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If things like masks and the university changing the area are major issues for you, you might want to look at some of the more rural areas of Tennessee where there may be less of a chance of your becoming unhappy.
yes this is the common thinking of many people. but not really what my thinking is. my idea is not to escape from the world and society and hide. i want to be part of a community and town.
But on the other hand, Cookeville has a big college in the area, which tends to overrun and turn areas blue, and result in many government regulations.
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Originally Posted by JRR
If things like... the university changing the area are major issues for you, you might want to look at some of the more rural areas of Tennessee where there may be less of a chance of your becoming unhappy.
TNTech definitely has a major impact and changes our area; it changes it for the better. Founded as Dixie College, by local merchants, I don't think very many people would say that TNTech is a 'liberal' school or say that it has "overrun" the area. But if you get upset that universities can increase diversity in their regions, then it sounds like you have a personal problem.
Our university is very focused on career readiness; regardless of your political leanings. We have excellent programs in Engineering, Nursing, Education, and Business. The university and local leaders work together to find ways to improve business/commerce in this region and frequently form partnerships to encourage companies to move to our area.
The result is that TNTech degrees give grads the highest starting salary potential of all public universities in TN.
I think this impacts our region with having a representation of views from different sides of the political spectrum. But, we definitely skew red. Every once in a while you get people on both extremes of each side making a fool of themselves; but that is few and far between. Cookeville did not have a forced lockdown, we did not have a mask mandate, early on we had a very efficient COVID testing process, and we were one of the first places to offer the vaccine to anybody who wanted it. I think you would find that our local leaders are rational. They respect civil liberties and are mostly interested in how to best progress the county/cities by focusing on problem solving rather than politics. If that appeals to you I think you'd love it here.
Last edited by yellowcat123; 05-13-2021 at 11:23 AM..
yellowcat, not sure why you would say i may have a 'personal problem' if i am wary of universities? i like young people, vibrancy, cool new ideas, and all that energy. but universities, at least nowadays in america, also attract and build up kind of an ideological army of people who try to control other people. i didn't even think this was controversial. but if the relationship between ttech and cookeville is more harmonious and doesn't have what many would consider a potential problem, that is great, and what i'm wondering about. so that is cool to hear.
I am looking at this area, moving from California, for the same reasons. I love America, I love my freedom, and I want to live freely without the masks. It has been very oppressive here in CA. I have been wanting to get out of CA for some time and these latest events are pushing me to make the move. I will miss the weather, but otherwise I do not recognize my state anymore. I am hoping that it will not be as bad as in CA.
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Originally Posted by thebruiser500
I've been driving around a lot lately. Checking out places to live. Arkansas was nice but not as pretty as TN and farther away from where I am now. Kentucky seemed kind of destroyed, with many closed down businesses, and glum people, perhaps from their lockdown.
TN looked nice to me. The people are nice. It's pretty. Land isn't exactly cheap but it isn't expensive either. And it was relaxed as far as limited lockdown and limited mask mandates.
Anyway, I'm honing in on moving to Cookeville area, versus Maryville and Blount County. Cookeville and Maryville both attract me as medium sized towns which will have some restaurants, stores, organized and competitive sports (soccer/mma), but aren't big cities. Oh, and neither ever had any mask mandate!!!
Maryville is close to Smokey Mountains which is sweet, while Cookeville is maybe cheaper which is also cool.
I'm kind of scared by the fact that Maryville is sandwiched between Knox County and Sevier County, and both of those places went crazy with mask mandates. But on the other hand, Cookeville has a big college in the area, which tends to overrun and turn areas blue, and result in many government regulations.
If I move all the way from Massachusetts down to TN and then they start attacking me with mask mandates again I will be tilted beyond belief.
So... my question is... how is Maryville and Blount County compared to Cookeville area for freedom? Which will have more regulations and restrictions in future? Is it just kind of a toss up, depending on who happens to be mayor, or is one a clear winner? Or are they both roughly about the same?
Any thoughts you have on this, or any other thoughts on Cookeville vs Maryville and E TN in general are much appreciated. Thank you Sirs and Ladies of this forum.
I am looking at this area, moving from California, for the same reasons. I love America, I love my freedom, and I want to live freely without the masks. It has been very oppressive here in CA. I have been wanting to get out of CA for some time and these latest events are pushing me to make the move. I will miss the weather, but otherwise I do not recognize my state anymore. I am hoping that it will not be as bad as in CA.
A lot of people and businesses are leaving California and have been for decades. The exodus is accelerating. The good news is that the people are fed up and finally starting to do something about it.
But the city of Knoxville is overwhelmingly blue. Its current mayor is a self-avowed leftist, and its previous mayor worked with Cesar Chavez. The two mayors (city and county) do seem to work well together, however. Just be warned that while Maryville predominantly red (Blount County did have one precinct that voted for Biden), the major city in the region (Knoxville) is dark blue, and it's been getting bluer over the years.
Cookeville, on the other hand, is still red, and the region has been getting redder. You have to go 50 or so miles to get to an area (Murfreesboro) that didn't vote for Trump.
I think this is totally fascinating. I haven't seen any proof or studies but I really strongly think there is an actual political migration going on in this country right now.
I think solid red states like TN are seeing such an influx of residents (many from blue states) specifically because those residents are fleeing their blue states looking for a solid red state.
I'm exploring all this myself as someone unlucky enough to be born in new York state. I'm looking to flee the first chance we can.
I love NC and western NC. However TN is my number 1 choice due to it being solid red where NC is purple/red and it's demographics keep tilting center/leftward
TN is such an obvious choice I have been trying to learn and understand the demographics of it and it seems to keep getting redder. The volunteer state is like a freedom beacon for those who feel a calling to it.
I think this is totally fascinating. I haven't seen any proof or studies but I really strongly think there is an actual political migration going on in this country right now.
I think solid red states like TN are seeing such an influx of residents (many from blue states) specifically because those residents are fleeing their blue states looking for a solid red state.
I'm exploring all this myself as someone unlucky enough to be born in new York state. I'm looking to flee the first chance we can.
I love NC and western NC. However TN is my number 1 choice due to it being solid red where NC is purple/red and it's demographics keep tilting center/leftward
TN is such an obvious choice I have been trying to learn and understand the demographics of it and it seems to keep getting redder. The volunteer state is like a freedom beacon for those who feel a calling to it.
I think this is totally fascinating. I haven't seen any proof or studies but I really strongly think there is an actual political migration going on in this country right now.
I think solid red states like TN are seeing such an influx of residents (many from blue states) specifically because those residents are fleeing their blue states looking for a solid red state.
I'm exploring all this myself as someone unlucky enough to be born in new York state. I'm looking to flee the first chance we can.
I love NC and western NC. However TN is my number 1 choice due to it being solid red where NC is purple/red and it's demographics keep tilting center/leftward
TN is such an obvious choice I have been trying to learn and understand the demographics of it and it seems to keep getting redder. The volunteer state is like a freedom beacon for those who feel a calling to it.
I too suffered from the same birth defect, one I waited some 33 years to correct. What you don't realize when you live in NY is just how bad, and how pervasive, the leftist intolerance and oppression actually is. I moved to Idaho 26 years ago; it took leaving NY and seeing a free state, to realize just how bad NY really was. My advice is to get out as soon as possible-in terms of personal freedom and taxes it's hard to do worse than NY (NJ, IL and CA are possible exceptions). New York's extreme tax rates tend to suppress housing values (outside of the NYC metro area anyway), meaning that much of the rest of the country is rising more quickly. The longer you stay in NY-the harder it is to escape, financially, as homes in other areas appreciate. And of course with the exodus from NY, finding a buyer there is increasingly difficult. Add to that, government workers and politicians in NYS are notoriously corrupt, incompetent and overpaid-perhaps even moreso than Illinois.
Idaho has a huge influx of people from blue states (yeah, such as myself...). I find it one extreme or another. Those that are of a conservative/libertarian bent tend to be to the right of locals and refuse to let their new home become the same red-hot mess they have left. Others move because the area is a pretty resort area (much like parts of TN) and bring their politics with them. Boise has already fallen, with a far-left, anti-police nut-job in the mayor's office. I'm pretty optimistic about TN, with their recent rejection of some of the more extreme Biden dictates, as well as the recognition of the civil rights of their citizens (Constitutional Carry Law). All positives in terms of what I'm looking for.
Just curious, what part of NYS do you live in?
Last edited by Toyman at Jewel Lake; 05-22-2021 at 12:47 PM..
I too suffered from the same birth defect, one I waited some 33 years to correct. What you don't realize when you live in NY is just how bad, and how pervasive, the leftist intolerance and oppression actually is. I moved to Idaho 26 years ago; it took leaving NY and seeing a free state, to realize just how bad NY really was. My advice is to get out as soon as possible-in terms of personal freedom and taxes it's hard to do worse than NY (NJ, IL and CA are possible exceptions). New York's extreme tax rates tend to suppress housing values (outside of the NYC metro area anyway), meaning that much of the rest of the country is rising more quickly. The longer you stay in NY-the harder it is to escape, financially, as homes in other areas appreciate. And of course with the exodus from NY, finding a buyer there is increasingly difficult. Add to that, government workers and politicians in NYS are notoriously corrupt, incompetent and overpaid-perhaps even moreso than Illinois.
Idaho has a huge influx of people from blue states (yeah, such as myself...). I find it one extreme or another. Those that are of a conservative/libertarian bent tend to be to the right of locals and refuse to let their new home become the same red-hot mess they have left. Others move because the area is a pretty resort area (much like parts of TN) and bring their politics with them. Boise has already fallen, with a far-left, anti-police nut-job in the mayor's office. I'm pretty optimistic about TN, with their recent rejection of some of the more extreme Biden dictates, as well as the recognition of the civil rights of their citizens (Constitutional Carry Law). All positives in terms of what I'm looking for.
Just curious, what part of NYS do you live in?
Western NY. Probably not far from where you grew up.
I live about 2 miles from lake Erie. Pretty much as far away from NYC as you can get it's like a 7 hour drive from my house yet that city far far away dominates NY state politics. It's a shame. We have no common interests. There are plenty of regular sane every day normal people in NY state but you would never know it because their voices are drowned out.
So if/when I'm fortunate enough to flee, I am going to make sure I move to a red state.
Western NY. Probably not far from where you grew up.
I live about 2 miles from lake Erie. Pretty much as far away from NYC as you can get it's like a 7 hour drive from my house yet that city far far away dominates NY state politics. It's a shame. We have no common interests. There are plenty of regular sane every day normal people in NY state but you would never know it because their voices are drowned out.
So if/when I'm fortunate enough to flee, I am going to make sure I move to a red state.
Yeah, I grew up by Lockport, worked at Harrison Radiator in engineering. And never visited NYC while living in the state. I agree-the politics, taxes and regulatory burden of the state is driven by NYC-and was one of the major reasons I left. In terms of geography, I think you'd like TN (from what I've seen). Lots of areas reminiscent of the southern tier and Finger Lakes region. Cities aren't nearly as run down and destitute as much of WNY (well, at least as it was when I left). For example, Newport is a LOT nicer than Lockport-even the "old town" looks better than Main Street. And Newport is considered one of the "rougher" parts of TN.
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