Old member, new goals... (Knoxville, Maryville: real estate, hotel, home)

[MissTheMountains]

Funny how time changes things. Originally posted on this forum with high hopes of moving to the Boise area. Home prices are no longer where they were and some of our goals have changed.

Quick background: I've lived numerous places but I've spent most of my life in various upstate NY locations but have been in TX the last 15 years. My wife has been in TX her entire life (40+ years). We're both tired of it here, both ready for a change and for a little bit slower pace. Looking for a decent sized city with a decent economy but with access to nature (hiking, woods, etc.) as well as ease of travel to family in NY, TX and NC. I'm sick of the summers here and ready for someplace with milder summer temperatures. From the research I've done, Knoxville seems like it would fit all of those requirements pretty well.

We've never been to Knoxville so we're looking forward to visiting and hoping we fall in love with it. It seems to have a good mix of culture, economy, nature, etc. I've read through a few posts on the forum, watched a few YouTube videos, and looked at real estate online and we're pretty hopeful.

I don't have any specific questions as of yet, but do appreciate any responses and feedback.

[creeksitter]

Texas is a big state. follow the weather statistics to find our typical heat and humidity during the summer. Find a Texas day that matches those stats and ask yourselves: is this enough of a change?

[MissTheMountains]

Thank you for the input. The weather transition may not be as big of a perk as we were hoping for...hard to tell until we're there I guess.

Just booked a trip for the end of October for a few days.

[NJDevil]

I've never been to Texas....don't know what your summers are like. But I lived in FL for 10 years. I believe we just set a record here of the most 90+ days on record in one year. I don't know if that's just east TN or all of TN or all of our tri-state area. When it's that hot, the humidity is stifling (to me). Roofers aren't dying, so it's manageable somehow. But, I guess we have a nicer range of seasons than you do in TX.

[Barking Spider]

October will give you about the best weather we have. If you want to get a feel for what its like when its not so great, come in July or August.
Before I moved here from CA, I charted the weather in KNoxville for a year, and determined that July was the worst (for me), and we visited for a week. Summers here are hot and humid. Maybe not as bad as other places, but they are much worse than I experienced in So CA. I've been here since 94, so I tolerate them. But a lot of my work is outside (and in attics), so it sucks for me in the summer.

[llsmith42]

Just an FYI, Knoxville, itself shouldn't be too crowded in October (unless it's a game day), but if you plan on visiting the Smokey Mountains nearby, just be prepared for very heavy traffic and high hotel rates.

[piedmont]

Pluses for your list:

-There are direct flights to LaGuardia and to Dallas from Knoxville. NC is an easy drive away
-There are lots of woods and hiking opportunities in E TN. It's a good place to enjoy a range of hiking, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, etc.
-I moved here from central North Carolina. While it is still humid here, it is routinely 5 degree cooler than where I used to live---and that does make a difference! We have a hot summer, but very few days above 95 F. "Normal" summer temps are in the upper 80s.

I find winter very overcast and unattractive here. It is 5 degrees cooler than RTP NC and due to the large number of deciduous trees (rather than pines), it is often grey and colorless looking in winter. That's what you get for some nice color in the fall.

[MissTheMountains]

Thanks for the responses.

I lived in Virginia near the Smokies and loved them so don't plan on taking time out on this trip to see them. This will be more to see how we like the city/area.

They're was a thread I came across of things to do and see while in Knoxville...just need to try and locate it.

[MissTheMountains]

Originally Posted by piedmont

Pluses for your list:

-There are direct flights to LaGuardia and to Dallas from Knoxville. NC is an easy drive away
-There are lots of woods and hiking opportunities in E TN. It's a good place to enjoy a range of hiking, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, etc.
-I moved here from central North Carolina. While it is still humid here, it is routinely 5 degree cooler than where I used to live---and that does make a difference! We have a hot summer, but very few days above 95 F. "Normal" summer temps are in the upper 80s.

I find winter very overcast and unattractive here. It is 5 degrees cooler than RTP NC and due to the large number of deciduous trees (rather than pines), it is often grey and colorless looking in winter. That's what you get for some nice color in the fall.

That's good to know, thank you.

I don't know that "the perfect" spot exists, so those may just be some of the tradeoffs we have to live with. I'm hopeful that the charm of the city, the access to outdoor activities, proximity to family, and a bit of a slower pace will offset any negatives.

[songinthewind7]

I love Knoxville. My late husband and I moved there in 1994 for about a year to decide where we wanted to live. Neither of us like cities to live so we were looking for a smaller area to live.

We chose Maryville and lived there for 11 years. I no longer live in the area but am planning on moving back to E. Tn. or W. NC in a couple of years.

I've lived in Tx. also and the heat was unbearable for me. Tn. has more of the 4 season feel. Yes, it gets hot but it's not as hot as central Tx.....at least that's my opinion.

The peak leaf season is going to be around the time you're planning your trip so it may be more crowded than usual if you plan on seeing any of the leaf change.

It's also football season and Tn. loves the Volunteers. You say you're planning a trip. You may want to book a motel/hotel in advance. Be prepared to wait to eat in the restaurants on the weekend when the Vols are playing. We learned that the hard way.

There is W. Knoxville and E. Knoxville. The west side is more built up whereas the east side is more countryish if that helps.