East Knoxville (for sale, rentals, condo)

[MrsMtnsOnTheMind]

So what's the deal with East Knoxville? Some people think it is shady (crime), others say it depends on what street you are on. Is this where the old city is with the historic homes? Is there a "ghetto" per say in Knoxville? If I want an old victorian or craftsman house, am I going to have to drive through a bad neighborhood to get there?

The picture attached is what my daughter wants to live in, complete with sidewalks and close proximity to the neighbors. She said if she is being forced to move to TN (without a fight) she wants to live in this sort of neighborhood. My husband does not care where we live and neither does my son and I only require a patio or porch to sit out on at night and something close to the hospitals and college, so we are leaving it up to her. The homes that were featured in "Sleeping with the Enemy" with Julia Roberts, fit her ideal home to a T.

Okay so where do I look?

[knoxgarden]

You'll find homes like those in Old North Knoxville, a very vibrant area that's just north of downtown.
Historic Old North Knoxville
Some areas around Old North are more gentrified than others. Nothing comes close to a ghetto in Knoxville. There are more middle class and poorer folks in east Knoxville, running along Magnolia Avenue to the east of downtown. Parts of that area, called Park Ridge, are being gentrified.

[jabogitlu]

Knoxville does not have ghettos like the chemicalized, machinated cities of the northeast or the urban slums of the west coast, but there are some rough places you'll want to avoid. Directly east of downtown is bad and can get dicey quickly, out Magnolia Avenue (Parkridge / Park City as knoxgarden mentioned) and south of it.

The homes like the one you pictured are located directly north of downtown up Broadway, so you should have far less problems than if you were looking for a home in the east city. (Still, don't completely discount the area, especially Parkridge... IIRC parts of it are completely walkable to the Old City and beyond.)

[jabogitlu]

BTW A site you may want to check out is:

Knoxvillager :: Knoxville City Neighborhoods

[Karen Tippens]

don't leave it to your child to determine where you move to anywhere in the world. even if she is a grown adult. is it your money you will be spending or hers? not meant to be mean, but reality is reality re: $ sense, is it not?

I lived in K-Town for a lot of years, any section of town is ok, need to check it out though, not leave to your child to determine location where you move.

[hiknapster]

I'm on a list-serv for zip code 37917. Those homes are beautiful and they have been trying to gentrify the area for years. They are doing a wonderful job. However, the neighbors have had a really tough battle with homeless services in the area that bring in people wandering the streets, prostitution, burglaries and the like.

I don't want to paint a picture of "big city" crime because it is not quite that bad, but depending on where you live, and it can change from street to street, you may have issues. There are a lot of complaints about items being stolen from porches, including plants!

I am like your daughter. I wanted a house like that. We really looked in that area, but in the end, because of the area schools and the continued problems, we bought in Fountain City.

There are other areas in the city that offer houses like that, such as Fountain City, where the schools are better and there are much less problems.

[MrsMtnsOnTheMind]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I'm on a list-serv for zip code 37917. Those homes are beautiful and they have been trying to gentrify the area for years. They are doing a wonderful job. However, the neighbors have had a really tough battle with homeless services in the area that bring in people wandering the streets, prostitution, burglaries and the like.

I don't want to paint a picture of "big city" crime because it is not quite that bad, but depending on where you live, and it can change from street to street, you may have issues. There are a lot of complaints about items being stolen from porches, including plants!

I am like your daughter. I wanted a house like that. We really looked in that area, but in the end, because of the area schools and the continued problems, we bought in Fountain City.

There are other areas in the city that offer houses like that, such as Fountain City, where the schools are better and there are much less problems.

Hik.....so are you saying that you looked in Old North Knoxville when you were first looking for a house or did you look more in East Knoxville? Spell it out for me. The zip code that you listed, is it the Old North Knoxville. I have no idea about zip codes or what areas they represent.

My daughter is homeschooled so school's aren't an issue for us. Since she is home most of the time, she wants to feel safe and our neighborhood is an important aspect in her daily life. So are you saying that Old North Knoxville is safe?

[hiknapster]

37917 is the whole area within the 640 loop, or most of it. Yes, I considered Old North Knoxville. Instead, I went outside the loop into Fountain City. How are those links for the homes working for you? Does it give you a better idea of the layout.

I am trying to spell it out for you and help you as best that I can.

[nancy thereader]

Are there any townhouses scattered through that beautiful area?

[creeksitter]

There are a very few townhouses in Fourth & Gill but they have not been renovated and are being maintained as rentals. Brownlow school is being renovated currently and has units for sale if you like the condo lifestyle.

Also consider at Park Place - a converted school in Parkridge. It's a dicier neighborhood but the community is gated and offers more amenities. Lots of really cool 2 story units there. The neighborhood isn't necessarily dangerous in the daytime, and does have some of the gentrified Victorians a couple of blocks away.