Advice & help w/relocation to Cookeville (Knoxville: sales, apartment)

[rtoshow]

Hello folks
I'm a new register, but I have been lurking here for a few years. Never really had a reason to post until now. Looking for some advice & perhaps some help.

I currently reside in Ohio & I hate it. I have despised it here for as long as I can remember. I was born & raised here. I sell used cars for a living & do pretty good, but I long for a change of scenery,people,opportunities,climate,etc..

I am a single 40 year old white male. I have 2 children & they live with their mothers. As much as I would like to have them with me, their mothers wouldn't let them go, so I am coming alone.

I am sure you have had many people come & go here. Some come to your area,some do not. Some probably come there having never visited,like me. And others visit a few times & then make the move. Even though I hate to leave my kids behind, I am at the point in my life where a change must come. I have trouble making it through each day knowing that I am so unhappy here. I know that Utopia doesn't exist but I firmly believe that there is a Utopia for everyone. I am hoping Cookeville is mine.

I knew someone that was living there recently. She was from here & had been there a year or so. She would still be there, but she has decided to move back to Ohio to salvage her relationship with her ex. She tells me that although she made the right personal decision, she longs everyday to be back in Cookeville.

Well, here I am babbling & haven't got to my point. I have researched communities all over the United States for the last few years & have narrowed my search down to the Cookeville area. I have done as much due diligence as one can online. but, having never been there I am pretty much arriving blind. I don't know anyone nor do I have any job to come to. I have no plans for residency until I get there. I may find myself in a motel for a few days or so until I find a place. Scary but not impossible. People have moved across country on a lot less. I have no doubt that if i choose to stay in the auto sales profession, I will be working within a day or two. I have only been doing this about a year & could probably rely on my management background for employment if necessary. Don't worry, I won't come & collect your taxes & be a drain on society. If I can't find suitable employment which I doubt, I would simply go home.

Since I know no one can assure me that all will be well, I guess I am looking for suggestions,tips,hints,ideas,whatever you wanna throw out there. I know it may sound like a crazy idea but living here in the state of ohio seems just as crazy to me. My only real fear is that I don't really know anyone. Folks would normally suggest church,clubs,etc... to meet people but those aren't good options for me. Not that I really have anything against either one, they just aren't my cup of tea.

Well, maybe I will like what you say & maybe I wont but I appreciate any comments that you want to make. I just want to move & get settled as fast as I possibly can.....and no I'm not running from the law or anything else. I just want to get outta here !

Thanks for any & all comments !
Tim

[cncguy2000]

why not buy a rv and travel.
find somewhere you like stay,
don't like it move on.
If I had no obligations I would do it.

[rtoshow]

The problem with that idea is that I want some place to call home. Ohio doesn't do it for me.

[hiknapster]

I moved to Tennessee on a wing and a prayer. However, I did extensive research and visited the state before I moved.

I wouldn't move simply based on the statements from a friend. There would have to be more.

You want to call some place home, you're going to have to figure where that is first.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by rtoshow

Hello folks
I'm a new register, but I have been lurking here for a few years. Never really had a reason to post until now. Looking for some advice & perhaps some help.

I currently reside in Ohio & I hate it. I have despised it here for as long as I can remember. I was born & raised here. I sell used cars for a living & do pretty good, but I long for a change of scenery,people,opportunities,climate,etc..

I am a single 40 year old white male. I have 2 children & they live with their mothers. As much as I would like to have them with me, their mothers wouldn't let them go, so I am coming alone.

I am sure you have had many people come & go here. Some come to your area,some do not. Some probably come there having never visited,like me. And others visit a few times & then make the move. Even though I hate to leave my kids behind, I am at the point in my life where a change must come. I have trouble making it through each day knowing that I am so unhappy here. I know that Utopia doesn't exist but I firmly believe that there is a Utopia for everyone. I am hoping Cookeville is mine.

I knew someone that was living there recently. She was from here & had been there a year or so. She would still be there, but she has decided to move back to Ohio to salvage her relationship with her ex. She tells me that although she made the right personal decision, she longs everyday to be back in Cookeville.

Well, here I am babbling & haven't got to my point. I have researched communities all over the United States for the last few years & have narrowed my search down to the Cookeville area. I have done as much due diligence as one can online. but, having never been there I am pretty much arriving blind. I don't know anyone nor do I have any job to come to. I have no plans for residency until I get there. I may find myself in a motel for a few days or so until I find a place. Scary but not impossible. People have moved across country on a lot less. I have no doubt that if i choose to stay in the auto sales profession, I will be working within a day or two. I have only been doing this about a year & could probably rely on my management background for employment if necessary. Don't worry, I won't come & collect your taxes & be a drain on society. If I can't find suitable employment which I doubt, I would simply go home.

Since I know no one can assure me that all will be well, I guess I am looking for suggestions,tips,hints,ideas,whatever you wanna throw out there. I know it may sound like a crazy idea but living here in the state of ohio seems just as crazy to me. My only real fear is that I don't really know anyone. Folks would normally suggest church,clubs,etc... to meet people but those aren't good options for me. Not that I really have anything against either one, they just aren't my cup of tea.

Well, maybe I will like what you say & maybe I wont but I appreciate any comments that you want to make. I just want to move & get settled as fast as I possibly can.....and no I'm not running from the law or anything else. I just want to get outta here !

Thanks for any & all comments !
Tim

That is certainly understandable and very brave of you. But if you are really determined to do it, you can make it work.

If you want to continue being a car salesman, I'm sure you won't have any problems getting a job at one of the many car dealerships in Cookeville. Have you called any of them to see what they need?

You might check out the Herald-Citizen newspaper, the daily paper there in Cookeville. Occasionally there are display ads in the classifieds section looking for car salesmen at a local dealership. Those ads aren't in the on-line edition, so you'd actually have to get a hard copy of the paper.

There are dozens of clubs and organizations in Cookeville where you could meet people. That's something else you can investigate once you're down this way. I think the chamber of commerce has lists of things like that.

But before you decide to just pack up and move, you might want to consider what the others have said: come down and take a look. Spend a couple of days wandering around the community. Talk to people, make some phone calls, check out housing and job possibilities. Before you come down here, spruce up your resume and bring several copies with you as well as some "interview clothes" just in case you're able to apply for jobs on the spot.

Good luck with your move. I'm one of those people in this group who thinks that Cookeville is a wonderful community, one of the more attractive towns in the state. Did you see the earlier post with pictures of the downtown area?

And please feel free to ask questions on here. We can definitely understand why you're eager to move to Tennessee!

[rtoshow]

I agree that I should visit the area first. I hope to do that within the next couple weeks if possible.

I do have some questions that maybe some of you can help with.

1. I know that Oreck & TTU are large employers. What other options might be considered ? If I decide to stay in the automobile business, are there reputable auto dealerships in the area ? If you can provide websites through pm if they have one, that would be great. Or if you know a business looking for employees, I will be happy to forward my resume along.

2. Are there specific areas that one should stay away from when renting ? I will be looking to rent a 1 bedroom apartment if the size is right. I like a separate area for my computer so I will do a 2 bedroom if necessary.

3. Being single, I'm certain that I will meet people through co-workers. Other than hanging out in bars & churches, are there places where someone might consider meeting new friends.

I appreciate the responses so far. Everyone always seems so helpful here.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by rtoshow

I agree that I should visit the area first. I hope to do that within the next couple weeks if possible.

I do have some questions that maybe some of you can help with.

1. I know that Oreck & TTU are large employers. What other options might be considered ? If I decide to stay in the automobile business, are there reputable auto dealerships in the area ? If you can provide websites through pm if they have one, that would be great. Or if you know a business looking for employees, I will be happy to forward my resume along.

2. Are there specific areas that one should stay away from when renting ? I will be looking to rent a 1 bedroom apartment if the size is right. I like a separate area for my computer so I will do a 2 bedroom if necessary.

3. Being single, I'm certain that I will meet people through co-workers. Other than hanging out in bars & churches, are there places where someone might consider meeting new friends.

I appreciate the responses so far. Everyone always seems so helpful here.

There are no "bad" parts of town in Cookeville, although if you live close to the university you might have some noisy neighbors.

I've found web sites for most of the new car dealers in Cookeville, I'll PM the addresses to you.

You can go to the local paper's web site and check out their help wanted ads, too. I'll PM that address to you.

Good luck!

[tismekll]

Originally Posted by Boris

And please feel free to ask questions on here. We can definitely understand why you're eager to move to Tennessee!

Boris, I understand from your posts that you reside in Cookeville. I know the population isn't large so I am concerned that I took note from the National Sex Offenders website that there are 35 sex offenders in zip code 38501 and an additional 35 in zip code 38506.
Are these crimes you hear about or is Cookeville a haven for offenders to move to? Appreciate your input..thank you.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by tismekll

Boris, I understand from your posts that you reside in Cookeville. I know the population isn't large so I am concerned that I took note from the National Sex Offenders website that there are 35 sex offenders in zip code 38501 and an additional 35 in zip code 38506.
Are these crimes you hear about or is Cookeville a haven for offenders to move to? Appreciate your input..thank you.

Actually, no I don't live in Cookeville, but I love it there. I'm in Knoxville.

I looked up the Tennessee sex registry, and it lists 55 sex offenders in Putnam County. That's about the middle of the pack in Tennessee, one sex offender for every 1200 people.

I'm just guessing, but I would imagine that being a college town would elevate the figures since a 19 year old fraternity dude having sex with a 17 year old high school girl (who pretends she's an 18 year old college student) ends up as a sex offender. And since Cookeville has a very young population because of the university, it would lend itself to those kinds of situations more than most other communities.

[tismekll]

Originally Posted by Boris

Actually, no I don't live in Cookeville, but I love it there. I'm in Knoxville.

I looked up the Tennessee sex registry, and it lists 55 sex offenders in Putnam County. That's about the middle of the pack in Tennessee, one sex offender for every 1200 people.

I'm just guessing, but I would imagine that being a college town would elevate the figures since a 19 year old fraternity dude having sex with a 17 year old high school girl (who pretends she's an 18 year old college student) ends up as a sex offender. And since Cookeville has a very young population because of the university, it would lend itself to those kinds of situations more than most other communities.

Thank you for the feedback Boris. Sorry, I thought you were in Cookeville.
I would agree with your statement but the site has pictures and most of those on the site are way older than college age..even some women on the site. As I mentioned, I went by the zip codes for Cookeville rather than the entire county.