Move to Knoxville or Chattanooga (Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg: 2015, rentals, crime)

[wesleyb3]

My wife and I are looking to move from Chicago to the eastern Tennessee/western North Carolina area. We are 26 and have a 2 year old. We want to move because we are not huge fans of the urban life of Chicago, we want to live in a smaller town. We would love to live a much more active outdoor lifestyle. Our vacations are always to national parks or nature oriented destinations and we love the Tennessee/North Carolina area. I work in an engineering test facility for prototype diesel engines as a test technician and it seems like most of the jobs for me are in the Knoxville area or Chattanooga area. What would people recommend between the two? We love the smokies but have also heard great things about Chattanooga for nature. We initially were set on Knoxville, but I am getting interviewed for a couple of jobs in Chattanooga so we are looking for more information about there.

Thanks!

[creeksitter]

I think you should go where you get the best job offer.

If you had more generic (by that I mean readily available) occupations I'd strongly advise you to visit both and see if one really felt like home. If you still couldn't decide, then come back here and talk about things that are priorities for you.

[hiknapster]

I would pick Knoxville because there are more schools that are better.

Also, this:

Outdoor Knoxville

And this:

Ijams Nature Center

Chattanooga has great opportunities for an active outdoor lifestyle, but I think Knoxville wins by a little bit.

[keithps]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I would pick Knoxville because there are more schools that are better.

Also, this:

Outdoor Knoxville

And this:

Ijams Nature Center

Chattanooga has great opportunities for an active outdoor lifestyle, but I think Knoxville wins by a little bit.

I know you're high on Knoxville, but there is no way it beats Chattanooga on outdoor activities. Chattanooga has trails, mountains, rock climbing and everything else practically in the city limits. You can't count the Smokies as part of Knoxville anymore than Chattanooga can say they have great night life because Atlanta is 90 minutes away.

[hiknapster]

Where did I say the Smokies is part of Knoxville? Did you even look at the links? Clearly, you don't know a thing about what is going on in Knoxville, do you? I get it. You live in Soddy Daisy and love your area. That's great! But you lashed out without even trying to gather the facts. If you're a lover of the outdoors and adventure, you owe it to yourself to check it out. At least you'll be able to answer a question with authority.

"However in 2015, this rapidly evolving city of 183,000 plus—home to the University of Tennessee—has more possibilities for outdoor adventures within its city limits than could ever be imagined. Just this year the city crushed nation-wide competition to win a $100,000 grant from Bell Helmets toward the construction of an upcoming downhill gravity trail within the city limits. And with solid year-round work in land conservation and recreation promotion from local entities such as the Legacy Parks Foundation, Knoxville is fast becoming one of the hottest outdoor cities on the east coast."

"As soon as you pull into town be sure to pay a visit to the Outdoor Knoxville Adventure Center. (I mean really…how many cities can say they have their own adventure center?) Situated on Volunteer Landing in the heart of downtown along the shores of the Tennessee River, this operation supported by the Legacy Parks Foundation is an essential hub of information and resources. Maps, clinics, bike/canoe/SUP rentals and more will assure that you never have a lack of outdoor pursuits at your fingertips while you’re in town."

Without pushing the copyright limits, I'll stop the quoting. But it goes on to talk about the Knoxville Urban Wilderness and its 1,000 acres, 5 parks, and 42 miles of trails. Frankly, that's the tip of the iceberg because there are about 80 more miles of greenways in the city and county, not to mention countless parks.

Have you not heard of Ijams? Did you know that it now has a zipline-canopy tour put on by Asheville's Navitat? Mead's Quarry? Good God, you owe it to yourself!

48 Hours in Knoxville, TN

http://www.livability.com/tn/knoxvil...e-to-live-2015

http://www.knoxnews.com/entertainmen...353318321.html

AMBC Mountain Bike Trails | Appalachian Mountain Bike Club

Knoxville's Urban Wilderness: Knoxville Attractions Review - 10Best Experts and Tourist Reviews

Knoxville Urban Wilderness Trail System - South Loop Mountain Bike Trail, Knoxville, Tennessee

Hiking

http://www.ibikeknx.com/

Open Streets Knoxville – Come Play in the Street

http://ijams.org/climb/

Granted, I've written about most of these things in other publications, but I would have thought you would know about them. Frankly, this is the just a bit of the offerings, mostly centered downtown.

[shinestx]

I have to say that you couldn't go wrong with either city. However make sure you visit both. They are very different in feel, if not look also.

[BlueRedTide]

I Would recommend Knoxville for you, even though I would prefer Chattanooga, But you said you "love the Tennessee/North Carolina area" So that would confer Knoxville as it's closer, Though Chattanooga may have More Entertainment and Nature in it's city limit's with Knoxville you also get a dose of nature and you're close to you're beloved TN/NC area and plus if you get too bored Sevier County (Gatlinburg Dollywood, Pigeon Forge) is only a hour or less away

[creeksitter]

Though Chattanooga may have More Entertainment and Nature in it's city limit's

I don't see this. Knoxville has the Tennessee, Bijou, and Riviera (movie) theaters, and Thompson Boling arena. Sometimes shows are booked at the coliseum and The International is a large private venue. Plus there are a couple dozen restaurants & bars where you can see live entertainment, and that's just in the downtown area.

[bkern1989]

I was also deciding between the two and haven't moved yet, but I've chosen Knoxville. It was a tough decision, but I went with Knoxville due to it being closer to Gatlinburg and Brisol Motor Speedway. It also had more options for me when it came to my job transfer. I'm also a bit more familiar with Knoxville. While I'm a huge nature fan, having nature in the city isn't a concern in my opinion seeings how you're within a short drive from nature anywhere in Eastern Tennessee. I have heard gangs are a big deal in Chattanooga, but I can't really confirm that since I've never really spent any time in the city. Many say crime is high in both Chattanooga and Knoxville, but I doubt it'll be noticeable coming from Chicago. Really though, it's always best to visit both towns and decide that way which one you like better.