Need Some Area Advice (Knoxville, Johnson City: rentals, employment, to live in)

[northcountrygirl]

Hi Everybody! Some of you might remember me from my earlier posts on this forum when my husband and I were moving to Tennessee. Well, circumstances and life changes. It seems that I will now be coming to Tennessee alone. I am looking for an area somewhere between Nashville and the Tri-City area to call home. I will be going to Nashville in September to stay with a friend until I can get on my feet and find a place I really want to be. I'm looking for a rural area where I can rent for awhile. I would like to be out of town if possible or at least at the edge of town but still close enough to find work. I don't care what kind of work, just work. As I don't know Tennessee all that well, I was hoping that I could get some advice on where to start looking. I would like to stay in the northern part of TN and closer to east than west. I would appreciate any advice or suggestions I can get. Thanks

[alleycat]

Well, I think I would probably suggest driving from Nashville to Knoxville on the I-40 corridor, maybe taking a side trip or two; and then driving from Knoxville to the Tri-Cities area up I-81, taking a few side trip along the way there as well. There would take you to quite a few small (but not too small) towns such as Lebanon, Cookeville, Crossville, Greeneville, Morristown, etc. You would go from the rolling hills of Middle Tennesee up through the Cumberland Plateau and then alongside the mountains of East Tennessee.

You would get a general feel for what each area was like. Then you could go back and do more research on whatever area interested you the most. If you come in late September the leaves might be changing in East Tennessee by then, although I'm not sure how good the color is going to be this year with all the dry weather we've had.

[northcountrygirl]

Originally Posted by alleycat

Well, I think I would probably suggest driving from Nashville to Knoxville on the I-40 corridor, maybe taking a side trip or two; and then driving from Knoxville to the Tri-Cities area up I-81, taking a few side trip along the way there as well. There would take you to quite a few small (but not too small) towns such as Lebanon, Cookeville, Crossville, Greeneville, Morristown, etc. You would go from the rolling hills of Middle Tennesee up through the Cumberland Plateau and then alongside the mountains of East Tennessee.

You would get a general feel for what each area was like. Then you could go back and do more research on whatever area interested you the most. If you come in late September the leaves might be changing in East Tennessee by then, although I'm not sure how good the color is going to be this year with all the dry weather we've had.

Thanks alleycat. That gives me at least an area to start looking. I did get to see a tiny piece of the Cumberland Plateau when I was in Nashville last month. I got to go to the Fall Creek Falls State park. It was amazingly beautiful. I hope to see it all someday.

[hiknapster]

Oh no NCG! I just saw this!

If you are looking for any kind of work, I would stay away from the cities, which can be pricey. If you settle in a small town, you can probably get an affordable rental.

[happyappy]

Northcountrygirl,

I’m a newbie around these parts, but I’ve seen some beautiful and quaint areas around Cookeville and Monterey already. I don’t have knowledge of the employment situation, but I’ll be checking out housing and employment over the next couple of months for my son in preparation for his move out here in the Fall to go to TTU, so I’ll be more than happy to pass on what I find out.

SOMEDAY maybe we’ll be able to take a trip east to Knoxville and beyond and will check out some of those areas Alleycat mentioned.

Tennessee’s as a good a place as anywhere for adventure! Come on down!

[mbmouse]

I would suggest you look between Greene county and the Tri-Cities (which is Washington County and Sullivan County, 3 major (but not huge) cities are Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol) I gave you the names of the counties because you said you didn't want to live in the city. However, the further you get away from a city, the harder it is to find rentals. There are however more places to rent out in the county in Greene County and some rental complexes on the outskirts of the tri-cities. I could be wrong, but I did not see that in places like Knox County, Jefferson Co. Hamblin County etc.
But the Tri-Cities area seems to be a bit more convenient with road lay out so that you could find a rental out of city limits, more country atmosphere and yet still have relatively shorter drive for work.
Just a thought.

[Pathwalker]

Hey baby doll, I thought you were just interested in the Nashville area? I can tell you about some places in eastern TN that I think you'd LOVE. I'll do it via PM, though. I'll catch up with ya' soon.