What do you LIKE and DISLIKE about living in Knoxville? (Chattanooga: school, metro)

[Pam& Bill]

Originally Posted by bfskinnerpunk

The Weather:
Yes, Knoxville has cool breezy summers compared to Florida or Southern Georgia. I do remember some time in South Carolina, and the summers' there were hot, too.

But the full blown, stanky, humid, hot heat of these areas is not just an occasional thing... it is relentless.... day and night. Walk your dog and 3am if you wish, and you will come home sweaty.

Here in Knoxville, I really like that on any given day, we get nice breaks from the heat. Sure, we have plenty of hot days, but hope is never lost.

I remember last August, we had days that felt like fall days... it was unbelievable. Even yesterday, a guy in the barber shop said, "it's a hot one, eh?". Nope. Not at all.

Just to be clear, is anyone suggesting that today (June 26) is "hot"?

BF

June 26, just came in from walking the dog. No humidity and not hot....beautiful weather, breezy and comfortable.
Pam

[MrsMtnsOnTheMind]

Everybody just rub it in!

[creeksitter]

Oh gosh yes, there are plenty of places in Knoxville where you can see the Smoky mountains. I'd put it between 10 and 20% of the streets. Just coming down Broadway near Gill you can see them. I-40 around west town (gawking not advisable if you're driving) Western Ave near shoneys... just a few of the more well travelled routes. That is, of course, if the air is clear.

But it's not among the mountains like Asheville. Myself I like the perspective. Increases the grandeur.

[robnktown]

I personally have work/stayed in Chattanooga and that city can't touch Knoxville for what it has become over the years compared to Knoxville!
Knoxville downtown is lame and undeveloped.They want it otherwise but it just isn't happening without the right people in power to make it happen.Knoxville politics is like a circus with all the commisioners and the sunshine fiasco and P card issues.As long as this town has these issues ongoing without replacing the right people that care more about this town than themselves Knoxville isn't going anywhere in the future!

Look how long it took to complete the smart fix 40 project when it should've been completed years ago.They let some portion of a telephone company building get in the way of completing an interstate system for 6 lanes through down town.You'd think with the World's fari in '82 that the fix would've been in the works during that time with proper planning for the future?

Head down to Chattanooga and compare what Knoxville should have at this point going for them in comparison!

The outlook for Knoxville and it's revitalization will need people not more politics of what were getting that want more for this city than for themselves to get Knoxville what Chattanooga has going for them.Take a trip to downtown Chattanooga and post on here!

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by robnktown

I personally have work/stayed in Chattanooga and that city can't touch Knoxville for what it has become over the years compared to Knoxville!
Knoxville downtown is lame and undeveloped.They want it otherwise but it just isn't happening without the right people in power to make it happen.Knoxville politics is like a circus with all the commisioners and the sunshine fiasco and P card issues.As long as this town has these issues ongoing without replacing the right people that care more about this town than themselves Knoxville isn't going anywhere in the future!

Look how long it took to complete the smart fix 40 project when it should've been completed years ago.They let some portion of a telephone company building get in the way of completing an interstate system for 6 lanes through down town.You'd think with the World's fari in '82 that the fix would've been in the works during that time with proper planning for the future?

Head down to Chattanooga and compare what Knoxville should have at this point going for them in comparison!

The outlook for Knoxville and it's revitalization will need people not more politics of what were getting that want more for this city than for themselves to get Knoxville what Chattanooga has going for them.Take a trip to downtown Chattanooga and post on here!

I read your other post and can't figure out if you settled in Chatty or Knox. At any rate, this is about what you like and dislike about Knox; not necessarily a comparison of two cities. Just to clarify, the Smart FIX 40 project was a state of TN thing (TDOT) and not Knoxville. Also keep in mind that Knox Co politics are a mess for the most part, but the City of Knoxville, arguably, has a better political system and Mayor Haslam is head and shoulders above the county Mayor. I do think downtown Knoxville has a lot going for it and the Gay Street project currently underway is going to further re-development.

[goodbyehollywood]

Wow, Robnktown, I really hope you didn't go to school in Knoxville. I couldn't understand your post-- much less why you posted it here-- but I think you like Chattanooga better than Knoxville. That's cool, but a command of the English language matters in both cities. No sense having a point if you can't articulate it. But, hey, enjoy ctown!

[jabogitlu]

I think downtown Knoxville has missed the boat on several major opportunities - one of them was obviously locating the Smokies Stadium in downtown, an amenity which many cities (including Chattanooga) with an active and vibrant downtown enjoy.

The Gay St. development is nice, and hopefully Marble Alley will push through and also that tower at the old News-Sentinel site.

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by robnktown

I personally have work/stayed in Chattanooga and that city can't touch Knoxville for what it has become over the years compared to Knoxville!
Knoxville downtown is lame and undeveloped.They want it otherwise but it just isn't happening without the right people in power to make it happen.Knoxville politics is like a circus with all the commisioners and the sunshine fiasco and P card issues.As long as this town has these issues ongoing without replacing the right people that care more about this town than themselves Knoxville isn't going anywhere in the future!

Look how long it took to complete the smart fix 40 project when it should've been completed years ago.They let some portion of a telephone company building get in the way of completing an interstate system for 6 lanes through down town.You'd think with the World's fari in '82 that the fix would've been in the works during that time with proper planning for the future?

Head down to Chattanooga and compare what Knoxville should have at this point going for them in comparison!

The outlook for Knoxville and it's revitalization will need people not more politics of what were getting that want more for this city than for themselves to get Knoxville what Chattanooga has going for them.Take a trip to downtown Chattanooga and post on here!

So much for the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce plug. Knoxville/Knox County has always had the better of Chattanooga/Hamilton County going back to the 1960's, when the two counties were of similar size. Knox County now has about 100k+ more population than Hamilton County. That growth is "ONE" indicator of Knox's greater desirability.

[hiknapster]

Chattanooga is a fabulous success story. The city went from Walter Cronkite declaring it, in 1969, the dirtiest city in the country to creating a beautiful riverfront. It was so filthy that gentlemen would have to go home at lunch to change their white shirts. Now it has a beautiful aquarium and an art museum on a bluff overlooking the Tennessee River.

It is so nice that we wanted to move there.

The problem is it may be one of those places that translates into a great vacation area but not the best place to live. The two biggest problems that we found were very few job opportunities and terrible schools. That was in 2005. We passed it over and moved to Knoxville.

Now, I am quite sure that when the VW plant is opened that more jobs will be created, but until then I still don't see a lot of job opportunities in the area.

And something has got to be done about those schools. The fact that nothing has been done is a huge concern, too. Why the heck not? Is there that much of a lack of concern over education?

That's very troubling.

And finally, over the past few years I have dealt with thousands of people in Knoxville and Chattanooga. I'll take Knoxvillians any day and so will my colleagues. I don't know why there is such a difference, but there is.

Sometimes you end up where you least expect and sometimes that turns out to be right where you need to be. I'm glad we moved to Knoxville.

[bfskinnerpunk]

I haven't ever stopped in Chattanooga, but the school systems there probably have to compete with Georgia just over the border.
The Georgia school system probably gets their pick of the finest of Chattanooga due to the increased pay available.
That may, partly, play a role in their school issues.