[Cindee Stetson]

I'm new to this site, so my questions may have been answered in a thread I've not gotten to yet ...

My husband and I are possibly moving to the area. My husband will work at TVA's Nuclear Plant. I would like to have a better idea of where to look, based on the drive-time to the plant. Any comment on what the drive is like over the river from Decatur, vs. looking north toward Athens?

We're looking for a home with a little land - 1 to 5 acres. Is one area better than another for finding homes with small acreage, vs. a lot?

Thanks, CAS

[AlabamaMom]

I actually live about 4 miles from TVA. I love Athens, it is my hometown. I went to Clements High School (that is the school district) and now my 4 children go there. There are some land opportunities BUT in my area its a little hard to get due to owners of "family land". It's just sitting there wasting away. I also visit Decatur and do not think I would want to live there. The closest thing to the "river bridge" is mostly commercial other than Condo's and Townhomes. Good Luck!

[Cindee Stetson]

Thanks for your reply! I've been concentrating on Athens with my searches, and have requested info from your Chamber. I appreciate the "insider-info". My husband will be interviewing with TVA next week, so we will be in Athens over the Christmas weekend - I'm looking forward to it! Thanks again.

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by AlabamaMom

I love Athens

Originally Posted by AlabamaMom

I love Athens

Originally Posted by AlabamaMom

I love Athens

Originally Posted by AlabamaMom

I love Athens

ME TOO!!!
ME TOO!!!
ME TOO!!!
ME TOO!!!

Am I making myself clear or should I spell it out? A-T-H-E-N-S, I love that town so much that I wrote a sonnet in praise of it after visiting one time, e-mailed it to a bunch of my friends and I practically had all them sold on moving there too! Then I went for a second visit and decided that it was too much Georgia outside of the uber-hip downtown area. But man, there's more to do in one square mile of that absolutely beautiful little city than just about any place I've ever been that is so humble. Sure, you can find high concentrations of good restaurants in ski towns like Aspen and Telluride, but Athens is down-to-earth while also offering cultural benefits that you'd never expect in such a location.

Oh, by the way, I LOVE ATHENS!!!!

[Nancy W]

Hi Cindee. I do not really know much about the drive time, but I will tell you a small bit about both areas. The drive time will be manageable from either location, so I will focus on other issues. Part of your choice will depend on what your needs are. If you are looking for something a bit more city, Decatur may be better for you. Athens, and the small communities surrounding it, are less built up and a bit quieter. Athens is going through a growth spurt now though. When I moved to Alabama in 2000, I had to drive through Athens to get to Huntsville. It was a lot of cotton fields, which are now restaurants, a couple of small strip malls, and banks. There is a Starbuck's here now too.
In Decatur, there is not a school bus system, nor is there one in Athens itself. If you move to a smaller community, which is considered "county", there are school busses for the kids. This was a major deal for me, so I thought it may be important to you as well. I prefer Athens myself. There is nothing wrong with Decatur, but I enjoy a community that is smaller. Athens is close to Decatur, so you can still go there and enjoy many of the things that the city has to offer (the water park in Decatur is fantastic).
Athens still has a down-home feel to it, which is wonderful. Most people in the community are civic-minded and go out of their way to keep their city beautiful. The downtown area is a major focus right now. It has aged gracefully, but has suffered some from the new growth. People have been moving in and building anew rather than supporting what is already here. Just recently, several community groups have been promoting the regeneration of the downtown area.
Either city that you choose, I am sure you will fall in love with it. Everyone told me that I would hate living in Alabama, but they were so wrong! I have never been happier anywhere than I am here. There is always the option of renting for 6 months to a year and exploring the area. The rental rates are fantastic in the area, with low security deposits too. That is what my family did. We thought that Huntsville would be where we wanted to settle, so we rented for 12 month increments in the 4 major sectors of the city. After all that, I took a job in Athens. Now we just signed a year lease in Piney Chapel (just 3 miles north of the Athens city limits) and I think I have found our home. I hope you find happiness here as we have!

[dbkeel1]

Originally Posted by Cindee Stetson

I'm new to this site, so my questions may have been answered in a thread I've not gotten to yet ...

My husband and I are possibly moving to the area. My husband will work at TVA's Nuclear Plant. I would like to have a better idea of where to look, based on the drive-time to the plant. Any comment on what the drive is like over the river from Decatur, vs. looking north toward Athens?

We're looking for a home with a little land - 1 to 5 acres. Is one area better than another for finding homes with small acreage, vs. a lot?

Thanks, CAS

As a Realtor in the area, I've worked with people looking in the Tanner area just south of Athens. It's close to TVA and still has some of the most affordable land available. Still, Athens or Decatur are reasonable drives (15-20 minutes most times of day) so you're looking in the right areas. My ad link is on the Huntsville main page if I can help you. Best of luck.

[lisamm]

Originally Posted by Cindee Stetson

I'm new to this site, so my questions may have been answered in a thread I've not gotten to yet ...

My husband and I are possibly moving to the area. My husband will work at TVA's Nuclear Plant. I would like to have a better idea of where to look, based on the drive-time to the plant. Any comment on what the drive is like over the river from Decatur, vs. looking north toward Athens?

We're looking for a home with a little land - 1 to 5 acres. Is one area better than another for finding homes with small acreage, vs. a lot?

Thanks, CAS

Stick to Athens, i wasn't to crazy about Decatur.

[r4r4]

Cindee - since you don't mention having children, your interests, etc, if it's not too late I would recommend that you find an apartment in either city and look around some. I lived in Athens when I first started working at Browns Ferry and we (us + 2 young children) ended up living in Decatur after we had looked around quite a bit. I don't know if you're from a rural area or not, or if you have other considerations. Both are nice locations and both are fairly close to the Site. We had also looked in Madison, Florence and several rural areas (Hartselle, Rogersville, Tanner, etc.) before settling down. The guys at work with your husband will also be able to tell you all about any areas or specifics that you are interested in, as many are local and most are friendly. Suffice it to say that large lots are abundant everywhere around here and, if you are coming from up North, prices and property taxes are dirt cheap!

[2flyabove]

Athens or Decatur?

As far as towns go, they are small and the mindsets in those towns are small. If you can tolerate then then go ahead. You be better finding a place out of town with land and away from the city taxes.

[Cindee Stetson]

Thanks so much for all of your replies!! I haven't checked for replies in quite some time - there were delays in my husband's employment with TVA, but 3 anxious months later, he finally started there last week. I'm looking forward to moving to your area - everyone seems so friendly, and helpful! I've read nothing but good things, and am so happy to be moving to the area.