New arrival seeking creative employment and studio space.

[hiknapster]

For the size of the city and the taxes that we pay, our greenway is pretty good and getting better.

And it's not like Knoxville is a concrete jungle. There are lots of trees and parks. Go down to Sequoyah and hang out. It's gorgeous.

What else do you do besides eat, shop and go to the movies?

Are you kidding?

This Saturday, there is a historic festival downtown. There will be a historic timeline with the Cherokees, Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War II eras represented as well as a cop from about 1900.

The East Tennessee Historical Society will have two beautiful exhibits.

Live music will be presented all day at Market Square.

The trolley will bring people around to several different historical homes.

And it is all free!

And if that completely bores you, head over to World's Fair Park for the Irish Festival.

This all off the top of my head, but it should be pretty accurate.

Pick up the paper or go online. There are lots of things to do.

I'm very, very progressive.

Sure I can move to Boston and be surrounded by people just like me. However, it is very, very expensive and the people just won't cut it, anymore. I am spoiled by very friendly people. And it's nice to listen to a different point of view.

Cheer up! Knoxville has a lot to offer you if you just let it in.

Originally Posted by greeneman1963

I don't mean to be a moan-er. I just can't fathom why anyone would want to leave a modern, progressive city and move here!

Bearden makes me happy to live in Knoxville. I want to sell my house in West Knoxingtonville and move to Bearden. Especially since they have the new Earthfare there. It is so Bohemian!

Sorry about the Chattanooga & Asheville reference. I have never lived there, so I cannot really judge it against K-town. I am sure it is just as boring. When you put it like that, it does seem like Knoxville does seem to be changing for the better. Sometimes I get discouraged that we don't really have anything to draw anyone to want to come here (look at the empty convention center downtown that we are paying taxes on) I mean, shopping is all well and good as long as you have the money. If you take out eating, shopping and going to the movies, what else is there to do? If we had a decent park system like Maryville, I would be much happier.

Friends have said "why don't you move"? The thing is, Knoxville is still better than living in the smaller towns around it. I mean, oh my gosh, if I had to live in some place like New Market or Wartburg.... whew, it is frightening to even think about that. Maybe I will just shut up now and count my blessings...

[VolDude]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Yeah. Really.

Chattanooga has a bit of a cool vibe, but it is mostly smoke and mirrors created by tourist venues.

In other words, it has a nice riverfront with the aquariums, DUCKS tour and the art museum. But the cool vibe is up next to the museum and spotty throughout the rest of the city. It doesn't feel like it has soul.

Knoxville seems to be growing from Market Square outward. And it is marching along, right down into Bearden, up through the Old City and into Broadway through Fourth and Gill and beyond, even through the recession.

It has a less fabricated feel. It's real people that have decided to give it a go and it is exciting, like we are all in on something right from the beginning.

I moved here four years ago and whined incessantly about chain restaurants, bleah, bleah, bleah. I started to find more and more fabulous places as more and more moved in. I'm glad I stayed.

Well said. Chattanooga's too married to tourism.