A new yorker in TN? (Memphis, Knoxville: fit in, crime rate, hotels)

[insanesmooch]

I'm cheating and copying my post from a previous one:
I have rarely attended church and the subject has hardly ever come up. When my husband and I moved to our house in Northeast TN, our neighbor came over and told us her and her husband are missionaries. She never even asked us about church or told us about hers. About the only times I can remember being invited to church was when I was in school and friends wanted me to go to special things at their churches. Most of my family does not go to church and I've not had all that many friends go to church. At a previous job I had, we all had to work on Sunday so there weren't really any church goers there. Mind you, I am not a social butterfly so I don't know tons of people so maybe there is pressure out there, but I have never really felt it. Some people may bring up God or Jesus, but I've not known too many people who will pound you into the ground with it.
I would say it would have to be a very small, rural place to be that hard core about church going.
The only real rebel flag I have ever seen would be the one with the Nathan Bedford Forest monument down 65. I think that was taken down though. Other than that you may see a sticker or something a the car of a 'redneck'. Unless you get deep in the small towns, I don't think there will be any problems. Mostly when people are teasing 'yankees' it is just playing around.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by relocatingfromli

Mbmouse -- Thank you very much.

Where abouts do you live now? Looking at school report data, we see (or think) that the following are good school districts:

Williamson County School (Franklin)
Maryville
Stewart County
OakRidge
Newport
Johnson City


All these places are probably scattered all over the place. I guess we would have to find a "not so small" town to live in.

Is the "LI" at the end, Long Island? What's "small" to you?

I'm from Long Island (40 years) but have lived in Maryland since 1995. I don't live in TN yet but Oak Ridge is looking like the place for me in retirement. Because of the Oak Ridge National Lab, and as is true in many government towns, my research indicates a lot of people come there from some place else because of their jobs and you'd probably be fine. I am also a fed and I'm also in research (not science).

From the newspaper stories I've read, the town is influenced by their science/technology/research people. I can see it in the course offerings, trips and for retirees and other interested adults. I can see it in their festivals and museums. I can see it in their building development. I can see it in their cardboard boat races. I can see it in the innovation that is going on at the lab reported in their newspaper stories and in tech type publications.

Their school district has no schools on the No Child Left Behind "needs improvement" list issued in August. Offspring Magazine honored the Oak Ridge Public School system as one of the top 100 school districts in the United States. Additionally, the system was rated number 2 in the Southeast.

The Oak Ridge hospital was just named one of the Top 50 hospitals in the nation by Total Benchmark Solutions (Colorado) for quality of services and it was the only hospital in the region to rank in the Top 50. For 3 years in a row, Health Insight (non-profit) named it the top hospital in Tennessee for heart attacks, heart failure or pnuemonia.

Oak Ridge sits on 85.5 square miles of land but the Oak Ridge reservation takes up 58 square miles of it meaning the approximate 28,000 people live on 27.5 square miles of land. That's a lot of land and that sounds un-congested to me. They have a lake, a marina, 3 golf courses, 1,282 acres of parkland and more than 1,300 acres of greenbelt, which are left in their natural state. Oak Ridge has dedicated 11 greenways. It's one of 3 US cities to annually host the US rowing nationals. The University of Tennessee

If also has a playhouse and a symphony orchestra.

I will be visiting there next month. I'll take some photos and post them when I get back. I like people of faith that aren't trying to kill us but I'm not a churchgoer.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by LauraC

The University of Tennessee

.

Jeez, first I duplicate posted (deleted the first message) and then didn't finish the sentence. It should say "The University of Tennessee runs an Arboretum there with 2,500 plant species."

[mhogan10010]

Originally Posted by Joe P

Yankees are 50/50, New Yorkers are considerably lower odds. Don't feel bad though, it's not the people in Tennessee. Heck, there are people all over the country that don't like New Yorkers. Even Iowa!

Boy that's for sure. Growing up in Detroit, I was a northerner but after moving to New York, it is like I grew horns or something.
When i lived in Eastern NC, it was very noticeable that they disliked New Yorkers, but especially New Jerseyites, more so than other Northerners.

[tismekll]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Is the "LI" at the end, Long Island? What's "small" to you?

I'm from Long Island (40 years) but have lived in Maryland since 1995. I don't live in TN yet but Oak Ridge is looking like the place for me in retirement. Because of the Oak Ridge National Lab, and as is true in many government towns, my research indicates a lot of people come there from some place else because of their jobs and you'd probably be fine. I am also a fed and I'm also in research (not science).

From the newspaper stories I've read, the town is influenced by their science/technology/research people. I can see it in the course offerings, trips and for retirees and other interested adults. I can see it in their festivals and museums. I can see it in their building development. I can see it in their cardboard boat races. I can see it in the innovation that is going on at the lab reported in their newspaper stories and in tech type publications.

Their school district has no schools on the No Child Left Behind "needs improvement" list issued in August. Offspring Magazine honored the Oak Ridge Public School system as one of the top 100 school districts in the United States. Additionally, the system was rated number 2 in the Southeast.

The Oak Ridge hospital was just named one of the Top 50 hospitals in the nation by Total Benchmark Solutions (Colorado) for quality of services and it was the only hospital in the region to rank in the Top 50. For 3 years in a row, Health Insight (non-profit) named it the top hospital in Tennessee for heart attacks, heart failure or pnuemonia.

Oak Ridge sits on 85.5 square miles of land but the Oak Ridge reservation takes up 58 square miles of it meaning the approximate 28,000 people live on 27.5 square miles of land. That's a lot of land and that sounds un-congested to me. They have a lake, a marina, 3 golf courses, 1,282 acres of parkland and more than 1,300 acres of greenbelt, which are left in their natural state. Oak Ridge has dedicated 11 greenways. It's one of 3 US cities to annually host the US rowing nationals. The University of Tennessee

If also has a playhouse and a symphony orchestra.

I will be visiting there next month. I'll take some photos and post them when I get back. I like people of faith that aren't trying to kill us but I'm not a churchgoer.

Great Information LauraC, thank you. I look forward to your pictures

[GrannyLois]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Oak Ridge sits on 85.5 square miles of land but the Oak Ridge reservation takes up 58 square miles of it meaning the approximate 28,000 people live on 27.5 square miles of land.

By the way, that is not an Indian reservation. I just wanted to make sure everyone knew that.

[CarolynB]

Hi LauraC

Thanks for the information on TN I am originally from LI NY also, and now live in S. Florida,,, we are looking to relocate to TN and are unsure of which area..
where exactly is Oak Ridge? Is sure sounds like you did your homework on this town Cannot wait to see the pictures and for you to give us more feedback on the area... we are also are going to visit next month...and look into different places in E. TN

[Mr. Bighead]

Originally Posted by mhogan10010

I grew up in Detroit and went to college in Nashville.
In Nashville I never had many problems other than the occasional Yankee joke.
However (I was one of those bible thumpers you are worried about) when I moved to a small town about an hour South of Nashville to pastor a small church, I ran into some hard core Anti-Yankee types out there. I mean some real, the south is gonna rise again types. I have a couple of stories, but don't want to unduly influence you.
Good luck if you make the move.

Lets here some stories. I want to be unduly influenced.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by CarolynB

Hi LauraC

Thanks for the information on TN I am originally from LI NY also, and now live in S. Florida,,, we are looking to relocate to TN and are unsure of which area..
where exactly is Oak Ridge? Is sure sounds like you did your homework on this town Cannot wait to see the pictures and for you to give us more feedback on the area... we are also are going to visit next month...and look into different places in E. TN

Oak Ridge is in Anderson County (actually a piece of it is in Roane County, too. It is to the immediate west of West Knoxville and Farragut (those two are in Knox County) and about 24 miles from downtown Knoxville.

It is known as The Secret City because during WWII, it was where the atomic bomb was created in secret. It is known for nuclear research and as the other poster said, the reservation is not an Indian reservation. It is the location of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a securty complex, and the East Tennessee Technology Park.

I don't know who is interested in taking classes when they retire but the reason I was primarily attracted to Oak Ridge is because of the classes (and trips) offered at the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning (they have their own website if you want to check out their Fall courses and trip activities - just Google ORICL) . ORICL is a sponsored by the State Community College so this is not a commercial for a private organization.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau have a 15 page outdoors photo gallery on this page of their website for anyone interested in the Oak Ridge area:

http://oakridgevisitor.com/outdoors.html

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by LauraC

The Convention and Visitors Bureau have a 15 page outdoors photo gallery on this page of their website for anyone interested in the Oak Ridge area:

http://oakridgevisitor.com/outdoors.html

I just want to add that there is a 29 page photo gallery (different photos) on this page of that same website:

http://oakridgevisitor.com/attractions.html