Any Norman Rockwell towns left in TN? (Knoxville, Franklin: apartment complex, houses)

[jody8423]

Or Mayberry towns?
With an ol’ fashioned downtown with cute shops/restaurants,
Front porches where you can sip sweet tea on a rocking chair,
Real friendly/nice people where the pace is just a little bit slower,
Folks wave and smile as you walk the dog,
A great place to raise a family that’s really safe and clean,
Any places like this still around?

[Wmsn4Life]

In books, maybe.
What you're describing sounds like a vacation, or a blurb from a brochure for a Disney planned community.
I noticed you posted this question in a couple of southern state forums. A lot of people from faraway areas have a romanticized vision of the south and hope they can move to a place that's like a movie set.
You can experience stuff like you described occasionally. But the reality of moving to a small town has been covered in many threads on this forum.

Just one example:
moving to tennessee

and this:
Why does so many people what to live here?

[Pam& Bill]

Perception and Nostalgia can be anywhere. Now to me, Norman Rockwell towns is Vermont. It has a distinct New England flavor. Mayberry? Well maybe it does exist, but you'll have to find it yourself. Front porches are on many houses in this country. You can buy the roocking chair and brew the sweet tea. Whether people wave and smile as you walk the dog, again is up to you.
My experience has been here in Knoxville, people are friendly and smile all the time. It isn't like most cities but more like an overgrown town. I meet some of my closest friends at the grocery store, never knew I had so many friends either. I wave, smile and talk to my neighbors walking dogs and I'm minus a rocking chair and front porch, I live in an apartment complex.
To wrap up what I'm attempting to say is this. Be open to find your ideal anywhere. It does exist, just in a different form from the tv versions. But it is something you'll need to discover for yourself. What may be one persons Mayberry could be your deliverance. This may not be helpful to you in pin pointing a location, but only you'll know it when you see it.
All the best,
Pam

[Wmsn4Life]

Originally Posted by Pam& Bill

What may be one persons Mayberry could be your deliverance.

BEST line I've read on here in a LONG time!!

[themudpuppy]

Originally Posted by Pam& Bill

What may be one persons Mayberry could be your deliverance.

Very well-said.

I always equated "small town" with "Mayberry town", and assumed I was moving to a nice Mayberry town. I ended up in a Deliverance town instead. Research, research, and research again before you pick a small town. They're not all the same, and all country folk aren't the same. You'll find many small towns with the nicest people in TN, and you'll find little pockets of the meanest people you never want to meet. But what is "unfriendly" or "mean" to one person could be considered "nice" to another. TN is no different from anywhere else. Some people might love my Deliverance town. I'm still looking for Mayberry.

[yank283]

You should check out Norris. It's north of Knoxville on I75. Very Mayberry like once you pass the new developement (Walmart etc) near the Interstate.

[sliverbox]

You should check out Norris. It's north of Knoxville on I75. Very Mayberry like once you pass the new developement (Walmart etc) near the Interstate.

I grew up near there. Its a small town that was built for TVA workers in the 30's. There's not really much of a town there. Nice old houses though.

[Mayor_McCheese]

Franklin used to be like that before it got so big. Still might have that charm you're looking for. I used to describe it as a small town feel with big city amenities.

[nashvols]

I think the image you're thinking of would really be reserved to the smallest towns in Tennessee, population 5,000 or fewer. One that comes to mind is Watertown.

[DonCorleone]

Westmoreland, Portland, Lafayette, Carthage all on the northeast side of town also come to mind.