Please help us with your opinion of TN-everyone (Knoxville, Maryville: crime, neighborhood)

[leonard]

Originally Posted by Capt. Dan

Enjoy what our area has to offer you in the way of recreation and retirement. But leave your better than thou, let me show you a better way to live attitude up north. Okay?

It is "their" way of life that is causing them to move. "Their" politicians who have raised taxes and costs. "Their" culture they are leaving behind.

Why bring it with them if they found it wasn't what "they" wanted to begin with?

Maybe it is the "Southern" way that is part and parcel of Why TN is a nice place to live.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Capt. Dan

If you think hiknapster and I were serious in our previous posts with each other-you havent been on this board long enough. It was all given and taken in fun! Okay?

You know, when Jeanne asked why you were so cranky, I was going to write: "He's been like that ever since he died," but probably only a few would ever get THAT.

To those not in the know, we had an city-data "incident" awhile back.

Stick around and all KINDS of things can happen!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by leonard

It is "their" way of life that is causing them to move. "Their" politicians who have raised taxes and costs. "Their" culture they are leaving behind.

Why bring it with them if they found it wasn't what "they" wanted to begin with?

Maybe it is the "Southern" way that is part and parcel of Why TN is a nice place to live.

Well, some do and some don't.

I'm here because I like the people, the weather, the easy-going politeness. And by the way, there are some people here that talk much faster than me - and that is saying something - and not all people here are "peaches" but that's to be expected. People are people wherever you go.

And yes, there are things that I don't like here and things that I liked better where I came from, but I am not stupid enough to think I can change a whole neighborhood, city or state, nor would I want to. I want Tennessee to remain Tennessee so I can either tough it out or leave.

All in all, Knoxville, Tennessee is my favorite place to be. It doesn't mean I haven't had my fair share of heartache, though.

But I also know that there are some people that will show up here and then whine about everything. I saw those same people in Florida saying they didn't do it like that in "Michigan" or "Virgina" or wherever. But there were not as many "natives" when the transplants starting coming to Florida, decades ago.

I really don't think transplants will outnumber the locals anytime soon. So, in the meantime, the whiners usually end up moving away, but they are awful to listen to while they are still here.

What I really want to know is if Capt. Dan is actually seeing people buying up land where he lives. And I mean in the past six months, or so. It would be interesting to me from an economic standpoint.

[psdziwo]

Did it ever occur to any of you that a lot of us in Michigan want to move to your state BECAUSE of you slower pace, your non-liberal views, your southern traditions, etc??? Maybe we're envious of what you have. My husband and I are going to retire in about 2 years, and central / east Tennessee is one of our possible locations. All we can dream about is finding an older home on a little bit of property - enough to have a decent sized garden, plant my flowers, and relax with a drink on the porch. We can't wait until we can finish our projects around the house at a more leisurely pace, and not have to cram everything into a weekend. We want to join a nice church and meet our neighbors. We aren't "over the hill" yet, and we want to find a way to fit in and sign up for some church committees, or volunteer for something needed in the area. From some of the posts I've read, it almost sounds like we are dreaming, and won't really be welcome. I hope that's not the case, because I've been looking forward to calling Tennessee my home for quite a while now. And it's sad, because overall, we really love Michigan. We have places here that would be hard to duplicate, and a lot of them are not that publicized. But the liberals in Washington and in our own state have made retiring here on a fixed income an impossibility. So try to remember that we don't all come to "change" your ways - many of us are coming to embrace them.

[NCN]

Originally Posted by psdziwo

Did it ever occur to any of you that a lot of us in Michigan want to move to your state BECAUSE of you slower pace, your non-liberal views, your southern traditions, etc??? Maybe we're envious of what you have. My husband and I are going to retire in about 2 years, and central / east Tennessee is one of our possible locations. All we can dream about is finding an older home on a little bit of property - enough to have a decent sized garden, plant my flowers, and relax with a drink on the porch. We can't wait until we can finish our projects around the house at a more leisurely pace, and not have to cram everything into a weekend. We want to join a nice church and meet our neighbors. We aren't "over the hill" yet, and we want to find a way to fit in and sign up for some church committees, or volunteer for something needed in the area. From some of the posts I've read, it almost sounds like we are dreaming, and won't really be welcome. I hope that's not the case, because I've been looking forward to calling Tennessee my home for quite a while now. And it's sad, because overall, we really love Michigan. We have places here that would be hard to duplicate, and a lot of them are not that publicized. But the liberals in Washington and in our own state have made retiring here on a fixed income an impossibility. So try to remember that we don't all come to "change" your ways - many of us are coming to embrace them.

I understand that you want to live in the Tennessee environment, but could I give you a word of advice. Now advice is worth what you pay for it and mine is free but I just noticed something in your post that might be taken the wrong way. It is good to volunteer and get involved in church but if you come in too eager you will look like a yankee. "Wait until you are invited," is a good rule of thumb. Yes, visit the church and you will be given the opportunity to get involved but not too fast. We take it slow and easy in the South and we look people over and check them out before we accept them as one of us. When I go into a new place, I never volunteer for anything until I have been there for a year. Before a year is up though, you will probably be invited to help as long as you don't start "blowing your own horn."

Oh and another thing. We don't care about money and we don't usually discuss religion and politics (I do on here, but I would never talk about the things I talk about on here to my neighbors.) and most of us don't use the terms "liberal" and "conservative." They are just overused phrases. I don't like any kind of labels. The people I live around are complicated individuals that don't fit any label I have ever heard except Christian. I am not from Tennessee, but I grew up and still live in the country and got along with the people in Tennessee just fine.

[psdziwo]

Originally Posted by NCN

I understand that you want to live in the Tennessee environment, but could I give you a word of advice. Now advice is worth what you pay for it and mine is free but I just noticed something in your post that might be taken the wrong way. It is good to volunteer and get involved in church but if you come in too eager you will look like a yankee. "Wait until you are invited," is a good rule of thumb. Yes, visit the church and you will be given the opportunity to get involved but not too fast. We take it slow and easy in the South and we look people over and check them out before we accept them as one of us. When I go into a new place, I never volunteer for anything until I have been there for a year. Before a year is up though, you will probably be invited to help as long as you don't start "blowing your own horn."

Oh and another thing. We don't care about money and we don't usually discuss religion and politics (I do on here, but I would never talk about the things I talk about on here to my neighbors.) and most of us don't use the terms "liberal" and "conservative." They are just overused phrases. I don't like any kind of labels. The people I live around are complicated individuals that don't fit any label I have ever heard except Christian. I am not from Tennessee, but I grew up and still live in the country and got along with the people in Tennessee just fine.

Wow, I don't know what you "noticed in my post", but where in the world did you come up with the feeling that we are the type that push our way in somewhere, "blow our own horn", or judge people on money, religion or politics? I only mentioned the terms liberals or conservatives because I was responding to prior postings. So your definition of Southern hospitality is to be seen and not heard, don't act interested in your new town or church, don't get too friendly, etc. (Hopefully within that year, people don't come to the conclusion that we are stand-offish or unfriendly.) I think you read far too much in that post, not sure where it's all coming from.
You wrote, " We take it slow and easy in the South and we look people over and check them out before we accept them as one of us." So according to you, we'll just stand around like dogs waiting to get our butts sniffed. You say you weren't born in Tennessee. . . .it shows. The people we've met over the years have been very friendly (and it didn't take a year).

[Beretta]

Good time to remind folks to keep things civil. Everyone is entitled to their opinions.

[creeksitter]

"The people I live around are complicated individuals that don't fit any label I have ever heard"

Yes, this. If you try to pigeonhole someone into "liberal" or "conservative" you'll miss out knowing some good people in the other "camp" an you'll be dissapointed that the people in your own "camp" don't fit your exact expectations.

[karen48089]

Thank you to all. We ended up buying cheap land with a house. I should of mentioned that I wasn't born in the south but my Father was and I was raised with the south attitude. My parents fly the rebel flag on the front porch in Michigan. We will be moving to Iron City TN in about a month. I still have a lot of family in Kentucky so I understand the friendliness. English up here is now the second language and I do not want my daughter raised like that. The only thing we did not like about our trip to TN was the law of no smoking in public places. Not really concerned if my neighbors like us or not, my yard is big enough to stay to myself. Upon our return to Michigan I was reading our local paper and the park at the end of my street was targeted for robbery at gun point more than 5 occassions by 2 black males. And people wonder why my teen daughter has to stay in the house and play video games. Looking forward to my return to the south

[Beretta]

Thanks for the update Karen. Hope your move goes well. Keep us posted!