Moving - Torn between Tennessee and North Carolina (Knoxville, Franklin: low crime, home)

[scky]

Hello All,

I am hoping for some feedback from y'all! My husband and I have been living in Central Kentucky for about 3 years now. We have really enjoyed living in Kentucky, however we are both up for a change! We are looking to move to either Tennessee or North Carolina, but we're torn as to which we'd prefer! I will share with y'all what we're looking for in the hopes that you can offer some feedback!

- We would like to live within about 45 miles from a major city w/a major airport, excellent career opportunities, plenty to see/do, low crime rate, etc (Right now, we are thinking: Knoxville, Nashville, Charlotte, Asheville, Raleigh-Durham)
- We would like to find a home out in the country with maybe 5 acres - essentially we're looking for a "nice" rural area
- Our interests: NASCAR, outdoor adventure, country life, camping, etc

We love the south - The beauty, the culture, the more laid-back lifestyle, the down-to-earthy, friendly folks! If you have any recommendations for us, feedback, etc, we would greatly appreciate it!!

Thanks!
Steph

[tsimmu]

I think either state suits your needs however, a couple specifics in your post lead me to suggest NC as a match. First, if you are in middle KY, TN may be quite similar to what you have now so if you're looking for a change NC (middle to eastern) would be a nice change. Also, of course, Charlotte is a NASCAR haven and you don't necessarily have to live in Charlotte proper to be convenient to events. That also opens up parts of upstate SC as well.

You mentioned good job opportunities -- in what field do you work? East Tennessee has a lot of service sector work and Charlotte is a financial hub. Raleigh is big on research and technology and of course, Fayetteville is military.

I think it's great that you both can move like that. I get "wanderlust" after a couple years somewhere myself and would love to be able to up and move like I used to in college and grad school but just seemed to have settled into family life "on the farm". I'm so envious!

Good luck in your search!

[scky]

Thank you so much for the information! I'm envious of you - to already be settled into family life on the farm! That is where we're headed... we just want a little hobby farm, our own little piece of heaven!

I have primarily worked in the field of Finance... I have my Bachelor's Degree in Business though so I've got options.

I think you are right in terms of TN being very similar to KY. My hubby and I spent 9 months last year in Nashville (for his job). We got a pretty good feel for what life would be like if we were to make a permanent move there. We enjoyed Music City, although there was a lot of crime there (compared to what we are used to here in KY).

Thanks again for the info!

[Tennesseestorm]

Hi Steph... you could move right on the border! J/K!

I think if you are torn, I think you would be happy either in Knoxville or Asheville. Both are fairly safe cities (stay out of the crime areas) and you will be fine.

Personally I like Raleigh, I have family there and have visited several times, but the summers are dreadfully hot there... at least in east TN / west NC you get some relief from the mountains.

[kingchef]

Originally Posted by scky

Thank you so much for the information! I'm envious of you - to already be settled into family life on the farm! That is where we're headed... we just want a little hobby farm, our own little piece of heaven!

I have primarily worked in the field of Finance... I have my Bachelor's Degree in Business though so I've got options.

I think you are right in terms of TN being very similar to KY. My hubby and I spent 9 months last year in Nashville (for his job). We got a pretty good feel for what life would be like if we were to make a permanent move there. We enjoyed Music City, although there was a lot of crime there (compared to what we are used to here in KY).

Thanks again for the info!

unfortunately, nashville is a somewhat very dangerous city, particularly considering its relatively small size. it is ranked approximately the 7th/9th most violent among american cities of approximately 500,000. one must use caution when in this area. knoxville, also, has a good deal of violent crime associated with drugs and drug production. knoxville is relatively small; however, crime is proportionately higher. use caution in both city and many rural areas because of meth and pot production. my brother, who is an undercover drug task force member, indicates that the problem is extremely serious and only getting worse. bad news for the state. your other criteria might be met in the other cities. of course, if you have experienced nashville for nine months, you already know the above, and you know that it is, certainly, very countrified. knoxville is a tad "backward"; however, the mountains make it worth circumventing. raleigh or charlotte seem to be your best opitions for a change. charlotte, however, is not a low crime area, as defined by the FBI statistics. most of the NC region is beautiful. naturally, you have hills, mountains, valleys, and the beach w/in easy driving distance. tn can't compete w/ a beach in the running. charlotte and raleigh have the advantage on growth and jobs---even though both have slowed because of the economy. imo, charlotte is much more cosmopolitan than any of the cities listed. nonetheless, i think you really are looking for something in north carolina. good luck to you wherever you put your feet.

[jabogitlu]

Not a lot of substance (proof?) to the post above. Yes, Nashville was listed on a list of violent American cities, but what statistics were they using? Each crime reported individually or were they "bundle reports"? CSA, MSA, City proper? All of these are worth investigating. As they say, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.

(And of course, any city is going to be safe enough as long as you're smart about how to navigate a city. Any any city, no matter the size or ranking, WILL be dangerous if you're walking around the wrong part of town at 3 am.)

If you're wanting to be close to a major airport, I would say Nashville is the only city in TN you'd want to look at. Knoxville does have a big airport but it's not Int'l and Nashville is much cheaper, usually without the need of stopping in Atlanta or elsewhere.

However, if you are looking for a change... yeah... I agree. mid-state NC is a great location. I would caution you strongly to have jobs lined up before you move, or be independently wealthy enough to survive 1-2 years jobless. Charlotte's job market is VERY VERY VERY (x3!) tight right now.

[scky]

In the 9 months that my husband and I spent in Nashville this past year, we did realize that the crime rates were higher, but I also realized that most of the crime happened in particular area's (Antioch, East Nashville, Downtown after hours, etc). We were there long enough to realize where NOT to live and area's that would be much safer (Franklin area).

I have heard from many that the job market in Charlotte is extremely tight right now. Thankfully, we don't have a great deal of pressure to find jobs as my husband has a home office and he will be taking his career with us. I will, however, be searching for employment down the road and once the economy picks up, I think that Charlotte would have more to offer in terms of careers than Nashville or Knoxville.

What are the people of Charlotte like? Down to earth "southerners" or are they more urban-minded? I have only been to the city but a couple of times, once for the NASCAR race and the other to visit all of the NASCAR shops in the area so in both trips, we were surrounded by country folk/NASCAR fans which obviously is not a very accurate representation of the city.

[kingchef]

Originally Posted by scky

In the 9 months that my husband and I spent in Nashville this past year, we did realize that the crime rates were higher, but I also realized that most of the crime happened in particular area's (Antioch, East Nashville, Downtown after hours, etc). We were there long enough to realize where NOT to live and area's that would be much safer (Franklin area).

I have heard from many that the job market in Charlotte is extremely tight right now. Thankfully, we don't have a great deal of pressure to find jobs as my husband has a home office and he will be taking his career with us. I will, however, be searching for employment down the road and once the economy picks up, I think that Charlotte would have more to offer in terms of careers than Nashville or Knoxville.

What are the people of Charlotte like? Down to earth "southerners" or are they more urban-minded? I have only been to the city but a couple of times, once for the NASCAR race and the other to visit all of the NASCAR shops in the area so in both trips, we were surrounded by country folk/NASCAR fans which obviously is not a very accurate representation of the city.

you will find that much of charlotte remains true to its southern roots. naturally, there has been a huge demographic swing in the area. the influx of not only northern culture but mid-western and pacific, also. charlotte has a large international community. consequently, people are people and i think that you will find friendliness and hospitality in most of the community. charlotte takes a great deal of ribbing from the northern community because of its direct ties with nascar. as you know, this is looked upon as a redneck hillbilly sport. as for a cosmopolitan feel, yes, i definitely think you are way ahead of the game in the charlotte area. i am originally from chicago, and i realized a significant difference in the urban/cosmopolitan feel of charlotte, as opposed to nashville, tn. nashville continues to have the small town feel, and, it has been able to keep its small town look. i believe it, franklin, and murfreesboro---if murfreesboro doesn't overtake nashville (LOL)---it might, who knows---will always have a rural feel simply because of the way it and these other towns are situated...farmland, cows, chickens, hogs, etc. finally, at this point, one can not seriously consider knoxville, tn. that would simply be ludicrous and embarassing.

the biggest problem that i have experienced in charlotte has been its, somewhat, undirected growth---that has been a little scary. nevertheless, the city and the area are very nice, overall. it ranks in the #5 tier of cities for wealth---only the southern cities of atlanta, dallas-fort worth, miami, houston, and washington dc are in rankings above charlotte. in the world system of class rankings, this equates to the official ranking of "gamma". superior rankings are alpha and beta, world rankings. actually, there is great debate that only two cities in america qualify for the alpha ranking. some list new york city and chicago only: others include los angeles. you will have to decide. most americans who follow these rankings view them as applicable to american cities only, as you can quickly see that there are so many cities throughout the world which would displace charlotte in these rankings.

again, good luck to you and your "hubby"...sounds like you all have things going your way. by the way, just outside of charlotte, you can really enjoy the city and the country. i certainly did.

[jabogitlu]

What're you even talking about? Why would considering Knoxville be ludicrous and embarrassing? And DC and Miami aren't Southern Cities. Culturally, no, but more importantly here economically, not at all.

Whatever. We're TRYING to discuss what the OP is wanting in a city, not "Who's got the most badass mother****ing skyline, yeah!!!"

The OP even states that she is looking for a nice country setting. So why are you so disparaging to cities that are more rural? It seems that you're so intently ready to write off Nashville and/or other cities, even those in the Piedmont?

In the end, scky, it'll just have to be up to you. Obviously, any city with hundreds of thousands of residents is going to have just about any "scene" you are looking for. If you are into high shopping - Macy's, Ikea, and the like, I would push you towards Charlotte. If that doesn't matter, TN's tax system might benefit you more, just something to investigate. Before you decide I would go stay in Charlotte or Raleigh or wherever for a week or two.

Good thing that your hubby's job comes with. That'll definitely make things a lot easier on you! Good luck!

[scky]

Originally Posted by kingchef

finally, at this point, one can not seriously consider knoxville, tn. that would simply be ludicrous and embarassing.

What's wrong with Knoxville?