Cookeville/Crossville vs Tri-Cities (Memphis, Knoxville: sale, real estate, houses)

[MarkM77]

JMT, I know your opinion already.

Ok, so we are moving down to TN within the next few weeks. I work in Real Estate so I can pretty much move wherever within reason. We have visited TN twice now and driven all over the place. We first loved Chattanooga but the suburbs are either a little too pricey or far too crowded. Coming from NJ, that is saying something.

The Knoxville area was a lot of the same. We liked Farragut but many of the other places we drove through were either overcrowded or needed to be slightly revitalized. That and although we could afford to live in Farragut, we seemed a little out of our element. We did look at Maryville based on reviews and suggestions but that wasn't really our cup of tea either.

So, that brought us to the Crossville/Cookeville area where just by pure circumstance we happened to be staying for the week. We actually really loved the area. JMT, close your eyes for a minute lol. We actually preferred the Crossville area because it seemed more up and coming, not overcrowded, nice communities, it had all of the daily necessities, an infrastructure to not get overbuilt, and we like the distance to Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. One thing not going for it is a job market. Coming from the Northeast, I am used to commuting but having something a little more local would be nice.

That brings us to the Tri-Cities area. This is the one area that we have not visited yet and that is because of its distance to everything. It seems like a nice place to live, nice homes and communities, parks and playgrounds, job market is slightly better, things to do in town, etc. However, our main issue with this area is its pure distance to everything. A day drip to the Zoo just became over 2 hours longer compared to the Crossville/Cookeville area, trips to the aquarium in Chattanooga will be almost completely out, and going to see a NFL or NHL game or concert in Nashville just isn't going to happen. Granted these would be things we would do maybe 10 times a year total but they would still be nice to do.

Any opinions would be nice. I actually have some job interviews coming up this week so we will be back in town looking around. I am going on interviews so that I could see what else is in the area since my brokerage would be in Knoxville if in Crossville/Cookeville but in Johnson City & Kingsport if in Tri-Cities. Yes, I know I could switch brokerages but I'd rather work solely from home than switch from KW. Thank you in advance for all help and insight.

[DubbleT]

Hi Mark
I moved to the tri several years ago and I can say that the people that live here are used to 'commuting' to the bigger cities for their entertainment much the same way some people are used to commuting to their jobs. In other words they don't think twice about a one or two hour trip to one of the larger cities. Also,while living in Memphis it was not uncommon for it to take me 45 minutes to get from one end of the city to the other so I guess I don't think a two hour trip once a month or so is that out there time wise.
You can throw Asheville into the mix of places that will be within an hour or two, so that will give you a few more entertainment options there too.

[Rangerred]

The Tri-Cities has a decent number of entertainment options for a region its size but you're right in that it will be a longer drive compared to living in a bigger city. That's just one of the trade-offs in exchange for less traffic and a lower cost of living. You really learn to appreciate what is in your backyard and make the best of it.

The mountains provide abundant recreational opportunities, there are Division I college sports at ETSU and Rookie league minor league baseball teams in all of the Tri-Cities. ETSU is getting ready to build a performing arts center that will (hopefully) bring in national touring events and Greeneville's Niswonger Performing Arts Center already brings in national acts.

Asheville is a great place to go for a quick getaway and is only an hour from Johnson City. While it isn't much bigger than JC it is a very unique place. Charlotte is less than 3 hours away (closer than Nashville) and is the closest city with major league sports teams. Atlanta is about 4 hours away.

You really should come check out the Tri-Cities as it tends to fly under the radar a bit and all of the cities in the region have their own unique character and are quite different. You're bound to find something you'll like.

[MarkM77]

DubbleT, Thanks for the reply. I guess my concern is that commuting 45 min to work isn't really a big deal for me. I've done that for over 13 years. Commuting 1 1/2 hrs to Knoxville for work isn't going to happen. Also, right now we can get to the Zoo in just over an hour, 2 different Aquariums in just under 2 hours, and I can get to Giants Stadium, Yankee Stadium, and Prudential Center in under an hour. I know that when I move all of those things will not be as close. My concern is for them to be so far that I have no desire to go. I know that people of the region are probably used to it.

What I am trying to find out about the areas is which people would prefer to live and what pros and cons there may be other than the ones I can already see and again, having not even seen Johnson City yet. If all else is equal or close to it, then distance will definitely play a big role.

[MarkM77]

Rangerred, I didn't even think about the distance to Charlotte. That is a great point. I had seen signs for NPAC but didn't know what they actually had going on there. National acts would definitely be a plus.

We drove through Asheville during our area hunting and liked the city but just didn't see ourselves living there. Visiting would definitely be a plus though even if it costs an arm and a leg to get into the Biltmore.

We will definitely have to check out the area this weekend to compare.

[jchometeam]

I love the Tri Cities. I just want to point out that there is a privately held zoo in Limestone, TN called Brights Zoo. It is smaller than Knoxville of course, but it is very nicely done and you get a much more personal interaction with the animals. There is also Creation Kingdom Zoo that I have never been to but everyone that I have spoken with says it is nice.

There is also an aquarium in Gatlinburg which is less than 2 hours away. I personally prefer it to the larger Chattanooga aquarium.

Finally, I really enjoy ETSU sports. It's not professional, but it is Division 1 level athletics. The football team is starting back up from a 10 year break and there is a lot of excitement (they basically sold out the first season just with season ticket holders), and basketball is a very entertaining environment for both men and women.

I will point out that the area is way over-saturated with real estate professionals. I am a part-time realtor in the area and I would say that a very low percentage of realtors are actually making a living at it in this area. Having said that, I hear that is the case everywhere in that profession.

[MarkM77]

I will point out that the area is way over-saturated with real estate professionals. I am a part-time realtor in the area and I would say that a very low percentage of realtors are actually making a living at it in this area. Having said that, I hear that is the case everywhere in that profession.[/quote]

JChometeam, not everywhere by any means. Try KW, it might change your opinion on how to get the job done and stand out among the masses. I also doubt you can get many more realtors than in Northern NJ which houses a ton of suburbs of NYC plus its own businesses. If we do choose the Johnson City area then all I would have to say is that in the immortal words of Barney Stinson, "Challenge Accepted". lol

[JMT]

If we're to throw in distances to major cities, then Cookeville is closer to Nashville and Atlanta than the Tri Cities are to Charlotte and Atlanta. They're about the same distance from Knoxville, and Cookeville is half the distance to Chattanooga. Like Johnson City, Cookeville also has NCAA Division 1 sports, and its university, Tennessee Tech, is higher rated than ETSU.

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Cookeville is less than an hour from Nashville International Airport which has about 5 times the flights and much cheaper air fares than the Tri Cities and Knoxville airports combined. If you want to take advantage of a cheap Southwest sale to out west or catch a nonstop flight to Utah's ski slopes then you're out of luck in the Tri Cities or Knoxville. This proximity to Nashville also mans that Cookeville is closer to things like the NFL, NHL, AAA baseball, SEC and NCAA basketball tournaments, and a college football bowl game, not to mention the bajillion concerts that Nashville offers that Charlotte can't even touch. Nashville's Bridgestone Arena was just ranked yesterday as being the 2nd busiest in the entire country, even busier than Madison Square Garden, and that doesn't include its sporting and other non-musical events. For national music acts, both home grown and touring, Nashville is hard to beat.

I really, really like Johnson City. But if a supposed benefit to living in JC is that it's only 3 hours from Charlotte, then it seems that Cookeville's much closer proximity to Nashville is even better.

[Bones]

Mark, since you prefer Crossville to Cookeville this was my same thoughts over 9 years ago and they are the same today.....
Crossville is less crowded and has most of everything for your daily needs. Cooler on the plateau in the summer. Cheaper taxes in Cumberland county is a plus also.
Does get a little crowded sometimes with the wildlife....coyotes get a little noisy at times....

Good luck with the job interviews....

[MarkM77]

Originally Posted by Bones

Mark, since you prefer Crossville to Cookeville this was my same thoughts over 9 years ago and they are the same today.....
Crossville is less crowded and has most of everything for your daily needs. Cooler on the plateau in the summer. Cheaper taxes in Cumberland county is a plus also.
Does get a little crowded sometimes with the wildlife....coyotes get a little noisy at times....

Good luck with the job interviews....

Bones, Thank you very much. I appreciate the good feelings towards Crossville as well. I don't mind the coyotes. We have black bear walking through our yard fairly regularly so we are used to wildlife. lol