What am i running from & where am i running to, points to ponder (Johnson City: theater, universities)

[CAtoGA]

Wow, joee, those posts really got me thinking. I began thinking about moving about 5 months ago. My husband and I moved to our current area 10 years ago to get away from the "city" with it's crowded streets and cement skyline. It was beautiful here (Sonoma County CA) and we thought for sure we would stay here at least until our kids were grown and gone (they're only 13 and 9 now so we had planned on staying a while). Well, in those 10 years, we've seen things here start to change. The once wide open, green (during the winter at least) spaces are being filled with outrageously expensive homes (799,000 to start for a 2/1 townhouse downtown with no view!) and every time you walked down Main Street you bump into 15 people on each block who are too busy to notice you and don't acknowledge your apology, or have to wait at a green light because 5 people have to go through their red light first. On every other street corner there is a group of illegals (I'm sure this will ignite someones temper and I'm sorry) who don't speak English wanting to earn some cash doing day labor instead of going and getting a job and paying taxes like the rest of us. So...those are the things that I want to get away from. The cost of living here is also a huge issue. Looking forward, we'll have 2 kids in college in less than 10 years, and the way Social Security is going, we'll have to rely on ourselves when we retire. As it stands now, we can barely save enough to take a vacation each year, let alone put away anything for retirement or college. Sure, the kids can get grants, loans and scholarships, but I don't want them to start their adult life in debt if we can avoid it.

I have come to realize, however, that some of the things that I am running from are going to follow me where ever I go. With the ever increasing population of the great USofA, growth and overcrowding is going to be an issue no matter where I go, whether it's now or in another 10 years. At that point, I'll have no where to go to get away from it all. So I'm somewhat prepared for that aspect, although the longer I can avoid the crowds the better.

I suppose what I'm running to should be in a another post, as this one got a bit wordy. I'll give it some thought and see what I come up with.

In any case, thanks for sparking the mind into action.

[LauraC]

So now i'm back to allmost square 1 again, how many times have others been down this same road i wonder..

Just figure out what it is you like to do a lot of and move someplace where you can do those things, easily/regularly, without the things you dislike getting in your way. Chances are other people will have moved there for the same reasons so it will be easier to meet others with the same interests. Then figure out what you like to do only occasionally. Are those opportunities near enough for you to still be able to enjoy them infrequently?

You know, if you like taking art classes, going to casinos, walking your dog, going to movies, reading, fishing, Fall Color mountain drives, swimming and going to wine tasting festivals - you might want to live in or very near the town with the art classes, multiplex movie theater, good sized library/bookstore, a dogpark, lakes and fishing clubs, and an outstanding indoor pool, and live within a few hours of a casino (that you may do every other month), within a few hours drive of a cluster of wine tasting festivals/events and within a day's drive of the mountains (once or twice a year). The odds are, you are going to swim, exercise your dog, fish/hang out with fishing buddies, go to the movies, read, and take art classes more frequently than doing the other three (casino, wine festivals, Autumn drives) but you don't want to give them up entirely because you enjoy them, so you want to live not too far away (hours) from those.

Let's say Town A and City B both fit the criteria above. Now, what do you really dislike? Traffic, maybe? Extra taxes? Town A might be better than City B. Hunting? Not being able to get Thai or German food in a restaurant? City B might be better than Town A.

Retirees are lucky because the job no longer dictates where they have to live. But, making "cheap and it looks beautiful" your Number One criteria might not be the way to go because you really have to figure out the "what am I going to do with my time?" factor after you settle in at your new place.

[stara6]

I for one, love the Cookeville area. I am originally from Connecticut, but I moved here from Cincinnati and found it to be one of the positive experiences of my life.

The cost of living is very low in comparison to either of the aforementioned areas. My home on 5 acres cost less than $175,000 and my property taxes are less than $900/yr.

Though I do not have school aged children, I have heard nothing but good things about the school system here.

Shopping could be improved (Walmart is the most happening place in town), but the area is growing and new stores are popping up all the time. For major stores we have Sears, JC Penney, Belk, Goodys, Books a Million, Kohls, Petco and TJ Maxx. There are outlet stores less than an hour away, Nashville is about 1.5 hours away and Knoxville about 2 hours away. Murfreesboro has great shopping and is about 1 hr 15 min away.

If you're into gardening, you can't beat McMinnville. There are tons of wholesale nurseries that sell to the public. My favorite is Mary's - great prices!

Cookeville is much smaller than what I am used to and you can choose to live in an upscale neighborhood, on a farm, or anywhere in between. Just make sure the area you choose has the ammenties you want. Outside city limits, you'd be hard pressed to find cable and would have to get a satellite dish service. You also do not have trash pick-up outside city limits, so you need to make your own dump runs. I have opted for a rural location, but it is only 15 minutes to downtown. I have my privacy, but good access to town. There are no massive traffic jams.

There are plenty of State Parks, rivers and lakes nearby. Both Nashville and Knoxville have zoos. For cultural events, you may have to go to one of the big cities. There are some offerings at TTU and there is a theater group in town.

As I said, it has been a positive experience for me - perhaps it would be for you as well.

[sillygal]

This is what worries me, would Cookeville be a place for an older single gal, I am looking for a place that I could move too, that I could eventually stay in for retirement. I know this is a retirement area, so I am worried about whether or not there would be enough excitement for me now, while I am still working age.......!!!

The cost of housing is a real pro for me since I am on my own and don't make that much for income. I am just wondering if I would suffocate with lack of things to do you know?

Are there concerts in the park, a thriving downtown!!! I am really into the privately own bookstore/coffeeshop thing, or maybe a jazz concert in the park. So, I wonder if Cookeville has what I am looking for in that way.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by sillygal

This is what worries me, would Cookeville be a place for an older single gal, I am looking for a place that I could move too, that I could eventually stay in for retirement. I know this is a retirement area, so I am worried about whether or not there would be enough excitement for me now, while I am still working age.......!!!

The cost of housing is a real pro for me since I am on my own and don't make that much for income. I am just wondering if I would suffocate with lack of things to do you know?

Are there concerts in the park, a thriving downtown!!! I am really into the privately own bookstore/coffeeshop thing, or maybe a jazz concert in the park. So, I wonder if Cookeville has what I am looking for in that way.

If you go to the Cookeville web site here at city-data.com you'll see some pictures of downtown Cookeville, including the outdoor performance pavilion. I got this from its web site
(http://dramacenter.cookeville-tn.org...pavilion.htm):
"Dogwood Performance Pavilion is located in beautiful and shady Dogwood Park, behind the Drama Center in Cookeville Tennessee. Shakespeare in the Park, Dogwood Fridays, Sundays in the Park concerts, Cookeville Community Concert Band concerts, Jazz in Cookeville, Bryan Symphony Orchestra concerts, and a variety of events take place in Dogwood Park. Past performers on the Dogwood Performance Pavilion stage include: The Old Crow Medicine Show; The Peasall Sisters, The Cluster Pluckers; The Gypsy Hombres; Liz Johnson; BadaBingBadaBoom; Victor Mecyssne; Amy Wadkins; The Silver Wings Air Force Band, Sean McCullough and Evergreen Street; Blue Mother Tupelo; Lori Mechem, Rebecca Sayre, Jeff Hall, Rod McGaha, Annie Sellick, San Rafeal, Whiskey Richard, Kristine Mylls, and many others."

In September the orchestra had an outdoor concert, and in October the 129th Army Band had an outdoor concert. In the summer there are more concerts including the Jazz in Cookeville festival and the Sundays in the Park outdoor concert series.

There are some wonderful coffee shops and independent restaurants in downtown Cookeville, all within walking distance of the above-mentioned outdoor performance pavilion.

[sillygal]

very cool thank you JMT

[doc1]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I hope that folks don't pick this place for what they can make it into.

Amen, hiknapster. That's the sentiment I had in mind on a thread I started the other day with regards to people moving to a new state and wanting to bring their previous state's ways, habits etc. with them.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by sillygal

This is what worries me, would Cookeville be a place for an older single gal, I am looking for a place that I could move too, that I could eventually stay in for retirement. I know this is a retirement area, so I am worried about whether or not there would be enough excitement for me now, while I am still working age.......!!!

The cost of housing is a real pro for me since I am on my own and don't make that much for income. I am just wondering if I would suffocate with lack of things to do you know?

Are there concerts in the park, a thriving downtown!!! I am really into the privately own bookstore/coffeeshop thing, or maybe a jazz concert in the park. So, I wonder if Cookeville has what I am looking for in that way.

I bet Cookeville has plenty for you to do while you are still a working person. Lets say you hung out at the coffeeshop/bookstore on a Saturday and a Sunday and you went to a concert every Friday, Saturday or Sunday night (in good weather if they are outdoors) and other free time was spent doing things you have to do when you are off from work (cleaning, shopping, cooking, resting, etc.) now. You might be socializing with your work mates.

But what do you want to do when you get up in the morning after you retire? You have plenty of time to think about it while you are still working. Your job probably takes up 35 - 40 hours of your week. How will you fill those hours when you are no longer working? I'm thinking you aren't going to want to hang out at a bookstore for 56 hours a week (your former work week time plus 8 hours per day on the weekend) and the concerts are probably not day time events. After you figure out what you would like to do once you have the time to do it, find out if Cookeville (or the surrounding towns) afford you the opportunity to do those things?

For example, if you like to read, maybe the local college, library or bookstore has a book group that gets together during the week to discuss what they've read. Maybe you could volunteer at the library one or two days per week. If you like music, maybe you could take a music appreciation class at the local college, join the community group/organization that arranges those concerts in the park, take music lessons or join the church/community choir . Your pre-research would involve determining whether Cookeville (or some othe town) affords you those opportunities.

Read the local newspaper online to find out what's happening in the town. Maybe something will pique your interest.

[Tony1790]

Originally Posted by joee

I read the post "Land decision Question - View or Acreage, NC or TN" in the tn forum this mourn and it really has some points in it that really hit home for me & my quest for that better place.

I'm probably going to come off as seeming to be the rebel or just plain stupid, but after 20 yrs at the same job i got to thinking about life & decided pulling the plug is going to be 1 of the stupidist things i've ever done or 1 of the best moves i've ever made, but there was just 1 way i would know for sure.

Joe,

That was my thread, trying to decide between NC and TN. I decided to put the NC view property up for sale and I'm going to try and find a small house on some acreage to put some space between me and the world and that I can afford to live on.

Question for ya - did you retire from the military? The reference to 20 yrs, and life altering decisions, etc is similar to what I'm trying to come to grips with.

In my case I just retired with 20 years military time, but now it's like starting over, I've always been told what to do, when to do it and where to live. Now that I have to decide for myself, I'm frozen in place. I don't have a job skill per se, don't have my college degree finished yet and I'm not exactly a "people" person.

I'm more than likely moving to TN within a few months (needing to sell my house here and make the decision to actually move). I've just turned 40 and I can already see the end of life ahead of me and it scares me. My heart has been hardened and I don't know what to do. I think being around friendly people and my family in NC may help me enjoy life more, but I may be to darned caustic to be around for most people.

Anyway, just wanted to wish you luck in Your Decision process, mine could be going a little better than it is now, I've been out of work for 6 months now and I'm starting to get a little depressed (if you can't tell already )

Take care, God bless you.

Tony

[stara6]

I am an older single female - mid 50's and I have already made the decision that this is where I will retire. If you need excitement, Nashville is only a little over an hour away, but I find plenty to keep me busy around here. There is TN Tech and Nashville State Community College for classes. There's also the Appalachian Center for Crafts where you can take art and crafts type classes.

As others have stated, there are plenty of festivals and fairs here. The Tennessee State Fair is the best one I've been to in this area, many of the county fairs are pretty small. There are concerts in Dogwood Park and a few times a year, they block off downtown for street festivals. There is a public pool as well. The local theater group is pretty good.

There are several gyms if you feel the need.

I don't drink, so I don't mind that Putman County is considered a dry county. You can buy beer in the grocery stores and restaurants serve beer, wine and liquor. If you like the occasional glass of wine, you have to make liquor runs into surrounding counties - most counties that sell wine and liquor are about 45 minutes away.

Crossville, which is 1.5 hours from Cookeville, is the golf capital of the state. There are a few good courses in Cookeville, but Crossville has them beat in this arena.

Cookeville is pretty much in the center of the state. It's an easy drive to Nashville, Knoxville, Gatlinburg and Chattanooga. Memphis is about 3.5 hours from here. Atlanta is a 4 hour drive. I don't mind driving, but if you do, Cookeville may not be the place for you.

Gas is cheap here too - currently $2.13/gal.

Jobs are not plentiful in the area unless you are in the construction trades. Unless you can get a job in management or construction, you'd be hard pressed to find a job that pays more than $10.00/hr.

You should make a list of the things you want to do both now and in retirement. You can get a lot of information from the TN tourism board for things to do; it may help you make your decision.