Relocating to Gatilnburg....need local info (Knoxville, Sevierville: real estate, rentals, low crime) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

tonsoffunsy · 09-15-2006, 09:58 AM

Hello,
I am planning on moving to the Gatlinburg area. I realilze this is very crowded with tourists. But actually I am moving from a resort town in Florida and am in the customer service industry, so I welcome the opportunities.
My question for all of you locals is this:
I am having a hard time trying to find a place to rent in town. I have only found a few local papers online and they usually direct me to a huge rental company that does not even have anything listen in the Gatlinburg area. So I would like to know how I can go about finding this. Also interested in finding work in the customer service field... ie. bartending, waitressing, coffee house, etc. Because I realize there are not a lot of opportunites to make a higher living wage unless you are servicing the tourists, but I dont know how to go about finding job opportunities.
I have spent many hours researching this online and have found nothing.
I have also heard the people are very friendly there, but a few drawbacks are....they are not too friendly to new comers...ie from Florida, even though I am not a native Floridian, I dont like it here anylonger.....also highly "in your face" type religion.....was wondering if it was a little more laid back with this line of thinking as opposed to Pigeon Forge and Knoxville where is is VERY christian and in your face.
Any info from you locals I would greatly appreciate it.
thanks!!

mbmouse · 09-15-2006, 11:00 AM

You might want to call one of the local real estate agencies. Some of them have rentals too, I would suggest to try the larger ones first as they are the ones more than likely to have rentals. I will tell you finding a by the year lease might be very tough in that area because it is such a tourist area and people rent by the week or month for vacation. You might have better luck in the Cosby or Sevierville areas, that aren't far from Gatlinburg, in finding rent. As for work, try getting in touch with Dollywood offices, number and email should be on their web site. They manage MANY restaurants, theaters, parks and such and do there hiring from the one location.
Hope this helps and good luck to you!

insanesmooch · 09-15-2006, 11:10 AM

The newspaper there is The Mountain Press. The link I used was:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1211

It has rental property and jobs listed in the classifieds. I saw several individual properties on there. If you do a search on the net for rental properties in general, you may end up with a lot of the tourist cabin rentals in the mix. As far as jobs go, if you don't find any in the local papers, I'd say most of them just put signs up in the window or on the billboards. I've only really seen Dollywood or the show venues really advertise alot of people.
I'm searching while I type and I also found these you might try:
www.fiveriverscareercenters.org
www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd
I'm not sure what you may find, but they are listed on the seviercountynews page about finding jobs.
Maybe you can try the chamber of commerce also, at least to be pointed in the right direction.
I don't know about how people treat you living there. I grew up in Knoxville and I haven't attended church regularly since about second grade. I never faced taunting and people being in my face about it. Actually, I've only known a small number of people to attend church regularly. I did have a couple of friends in school ask me to social events at their church, but I wasn't beat over the head with it. To me, it seems like it is a false impression that people have of TN, not to say that it doesn't happen. But in the people I've know, none have had that experience.
And as far as people ragging on FL people, I've really only heard it jokingly mostly due to football rivalrys. Like I said, I don't know about Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg because I've never lived and worked there.

tonsoffunsy · 09-18-2006, 07:08 AM

Thank you SO much for all of your helpful information. I am going to try those links right now for the classifieds. Yes, that was all I was finding too was ads for Dollywood, which living in the Gatlinburg area, I wouldnt want to be driving an hour to get to work. I dont mind working in one of the local gift shops or restraunts. I am actually a hair stylist in FL, but I am unsure if I will transfer my license to TN to do hair there.
Thank you so much on your insight on how the people are, that is really comforting, yes, it is a possible bad impression or a few bad experiences that make it sound like everyone is like that there.
Thanks again so much!

mbmouse · 09-18-2006, 07:38 AM

The Dollywood Company runs many business in Gatlinburg too, so don't write them off. It is a very good company to work for, one that cares about their employees from what I hear. Just a note, it takes about 15 minutes to get from Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge using the bypass. Lots of people forget, or don't know it's there, both are beautiful drives!

tonsoffunsy · 09-18-2006, 07:46 AM

I had no idea that Pigeon Forge was only 15 minutes away. I kept hearing it was an hour. That is VERY good information. I need all the local information I can get. I will also check on the Dollywood site to see about business they own in Gatlinburg.
How far away do you live from the Gatlinburg area? What else can you tell me about the area and the surrounding areas? I will also have to buy a cheap car when I get there too, only taking a moving van. I hope I can find one in the local area (another reason I want to stay local in the area until I get settled, I will not have a car to travel far).
Thanks again!

insanesmooch · 09-18-2006, 11:53 AM

On the main road, there is only about a five mile stretch that really seperates Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. There is a trolley line that runs all around those areas that you probably could use until you get a car. Here is the link about the trolley:
http://www.ci.gatlinburg.tn.us/transit/trolley.htm

carolina moon · 09-22-2006, 10:04 AM

I dont believe you will find many rentals in the gatlinburg /pidgeon forge area people who work in these towns usually commute from sevierville or newport

tonsoffunsy · 09-22-2006, 10:08 AM

what is the crime like in Pigeon Forge area?
The reason I like Gatlinburg is it has a lot of tourists (which is good if I will be working in a service/tip job) and would like low crime and an area that is not too spread out as I might not have a car immediately upon moving.
Thanks!!

atlantagreg30127 · 09-22-2006, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonsoffunsy

what is the crime like in Pigeon Forge area?
The reason I like Gatlinburg is it has a lot of tourists (which is good if I will be working in a service/tip job) and would like low crime and an area that is not too spread out as I might not have a car immediately upon moving.
Thanks!!

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Just don't expect to get rich with those touristy jobs. I have a couple of younger cousins who live up there who work in restaurants. Went to visit my Aunt and Uncle (their folks) who live in the Pigeon Forge area a few months ago and got to talk to them. Tips are notoriously low in that area according to them. They both bright kids (19 and 21 years old) who are friendly so I know they're good servers as I've seen them in action. They said though you have to remember this is a somewhat deep south "country" tourist area. Lots of the folks are there with multiple kids (reputation for low tips), are older (reputation for low tips) or in general just have that, "it's not my job to pay these people" old timers attitude. In other words, "it 'aint New York or South Florida", so don't expect a $5 tip on a $20 tab - more like $1.50 maybe.

Overall though minus the traffic issues and lack of higher paying jobs, it's a decent place to live they say.