Moving from NJ to TN (Knoxville, Johnson City: best towns, hotel, employment)

[jennierose1987]

Hi everyone,

My husband, myself and our 2 children (3 yrs and 3 months) are considering a change and moving to TN. We're from NJ so it'll be a big change for us. I came across a few towns of interest for schools, employment opportunities and housing costs. So far, Nashville, Knoxville, Brentwood and Franklin have popped up and may be a good fit for us.

What town is the best for families. We like being close to stores and restaurants but not in the middle of the city. Definitely looking for that suburban, quiet town so we can raise our family. Any info or advice you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated.

[NY Annie]

Brentwood and Franklin are suburbs of Nashville. You might want to try the Nashville forum. Knoxville also has its own subforum.

These are 2 very different areas of the state. It's like comparing the Hudson/Union/Essex counties of NJ to Cape May.

Employment opportunities are different as are the schools and housing costs.

You chose 3 of the highest housing cost areas: Brentwood, Franklin, and Nashville.

I live in the south west of TN, so cannot help you out there.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by jennierose1987

Hi everyone,

My husband, myself and our 2 children (3 yrs and 3 months) are considering a change and moving to TN. We're from NJ so it'll be a big change for us. I came across a few towns of interest for schools, employment opportunities and housing costs. So far, Nashville, Knoxville, Brentwood and Franklin have popped up and may be a good fit for us.

What town is the best for families. We like being close to stores and restaurants but not in the middle of the city. Definitely looking for that suburban, quiet town so we can raise our family. Any info or advice you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Franklin and Brentwood are awesome, and loaded with corp hqs. I used to live in Hendersonville, once on Money's list of best towns, also terrific for families, with a super QOL, and about an hour north of Brentwood/Franklin. All three are part of the Greater Nashville Metropolitan region.

Hendersonville is more of a bedroom community-meaning most residents work in Nashville. All are easy commutes (relative to the NJ area) to Nashville.

Knoxville is hundreds of miles east, with a weaker economy.

[NY Annie]

The benefit to Knoxville is returning to NJ is an easy day trip to visit relatives; the trip from Nashville is about 14 hours making it more difficult with children. I live 3 hours west of Nashville and it means 2 full days of driving 8-9 hours a day. We celebrate our arrival in Knoxville by finding a local hotel just north of there in Wytheville, VA. It makes visiting NJ/NY area not a weekend trip or spur of the moment.

OP, with young children, you might rethink the Nashville area if you plan to visit family frequently. My times are to the Jersey shore and/or northern Jersey via 78.

[Rangerred]

Have you checked out the Tri-Cities? Johnson City and Kinsgsport both have excellent schools systems (among the best in that state), housing is affordable, and you would be even closer to NJ than Knoxville. The only hang up might be employment opportunities but much of that depends on what field you are in. Healthcare and education are big employers with Eastman Chemical being a very big employer; its corporate headquarters are in Kingsport.

[donsabi]

The OP may also want to look at the weather for TN. The northeast and Cumberland Plateau has more weather that you are accustomed in NJ. Knoxville is more hot and humid as is with the middle of the state westward. One area that the OP may like is Jonesbourgh which is close to Johnson City and part of the Tri-Cities region.

http://www.historicjonesborough.com/

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by donsabi

The OP may also want to look at the weather for TN. The northeast and Cumberland Plateau has more weather that you are accustomed in NJ. Knoxville is more hot and humid as is with the middle of the state westward. One area that the OP may like is Jonesbourgh which is close to Johnson City and part of the Tri-Cities region.

Welcome to Historic Jonesborough, TN ? in the Appalachians' Great Smoky Mountains

Elevation is the key with weather in East TN. Knoxville is in the valley and has the same weather that you will find in most parts of TN. However if you go up on the plateau or in the Mountains on the NC border you can find some cooler weather. I wouldn't go as far to say it resembles the cold weather of NJ, but its cooler. The Tri Cities is a good suggestion if the OP wants to make lots of trips to the Northeast. That would shave 1.5 hours off the trip from the Knoxville area or 3.5 hours from the Nashville area.

[FrogCross]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Knoxville is hundreds of miles east, with a weaker economy.

The Knoxville area has a lower cost of living than Nashville, but the economy is very stable and not weak at all due to the presence of major governmental employers like TVA, the University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y12 National Security Complex, and several other DOE entities. There are plenty of non-governmental employers too, just not as many as in Nashville, but then Knoxville is a smaller city.