South Knox It Is (Knoxville, Kingston: middle-class, appointed, apartments)

[NewToKnox]

Many thanks to all who replied to my posts a few weeks ago regarding rental housing in Knoxville. I just thought I would follow up to say that I ended up renting a two-bedroom townhouse in South Knoxville, and I am (so far) very pleased with where I ended up.

I originally thought I would like to live in Bearden, and I still am fond of that neighborhood, but I was disappointed with all of the individual places for rent that I happened to see there. Also, on the north side of Kingston Pike, a number of places were close enough to I-40 that there was significant highway noise.

I cannot believe how nice my place is in South Knox, for the price -- it is far nicer than any other complex I saw on the north side of the river for the same price range, and although my apartment itself has no view, the surrounding area is gorgeous -- it is maybe a five-minute drive through beautiful countryside to the IJAMS Nature Center. Even better for me, it is a five-minute drive from downtown and a ten-minute drive to UT. I can't believe, actually, that South Knox is cheaper than West Knox. In a larger metro area like San Francisco or Boston, a neighborhood so close to downtown but so quiet and serene, if it existed at all, would cost mega-bucks. I've started to think of South Knox as Sequoyah Hills for middle-class people. The one negative is that I understand there is little or no bus service, so driving or biking will be necessary for my commute.

A few other things:

- I didn't drive that much through South Knox overall, so maybe I just ended up in a nice part of it -- I really don't know. Or maybe I will be rudely awakened after I move in. But I have really liked what I've seen so far.

- I spent a lot of time researching apartments online in advance, and I now think that was mostly a waste of time. I'm beginning to think that the complexes that invest in a large online presence with the "find-an-apartment" web sites probably do that because they have to... the quality places probably fill up quickly without needing to advertise much. Craigslist is useful for finding smaller complexes or places owned by individuals, but those places tend to be taken fast (if they are nice) once the ad is posted. So although online research is good for finding out about neighborhoods, as far as finding actual places (for renting), there is probably no substitute for doing a local, in-person search. In the end I did find my place through craigslist -- the ad was posted one evening, and I was there and signed a lease the next morning.

3) Having said all that, for someone who needed to sign a lease without actually visiting Knoxville, the following link might be helpful (scroll down):
http://ft.ornl.gov/ft-visitors.html

Thanks again to everyone who posted replies before... and if anyone wants to chime in with additional information or thoughts about South Knox, please do!

I move for good week after next. See you all soon -- so to speak.

[JMT]

Welcome to Knoxville! I'm glad you found a place that you like!

I agree with you, South Knoxville is a hidden jewel around here. I really think the only reason it's so cheap is because it lacks some of the creature comforts of the rest of Knoxville (Target, Wal-Mart, stuff like that). And, right or wrong, I think South Knoxville has a reputation of being a bit rough around the edges. I happen to like neighborhoods like that, but I guess I'm in the minority.

At any rate, welcome! I hope you'll keep us posted on how you're settling in.

[RangerDuke08]

That's good to hear professor, I'll actually be renting in Old North Knox for a few months but will be looking at a house to purchase in South Knox. Good luck with everything and the new school year, don't forget to catch a ball game, Go Vols!

[creeksitter]

Ssshhh, be quiet, we want to keep it serene.

[goodbyehollywood]

I like South Knoxville, too. I own some land there and had planned to build.

I think one of the biggest problems with South Knoxville is the schools. Families simply do not want their kids in that school district and private school is a big expense. But some of the neighborhoods are lovely.

[creeksitter]

The schools are not horrible, but they aren't the best either.

[RangerDuke08]

hollywood and creeksitter, what is wrong with the public schools in South Knox?

[mysticfire0213]

Originally Posted by RangerDuke08

hollywood and creeksitter, what is wrong with the public schools in South Knox?

I would like to hear the thoughts on this as well...we haven't even considered the area AT ALL because everyone has warned u how horrible the schools are...and I am just not willing to compromise. If we could afford private school that may be one thing, but we certainly cannot. So by the schoold being "bad"...I would like to hear in what aspect?

NewToKnox---Welcome to Knoxville!!!

[NewToKnox]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

Ssshhh, be quiet, we want to keep it serene.

Yeah, I guess that is a worry! I probably shouldn't make too much noise over a good thing.

[creeksitter]

Yeah, I don't understand the perception that the schools are bad. There are plenty of educated & upper middle class folks who send their kids to the public schools. There are also "at-risk" kids that bring the scores down. Maybe it's the economic integration that outsiders object to. The middle school did have a problem with discipline a few years back but I understand that's been solved by a new principal.