Cookeville Mall??? (Jackson: fit in, for rent, house)

[dlk33]

JMT...
I checked mapquest & Fort Knox is about 30 min. away from Elizabethtown, Ky so I would think there would be enough distance between the two cities that whatever's negative in Fort Knox wouldn't bleed over to Elizabethtown. If nothing else, I think I might feel a bit more safe with that protection close by I'll just have to keep the base in mind when we visit, to see if there is any influence from it. Just from the stats for Clarksville, it isn't a city we'd really be interested in retiring to. Others seem to like living there though. One persons trash is anothers treasure. Of course I never have an issue appreciating men in uniform either

2mares....
Haven't had a chance to be considered an old fart by grandkids yet, thanks for filling me in on what's coming someday

[fntintn]

Originally Posted by dlk33

In our Wi winters, I do my work-outs inside though....I have a cardio & weight training room in my house. I don't enjoy being in outside in the frozen tundra. However, being it's much milder in Tn.

hey - we just moved here in august from wisconsin! i hear you about the cold weather. we do NOT miss that at all! good luck to you on your new home choice!

[dlk33]

fntintn...
Mind if I ask what part of Wisconsin? Also, what area of Tn. did you make your new home? What made you decide to move there, how do you like it so far? Anything you miss about Wi?
We've got four cities to check out this summer, two in Ky. & two in Tn. I'm really hoping we fall in love with at least one the places of interest, since after that I will be out of options

[JMT]

Originally Posted by dlk33

JMT...
I checked mapquest & Fort Knox is about 30 min. away from Elizabethtown, Ky so I would think there would be enough distance between the two cities that whatever's negative in Fort Knox wouldn't bleed over to Elizabethtown. If nothing else, I think I might feel a bit more safe with that protection close by I'll just have to keep the base in mind when we visit, to see if there is any influence from it. Just from the stats for Clarksville, it isn't a city we'd really be interested in retiring to. Others seem to like living there though. One persons trash is anothers treasure. Of course I never have an issue appreciating men in uniform either

2mares....
Haven't had a chance to be considered an old fart by grandkids yet, thanks for filling me in on what's coming someday

Fort Knox covers 109,000 acres. Maybe from the heart of Elizabethtown to the heart of Fort Knox it's 30 miles, but its boundaries are only a few miles from Elizabethtown. Downtown Elizabethtown is 7.4 miles from "Battle Training Road" at Fort Knox.

From last month's Lane Report ("Kentucky's Business Source for 23 Years" according to them) a new elementary school is being built in Elizabethtown to accommodate the growth taking place at Fort Knox.

[dlk33]

JMT...
It's good to see that Elizabethtown is not ignoring the growth problem, especially when education is such an important thing. To me, that is a postive sign about the way the city is run. Looking at the population density, it is acutually less there then any of the other cities we're considering a move to. At this point, I really am not concerned about the close location of the base.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by dlk33

JMT...
It's good to see that Elizabethtown is not ignoring the growth problem, especially when education is such an important thing. To me, that is a postive sign about the way the city is run. Looking at the population density, it is acutually less there then any of the other cities we're considering a move to. At this point, I really am not concerned about the close location of the base.

Yes, it is a good thing when a community is able to fully fund its schools. It sounds like you're determined to make Elizabethtown work for you. I hope it does. You're doing the right thing by being very selective so you can find the place where you can call home. Best of luck to you!

[dlk33]

JMT...
Honestly, i'm just trying to keep an open mind to all four cities we're interested in, at least until we get a chance to visit this summer to rule any of them out, or fall in love with any of them. In the meantime, I appreciate anything anyone has to say that in their mind is positive or negative about any of the cities we're interested in. Due to some things that were mentioned on the Indiana forum, it got me to thinking, which in turn helped me decide to delete three cities of interest (Evansville, In.. Henderson, Ky... and Owensboro, Ky). The main reason was the lack of a larger airport. After doing a search online of airline prices at the airport in Evansville, vs Nashville or Louisville there was quite a difference in the fare for flying back to Madison, Wi. Evansville was more then twice as much! That fact may not have an effect on some, but it would for us.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by dlk33

JMT...
Honestly, i'm just trying to keep an open mind to all four cities we're interested in, at least until we get a chance to visit this summer to rule any of them out, or fall in love with any of them. In the meantime, I appreciate anything anyone has to say that in their mind is positive or negative about any of the cities we're interested in. Due to some things that were mentioned on the Indiana forum, it got me to thinking, which in turn helped me decide to delete three cities of interest (Evansville, In.. Henderson, Ky... and Owensboro, Ky). The main reason was the lack of a larger airport. After doing a search online of airline prices at the airport in Evansville, vs Nashville or Louisville there was quite a difference in the fare for flying back to Madison, Wi. Evansville was more then twice as much! That fact may not have an effect on some, but it would for us.

Oh I understand completely. It's my one complaint about Knoxville: the airport here has ridiculous air fares. I fly a lot to Utah, and the tickets are usually half the price out of Nashville as they are out of Knoxville.

I don't know if you've considered taxes, but The Tax Foundation has listed the over-all tax burdens for each state. Kentucky is ranked 25th, and Tennessee is ranked 44th. So as far as taxes go, Tennessee is cheaper than Kentucky. It may not be enough to make much of a difference in your decision, but since you hadn't brought it up I wasn't sure if you were aware of it. Tennessee does have a rather high sales tax but has no state income tax.

Either way, both Kentucky and Tennessee are beautiful states with some nice towns. It sounds like you've selected some good places to check out in both states!

[dlk33]

JMT...
Now that I know where you live, I should let you know that last summer we took a vacation to eastern Tn., and checked out Knoxville, Johnson City, Kingsport & Oak Ridge for possible retirement locations. My thoughts on which place I expected to be our "perfect" place changed once I was able to experience being there. One thing that can't be denied, was that all of those areas are beautiful, surrounding wise. I wasn't used to such hilly driving & honestly didn't care for it much. I also didn't expect it to be as busy in Knoxville as I took it to be (traffic wise). Being that finding disc golf courses to play on that we'd be happy playing on daily was a big importance to us, we weren't impressed. We're more used to mostly open courses that are still challenging. I guess it's kind of like those who play ball golf seeking out golf courses in an area that they'd be happy to live in for the long haul. Of course other things are important to us as well, but that was one of our priorities. We spoke to some of the locals & heard some things in each place that didn't give us a positive impression. To someone else, those things may not have bothered them. I was all over the forum seeking information before we took the trip, and came back with a different impressions, then before we left. All of us are different, with what's important to us, what we like, dislike, can/can't afford etc.

I have considered the taxes, as well as the other costs of living & many other things of importance. I do know whatever stats that are possible to know, from research I've done. Taxes are only one part of the picture, although they are important especially when you're not rich I think Tn taxes end up being higher due to the large sales tax they charge, while Ky sales tax is less, the burden on retirement income & investments isn't taxed either, so it ends up coming down to that sales tax. Of course there is also that property tax issue. But then you have to look at which state/city has the lower median home cost as well. I think either state would be a good option, more affordable then where we're living now! All of them for sure have better weather, especially in the winter!
I hope we come back this summer with a smile on our faces, knowing we don't have to look anymore, because honestly I've run out of options for places we can afford in retirement

[gemkeeper]

Dlk, you are proof-positive for the advice that so many offer here on City-Data. That is, if you are interested in an area, please do not make any final decisions on your move until you visit and experience the place you hope to call home.

You certainly did your homework, have the right attitude about looking at all aspects of a town or community and have considered the financial benefits or downfalls of all those areas that you visited.

It is great that you plan on making another trip up to TN and KY (?) before making a commitment to your retirement homeplace. It is always helpful to remember that no place is going to be perfect, but there is a special place that will come pretty close to your needs and wishes.

I hope you find that spot, and hopefully, DH and I will be right behind you soon!