Oak Ridge Area Trip Report Pt 1 (Knoxville, Farragut: transplants, apartment complex, rental)

[LauraC]

I had a very enjoyable time in Oak Ridge and will definitely move there next year when I retire. There are parts of Oak Ridge that are beautiful and everything is there that I need but frankly, the friendly people who live there sealed the deal for me. If you are thinking of moving to Oak Ridge, I hope this info is helpful. I drove (about 10.5 hours with stops) to Oak Ridge on Saturday (10/7) and returned home on Friday (10/13). I was by myself, trying to read directions, so you will not see any road/street photos from the car in the photos threads.

Weather: I only had one day (the bad weather was one night and I wasn't outside so I didn't care) of on and off rain but like the rest of the US this past week, the temps went crazy mid-week so I have no idea what's typical for this time of year. On Monday or Tuesday the temps were in the 80s and the last full day before I left the temps were in the 50s. There was frost on my window when I left at 5:30AM on Friday. Most of the time, the highs were in the 70's. In a town called Mossy Grove which is somewhere in a place called Morgan County, they had severe weather that did some damage. From the news report, I understand that same town had a tornado a few years back. There was one morning of tremendous fog (See Oak Ridge 2 pics thread).

Gas prices the week I was there: Between $2.09 and $2.12.

Radio (this is for Mr. Doowop): 670 on your AM dial. Plays nothing but 50s and 60s music. The signal comes from Farragut and was clear as a bell in Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Clinton, Lake City and Norris. Picked it up when I drove through Knoxville on my way in and never changed the station until the day I left.

Shopping and Restaurants: I'm not a shopper but Oak Ridge is not for you if you want to live in a town with a central downtown area and a large indoor mall you can spend the day in. There are plenty of stores and restaurants but it is spread out. My hotel (the room had a refrigerator and a microwave) was within spitting distance of the Super WalMart (across the street) and you could walk to Panera Bread and Ruby Tuesday without crossing any road. Also less than 1 mile was an Outback, a Red Lobster, a Sagebrush Steakhouse, McDonalds, Buddy's Barbecue, Baskin Robbins, a Chinese Buffet restaurant, and a K-Mart and those are the ones I can remember. At the end of the road I was staying on was a supermarket (think it was a Food Lion). PM me if you want to know where I stayed because you plan to make the trip. About a little more than one mile was a Sears, JC Penney and a Belks. Those three are in the pitiful Oak Ridge Mall which I understand is going to be redeveloped but right now those 3 department stores are about the extent of the Oak Ridge mall. Staples is also nearby. I saw Krogers, CVS and Big Lots. I didn't see the Home Depot but they have one. I also saw a Starbucks but I don't drink coffee so this didn't excite me. I saw beer in the Walmart Supercenter so apparently Oak Ridge isn't dry. I can tell you where I REALLY liked to eat but that would be advertising.

[LauraC]

Had to split my trip report into 3 parts because it was too long:

Driving Around: Even if you are anal like me and pre-print your driving directions from Mapquest before you make a trip to a place you have never been to before, you need two street maps once you get there. One is Knoxville and Vicinity Street Map and the other is Oak Ridge/Anderson County Street Map. You can get both in Oak Ridge/Clinton gas stations. They have several items of interest on them but more important, if you are house hunting, they also contain the neighborhoods by name, the churches, the schools and the parks, also by name and right on the map. Again, make sure the ones you get are the street maps. Not a single person honked at me with my slower looking-at-signs driving and out-of-state plates and not a single person cut me off. I also had a Bell South Yellow Pages in my hotel room which also contained an Oak Ridge street map but it wasn't as good as the ones I purchased at the gas station.

Note: Many of the places in Eastern Tennessee that we talk about on this forum I passed on my way down Rte 81 or off Rte 40. The tri-cities exit off of 81 is a little less than 2 hours from Oak Ridge and that surprised me. I never went to Farragut because I decided I didn't want to commute to Oak Ridge from there in retirement (no other reason) so why bother going there to look at places to live.

Parks and churches: Unless you are Jewish (I believe 3 or 4 synagogues are in adjacent Knoxville), if you can't see a church to worship in while in Oak Ridge, you are Ray Charles. I took photos of a catholic church (also has a school), a methodist church and a lutheran church, all within one or two blocks of each other off the Turnpike. Baptist churches were all over the place.

Parks are ALL OVER ANDERSON COUNTY!!! My personal favorite is the public fishing pier because I like to fish from shore but I saw and stopped at numerous boat launches and small roadside parks along the water and bigger parks. If you like to walk, run, boat, picnic or bike, Oak Ridge is for you. One of the places I didn't visit (due to lack of time) was the arboretum run by the University of Tennessee. You pass by it on your way into the city of Oak Ridge on Pelissipee (did I spell that right) Pkwy. I saw one of the 2 public golf courses (Centennial) because it's off the same road as the fishing dock but I don't golf so I can't tell you anymore about it other than its location. I was apparently 2 weeks away from full Fall foliage (last week in October).

[LauraC]

This is the last part of a 3 post trip report:

Other Places of Interest Besides Parks: The train ride through the K-25 plant (located in the Roane County part of Oak Ridge) and beyond is worth it not so much for what you see but because of the wonderful tour guide on the train that will tell you everything about the history of Oak Ridge during the ride. He is a former fed, lived in Maryland at one time, and retired to Oak Ridge in the 90s. Note to other retirees: Without my asking, he told me housing is very affordable and there are numerous volunteer opportunities in Oak Ridge. You can also stop at the East Tennessee Technology Park overlook before or after the train ride and if you go a little further, you'll see signs for the Rarity Ridge development which I don't believe is in Oak Ridge, Roane or Anderson Counties.

The American Museum of Science and Energy is a must-stop place. While I was there they had a Grossology exhibit (believe that will be there until January 2007) with all kinds of hands-on things for kids and adults. It's all about the sounds and smells and the "gross things" about the human body. The rest of the museum is pretty much devoted to the history of Oak Ridge and it's role during WW2. The Visitor's Center is adjacent to the Museum and on the road that winds behind the Museum is the AK Bissell Park with the International Friendship Bell and the Art Center. The Civic Center (2 pools) and the library are nearby. Note: I didn't go to the children's museum but there is one.

Norris Dam and the Museum of Appalachia: Plan a full day for this if you are staying in Oak Ridge. Drive north to Lake City, though Clinton on main roads and a highway, then exit onto a winding mountain road in Lake City. You will pass by Norris Dam State Park and while I didn't go into the park, I plan to do that when I move there. Along the winding mountain road you will pass some Dam overlooks (good photo places, so stop) and actually drive over the dam. Keep following that road down until you see a sign for the Museum of Appalachia. It's a short cut-off road that will take you to the main road and into Clinton. The Museum is about an eighth of a mile on the right. You could easily spend all afternoon there. Wear good walking shoes. Go when there are cool temps. You walk from building to building. Birds, like peacocks, walk loose around the grounds. There is a pretty neat gift shop.

Places to live: I saw all kinds of neighborhoods and all kinds of houses but I plan to rent in a new apartment complex (that is under construction now in Oak Ridge) so I didn't pay attention to the houses. I also visited a very nice gated apartment complex in West Knoxville in a lovely area. If you are thinking of moving to West Knoxville, PM me if you plan to rent either fpermanently or before you buy and I'll tell you about the one upscale apartment complex I visited in West Knoxville. Many people commute from West Knoxville to both Oak Ridge and Knoxville for work. The heart of Oak Ridge is about 10 - 12 miles from where I went in West Knoxville. I also visited an older apartment complex on nice grounds in a nice neighborhood in OR.

Rarity Ridge: Located in a lovely, more rural area but will someone please tell me if all developers of large housing communities plow down all of the trees before they build these large communities? This was shocking.

The People: Very friendly, regular folks. A big relief after visiting that big snooty city full of big city transplants in Western North Carolina that shall remain nameless. Flags, both state and US, fly everywhere. They love their UT Volunteers sports team as the colors can be found everywhere. The postal clerk in the post office chatted (unsolicited) with me even though she had a big line after me. The people in the Super WalMart and Staples were friendly and pleasantly chatty. I already told you about the train tour guide that sat and chatted with me (unsolicited) when the train made a stop about what it was like being retired in Oak Ridge. Didn't meet a single soul in any food place or store that wasn't openly friendly. I stopped by the college in Oak Ridge because of the great courses offered to retireees (and others) under ORICL and a friendly and helpful woman told me all about the program and showed me around. I can't say enough about the people I ran into in Oak Ridge.

What I missed: This weekend in OR, 2 churches are having festivals, there will be a street painting competition and fair and outside of Roane State Community College and the Museum of Appalachia is having its annual Tennessee Homecoming with all kinds of musical performers, demonstrations and events. But what I really will miss is the great annual Turbo Turtle Race down at Melton Hill Lake. If you want to read about it:

http://www.oakridger.com/stories/092906/com_103638050.shtml (broken link)

[GrannyLois]

What a great and thorough report! I have a feeling you are going to love living in OR!

[mbmouse]

I am so glad you enjoyed your trip and Oak Ridge was everything you hoped it would be. I know you have done a lot of research. I very much enjoyed your trip report. I am even thinking of now taking the boys to Oak Ridge for a day trip.
Thank you.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

I am so glad you enjoyed your trip and Oak Ridge was everything you hoped it would be. I know you have done a lot of research. I very much enjoyed your trip report. I am even thinking of now taking the boys to Oak Ridge for a day trip.
Thank you.

If you take them to Oak Ridge, go to the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) before January. Presuming they are young boys, they will love the Grossology hands-on exhibits on the second floor. Heck, I enjoyed the Grossology exhibit but kids were squealing all around me. I personally liked all of the films and photos of Oak Ridge history but I must admit that pumping liquid into the body on display in the Grossology section to make it make a loud bodily sound, had me giggling. I was too chicken to take the smells test but the kids were lining up for it.

I understand the Children's Museum also has a lot of nice hand-on exhibits.

If you do AMSE in the morning (http://www.amse.org/info.html) (broken link), you could easily do the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton in the early afternoon. It's a straight drive up one of the Oak Ridge main roads into Clinton. PM me if you want directions.

[Indy-Mom]

Would any of you kind folks have any examples of house rental costs in the Oak Ridge, TN. Area ? How about jobs for a certified nurses aide in either a nursing home or hospital environment? Are wages comparable to Indiana? I know I am asking for alot-but I could really use some help here. PMs are fine. Thank you for your time.

[amyfw]

Wow! Thank you sooo much for your report ! I am a teacher from Indiana and I was trying to decide on east Tenn or west NC and you have helped me make up my mind. I am going to put all my efforts into getting a Tenn. teacher's license and look for a teaching job(s) in that area or farther east.
My husband and I were just talking about moving to this area to a friend of ours and just so happens, he is from there also. I can't wait to come down and check out the area.
I really liked the price of homes when I looked on the web and was happy to see that my husband and I could get a nice house on a teacher's salary instead of having to live in a garage sized home.
I can't wait to be in an area where people really talk to you and might crack a smile.

[Indy-Mom]

My husband is from Ft. Wayne and you have my sympathy. We also are very much considering a move the the OR area. good luck to you and wish us the same.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by Indy-Mom

Would any of you kind folks have any examples of house rental costs in the Oak Ridge, TN. Area ? How about jobs for a certified nurses aide in either a nursing home or hospital environment? Are wages comparable to Indiana? I know I am asking for alot-but I could really use some help here. PMs are fine. Thank you for your time.

Classifieds in the Oak Ridger (daily newspaper):


http://classifieds.oakridger.com/classifieds-bin/classifieds (broken link)

One of the categories is Houses for Rent. Click on that link. Don't enter anything in the search terms and you will see all of them. The results will come up with apartments for rent first. Scroll down to see Houses for Rent results.