Johnson City, TN - Declining or Emerging? (Knoxville, Chattanooga: transplants, lease)

[JB4plus6]

My husband and I are retired, currently living in the San Diego area. We have fallen in love with the Southeast recently during two different trips there, and are considering a move to the Tri Cities area of TN due to its slightly higher elevation, in comparison to where other family lives in the Greenville/Spartanburg area of SC. We should get a good price for our home here, and we should be able to live very comfortably in a mid price home in that area. At least one of our two daughters, who will be graduating from a local university here this year, is excited to make this move with us. We have heard conflicting posts about what is happening in Johnson City, with its downtown renewal and the hope for the economic stimulation it will spark. I have heard that it is the hope that Johnson City will become as "hip" as Asheville within the next generation. I like the idea of Johnson City being a university town, with the hope that it is a little more open minded, etc. We are fiscal and political moderate conservatives, but I, especially, still have somewhat liberal views about social issues, such a gay rights. We are not Christian fundamentalists; rather, we have more new thought views spiritually. I would hope to find a church community that would also be more open minded than the typical "Bible Belt" fundamentalist. We also realize that living in the outskirts of Johnson City or even Kingsport is a good option because all the surrounding communities are rather close by.

Considering that my husband and I are retired, we are more flexible as to home town feel and what a new town/city would offer. However, our daughter, who will be starting out in life, would, of course, hope to find employment, possibly in the health services field, or something that is people oriented. She is graduating with a BA in Human Development/Counseling Services. She may not always stay where we end up, but she is willing to start off in the Tri Cities area with us.

I guess what I'm wondering is whether or not Johnson City, and the entire Tri Cities area, is expected to have enough growth to be stimulating to my husband and I (we do like to go out and have fun - live music, movies, restaurants, etc.) as well as for our daughter, who also enjoys getting out to meet people and will need a job that has promise for growth.

In the last two summers, we have visited parts of AL, TN (Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, but not the Tri Cities area. Yes, we plan to visit soon.), NC, GA, and SC (we have family there). We will be scheduling a trip to the Tri Cities area soon, but I am just hoping to get people's take on the area, especially people who either live or have lived there.

Thanks for your help!

[Rangerred]

Johnson City is definitely emerging and I truly believe would have enough to keep you entertained. The university brings a lot to the city in the way of a diverse population and numerous arts and sporting events. Downtown is rapidly developing and the city's restaurant scene is impressive. Johnson City really has a unique feel compared to the rest of the region.

[Serious Conversation]

I think Johnson City is on the upswing, especially when you compare it to the other local cities.

I think it's pretty much indisputable that Johnson City is the cultural hub of the area, in part due to ETSU and Milligan. JC has the best restaurant options available, and until very recently was the retail hub. It now has the only decent mall left in the area. It's the medical hub of the area.

Johnson City is more open minded than the surrounding areas. You'll run into the occasional idiot, but people are a little more liberal there than in the rural areas or Kingsport/Bristol. You should be able to find a church to suit your needs.

I don't see Johnson City getting the vibe that Asheville does. Asheville is a destination city for retirees and a bohemian crowd. The reputation itself generates more interest and causes the reputation to build further. JC may become a smaller scale, cheaper alternative to Asheville in the future. I think it's moving that direction, but won't get as big.

The economy in the Tri-Cities is improving over where it was, but it's still not very good. Weekly wages in Johnson City are among the lowest in Tennessee. Your daughter should find employment before making the move.

You can find more detailed economic information at Core Data

[JB4plus6]

Thanks, Serious Conversation. I've noticed your replies in other threads and have found them very helpful. I really don't want that Bohemian atmosphere for my home town, so I'm fine with Johnson City not becoming Asheville to that degree. I just have seen the downtown pics of JC on Google, and it still is showing a lot of For Lease signs, closed up shops, etc., but I've heard the streets are now being redone and there is "urban renewal" in the works. I've been to downtown Franklin, TN, and I'm hoping that what Johnson City will become may be something like that.

I wonder if there are even jobs for my daughter that might be associated with the downtown renewal. She is really a people person, loves projects, is innovative, creative, and charming. I'll have her take a look at the Johnson City job list too, if there is one.

Thanks for the data link! Will check it out!

[JB4plus6]

Thanks, Rangerred. I am hoping you're right about Johnson City. Even if we live in one of the surrounding towns, the commute to Johnson City seems pretty easy for entertainment and such. We live in northern San Diego County, and we often go 20 minutes or more to a venue in a nearby city. Of course, in San Diego, one town/city blends into another! I like the country roads in between in TN!

[Serious Conversation]

JC is far, far more likely to go the way of Asheville than Franklin.

Franklin is a very affluent suburb of one of the fastest growing metros in the country. JC is a semi-anchor city in a poorer, smaller, dispersed area. If you're looking for Franklin vibrancy or affluence, you'll never find it in the Tri-Cities.

Also, while the commute between each of the Tri-Cities isn't bad, the Tri-Cities are isolated from bigger cities. Keep this in mind if you like going to big name concerts, sports, or need a cheap airport.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by JB4plus6

I guess what I'm wondering is whether or not Johnson City, and the entire Tri Cities area, is expected to have enough growth to be stimulating to my husband and I (we do like to go out and have fun - live music, movies, restaurants, etc.) as well as for our daughter, who also enjoys getting out to meet people and will need a job that has promise for growth.

Just to touch on this with a little bit of anecdotal evidence I can say that Bristol seems to be showing a bit of growth also. Maybe not as impressive as JC but along with the Pinnacle and Cootie Browns I've noticed quite a few empty buildings and lots have been or are undergoing repurposing. I find it to be a nice positive sign, hopefully it continues in that direction.

[Rangerred]

I think you'll find out when you visit the area that there is an immense difference between the cities in the Tri-Cities. For being such a compact area it is really quite surprising. The Tri-Cities is actually a combined statistical area (CSA) made up of two metro areas: Johnson City and Kingsport/Bristol.

It's hard to explain but JC is the only city that really feels like it's going somewhere. I'm sure it has to do with the number of transplants (who tend to bring fresh ideas with them), the youthfulness of the city, and the money in the city (JC has the highest incomes, home prices etc.). Some examples can be found in the downtown revitalization. One individual, Joe Baker who founded Ole Smokey Moonshine, is responsible for the restoration of two old depots downtown into Tupelo Honey Cafe and Yee-Haw Brewing and is currently renovating two more historic buildings. I would put the total value of all of this close to $10 million. He came to Johnson City with his wife who is a student at the ETSU medical school, fell in love with the city and the untapped potential. Another neat story involves the new Trek bicycle store downtown which is run by a couple from Indiana. They looked all over the Southeast for a location before deciding on a recently restored building downtown; again due to the up and coming downtown and the youthful outdoor-oriented population. Things like this haven't been happening in the other cities in the region.

The differences between the cities have been discussed extensively in other threads but basically, Kingsport is a mill town dominated by Eastman. It has a more blue collar population and just feels cold and sterile to me. There has been some development in their downtown but there is also a large paper mill in the middle of downtown that puts off a horrible stench many days. Bristol is a lot like Kingsport but a little smaller and less industrial. It probably has the most lively downtown of the region and benefits greatly from the Nascar race held twice a year. Culturally, though, as with Kingsport there's not much going on.

Outside of these three cities you will find many smaller towns that pretty much function as bedroom communities for the larger cities. Places such as Church Hill, Mt. Carmel, Blountville, Bluff City, Gray, Jonesborough, Elizabethton, Unicoi, and Erwin. Other than Jonesborough, a few miles from JC and catering to wealthy northern retirees, these cities are pretty insular and poor with very few transplants.

[rccrain]

The main difference that will always be between downtown Franklin and downtown Johnson City is that Franklin is centered toward affluent suburban families (wealthiest county in TN), while Johnson City caters to a younger demographic because ETSU (15,000 enrollment) is in easy walking distance.

I think JC falls somewhere in between, perhaps a mixture of: Boone, Asheville, and Franklin. Larger and less collegiate than Boone, smaller and less hippie than Asheville, younger and less wealthy than Franklin.

[jabogitlu]

Absolutely upswing. If moving back to East TN, I would have a hard time picking between Chattanooga and Johnson City. (Knoxville isn't on my radar so much, just because it feels a bit boring for my own tastes.)

Johnson City is a small town with progressive interests constantly pushing it to be better than it is. Such a small town that it's quite easy to get involved and make a huge difference, whereas in larger towns (eg Nashville) those opportunities come much less often, and only with much more work.

We also realize that living in the outskirts of Johnson City or even Kingsport is a good option because all the surrounding communities are rather close by.

I suppose. If you're into rural or super-suburban living, then yes, this is a good option. However, if you like city life, I would encourage you to go whole hog and live inside Johnson City. The benefits of living in the Gump, Tree Streets or Mountain Home are quite tangible - you can walk or bike downtown (especially from the latter two neighborhoods). These neighborhoods are also full of intelligent locals and transplants from all over the world. The mix is quite a bit less heterogeneous in the outlying, suburban areas.

I do agree that the situation is a bit different for your daughter. Jobs are tight in most places in the US and this is definitely true in the Tri-Cities. Best to secure work in an intelligent fashion, without putting herself into a financial mess, however she needs to accomplish that.

Also, maybe my view on this topic is radically skewed by living in Alaska, where a 6-hour roundtrip to Anchorage is seen as a normal venture, but Johnson City is incredibly close to a vast amount of culture and people. Atlanta is, what, four hours away? Charlotte is a solid 3 or less. Asheville is one.