Loved Our Tn Vacation - Cookeville/Crossville! (Knoxville, Bristol: home, best schools)

[leonard]

OK, we spent the day in Cookeville.

The area is beautiful and the city is nice, but a bit sprawly. I was a bit disappointed in it. The remarks I had read made it sound a bit different than reality.

Mind you I do like it. However from descriptions I expected more. In descriptions it sounded like Cookeville had a beautiful downtown. Not the case. Nice and about what you would expect from a "working" town, VS a tourist oriented town. Everything was kept up, but not what we expected. Lebanon's downtown was nicer in that regard, but it is really not a good comparrison.

That being said, I looked at several areas North of Nashville and could easily live in Cookeville rather than there. I and my wife will be checking a few other areas in the next few days, but we still prefer areas like Cookeville.

I can appreciate many of the comments about Cookeville that have been made on the forum and may have been expecting too much.

The people we met were great and that is really of far greater importance in any event. Mind you that is what we experienced everywhere in Tennessee, so not unique to Cookeville.

Tomorrow more beautiful countryside and friendly people. I am getting soooo spoiled. after living in So Cal for far too long.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by leonard

OK, we spent the day in Cookeville.

The area is beautiful and the city is nice, but a bit sprawly. I was a bit disappointed in it. The remarks I had read made it sound a bit different than reality.

Mind you I do like it. However from descriptions I expected more. In descriptions it sounded like Cookeville had a beautiful downtown. Not the case. Nice and about what you would expect from a "working" town, VS a tourist oriented town. Everything was kept up, but not what we expected. Lebanon's downtown was nicer in that regard, but it is really not a good comparrison.

I'm not sure I understand why you were expecting Cookeville to be a tourist oriented town.

At any rate, I'm sorry it wasn't what you were expecting, but it sounds like you were reading things in messages about Cookeville that weren't there.

So, for anyone else looking at Cookeville, remember this: Cookeville is a college town with factories, shopping centers, fast-food joints, and schools. It's not a touristy city, and it's not in a touristy area. The countryside around Cookeville is beautiful, but it's not filled with golf courses, outlet malls and theme parks. It's a real city with real people, factory workers, manual laborers, retirees, college students, retail workers, a few drifters (thank you I-40), and lots of state employees. It's clean but not sterile. Rather than scads of antique shops and candle shops around a quaint town square, there are lawyers' offices and government buildings.

I still say it's a jewel among Tennessee's other real cities (as opposed to cutesy tourist traps or generic suburbs). I hope you'll give it a better look and appreciate it for what it is. Have a great trip!

[Jon F Moss]

want touristy, yet charming and not to big with lots of stuff to see and not to crowded?

So do we

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by TriDad

want touristy, yet charming and not to big with lots of stuff to see and not to crowded?

So do we

You and the family need to come visit Kingsport then.
I know your little one will love the new Discovery Ice Cream shop, not only good, made on site ice cream flavors for Mom and Tridad, but she will love the robot that makes her ice cream in a cup! There are several antique stores, artisy places and more down town, there is also the Green Belt for nice walks along the water and historic areas. There is also Bay's Mountain Park for animals, trails and planetarium.

[redbeardslady]

How about Franklin? When we went there over the summer, it was really cute.. very picturesque downtown, just like in the movies.. That may be more of what you were anticipating..

[JMT]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

You and the family need to come visit Kingsport then.
I know your little one will love the new Discovery Ice Cream shop, not only good, made on site ice cream flavors for Mom and Tridad, but she will love the robot that makes her ice cream in a cup! There are several antique stores, artisy places and more down town, there is also the Green Belt for nice walks along the water and historic areas. There is also Bay's Mountain Park for animals, trails and planetarium.

...and a giant chemical factory in the middle of it all.

[leonard]

Originally Posted by redbeardslady

How about Franklin? When we went there over the summer, it was really cute.. very picturesque downtown, just like in the movies.. That may be more of what you were anticipating..

Hi,

Haven't been to Farnklin yet. Heading for the Crossville area tomorrow. Went to White House and really liked the small town that it is. Close enough to Nashville by freeway, but a nice small town. I will take a look at Farnklin

[leonard]

Originally Posted by JMT

I'm not sure I understand why you were expecting Cookeville to be a tourist oriented town.

At any rate, I'm sorry it wasn't what you were expecting, but it sounds like you were reading things in messages about Cookeville that weren't there.

So, for anyone else looking at Cookeville, remember this: Cookeville is a college town with factories, shopping centers, fast-food joints, and schools. It's not a touristy city, and it's not in a touristy area. The countryside around Cookeville is beautiful, but it's not filled with golf courses, outlet malls and theme parks. It's a real city with real people, factory workers, manual laborers, retirees, college students, retail workers, a few drifters (thank you I-40), and lots of state employees. It's clean but not sterile. Rather than scads of antique shops and candle shops around a quaint town square, there are lawyers' offices and government buildings.

I still say it's a jewel among Tennessee's other real cities (as opposed to cutesy tourist traps or generic suburbs). I hope you'll give it a better look and appreciate it for what it is. Have a great trip!

Hi,

I wasn't expecting it to be a tourist type town. I do like it far better than Lebanon or Gallatin or Springfield.

Maybe one man's "jewel" is a ruby and to another it is an emerald. I may yet end up near Cookeville as once I got over the mental picture I had, I still liked it.

This is why a personal visit is so important.

[galena]

Originally Posted by JMT

I'm not sure I understand why you were expecting Cookeville to be a tourist oriented town.

At any rate, I'm sorry it wasn't what you were expecting, but it sounds like you were reading things in messages about Cookeville that weren't there.

I still say it's a jewel among Tennessee's other real cities (as opposed to cutesy tourist traps or generic suburbs). I hope you'll give it a better look and appreciate it for what it is. Have a great trip!

Your posts about Cookeville are what made me consider moving there. Your obvious love of Cookeville must have made us see it as paradise.

Actually, I've discovered that cutesy, touristy towns charge more for almost everything because tourists spend money freely.

I made the mistake of going to Daytona Beach during Speed Weeks after I had just moved to Edgewater. NASCAR's fans bring a LOT of money to Daytona, but getting caught in that traffic made me pay more attention to when Speed Weeks, Bike Week, Biketoberfest, Black College Reunion, spring break are happening. I stay in my small city while they're in Daytona.

Cookeville is still one of the cities I'm considering along with Crossville, Dayton, Spring City. I'm looking for water, and there isn't much in Cookeville. However, I still think Cookeville sounds like a great town. TTU's being there is a plus. College towns are different from every other kind of town.

I hope all of you had a good Christmas.

[ann82]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading posts on this thread for a while now. And Cookeville, or some of the sourrounding areas, sound like they may be places our family would like to live, for sure at least visit. We've been considering a move for a couple of years now. We are from South MS. It's so hot and humid here in the summer, and of course we have to deal with the threats of hurricanes. So those are two factors we are looking at wanting to distance ourselves from. Both my husband and myself have lived here all our lives. I'd be very thankful for any suggestions etc., as to what places sound like good places in TN to live considering some of the things we are looking for. I do realize we will have to come and visit for ourselves before we make any decisions, and then after that probably rent in the area just to make for sure. but like mentioned before, any suggestions or insight will be appreciated. We've visited TN once before for vacation in Gattlinburg and Pigeon Forge. We know we're not interested in living in tourist spots. We have grown children and one elementary school aged child, so a good school and good neighborhood are a must. Other things that are important to our family are: a good place to raise a family in general, a place that holds to good family morals as a whole, plenty of churches to visit and choose a home church from, a place where people for the most part are friendly, where some shopping and eatery places are within say a 30 minute drive. An airport within an hours drive or so. Our family wouldn't be dependant on work in the state of TN, as my husbands job is overseas. We probablly wouldn't want to live "inside" the city (not really city folk, but we do love to vist the city for shopping etc.) as we are interested in purchasing hopefully some pretty land, that would be good for a homesite and possibly having a few horses and some cattle, and then some of the land wooded for my husband who loves to hunt. Those are the important things that come to mind as to what we're looking for.

Woops! Almost forgot to mention a Wal-Mart or Target within 15 minutes or so would be important.

Thanks to all!
ann