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It's going to be 12 when I wake up on Friday. 12 and it's nearly March. I'm thinking we'll go down to JC n April, it will feel like Florida.
Off topic a bit but I remember a big discussions about utilities. What was it, the water bill that is fairly high? Electric is lower due to TVA right? And most homes have heat pumps, I do remember that.
Thanks for the link Double T but to be honest we want to make sure we go when there is not an event, easier to get a room, a hotel etc.
Now what's this about a lake between JC and Kingsport? That looks pretty cool, Lake Boone I believe. And there is talk about building a park downtown to replace the old warehouses? Gotta be honest, that was the first area I saw and it was kind of a turn off, the rusty warehouses right in the same neighborhood as the restaurants. Other than that I loved the area.
Just my .02 worth ...and we all have our opinions.
I have lived in the tri cities all my life and it gets VERY humid in summer. Step out and your sun glases fog up.Instant sweat. I disagree that the other side of the mtns are worse.Again, my opinion.
I have Johnson City Power Board for power and they are very high in winter. There has been controversy accusing them of price gouging.
Most homes do have heat pumps.
I, personally, would never live in Johnson City. Me and my husband both worked in downtown JC (10yr for him, 1yr for me) and it was scary.We commuted from Kingsport. I worked in an urgent care clinic and was literally scared to walk to my car alone at night. I was afraid to open/close the office alone.Lots of homeless people and drug addicts frequented our clinic and the pain clinic below us. A man screamed he was going to kill me and the other receptionist if we didnt get him drugs...then he ran out the door. So that was my last night working there ! My husband worked at a factory and he can tell stories too.
Not ALL of JC is bad but do avoid certain areas! JC does have good restaurants and shopping. It has a children's hospital. It is also a college town (ETSU).
The area lakes and bigger parks are nice.
I am sure people on here could tell you where the nicer/safer neighborhoods in JC are.
Thanks for the link Double T but to be honest we want to make sure we go when there is not an event, easier to get a room, a hotel etc.
Now what's this about a lake between JC and Kingsport? That looks pretty cool, Lake Boone I believe. And there is talk about building a park downtown to replace the old warehouses? Gotta be honest, that was the first area I saw and it was kind of a turn off, the rusty warehouses right in the same neighborhood as the restaurants. Other than that I loved the area.
Understand, but still you might want to check out the small, local free concerts like border bash, can be a fun way to spend an hour or so.
Boone Lake is nice, but not really 'beachy' if you want to swim and you are used to sand beaches. Small swim area at Boones dam that could use some cleaning, lots of cigarette butts. South Holston Lake might be something to take a look at too. //www.city-data.com/forum/19911988-post421.html
I think there are a couple of different power companies in the area, it depends on where you live. In Bristol proper we have BTES which seems pretty reasonable. My January bill was just at $200, the highest I have seen, with the heat pump running almost constantly and the AUX heat on at times (aux heat=$$$) Guess it makes up for the $40 bill in September.
This is old info, but gives you a place to start a search since i believe it lists all the utility companies //www.city-data.com/forum/kings...ce-betwen.html
i guess as far as humidity it's going to come down to a personal decision of what works for you. Having spent too many summers in Houston, Memphis and Florida all I can say is Tri-city summers are nearer heaven for me.
Understand, but still you might want to check out the small, local free concerts like border bash, can be a fun way to spend an hour or so.
Boone Lake is nice, but not really 'beachy' if you want to swim and you are used to sand beaches. Small swim area at Boones dam that could use some cleaning, lots of cigarette butts. South Holston Lake might be something to take a look at too. //www.city-data.com/forum/19911988-post421.html
I think there are a couple of different power companies in the area, it depends on where you live. In Bristol proper we have BTES which seems pretty reasonable. My January bill was just at $200, the highest I have seen, with the heat pump running almost constantly and the AUX heat on at times (aux heat=$$$) Guess it makes up for the $40 bill in September.
This is old info, but gives you a place to start a search since i believe it lists all the utility companies //www.city-data.com/forum/kings...ce-betwen.html
i guess as far as humidity it's going to come down to a personal decision of what works for you. Having spent too many summers in Houston, Memphis and Florida all I can say is Tri-city summers are nearer heaven for me.
Thanks again DoubleT. I found that last thread an interesting read. Of course the utility info was 3 years old so I'm not sure how much has changed. I do know that we pay .09 KWH in MD but our 2,000 SF house has a lot of shade, we use small window units only in the rooms we use, and our electric bill is at most $150 in peak Maryland summer. Our heat bill (oil burner) is about $2,000/year so I'm expecting our total utility bills to go down if we move to JC. Those pics of Boone Lake looked pretty nice to me.
I gotta say that post about crime in JC was kind of shocking. We've never locked our door where we live and we expected a small city like JC to be similar.
Lived in FL, lived in DC. Swamp land of the district can be as bad as FL.
Get into the surrounding mountains of Johnson City and you will rarely even think of humidity, except to feel sorry for the poor friends you left behind. I have lived in Roan Mountain for 7 years and only felt the need for ac a couple times. And that was because I have a room on the west side of the house that does not have shade tree.That is the only ac I have, rest of place is very comfortable with ceiling fans and open windows. Sit in the shade of a tree with 90+ degrees and do not even sweat.
If you intend on running the BRP wait until late May, June or July, prior to that could still have snow and ice and some sections not open. We usually have a snow up to Easter. Do not even think of garden planting till mid May, cause of frosts. Late Aug. and Sept.the hottest.
I'm a little late here and you may have made your decision by now, but I'll put in my two cents. I lived in Chuckey, TN for 3 years, just west of Johnson City. I am from PA and spent 7 years living in Florida. One of the reasons we moved back to PA was the humidity. We did not live up in the mountains but down in the valley. The last summer we were there, 2 years ago, it was in the 90's in June, July, August and very humid. I am a gardener and would have to be inside by 10 am. I am pretty tolerant of the heat and humidity after living in southwest Florida. I was miserable. I notice as I drive up I81 that when you get to northern Virginia or so the humidity starts to recede. That said you have frequent storms and lots and lots of windy days, I mean very windy days, that blow out the heat, so that helps. Almost any home will have central air so you just stay inside in the heat. I went to Johnson City regularly for groceries and the library. It can be scary, especially at night. There is not a small town feel if that's what you are looking for. The library has a security guard at the door. First time I ever saw that in such a small town. Well I hope that helps. Love to know what your decision was.
I'm a little late here and you may have made your decision by now, but I'll put in my two cents. I lived in Chuckey, TN for 3 years, just west of Johnson City. I am from PA and spent 7 years living in Florida. One of the reasons we moved back to PA was the humidity. We did not live up in the mountains but down in the valley. The last summer we were there, 2 years ago, it was in the 90's in June, July, August and very humid. I am a gardener and would have to be inside by 10 am. I am pretty tolerant of the heat and humidity after living in southwest Florida. I was miserable. I notice as I drive up I81 that when you get to northern Virginia or so the humidity starts to recede. That said you have frequent storms and lots and lots of windy days, I mean very windy days, that blow out the heat, so that helps. Almost any home will have central air so you just stay inside in the heat. I went to Johnson City regularly for groceries and the library. It can be scary, especially at night. There is not a small town feel if that's what you are looking for. The library has a security guard at the door. First time I ever saw that in such a small town. Well I hope that helps. Love to know what your decision was.
I'm a little late here and you may have made your decision by now, but I'll put in my two cents. I lived in Chuckey, TN for 3 years, just west of Johnson City. I am from PA and spent 7 years living in Florida. One of the reasons we moved back to PA was the humidity. We did not live up in the mountains but down in the valley. The last summer we were there, 2 years ago, it was in the 90's in June, July, August and very humid. I am a gardener and would have to be inside by 10 am. I am pretty tolerant of the heat and humidity after living in southwest Florida. I was miserable. I notice as I drive up I81 that when you get to northern Virginia or so the humidity starts to recede. That said you have frequent storms and lots and lots of windy days, I mean very windy days, that blow out the heat, so that helps. Almost any home will have central air so you just stay inside in the heat. I went to Johnson City regularly for groceries and the library. It can be scary, especially at night. There is not a small town feel if that's what you are looking for. The library has a security guard at the door. First time I ever saw that in such a small town. Well I hope that helps. Love to know what your decision was.
Great.
To answer your question we have not decided, this is a move for 10 years from now when we retire. Thanks for this info but it is very alarming I did notice that Chuckey is not really in the same locaton as JC regarding the mountains. Is that a factor regarding the humidity? I cracked up when you said Northern VA was less humid. Washington is famous for their humid summers and NoVa is a DC burb.
I keep going back and forth on the crime. We do want a small town feel and as I said we do not lock our doors where we live. I've now seen 2 posts describing downtown JC as "scary".
Yes I am happier in PA as far as the humidity. I am near Harrisburg now and can live without ac most of the time. It used to be a lot cooler here though. I am from this area and it hardly ever got above 80. Now it's in the mid 80's. Humidity low most of the time. I think I would prefer the Scranton area because they have a windier climate there with higher elevation. I have friends there and ac is unnecessary unless you live in a 3rd floor apartment. I have been walking almost daily here with no problems and I live in a small town and walk along the main roads. Very comfortable. I took a trip down to the Hagerstown MD area today and immediately noticed an increase in humidity. Couldn't wait to get home.
Chuckey is Greene County and is closer to the Smokies. It is always windy in Greene County which is an effect of the high mountains. It was impossible to keep anything in the yard from ending up down the road including plants in pots, etc. Anything on the deck had to be tied down. Despite the wind the humidity was tough. I could not possibly live there without central ac. I think if you lived along the mountain ridge it would be cooler but not less humid. It was always hotter when I got to Johnson City.
I don't think it's really possible to describe these towns unless you have spent some time there. Johnson City does not have a small town feel. It is a neglected southern industrial town that lost its industries and now has a lot of poverty and empty buildings. There is a slow progression to improving things, but improvements are a long way off. You might take a trip in 5 years or so and see what's going on. Most of these towns have lost any funding they might have received for improvements and so everything is stagnant. The fact that it's a college town helps, but improvements at the college don't change the rest of the town.
Crime is high is these towns. I think you have to walk around yourself and see how you feel. Keep in mind that a lot of things you read on the internet are propaganda for retires and vacationers. They want to make the area sound wonderful. I have seen articles that are totally contradictory to the truth. Things are changing very rapidly in these towns so articles that are old are probably not valid. I encourage you to read current newspapers.
Have you thought about Abingdon, VA? They have a beautiful historic downtown. I liked the area a lot but it was a little pricey for me. It's a higher elevation and a bit cooler.
I think if you want to avoid humidity you will be looking out west or north of PA.
I don't think it's really possible to describe these towns unless you have spent some time there. Johnson City does not have a small town feel. It is a neglected southern industrial town that lost its industries and now has a lot of poverty and empty buildings. There is a slow progression to improving things, but improvements are a long way off. You might take a trip in 5 years or so and see what's going on. Most of these towns have lost any funding they might have received for improvements and so everything is stagnant. The fact that it's a college town helps, but improvements at the college don't change the rest of the town.
Crime is high is these towns. I think you have to walk around yourself and see how you feel. Keep in mind that a lot of things you read on the internet are propaganda for retires and vacationers. They want to make the area sound wonderful. I have seen articles that are totally contradictory to the truth. Things are changing very rapidly in these towns so articles that are old are probably not valid. I encourage you to read current newspapers.
This could not be farther from the truth as far as Johnson City is concerned. A neglected southern industrial town? Are you sure you aren't thinking of Kingsport? I'll give it to you that the Tri-Cities are not quaint tiny towns, they are small to mid-sized cities. Johnson City's daytime population with workers and students pushes 100,000. If you keep up with local news you would see the huge investments that have been made in downtown Johnson City and the City as a whole. Also ETSU is a big part of Johnson City and changes there sure do impact the town as a whole.
It sounds like this area didn't turn out to be the place you were expecting which is fine. However it really isn't that bad here.
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South Holston Lake might be something to take a look at too.
