Likely this is too late, but it will be here for anyone else searching for info.
If you have children, Oak Ridge has a much better school system. This is not just whistlin' Dixie. OR has a high percentage of PhDs and Masters due to the scientific nature of the town (ORNL, Y-12, and associated peripheral biz). The school system reflects both the level of ed of the teachers and the level of ed expected by the parents.
Harriman is a lovely little town not far away. I live there and commute 24 miles one way to work on the east end of OR. It's not like city travel; on nice days, it usually only takes me 30 minutes to get to work - a tad more on rainy ones.
Oak Ridge was built by the DOE, and a lot of it's housing reflects that - standard gov floorplans, cemesto siding, strange lot positions, old (1940's). New neighborhoods have been constructed each decade. Most new ones reflect the "New American" style of house, except for one outstanding new one in the middle of town full of new "Victorians" about 15 feet apart.
Harriman is a town started at the turn of the 1900's. Grand Victorians are the norm in down town. It's a small town. You can get a lot more house for your money there than in OR. It's downtown isn't the busiest - one wonders how businesses stay alive with the 9-5 hours they keep. Yet in the summer, each Sunday the main blocks are closed down for antique car shows. It also has riverfront jams with surprisingly well-known bands.
There is a new Rarity Ridge neighborhood being constructed about 10 minutes west of Oak Ridge - supposedly a planned community that may be nice.
http://www.rarityridge.com/ Personally, I worry about contamination due to it's location, but that's just me.
It's all according to what you want. If you're young, up and coming, you'll probably like OR better and find more social life there. If you're into a more country lifestyle and don't mind driving for shopping, nightclubbing, dining out, etc., Harriman is nicer. If you're into horses, Harriman has a huge facility for shows, rodeos, etc.. It also has a nice community college.
We have a boat, and the marina is only 15 minutes away. There's all the fishing and water sports you could long for on the Tennessee River. OR has the Clinch River, a nice tame little thing that is famed for it's rowing but it highly doubtful for fishing further downstream due to nuke contamination from the weapons complexes.
There really aren't any "bad" apartment complexes in OR, only one is shaky. There is a brand new one being built (Nov 2006) on the same block as the bright and shiny SAIC complex.
Harriman is full of pretty religious people. Oak Ridge is full of a lot of nonreligious people. It has the most common Protestant denominations and 1 Catholic church. It also has a Unitarian Church. The evangelicals are easier to avoid if you so desire.
I've found it much easier to meet my neighbors in Harriman than in Oak Ridge. I feel more at home in Harriman. Yet I "do" miss the larger library and not having to drive quite so far to get to the grocery store, etc.
Hope this helps.
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Harriman or Oak Ridge
Check out Norris...quaint, tiny town
OR or Harriman
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