So Many Moving to Tennessee WHATS THE EFFECT? (Knoxville, Oak Ridge: mobile home, schools)

[hiknapster]

Where the heck do you live?

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by jmarkey

Go back and read some of Laura's posts. You totally misunderstood what she was trying to say.

Her post was a compilation of complaints people have after moving to Tennessee.

Where's Berkerly?

Yeah, what's up with that? I'm as conservative as they come and I've never lived anyplace as an adult where the population was more than 35,000. And, upper crust? I'm moving into an apartment from an apartment and own nothing of value except my PC. I don't even aspire to be wealthy.

And to answer hiknapster's post, I would die if I just had to drive in Boston, never mind live there. I have lived in MD for almost 12 years and have never driven into DC, yet. In fact, I have only been to DC once in the last 6 years. The last time I parallel parked was 34 years ago when I took my driver's test. I'm not a city person.

[hiknapster]

Don't feel bad, LauraC. Sometime don't "get" satire.

I once wrote on the Florida forum, tongue-in-cheek, that the state had no crime, great schools, affordable housing, high-paying jobs, etc. Somebody complained that I was a BFL (Big Fat Liar)!

Hey, Laura C., did you retire this week? If so, congratulations!

Pack up the radiation suit and come on down!

[LauraC]

I once wrote on the Florida forum, tongue-in-cheek, that the state had no crime, great schools, affordable housing, high-paying jobs, etc. Somebody complained that I was a BFL (Big Fat Liar)!

I just looked up a story I saw on the news the other night about folks protesting yet another housing project near Disney (a place called Conway). Apparently, there are a dozen apartment complexes on one road. The residents in the area say the issue isn't "low income" but "more" housing clustered in one area (a total of 2,500 housing units, not even people, jeez). Look at these cheap rents though --- $854 for 4 bedrooms?

"Rents at the proposed complex would range from $577 for a one-bedroom apartment to $854 for four bedrooms."

Can you imagine the traffic and the overcrowded schools? I get angry when I read this. It means more people will post that they're moving to TN.

Hey, Laura C., did you retire this week? If so, congratulations!

Thanks. I have 5 more days to go.

[fmb28]

I grew up in Texas and Ohio. After college, I was yearning for "the big city" so I moved to the biggest of them all -- NYC. After a few years there, I took a job in San Francisco and moved out to the West Coast.

They were sure exciting places for a gal in her 20s, but by the time I met my husband I was sick of living in tiny apartments and couldn't remember anymore how nice the smell of cut grass was. I began campaigning for us to move East. My husband, who was commuting almost 90 minutes each way to work, agreed. So we began studying our map and figuring out where to go.

We based our decision on employment, housing/land prices, taxes, crime rates, weather, friendliness of its people, and we also wanted a place that was "pro-America" (after having lived in NYC and SF, I was sick of the America-bashing that it so common in those cities). We narrowed our choices down to West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. And we finally picked Knoxville, TN.

Certain areas of Knoxville, especially the west side, is getting crowded superfast -- and the locals don't like it. There's tons of construction everywhere and I, too, see the license plates from other states. Lots from Ohio and Michigan! But since we did the same thing, i can't blame others for wanting what we have. We never could've afforded to buy a house in California -- tiny 1200sf bungalows in Oakland with bars on the windows sell for $400,000. Our home in Knoxville cost $169k.

What I have noticed is that is sure seems like a lot of people move to TN with a sense of superiority - like they're going to bring TN out of the dark ages, "enlighten those Southerners", rather than moving here to embrace TN the way it is. I just hope that enough people come to TN who are like us, who love TN just the way it is, rather than those who come here wanting to change it.

[happyappy]

fmb28,

You wrote: “I just hope that enough people come to TN who are like us, who love TN just the way it is, rather than those who come here wanting to change it.”

We’re moving to Tennessee in the next couple of weeks, although, the way the packing is going, it seems as though we’ll be on the road ABOUT SEPTEMBER!!! My wife has finished “being ruthless in getting rid of things we don’t need” and it has yielded less than a full pick-up bed of the “unneeded.”

Anyway.

If we wanted Tennessee to change, we wouldn’t be moving there! I’ve decided to become actively ANTI-change when I get there. Obviously, we’re not “enough people,” but this is a fairly active forum and many others posting here express a great deal of concern, rightly so, about Tennessee’s development into something from which to run. It does NOT have to happen; the wheels of motion can be encouraged (not FORCED) to alter course.

On another subject you mentioned, I’m a firm believer in America-bashing as often as I feel it is required. Yet, here I am as strongly “pro-America” as anyone could possibly imagine.

However, I think you’re probably referring to the type of negativity that does not solve problems and, if so, then I’m in complete agreement. I have not often been witness to that type of America-bashing, but I have regularly been exposed to the bashing of Americans, verbally, who disagree with a particular line of thought. And that bashing of Americans has taken place irrespective of who has been able to throw enough money at the process to become head of the Executive Branch, or whichever ideology has either purchased enough seats, or lost enough because of blunders, so as to control the Legislative Branch.

Change is inevitable. It’s our duty to be ACTIVE in making certain that changes will not destroy that which brings us harmony. Otherwise, I’ll have to move again, and this packing is driving me WHACKO!!!!

[Bob Hamilton]

Knoxville Tn is number 57th in the nation of places to live !

1. Four seasons and lite winters.
2. Taxes are less than most.
3.Only 6-8 hours from beaches.
4. Schools are great.
5. People here are friendly and willing to help others.
6. Home prices are wonderful ! Bob

[GC Kim]

LilyLiz in February you said "without battling the ever present language barrier. It is no longer necessary to learn the english language in America. I love diversity as long as people can understand one another." Sorry I have yet to figure out "how to quote" properly on this website. I am a computer dummy.

Lily, I am playing catch up from being offline for quite awhile. So please bare with me for being a few months behind. But, I really have to make a comment..... I agree wholeheartedly. I went to a local pharmacy (in Miami, Florida) to pick up my prescriptions. All of my instructions for taking the medicines were in a non-English language!! Thank god 1) I can drive, 2) I am outspoken, and 3) I am not extremely elderly and of feeble mind. I was able to go back and raise living ..... well you know, with the manager of the pharmacy about the assumption that non-English instructions were the "norm". I know how my grandmother was, she would have just guessed or kept taking prescriptions how she thought they should have been taken <sigh>.

I am eligible for retirement. I was born and raised in Miami. Miami used to be a special place where people were friendly and you knew all of your neighbors. That was in the 60's. Dayem, I am getting old. Anyway, enough rambling. I have family in Tennessee (Knox County) and should have moved 16 years ago when I looked at property. But I chose career over the right place to live.

Oh yes, please, do not let Tennessee change from what it is and has been since I was born!

[siennaoconnor]

We are near Milwaukee ( not for long tho) and the weekend talk radio is always full of commercials " Come on down to TN and buy fantastic waterfront or montain property , boat, fish. golf .... yadda yadda yadda "
This has been going on for the last 2 years.

Glad we already signed on the dotted line for our sweet little TN country home

sienna

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by siennaoconnor

We are near Milwaukee ( not for long tho) and the weekend talk radio is always full of commercials " Come on down to TN and buy fantastic waterfront or montain property , boat, fish. golf .... yadda yadda yadda "
This has been going on for the last 2 years.

Glad we already signed on the dotted line for our sweet little TN country home

sienna

That is amazing! No wonder all these people are moving here!

We picked this area because we liked the people, liked living in the Bible Belt, liked country music, liked the way of life, liked the country.

I am so disheartened to see they are "selling" this state. It reminds me of when they did the same thing to Florida.