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Yeah, Asheville has stood out to me for a lot of reasons. I used to think it was too small, too isolated, too expensive and too cold but my recent research has proved those assumptions to be invalid.
If Asheville appeals to you you might also consider the tri-cities TN area two hours north of there.
Lower COL, slightly higher MSA population, a little warmer and less snow because of the lower elevation. Close to the Virginia Creeper trail and a similar trail called the tweetsie trail is being developed in Johnson City. Kingsport has a nice greenway and Bays Mountain park with 25 miles of trails. kingsport_greenbelt_map.pdf and Bays Mountain Park - Kingsport, TN
Doesn't offer as many amenities as Asheville, such as entertainment and shopping, etc. but maybe worth taking a look at.
Yes, if you mean, Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol, they are on my list, though not currently near the top. Also, Abingdon, VA just to the north. I was not aware of everything the area has to offer, including the recreational opportunities, though that should have been rather obvious to me because of its location. I've always wanted to try my hand at that storytelling thing like they have at Bays Mountain but I'd have to clean 'em up quite a bit for the mixed audiences.
Yes, if you mean, Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol, they are on my list, though not currently near the top. Also, Abingdon, VA just to the north. I was not aware of everything the area has to offer, including the recreational opportunities, though that should have been rather obvious to me because of its location. I've always wanted to try my hand at that storytelling thing like they have at Bays Mountain but I'd have to clean 'em up quite a bit for the mixed audiences.
I've been here a couple of years and the only outdoor activity I find really lacking is there doesn't seem to be an abundance of 'beach' type areas on the lakes for swimming. I was a little disappointed and feel like what I've come across so far is only adequate. Some of the locals mention some prime swim holes, but they seem to be a little off the beaten path and I have yet to check them out.
I don't think you could live here and not be within 15 minutes of some kind of outdoor activity, even if it's just a walk in the park. And there are a ton of parks in the area, in a range of sizes from the little corner community park on up to the Cherokee Nat'l Forest.If you are into the latest thing, the disc golf craze we have a course in Bristol too. Bristol, Tennessee
I've been here a couple of years and the only outdoor activity I find really lacking is there doesn't seem to be an abundance of 'beach' type areas on the lakes for swimming. I was a little disappointed and feel like what I've come across so far is only adequate. Some of the locals mention some prime swim holes, but they seem to be a little off the beaten path and I have yet to check them out.
I don't think you could live here and not be within 15 minutes of some kind of outdoor activity, even if it's just a walk in the park. And there are a ton of parks in the area, in a range of sizes from the little corner community park on up to the Cherokee Nat'l Forest.If you are into the latest thing, the disc golf craze we have a course in Bristol too. Bristol, Tennessee
LOL! I currently live 1.5 miles from a disc golf course. Gosh, if that's the latest craze, then Podunk Hollar, (where I live now), must be a pretty hip-hop and happenin' place, after all....NOT!!!
Ideally, I'd want to be able to walk out of my house and be on a walking, hiking or biking trail or at a lake within half a mile. On the other hand, if I did have to drive to my destination, I expect the traffic there would be easier to deal with than what I'm used to and most other places too.
I completely understand about the lack of beaches. Sometimes, the most picturesque lakes don't really have what most of us would call a beach. Consequently, I've done my share of cliff diving.
Is there a problem with overcrowding on the trails and lakes, there?
Yeah, disc golf has been around for a while but for some reason it has suddenly become very popular, at least with the younger people I'm around. And no this is not a hip-hop and happenin' place either, LOL We are more about outdoor activities, although we seem to be going in the right direction and growing. Give us another 10 or 15 years!
Walking out your door to one of the bigger parks is probably doable, the park I go to most often backs up to residential areas. Walking out your door to a lake is doable too, if you can afford it, one of my co workers is moving to the lakeshore this month.
I don't do a lot of rigorous hiking anymore, so most of what I do is easy trails at the local parks and it varies. Sometimes it's just me and a few other people and sometimes it's a pretty steady stream of people, but I don't think I would call it crowded.
Same with the lakes, I haven't ever been where it's just wall to wall people like a Florida beach, but it can get a little cramped on hot weekends at the lake I go to.
Traffic here is a breeze compared to everywhere else I've lived. The shopping areas of all three cities can have their aggravations, but it's nothing like sitting locked in traffic in Memphis or Houston!
I know it is probably far too cold for what you want, but Duluth MN is a great city for outdoor activities and has a great culture...though the winters are rough.
Asheville, NC and Chattanooga, TN are both very good options and those would be the two cities that I would recommend the strongest. Great for outdoor opportunities and very low COL. My information on the Gulf Coast is too limited to give you ant sort of recommendation there, so please forgive me. Portland and Seattle are great for outdoor opportunities and very good standard of living, but as mentioned before they are quite cold in the winter and higher COL. Bend, Oregon is another city worth checking out in that area.
It is amazing how often this area comes up in my various searches, message board inquiries and wanderings. It's definitely gotten my attention!
Thank you for the links. This area really does have a lot to offer! Didn't realize just how close it is to Atlanta. In a way, I need a big city for the jobs but really feel like I would probably enjoy a small to medium-sized city more. Chattanooga is just about the right size.
In a recent discussion with another CD member about their suggestion of Knoxville, I think we established that, though it is nearby, the City of Knoxville is somewhat physically removed from its actual recreation areas, where on the other hand, Chattanooga encompasses many of its recreational venues. Did I understand that right?
That is very much accurate regarding Knoxville in my opinion. At first glance geographically one might think it's quite close to the mountains and a lot of outdoor recreation but it's actually quite removed considering. Chattanooga on the other hand seems to melt into the mountains and water recreation is right there. I highly recommend a visit.
Location: Augusta, GA ''The fastest rising city in the southeast''
7,507 posts, read 15,098,266 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I. B. Trippin
Thanks to all who have responded, thus far.
Augusta, GA has been coming up a lot in my searches on this subject. I've always thought of Augusta as a golf town but according to these websites there is so much more in the way of recreational opportunities and scenic beauty.
Does anyone here have personal knowledge of that area and its recreational opportunities? Can you corroborate the info in the articles I'm reading?
Up & coming metro(570k Business Journal estimates January 2012) with counties in both Georgia and South Carolina... The Savannah river divides Augusta, GA from North Augusta, SC..
Thanks for the link, DubbleT. Pretty interesting stuff and looks like the trails are endless. Reminds me of a friend I've lost track of, over the years. She's a professional hiker - hikes the biggest wilderness trails all over the country and is deadly-serious about it. She talked a lot about hiking the Appalachian Trail. Wouldn't surprise me if this was where she started her hikes.
Re: disc golf, it was fairly popular here for awhile but somehow just never really caught on for the long-term. When it comes to fads and trends, I guess it's best to either be in a place where they come and go quickly or a place where people don't care about such things, especially nowadays, when there are so many of them and they last for such a short time, anyway. About your area, such places are already becoming very popular with retirees and others looking for beautiful scenery, a less hectic pace of life and friendly people. There's a huge ongoing migration to places like this, that has somehow largely escaped the attention of the mainstream media and the general public. Over the last ten years or so, I've been reading some very good things about Johnson City, in particular and the rest of the area, in general. Hopefully, the city leaders will handle what is bound to be exponential growth, well.
Good to know that there is easy access to the bigger parks from just about anywhere in town. I need to be able to walk at least three miles at 3/4 speed without having to stop for traffic, other people or other types of obstacles. Of course, the first half mile or so, could be at a slower pace to get warmed up. I guess, during hot weather, a crowd at the lake is to be expected.
I wouldn't be doing rigorous hikes either, at least not like the friend I mentioned above, who carries a backpack as big as she is and hikes for weeks at a time, camping overnight on the trail. I do like to get way off the beaten path and hike in really dense vegetation, though. I want to get to places where nature is still pristine and there are no people around.
Some other things have occurred to me as I was thinking about the Johnson City area and its recreational opportunities. You probably have actual dirt or gravel trails, which are easier on the joints. I know this revelation on my part about an area where nature is obviously so predominate must seem silly but I'm used to mainly concrete and maybe some asphalt trails.
As I mentioned early on, I'm interested in recreation besides just walking, running, hiking, biking and swimming. It's also occurred to me that a place like the Johnson City area might provide more of these other types of recreation than I could find in most of the places I'm considering. Of course, I could play tennis, just about anywhere. I'm also an archery nut, (not for hunting, just target shooting), but it's been a long time since I've been shooting. There's an archery range in Podunk Hollar but it's all the way across the city from me, in a high-crime area, poorly maintained and archers are as likely to hit someone in an adjacent park as they are to hit a target. I'm hoping that the Tri-City area also has an archery range and maybe even a gun range too, (I'm a pretty fair marksman too, or was, the last time I tried).
I know it is probably far too cold for what you want, but Duluth MN is a great city for outdoor activities and has a great culture...though the winters are rough.
Asheville, NC and Chattanooga, TN are both very good options and those would be the two cities that I would recommend the strongest. Great for outdoor opportunities and very low COL. My information on the Gulf Coast is too limited to give you ant sort of recommendation there, so please forgive me. Portland and Seattle are great for outdoor opportunities and very good standard of living, but as mentioned before they are quite cold in the winter and higher COL. Bend, Oregon is another city worth checking out in that area.
Hi jeremybrooks772,
Thank you for the recommendations and great info.
Minnesota does appeal to me in many ways but is far too cold, beyond even a matter of preference, for me. I have scar tissue on my lungs and can't even breathe in the face of a cold, sustained north wind.
Of course, there are other criteria, which are important to me besides recreational opportunities but I've been amazed lately, at how often various types of research on my part are turning up favorable impressions of Asheville, Chattanooga and the surrounding areas. I now consider it imperative to at least, visit these places before making a final decision.
Portland and Seattle would be the perfect place for me, in so many profound ways but it would be a struggle for me to deal with the cost of living in Portland, (least expensive of the two), now and I assume prices are only going to climb, as time goes by. Besides the cost of living is the fact that it really is too cold for me. I could 'buck-up' and 'deal with it' for the sake of the good qualities but if I'm going to do that anyway, I'd rather deal with extreme heat. Climate really is a heavily-weighted criterion for me, personally.
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Thank you, DubbleT!
