Tell me something you don't like/concerns you about Knoxville & surrounding areas (Cleveland: sales, mobile home)

[raitch in michigan]

What are the things I need to consider before relocating to knoxville area??
In me last post someone stated I should have 6 month savings if I don't have a job already when I get to knoxville. I have the savings but is that true???
Will it take 6 months to get a job in this area???

[JMT]

Originally Posted by raitch in michigan

What are the things I need to consider before relocating to knoxville area??
In me last post someone stated I should have 6 month savings if I don't have a job already when I get to knoxville. I have the savings but is that true???
Will it take 6 months to get a job in this area???

It might not take you 6 months to get a job, but there are always more expenses involved in moving than we realize. And it's better safe than sorry. You'll be much better off if you have 6 months in savings and don't have to use it all than if you have only 3 months in savings and run out.

The unemployment rate has gone up in the Knoxville area. While it's lower than Michigan's, it's still higher than it used to be, and our job market is pretty tight. Plus, we have a whole bunch of college students and recent college grads who are willing to work for peanuts to stay here among the mountains and in the shadows of the University of Tennessee.

Tennessee's state taxes are very low, but that also means that state employees aren't paid nearly as well as our counterparts in the North.

As hik pointed out, our housing costs aren't nearly as cheap as they used to be or as cheap as some people think they should be. You can still find some deals (I paid only $70k for my house 2 years ago) but it's becoming increasingly difficult. On the other hand, unlike most big cities, you can live in a small, older home in Knoxville's inner-city and be in a "safe" neighborhood. I live in one of those inner-city neighborhoods where homes are cheap and there's pretty much zero crime.

Knoxville is a wonderful city, but it's not Shangri-La. I love it here and many of my city-data friends love it here, too, but you shouldn't take our word for it.

[charz]

We've been here two months and my husband hasn't had any job prospects as yet, so it could be true.

[BarbG]

We moved here Sept 1, 2005, and I went to work (for the company I'm still employed with) on Dec 5, 2005. My hubby had work by Jan 1, 2006. It takes time to find a job you are going to stay in. You can probably find a transitional job faster, but we didn't want to have to change jobs if we didn't have to. Especially in this economy, you would want 6 months of savings.

[raitch in michigan]

Thanks Barb
I have a had time wrapping my brian around the idea that if your willing to take transition work till you land the job you can't find a job.
Thanks for the encouraging word.
I'm so glad to here all the imput.

Raitch

[Maclean]

Here are a couple links that might be useful.

www.viewsandvisits.com
www.knoxvillechamber.com
www.cityofknoxville.org
www.knoxville.com/

I hope this helps in giving you an idea about Knoxville. What part of Michigan are you moving from?

[piedmont]

In general, wages and salaries are much lower here than on the east coast, up north or out west. Plan accordingly.

There is much less diversity of highly skilled, highly paid work than in some info tech/research centers of the country (including the triangle of NC, where I'm from).

The lower your income, the greater percent of your income will go to tax. This is because there is no state income tax and the primary taxes are sales tax based. This is a regressive tax system. "Good" for the wealthy, not so good for people of modest income.

Air quality is mixed. Parts of the greater Knox area can be quite smoggy in summer.

Culturally, this area as a whole is less diverse and less educated than many smallish urban centers out west, up north or back east.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by piedmont

Culturally, this area as a whole is less diverse and less educated than many smallish urban centers out west, up north or back east.

Less diverse? How so?

I'm so sick and tired of people who assume that our Appalachian culture, our "country" culture really isn't culture.

Knoxville has a very good symphony. Does Cleveland have good bluegrass?

Knoxville has a nice art museum. Does Syracuse have a museum devoted to the history of frontier mountain living?

Knoxville has good sushi. Does Providence have good barbeque?

I submit that Knoxville's cultural scene is very diverse, certainly more than many Northern cities who turn their noses up at our Southern culture.

Like it or not, our mountain, country culture really is culture. You may not like it, but there's absolutely no need to dismiss it altogether.

Also, what is so horrible about being "less educated"? Do you only eat food that was grown and prepared by people with doctorates?

I've lived in highly educated areas and have endured the stupid rules that those highly educated people try to impose on everyone else (hello socialism). I teach at a large university here, surrounded by highly educated people. No thank you. I'd rather live around hard-working (and no, college professors are not hard-working), salt of the earth people who actually work by the sweat of their brows rather than get paid to sit in their air-conditioned offices telling the rest of us how to live. Besides, I'd be willing to bet that our Oak Ridge has a higher percentage of college graduates than anywhere in the Research Triangle or--gasp--up North.

The nice thing about Knoxville is that it is a VERY diverse city. And no, having a different skin color does not make one diverse. If you want the symphony, Knoxville has it. If you want to go square dancing, Knoxville has it. If you want the ballet, Knoxville has it. If you want to go to a Gospel concert, Knoxville has it. If you want to hobnob with lots of super intelligent people with PhD's, Knoxville has it. If you want to hang out with joe schmoes in their mobile homes, Knoxville has it. If you want to join a conservative evangelical church, Knoxville has it. If you want to go to a gay club, Knoxville has it.

Want Greek food? Knoxville has it. Grits? Knoxville has it. Sushi? Knoxville has it. Belgian frites? Knoxville has it. I bet you'd be hard pressed to find catfish, hushpuppies and biscuits with gravy in Palo Alto.

[Beretta]

JMT, you are absolutely correct, as usual. Don't worry about those that don't live here that try to pontificate about the area. Bless their hearts. Don't feed the trolls.

[TheShadow]

JMT - good points. I think Piedmont was using "diverse" in the PC sense. Diverse is PC-speak for ethnically mixed. And in his/her defense, he did say "as a whole" it was less diverse. I think I would agree with that statement. The less educated part, well I don't really know about that. There are an awful lot of uneducated people everywhere, doesn't make them good or bad.