com and do a search for 3-4 bedroom houses in Maryville. There's really no such thing as a bad neighborhood in Maryville (or Oak Ridge, for that matter) so pretty much anything you find should be in a nice neighborhood.

Good luck!

[knoxmomma]

I think Maryville has a bit more character. Maryville, Oak Ridge, and Knoxville have essentially blended into one big metro area. I work every week in all three areas. Maryville to Oak Ridge probably 25 minutes now on the Pellissippee Parkway. You could also consider West Knoxville which is close to both.

[Chrisgirl]

I have spent hours upon hours researching our move and this site has been wonderful. Thank you wonderful people for all of your input! My husband was offered a job at ORNL so we will be moving soon. I have to finish the year teaching preschool and my second grader finishes in June, so husband may have to go first. We have narrowed it down to Maryville or Oak Ridge. Schools and safety are important to us, so we're really torn. I read that Maryville to ORNL is about a 50 minute drive. Is that about right? We may have to rent for a while in OR until we can decide where to live. I'll be trying to sell our home here in VA. So excited to be coming to TN, but sad to be leaving my hometown and family and friends. TN here we come! If anyone has any more advice on the two cities or where to rent in OR, I'm all ears. Thanks!

[knoxmomma]

Depends on which specific lab, but I don't think it takes 50 minutes from Maryville to ORNL unless there is a lot of traffic.