Bunch of questions for a soon to be resident (Johnson City: transplants, apartment)

[cboynton]

Good morning!

So like many on here, I am moving to the area and have a few questions. My apartment is in Elizabethton and I am working in Johnson City.

Quick "about me":
- Male
- I'm in my mid 20s
- Right wing (but I can talk to anyone as I am open minded to other political beliefs)
- Moving for a new job
- Gun owner and hunter (read many of the laws already)
- Car nut (I love all kinds: drag racing, rock crawling, mudding)
- Upstate New Yorker (so the "winters" will not phase me)
- I have already signed a lease and plan to move in within a few weeks.

Questions:
1 - What are some of the better gyms in the area? I'm looking for a place with a weight room but also provides fitness classes (if you have those around here). I don't mind driving 30 minutes to get to a better gym.

2 - What are the more reliable, knowledgeable, and friendly gun stores? Up here we have a few that you can just walk in and chat with people, check out a few firearms, and walk out without someone expecting you to buy something. We have one or two stores up here where you get scowls if you walk in and not buy something and I'd like to avoid that down there.

3 - I have read some posts and looked up info on local shooting ranges. Are there any that have steel targets? Any that have targets beyond 100 yards? I regularly shoot out to 350 yards with one of my rifles and I don't want to get rusty when my dad and I head out west for a trip.

4 - What are the local hunting laws/regulations? Any online resources to put it in plain english not legal speak? NY does stuff differently and sometimes very weird so I have to start from scratch.

5 - Hangouts for people around my age? I know ETSU is nearby (I'm getting a bit too old for the college crowd) but anywhere else I could meet people around my age and make a few local friends? I know people in West TN but can't exactly visit them every day.

6 - Recommended barber? Looking for a friendly chatty atmosphere and a good cut I won't have to go home and fix. I've had the same person cut my hair for the last 16 years soooooo big change.

7 - How and where are the car shows? I know Bristol is HUGE, anywhere else? I own a 1970 Chevelle but that is staying in NY for now due to the fact is has no gauge cluster and we are still working on it to make it road ready.

Pretty sure those are all of my questions. Thanks in advance for the help!!

[Serious Conversation]

I go to "The Wellness Center" in north Johnson City and it is probably the best all-around gym in the area. Sauna, hot tub, weight room, weight machines, classes, cardio machines, lap pool, and therapy pool. It's a bit expensive - $49.50/month for a single. If you're looking for a more hardcore weight environment, check out Bullpit Fitness in Johnson City.

I'm not a big gun guy or a hunter, but I've dealt with Bartlett's Guns in Hampton, as well as Freedom Firearms in Kingsport. As far as steel targets on ranges, no clue, but they could probably point you in the right direction.

As far as hunting regulations, the TWRA would be the place to start. You may also want to call a local outdoors store, like Mahoney's in Johnson City, if you have a specific question.

The social thing is tough. I'm a bit older than you (31) and from the area, but spent 2012-2016 living away. It is very difficult to meet new folks here. Johnson City is better than the smaller towns about this, and honestly, that's one reason I'd choose it over Elizabethton. Much of the area, outside Johnson City, has few transplants, especially younger adults. People tend to socialize with people they've known for years - high school and college friends, church is huge here (a lot of people go to church just to meet people, even though they aren't really religious), coworkers, etc. I still socialize with people I've known for many years. It is tough to break in, but hunting and car shows are popular here and will probably be the way to go.

Kingsport occasionally has fairly large car shows. I'm not an old car person, but there was one downtown last month and the KMart parking lot in Kingsport will sometimes have gatherings on the weekends in the warmer months.

[Ted Bear]

Go into Mahoneys and chat with the gun guys. It is a HUGE department...and they will talk guns until you go deaf. They can guide regarding ranges, etc, and you can likely make a few friends as well.


Barbers...when u find one that is as you remember/appreciate, let us know. Hard to find one. None in five years, but still looking/trying.


Car shows all over the place. Just keep your eyes/ears open. The area is like a throwback where cars are king. They come out of the woodwork. Weather is a big positive factor. 30 y/o pickups all over the place where the guys that own them don't even appreciate what they are driving.


A handful of gyms....well, 'health centers" or whatever they call them these days. Try one on State of Franklin, where there are several, until you have a good fit.


People are VERY friendly. You will meet many very quickly. Don't judge a book by its cover. Don't pretend you know everything. Listen. Be helpful and engage where your interests lie. Pretty soon you will accepted and your phone won't stop ringing.

[PacersFan]

There is a Carter County Car Club that meets right there in Elizabethton and has a cruise in every Saturday night in downtown Elizabethton - I think it is April through October. I think there are cruise ins in Bristol and Erwin on Fridays also -- not sure about the dates. You might find some other "car guys" there to become friends with!

[rccrain]

1. ITRAIN FITNESS in JC https://www.facebook.com/pg/itfjc/ab...=page_internal
2. Mahoneys in JC for chatting - specifically you should talk to Sonny. Tri Cities Gun Depot in Eliz for purchases.
3. I've never seen a range with steel targets. The longest range I've seen is Pond Mtn but there could be others... https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cher...a/?recid=34996
5. I would second church and see what friends at work do. You seem to like the outdoors. I know of this "church" that might be interesting to you. https://www.facebook.com/pg/Non-Typi...=page_internal
With your "about me" info I think you'll make friends just fine.