Two month accommodation in Oak Ridge area (Knoxville, Bristol: extended stay, sales)

[obarriel]

Hi,

I will be working for two months at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Can somebody recommend me any accommodation for that time at that area? I am looking for somewhere that you can go walking to shops, safe and not much expensive.

I come from Europe, and I have never been in USA, so I don't know how all these things go over there.

Thank you very much!

[oldmanbob]

Welcome to our area, and your job at ORNL. You do not have many places that you could live in the Oak Ridge area, that you could also walk as you mentioned. You might want to visit Knoxville area, and its only an easy 20 minute drive to work.

[obarriel]

Ok, thank you for the information. Let's drop the walking condition and I suppose I can make the research a little wider (but not very far from ORNL). Any accommodation suggestion?

Thank you again!

[LauraC]

Does ORNL give you any suggestions? I ask because you aren't the only one to ask for this kind of info. It would be easier if you said ORNL suggested this, this and this and then we could offer our opinion on which is better. If you live here you probably wouldn't know anything about who offers two month leases.

[obarriel]

Thank you LauraC

I have been given the following suggestions:

Apartments

Brendon Park
9123 Grayland Drive, Knoxville, TN
Phone: (865) 693-0282
1 and 2 Bedroom; Unfurnished
$395-$560 Month - $150 Deposit - $25.00 Application Fee - $200 Pet Fee; these units are located in the Cedar Bluff Area (west Knoxville); on the City Bus Line (Ktrans; grocery store/shopping/movie theater nearby.

Castlewood
Arcadian Lane, Oak Ridge, TN
Phone: (865) 483-3794
2-Bedroom/ 1 ½ Bath, Furnished (Utilities not included)
$750 mo. - $200 Deposit, 3 month lease
These units are located on the East end of Oak Ridge; grocery store nearby.

Southhill Gardens
321 Virginia Road, Oak Ridge, TN
(865) 483-4323
2 Bedroom, Furnished, Laundry Facilities Available, Large Living Space w/Screened Porch (Maximum of 3 Occupants)
$900 mo - $50 Deposit - $300 Per Pet Fee - $50 Non-Refundable Cleaning Fee, 1 to 6 Month Lease
These units are located toward the west end of Oak Ridge, just off the Oak Ridge Turnpike; grocery store/shopping nearby.

Sunchase
790 Cedar Bluff Rd., Knoxville, TN
(865) 690-0495
1 and 2 Bedroom with washer/dryer connections
$465-$690 - $ 250 Deposit - Clubhouse with heated indoor pool; fitness center; professional business center; laundry center;
These units are located in west Knoxville, Cedar Bluff area; grocery store/shopping/movie theater nearby.

Tara Hills
101 Elmhurst Dr., Oak Ridge. TN
(865) 483-5564
1, 2, and 3 Bedroom, Unfurnished, Laundry Facilities Available
$475-$640 Month - $200 Security Deposit - $300.00 Pet Deposit - $25.00 Application Fee
These units are located in East-Central Oak Ridge; grocery store/shopping nearby.

Woodland View
315 Rutgers Ave., Oak Ridge, TN
(865) 483-4323
1 Bedroom, Furnished, Laundry Facilities Available
$625 mo. - $150 Security Deposit - $150 Pet Fee, 1-5 Month Lease (can sleep two occupants)
April 10, 2001

Hotel (Long-Term)

Candlewood
10206 Parkside Drive, Knoxville, TN
(865) 777-0400
Studio (weekly rate of $252.00) and 1 BR (weekly rate of $413.00); Full kitchen in suite; Free laundry facilities; fitness area
These units are located in West Knoxville, near the Mabry Hood exit.

Extended Stay America
Cedar Bluff, Knoxville, TN
(865) 694-4178
1 Bedroom (Queen) $219-$240 wk
These units are located in West Knoxville, in the Cedar Bluff area. Grocery store/shopping/movie theater nearby.

But these are generic suggestions. Some of them are not suitable for me, since I need something furnished.

Thank you again!

[LauraC]

I can't tell you anything about the Knoxville apartment complexes you listed.

Tara Hills is in a nice neighborhood, in my opinion. It's not too far from the lake. I did not look at those apartments because there is no washer/dryer connections inside the apartments but for a short stay, they may work out for you. Here are 2 photos taken on a weekday in July of this year.





I would not recommend Woodland View/The Manhattan, not because I know anything about the apartments but because there are a lot of arrests/crime on the street behind it - North Purdue. In fact, it used to have a North Purdue address instead of the current Rutgers (a main road) address. You want to research it under both names but if you google on Woodland View it will take you to The Manhattan website. Here's the website:

Apartments in Oak Ridge, TN - The Manhattan

You also might want to read comments on the apartment ratings website under both names:

The Manhattan Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Oak Ridge apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com

I'll be going outside in a little while and will snap a shot of the Castlewood apartments and post it. I have to find it, first.

For details about the apartments themselves you probably want the Knox Apartment Guide which you can read online and it includes Oak Ridge as well as Knoxville. If you have time to request one, I recommend it. You can do it online:

Find Your New Apartment (http://knoxvilleapartmentguide.com/map.htm - broken link)

The Knox Apt Guide says my own complex only offers 12 month leases or I would have recommended that one.

[obarriel]

Thank you very much LauraC,

I definitely discard Woodland View/The Manhattan. Their ratings and your comments are enough to prefer something else.

Your photos of Tara Hills are really good, I will try to find if these apartments are furnished or not.

Your post was really useful, I will check all the urls.

In fact I have two be there 2 months and 5 days, now I realize that perhaps these extra 5 days can be a problem, if these apartments are rented monthly

[Pimpy]

Tara Hills and Southhill Gardens will be your best bet. Safe, clean, convenient to restaurants and shopping, and less than a 10 minute commute to ORNL. Castlewood is also worth checking out.

Definitely stay away from anything with the word "Woodland" in it. That was a crime and drug neighborhood when I was growing up in the 1990's, and from what I hear, it's only gotten worse.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by LauraC

I'll be going outside in a little while and will snap a shot of the Castlewood apartments and post it. I have to find it, first.

Here's Castlewood. On the outside, it's a little rundown (lawn needs mowing).

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1... (broken link)

My 3 choices for Oak Ridge apartments would be Bristol Park, British Woods (same street as Tara Hills) and by the neighborhood alone, Tara Hills. But the first two aren't on your list so I'm guessing they don't do anything less than 12 month leases.

Rolling Hills, another complex, has been renovated but there is all kinds of road construction near there (widening the Turnpike in that area) so I have no photos.

[piedmont]

Hi-

For short term housing convenient to the lab, you might look into Corporate Quarters. We used them for a furnished apartment (ended up in Forest Ridge apartments in western Knox/Karns-Hardin Valley area) that was an easy 20 minute drive to ORNL.

Here are links:
Home
Forest Ridge - Apartments in Knoxville

Except for a few neighborhoods in downtown Knoxville, there is not much walkable housing/living here. That said, it might be fun for you to live in downtown Knox where there is more activity/restaurants/performances close to home. There are a number of loft apartments and given the slow sales market here, you might find something for a shorter term rental. Check out the Metro Pulse (local weekly paper) at Metro Pulse: Knoxville News, Issues, Entertainment, Culture, People for some contacts.

Good luck!