Tree Streets (Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol: sale, apartment, rentals) - Kingsport - Johnson City - Bristol - Tennessee (TN) -The Tri-Cities area - City-Data Forum

drex75 · 02-27-2016, 02:07 PM

We are moving to the Tri-Cities in a few months. I'll be working in Bristol at the hospital. We are leaning more to living in Johnson City since the school district is one of the best in the area. After looking through things, many people are mentioning the Tree Streets as a good neighborhood. is this too far a commute to the hospital in Bristol?

We have 2 children. It looks like this neighborhood is a very involved community. Is that a correct assumption? Is it a safe and good area for a family?

Lastly, our price range these next 2-3 years will be on the low end since my spouse will stay at home with my kids. The budget we are looking at is around 130-150k buying or around 1200ish max renting. Do properties in the tree streets rent/sell for that or are we needing to look elsewhere?

If so, anyone know other good alternatives for neighborhoods that are really community-oriented like that one seems to be where it's easy for kids to meet other kids, etc.

Rangerred · 02-27-2016, 03:25 PM

I live in the Tree Streets and love it. There is an excellent elementary school in the neighborhood (Southside) and it is very kid-friendly. The Southside Neighborhood Organization is very active and host events such as an annual 4th of July parade and a gigantic neighborhood-wide yard sale every September. The neighborhood borders ETSU and as such, is home to a wide mix of people from all over the country (and world). Residents range from families with kids, to college professors, to professionals, to retirees, to college students, to fraternity houses.It is still an evolving neighborhood and because of this, there are some rough spots and many cases of beautifully restored historic homes next to run-down apartment houses.

As far as the commute, you're probably looking at 40-50 minutes. I commuted to Bristol for a couple years and it's really not bad. It's 4-lane road and/or interstate the entire way and traffic is negligible. It's worth living in JC for the schools alone.

Finally, your price range could be an issues. For reference, we bought our 3BR 1 bath 1,50 s.f. house three years ago for 128k. It was a former rental and needed some upgrades. Be aware that pretty much all the houses in the neighborhood were built prior to 1940 and some have been maintained better than others. On the rental side, though, your budget is ok. In fact there is a 3BR 2 bath house across the street for me right now for rent for $875. There are quite a few rentals in the neighborhood and nearly all or below $1,000.

rccrain · 02-27-2016, 03:56 PM

I was set to tell you that the commute was far too long. However, Google states that the travel time is ~35 minutes. You'll put some miles on the car though: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Sout...7!2d36.5862714

TNBATMAN · 03-01-2016, 05:50 PM

ehhhh....the Commute might be a LITTLE too long...and I say that as someone who traveled from Kingsport to Johnson City and back for 5 years and it definitely got old. I also dont think the Tree Streets are the greatest area for families anymore....and again,this is coming from someone who grew up there and walked to South Side School and back starting in the first grade. The neighborhood has changed A LOT and now its mostly college kids....there is a lot of college-level mischief and even a fair amount of crime the closer you get to Walnut St. and the Acoustic Coffee House/Maple St. areas. I think you might have better luck looking at the Indian Trial and Town Acres school areas in JC.....maybe somewhere around North Johnson City or the Boones Creek area....possibly even Gray,although I dont know how the schools are in that area.

jabogitlu · 03-01-2016, 05:59 PM

That's just not true. There are hundreds of families living in the Tree Streets neighborhood. It is one of Johnson City's safe, family-oriented communities.

Serious Conversation · 03-01-2016, 07:01 PM

I am not sure it would even take 35 minutes. It is all interstate with virtually no traffic. Once you get to 26, you can basically leadfoot it up there.

Rangerred · 03-01-2016, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNBATMAN

ehhhh....the Commute might be a LITTLE too long...and I say that as someone who traveled from Kingsport to Johnson City and back for 5 years and it definitely got old. I also dont think the Tree Streets are the greatest area for families anymore....and again,this is coming from someone who grew up there and walked to South Side School and back starting in the first grade. The neighborhood has changed A LOT and now its mostly college kids....there is a lot of college-level mischief and even a fair amount of crime the closer you get to Walnut St. and the Acoustic Coffee House/Maple St. areas. I think you might have better luck looking at the Indian Trial and Town Acres school areas in JC.....maybe somewhere around North Johnson City or the Boones Creek area....possibly even Gray,although I dont know how the schools are in that area.

This couldn't be more false. There are more families in the neighborhood now than there were a generation ago. I have a young daughter and one of the reasons I bought a house in the Tree Streets was due to the number of families. During the summer the streets are filled with kids playing and families on walks. Sure there are college kids and rental houses but this is not the dominant characteristic.

There is occasional petty crime such as thefts from unlocked cars but this is not uncommon for an urban neighborhood. Violent crime is practically unheard of as is the case pretty much everywhere in JC. The bottom line is the housing prices speak for themselves. This is a desirable neighborhood.

TNBATMAN · 03-01-2016, 10:33 PM

I think you guys are looking at the tree streets through rose tinted glasses. I work close to there and know a lot of the college students that live there-there is a fair amount of crime in and around the Maple St/Acoustic Coffee House area. A lot of the homes in the tree streets have been converted into duplexs and rented out to the college students and this is also the area where all of the ETSU sorroritys and fraternities are located. You're right about there being no more violent crime than anywhere else in JC,but there are a lot of burglaries,auto vandalism,home invasions,and just general drunken college student antics. SOME of the tree street areas are very nice-and some aren't. And there are many areas in and around JC that are nicer....IMHO,the tree streets are overrated....but agree to disagree,I guess.

rccrain · 03-02-2016, 05:28 AM

But aren't the ETSU sorrorities and fraternities moving to on campus locations in the near future?

Rangerred · 03-02-2016, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rccrain

But aren't the ETSU sorrorities and fraternities moving to on campus locations in the near future?

The sororities are already on campus. They've never had houses in the Tree Streets. There are four fraternity houses in the neighborhood, none particularly large, and they will probably be on campus within the next 10 years.