could i be your neighbor? (Knoxville, Chattanooga: home, unemployment rate, movie theater)

[kbug3]

hi there, we are looking for the perfect small town to move with our 3 small children..good schools,town square, some type of water access, small town parades, farmers market,safe and most important welcoming of strangers...the basic small town..outside of a larger town for shopping say 20min or so..we have been to Cooksville..too big, Nashville we love it, and have friends there... so something great outside it? Chattanooga was nice my husband mother was born and raised there..again too big.. we like the outdoors, national parks, hunting hikeing camping and just staying home. A movie theatre and maybe a YMCA for the kids would be great.. We have been told alittle about Paris Tn, that there is no work..it is mostly for play and vacation??? I stay home with the kids, and my husband is in construction (management)..but can do many things..any help would be great..thanks so much..also inexpensive but not poor and dieing..been there done that...thanks for the southern hospitality

[sassykat&joe]

I'm not so sure that Tennessee has a tendency to have town squares. And, most of the small towns are having real difficulty with the economy. With all that, I thought of Clinton or Oak ridge (even though Oak Ridge doesn't really have a downtown), as they are small, but close enough to Knoxville to provide more likely jobs. Oak ridge is a high tech town, so the schools are pretty good.

[2mares]

Towns much smaller than Cookeville are probably not going to have a movie theater or a Y, or jobs.

[kbug3]

Maybe something outside of Cookeville? Then we could work and play in Cookeville or Nashville but live in a small town..any help..what about Paris?

[2mares]

There are two small towns in Putnam County just outside of Cookeville, Baxter and Algood. Algood is actually just on the outskirts of cookeville and really dosent seem to be seperate.

If you really just want to be in a rural setting there are areas just oustide Cookeville city limits that have a feel of being way out in the country yet are a short drive into town. I bought a goat awhile back, got directions to the place just a few miles from the university and was surprised how rural, pastures, farms, etc. this was so close to town.

Other small towns near Cookeville you might want to look at, Sparta in white co., Smithville in Dekalb co. is near Centerhill lake and between Cookeville and Nashville. Livingston in Overton Co. is close to Dale Hollow Lake and about a 20 minute drive to Cookeville.
You do need to consider the difference in the school system between the counties unless you are going to home school. And keep in mind that the unemployment rate is high in this area.