10 Questions For Those Who Moved To Tennessee (Knoxville, Oak Ridge: townhomes, employment)

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by LauraC

What is that?

I'm guessing it doesn't include anything to do with possum.

[Ridger]

LauraC, we don't have your answers yet.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by LauraC

What is that?

A friterie (pronounced "freetree" with the glottal French r sound) is a place to get hot, fresh French fries. French fries were actually invented in Belgium, and in Belgium there are friteries EVERYWHERE. The best are little roadside stands. If you've never had a real Belgian frite (pronounced "freet") then you don't know what you're missing. They fry them in such a way that they always stay crunchy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. A Belgian friterie also has dozens of different sauces, not just ketchup.

I'm convinced that something like that would do very well next to a college campus. If you're a French fries connoisseur, real Belgian frites will knock your socks off.

[LauraC]

For those who moved to Tennessee:


1. Where did you come from and how long have you been in Tennessee?

I moved here from Maryland, I come from New York but I chose Tennessee. 5 months.

2. What was the most important reason why you moved to Tennessee?

In retirement, the town offers the most things I want to do in a Tennessee state culture I want to live in.

3. What made you pick the particular town in Tennessee that you moved to?

Primarily, I moved to Oak Ridge because of a school that offers non-fluff science and history classes to retirees and because much of the plain folks older population is nerdy/geeky like me and likes to do the things I like to do. I couldn't find anything like it anywhere else that also met my criteria of a suburban population under 35,000, 4 distinct seasons (I like cold weather so I wasn't giving up winter), near places to fish and near scenic photo ops located in a conservative state.

4. How long did it take you to get comfortable with the move?

Moving is a pain --- not the idea of going to a new place (that's exciting) and meeting new people but the physical act of doing it so the answer is as soon as I unpacked, the furniture was delivered and my car/license was taken care of.


5. If you had to do it over again would you still move to Tennessee? If no, would you have chosen a different town in Tennessee, moved to someplace other than Tennessee or returned to the place you left?

Yes, I would but only in retirement would I have thought to move here. Tennessee offers more of what I like when I am now in a stage of my life where I have the time to enjoy doing it.


6. Is your "overall " life better or worse in Tennessee than where you moved from?

Better but my life was not bad where I lived before. It would have been if I stayed because there was nothing to do there in retirement. I really like where I live now because it's good for me (plenty of things to do that I like) in retirement so it's better.


7. Do you have friends of relatives in other states that tried to either directly persuade you not to move to Tennessee or showed their displeasure/disapproval/incredulity/disgust/non-enthusiasm in more subtle ways? Why, do you know?

It wasn't overt but there is prejudice against the South due to, in my opinion, Hollywood and what they see on TV and in the movies. I saw the wide eyes and read between the lines in e-mails even if they didn't say anything but that's their problem, not mine.


8. Do you think the town where you live now in Tennessee will eventually turn into the place you left? If so, how long will it take?

It might turn into what you all fled. I do worry about rampant building and the place turning liberal because of an influx of Floridians originally from the Northeast but we have nukes so I hope that scares off enough of them so it doesn't change.


9. Since you got here, what has surprised you most either about Tennessee or your town in Tennessee? (good or bad)

I live near everything I do/need.


10. Would you recommend others move to Tennessee?

I don't want to see the character of Tennessee changed by masses of liberals from other places who change the character of the small towns they move to or the political leaning of the state in general. There's a reason why Tennessee is cheap and pretty and doesn't look like the places some flee and I'd like to see it stay that way even if some think it needs improvement as soon as they arrive. So, my answer is "not to everyone."


Extra Question: What haven't you done yet since moving to Tennessee that you would like to do?

Two things in due time: I'd like to go to a Civil War re-enactment. I'd like to take a photo trip around East and Middle Tennessee and capture images of patriotism and old churches (not necessarily together) before they disappear due to massive master planned communities.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by JMT

A friterie (pronounced "freetree" with the glottal French r sound) is a place to get hot, fresh French fries. French fries were actually invented in Belgium, and in Belgium there are friteries EVERYWHERE. The best are little roadside stands. If you've never had a real Belgian frite (pronounced "freet") then you don't know what you're missing. They fry them in such a way that they always stay crunchy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. A Belgian friterie also has dozens of different sauces, not just ketchup.

I'm convinced that something like that would do very well next to a college campus. If you're a French fries connoisseur, real Belgian frites will knock your socks off.

Okay, you have my vote. I actually like blue cheese with fries so I'm game to try other than ketchup on them.

[Jon F Moss]

Originally Posted by JMT

A friterie (pronounced "freetree" with the glottal French r sound) is a place to get hot, fresh French fries. French fries were actually invented in Belgium, and in Belgium there are friteries EVERYWHERE. The best are little roadside stands. If you've never had a real Belgian frite (pronounced "freet") then you don't know what you're missing. They fry them in such a way that they always stay crunchy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. A Belgian friterie also has dozens of different sauces, not just ketchup.

I'm convinced that something like that would do very well next to a college campus. If you're a French fries connoisseur, real Belgian frites will knock your socks off.

anyone who knows a lick about Belgium knows that they invented french fries.......and they are so good! Try 'em with mayo & vinegar. I've had them in Brussels, Liege, and Bruges

[JMT]

Originally Posted by TriDad

anyone who knows a lick about Belgium knows that they invented french fries.......and they are so good! Try 'em with mayo & vinegar. I've had them in Brussels, Liege, and Bruges

I think we should start our own chain of friteries in Tennessee. You can have the Chattanooga franchise, LauraC can have the Oak Ridge franchise (blue cheese on fries is GOOOOD), and I'll have the Cookeville franchise. My favorite frite sauce is andalouse which is mayonnaise based but is spicy and peppery.

I do have a friend in Arlon, Belgium, who has talked about starting a friterie in Cookeville (he went to school at Tennessee Tech and bemoaned our very lackluster American fries and boring ketchup). Then he can fill out LauraC's questionnaire, too--I had to bring the topic back to the OP so it doesn't appear that I'm hijacking this thread...

[Jon F Moss]

Originally Posted by JMT

I think we should start our own chain of friteries in Tennessee. You can have the Chattanooga franchise, LauraC can have the Oak Ridge franchise (blue cheese on fries is GOOOOD), and I'll have the Cookeville franchise. My favorite frite sauce is andalouse which is mayonnaise based but is spicy and peppery.

I do have a friend in Arlon, Belgium, who has talked about starting a friterie in Cookeville (he went to school at Tennessee Tech and bemoaned our very lackluster American fries and boring ketchup). Then he can fill out LauraC's questionnaire, too--I had to bring the topic back to the OP so it doesn't appear that I'm hijacking this thread...

sweet! let's get to work on this right away.
first we'll need a name...
then your friends secret recipe..
and a supplier of superior spuds

[Wordy]

1. Where did you come from and how long have you been in Tennessee?

Central Florida, not far from Daytona Beach. We have been here two years almost to the day.

2. What was the most important reason why you moved to Tennessee?

Because I have always loved it (my husband is a Knoxville native and we visited every year. I even lived with my inlaws for about six months. Love this state).

3. What made you pick the particular town in Tennessee that you moved to?

I went to the International Baccalaureate site and did a search for IB schools in TN. There were four (and a boarding school or something). Three were in the Nashville area. The fourth was in Cookeville. Then I did a search for home prices in those school districts. Cookeville was by far the most reasonable. Then I checked on the map how far we were to Kentucky so my mom would be able to play bingo if she wanted. That's exactly how we ended up in Cookeville. A bonus was that Cookeville is 100 miles closer to my inlaws, who are the most wonderful inlaws on the planet, of course.

4. How long did it take you to get comfortable with the move?

Until we figured out how to turn on the heat in our (then) rental home. That's the short answer. The long answer is that I knew there would be things I didn't especially like because no place is utopia. But I also had done enough homework to know that the main things I needed to be okay with were in fine shape and that the strangeness would eventually dissipate. Now I'm the only strange thing left!


5. If you had to do it over again would you still move to Tennessee? If no, would you have chosen a different town in Tennessee, moved to someplace other than Tennessee or returned to the place you left?

Oh, hell yes. It's been my goal since I hit the pavement on my first visit as an old teenager. It took the hurricanes of 2004 and the obviously surging real estate market at the time in FL for me to get everybody on board. As soon as I got the final okay (my mom was the last holdout, she hates change), I already had one foot out the door. I went to high school in Florida and it was ok but I have never, ever liked FL. My parents moved me there from the Main Line and that's much more my style than Florida. I have always, always wanted to move. The Main Line is not exactly in my budget, and I'm not positive I would want to go back anyway. I loved TN from the moment I set eyes on it.


6. Is your "overall " life better or worse in Tennessee than where you moved from?
Better. My children like it better here, the people are nicer, the pace is slower, it's much much more beautiful and it snows. The difference in how people behave in general is immediately apparent, and it's not like we moved out of the underground sewer or something. I don't personally like Florida but we lived in an okay area where there was not a lot of gangs/crime/etc. It's just a totally different mindset here. Kids say 'ma'am' and 'sir' and they will answer to their mamas if they don't. Adults for the most part seem to have an unstoppable instinct to try to lend a hand.


7. Do you have friends of relatives in other states that tried to either directly persuade you not to move to Tennessee or showed their displeasure/disapproval/incredulity/disgust/non-enthusiasm in more subtle ways? Why, do you know?

Not really. I knew what I wanted and I could articulate it quite well. They didn't want us to leave because we'd miss each other but other than that, they wished us well and some were openly envious that we were making this obviously good plan a reality.

I also refuse to accept or buy into the 'local' and 'non-local' thing. I'm an American and basically most everyone else is (leaving out the immigration debate). I believe I'll move wherever I want and I believe I will really not give a lot of thought if others choose to do or not do the same. It's one country, not 50 little ones. I just don't accept the whole territorial thing because it reminds me of dogs.




8. Do you think the town where you live now in Tennessee will eventually turn into the place you left? If so, how long will it take?

Not without a massive climate change and the introduction of the saw palmetto. In terms of culture and socioeconomics, I really kind of doubt it. Everything changes and Cookeville will be no exception, but it's not going to turn into either another Central Florida or the Main Line of Pennsylvania. The latter thought actually makes me snicker a little.


9. Since you got here, what has surprised you most either about Tennessee or your town in Tennessee? (good or bad)

I think the cost of living really is less than I expected. I was unpleasantly surprised by the relative stinginess of the snow fairy as well, but I really, really like snow. Did I mention that I really like snow?

10. Would you recommend others move to Tennessee?

Sure. Tennessee is very cool and across the state there is quite a diversity of experiences ready to embrace you.


Extra Question: What haven't you done yet since moving to Tennessee that you would like to do?

Check out the falls that are RIGHT NEAR my house.

I hope you enjoyed my orange homage.

[Kim918]

Originally Posted by alleycat

We're just luring you all here so we can steal your kidney.


(just kidding! hehehe)

Too funny Alleycat!