Is TN really a nice place to live? (Knoxville: sales, real estate)

[mrs1885]

To the OP - your question - is TN a nice place to live - is very dependant on what you're looking for and where you're looking at.

I moved from SW FL. By the time I moved I hated it there. I moved to a very rural area of TN - my town doesn't even exist on CD. We have to share a zip code with the town next to us and they are in a different county! When I say small, I mean small.

It has it's problems like every other place in the world. There is no such thing as a perfect place. But for us, this is probably as close as it gets. The school here is amazing; couldn't ask for better administration. The neighbors are incredible; every single one introduced themselves in the first week we were here and even offered to help us unload the moving truck. We've had them offer to help with electrical and plumbing problems in the house, referred us to doctors, vets, mechanics, etc.

I've got a million dollar view of the sunrise in the morning, coming up over the mountains and a view just as incredible as it sets in the back pasture. We have peace and quiet, deer and wild turkey in the yard. Winters aren't too cold, summers are hot and humid but after living 35+ years in SW FL they're not too bad for me.

We never lock the cars. I leave my purse on the front seat of an unlocked vehicle pretty regularly, something I'd never have done in Florida. We had the glass in the front door shattered by our kids a year after moving in. It was a massive pane of glass surrounded by a wood frame. Took a while to get a new door in because ours is so old it doesn't conform to the new door standard sizes. So we had plexiglass taped in there and never worried when we went to bed. Never lock the doors on the house, usually have windows open.

That said, we've had a couple friends come visit and hate where we are. It's a half hour drive to get to anything. Literally anything. Shopping, hospitals, restaurants. And bars just don't exist. Closest neighbors are far enough that you need to drive unless you're planning quite a hike. Other than quail and cows, you seldom hear much of anything. They hated it. They like bright lights, bars, racing cars.

So, while this is perfect for us, it's not for them. And if you're looking to move to TN, you need to know what you like. Chattanooga is very different from Memphis. As in different world, different. If you like small country towns you won't like Murfreesboro. If you like making snow men in the winter you won't like TN. If you like nice cool breezes in the summer you won't like TN.

Best thing you can do is visit a while and check out several places. The state itself is pretty affordable. We got a big house on nearly 10 acres for well under $100k. Property taxes are less than $300 a year. Vehicle registration is like $24 a year or something. But taxes - as in state tax - is high; nearly 10%. And there is tax on food, something we didn't have in FL. That took some getting used to. Most people are quite friendly. But if you're looking at rural areas and thinking you'd love to be in a gated community you won't find yourself welcomed with open arms. People coming in to what they call 'paradise' and then wanting to change it ticks people off.

Anyway, just my thoughts and opinions.

[beachmouse]

City-data crime indexes-

Jackson, MI- 452
Benton Harbor-475
Lansing- 507
Grand Rapids, MI- 534
Nashville, TN- 674
Knoxville-675
Kalamazoo- 679
Jackson, TN-689
Chattanooga- 739
Memphis- 962
Detroit, MI- 1064

Kind of surprised that Jackson, MI, Benton Harbor and Lansing end up the safe spots on the list.

[Memphis1979]

Not sure on those numbers, but ask anyone from Michigan, they don't call it "Benton Harlem" for nothing.

Probably mostly property crimes vs. violent crimes. And Memphis, yeah, Memphis is a S*** hole, I wouldn't want my worst enemy moving there. Jackson gets a lot of bad numbers because of drug traffic. Most of Tennessees crime is related to drug traffic. Its a major thoroughfare from Mexico to the north east. I lived there for 22 years, and there were only 5 murders that I ever heard of.

[beachmouse]

I was pretty surprised to see the crime rates so low in Benton Harbor and Jackson, MI since neither city is particularly pleasant. And surprised to see Kalamazoo so high because it's one of the better places in Michigan right now from an economic standpoint.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Ah, but Laura, you're from Maryland.

No, I moved here from Maryland after 12 years. I'm from Long Island.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by tomfirst

Ya mean that movie 'Deliverance' wasn't just a kidden Burt? Golly willikers.

Deliverance took place in Georgia.

[wilsonmom3]

the the OP: i live in chattanooga (well, not downtown, actually a suburb of Chattanooga, Ooltewah) and moved here 3 years ago. I love it here. There are tons of things for families to do in Chattanooga. The schools vary, depending on which one you are zoned for, but I am very happy with the ones we ended up with. Crime is something that every community deals with, and my car has been broken into in my driveway, even though I live in a very small, seemingly safe neighboorhood...but the VIOLENT crime is mostly concentrated in certain "bad" neighborhoods in the downtown area that I don't have any reason to be in, anyway. The weather is about the same as any area in the south...hot and humid in the summer with mild (compared to up north) winters, usually really lovely in Spring and Fall. I find the people to be very friendly and down to earth for the most part.

[wishmyer]

The answer to questions in the last paragraph is yes, yes and yes.

[shabang]

Originally Posted by Psychop1

I also lived in Michigan. I was in cultural shock when I found out how peaceful it was. With the exception of Detroit and Flint, Michigan has no crime compared to Tennessee.

I lived in Michigan for 16 years, and you just made me laugh out loud!

[Pookie]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I'm not sure what CQ is, nor how they rank, nor what data they utilize. There are dangerous areas in TN's metropolitan regions. What really surprises some people who are otherwise unfamiliar with rural South is how dangerous the middle of nowhere can be. Especially people who are from suburban areas or have city smarts, living in the country can be a wake-up call.

Hey, I'm one of those suburbanites thinking about getting a place with a little more land around me. Could somebody please expound on the ''how dangerous the middle of nowhere can be''?