Looking for a place to land

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Jude24

Great feedback, thanks. We have spent time on a couple of trips in the Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk areas, as well as some others nearer Asheville. I didn't think I was going to pry my wife loose from Blowing Rock to go home! The drive from there through Mountain City TN and up into Damascus VA was one of the prettiest I have ever seen. I want to take a look around Brevard NC next time, but I am really interested in some areas not far from Johnson City. I want to check out Jonesborough and Elizabethton and along the 26 toward Unicoi and Erwin. We have been from Chatanooga to Knoxville through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg over through Maggie Valley into NC, but we have never been to the more NE part of TN. Erwin looks like there is a ton of railroad activity for how small it is, do you know what that's all about?

For the past couple of years we have wanted to get back there in the worst part of summer to see what it is really like, but we have not been able to do it. We may wait until next summer, but I am getting anxious and may not hold out that long. As nice as fall is, to me there is nothing anywhere like Springtime in those mountains. One of my sons is wanting to move to the Bristol TN area next year. He is a really good HVAC tech with experience in large commercial systems as well as smaller stuff. I suspect he wouldn't have too much trouble finding work, his wife is a veterinary tech.

Any other comment about the areas around JC is appreciated. We are looking for a little higher elevation, but not super remote.

Unicoi is absolutely tiny. It's basically a diner, intersection, and a bank or two. Not much there.

Erwin has a good bit of rail activity with CSX, and has some industrial presence with Nuclear Fuel Services and BlueLinx. Erwin has a Walmart, Food Lion, and some very basic shopping, but anything more is going to be a trip back to Johnson City.

Brevard is more of a "resort" type area with out of area money and not a ton of economic activity beyond tourism and outdoor recreation. Transylvania County, NC has some of the most beautiful waterfalls on this side of the country if you're into that.

Damascus has a surprising amount of activity for a town of its size being right along the Appalachian Trail. The Jefferson National Forest essentially abuts the town. There is a grocery store and some good local dining and a good local brewery, but most needs are back to Abingdon/Bristol.

Most of JC is 1500'-1700'. Erwin is about 1700', but you could likely find something in Unicoi County over 2000'.

IMO, JC is the nicest city between Knoxville and well up into VA. I like JC better than the Roanoke area, though Roanoke is more "in" the mountains.