Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Tennessee > Kingsport - Johnson City - Bristol
 [Register]
Kingsport - Johnson City - Bristol The Tri-Cities area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Closed Thread Start New Thread
 
Old 09-24-2019, 07:53 AM
 
Location: CT
7 posts, read 10,384 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

thanks and yes I get how bias ( mine too!) can play out ..... we saw one home in kingsport we would have jumped at (after a good look see) but it ended up as too large for the two of us ... but man I liked it !

 
Old 09-24-2019, 08:20 AM
 
Location: Brooklyn, NY
9,907 posts, read 14,252,329 times
Reputation: 10964
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnchap View Post
thanks and yes I get how bias ( mine too!) can play out ..... we saw one home in kingsport we would have jumped at (after a good look see) but it ended up as too large for the two of us ... but man I liked it !
There are some very nice neighborhoods in Kingsport--Preston Woods, Preston Forest, Ridgefields, Fair Acres, and the drive down the Watauga Street corridor--stunning homes there. Some of Kingsport has a few neighborhoods which are not great housing stock, and a little rough for wear and not super aesthetically pleasing, but that happens in most cities.

All in all, Kingsport gives a great bang for the buck with a home, and prices are not as low as you would think, but deals can still easily be found. Like this house on Watauga Street for $187,500:

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-36389?view=qv

Even though Kingsport has some issues with remaining competitive with the latest restaurants/retail and the smell sometimes surrounding Domtar and Eastman, it has some beautiful neighborhoods and remains an attractive place to purchase.
 
Old 09-24-2019, 08:44 AM
 
Location: Gray, TN
2,172 posts, read 4,602,461 times
Reputation: 931
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnchap View Post

My main concern would be having access to a clean stream river lake so if anyone here can point that out that’s very near Kingsport that to me that’s a big plus
Check out the area east of Bloomingdale, maybe along Boozy Creek. There are a lot of springs and clean streams that come out of the mountains. There is one spring right off 11W that some people have used for drinking water.
 
Old 09-24-2019, 08:38 PM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,882 posts, read 30,982,886 times
Reputation: 47220
Quote:
Originally Posted by rccrain View Post
Check out the area east of Bloomingdale, maybe along Boozy Creek. There are a lot of springs and clean streams that come out of the mountains. There is one spring right off 11W that some people have used for drinking water.
That spring is off Cleek Road. There are neighborhoods off the right of New Beason Well Road as you approach Stone Drive that are dramatically higher income. Those neighborhoods are fine, as are some of the affluent neighborhoods as you go through Orebank Road.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc View Post
There are some very nice neighborhoods in Kingsport--Preston Woods, Preston Forest, Ridgefields, Fair Acres, and the drive down the Watauga Street corridor--stunning homes there. Some of Kingsport has a few neighborhoods which are not great housing stock, and a little rough for wear and not super aesthetically pleasing, but that happens in most cities.

All in all, Kingsport gives a great bang for the buck with a home, and prices are not as low as you would think, but deals can still easily be found. Like this house on Watauga Street for $187,500:

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-36389?view=qv

Even though Kingsport has some issues with remaining competitive with the latest restaurants/retail and the smell sometimes surrounding Domtar and Eastman, it has some beautiful neighborhoods and remains an attractive place to purchase.
Ridgefields has been anchored by the country club for years. Stan Pace of Gold Star Fitness bought Ridgefields several years ago. He's never been able to get much traction, and has always had to cut prices or do some sort of pot sweetener to get members. I don't think he owns the gym chain any longer, so that's less of a bargaining chip for him. A close friend of mine bought a condo in Ridgefields last year, didn't like living there (he lived in Sugarwood off of Fall Creek for two decades), and took a huge bath to unload it. Granted, the whole process was within six months.

The problem is that a lot of the Kingsport centric people are aging out of even golf. Younger people aren't picking it up. I'd bet Ridgefields CC will be closed in five to ten years.

Last edited by Serious Conversation; 09-24-2019 at 08:46 PM..
 
Old 09-29-2019, 08:58 AM
 
Location: Brooklyn, NY
9,907 posts, read 14,252,329 times
Reputation: 10964
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation View Post
Ridgefields has been anchored by the country club for years. Stan Pace of Gold Star Fitness bought Ridgefields several years ago. He's never been able to get much traction, and has always had to cut prices or do some sort of pot sweetener to get members. I don't think he owns the gym chain any longer, so that's less of a bargaining chip for him. A close friend of mine bought a condo in Ridgefields last year, didn't like living there (he lived in Sugarwood off of Fall Creek for two decades), and took a huge bath to unload it. Granted, the whole process was within six months.

The problem is that a lot of the Kingsport centric people are aging out of even golf. Younger people aren't picking it up. I'd bet Ridgefields CC will be closed in five to ten years.
Yeah that club is definitely not as prestigious or as desired as it used to be. When I was growing up in the 80s, it was the cream of the crop in Kingsport.

But as you mentioned, a lot of the folks who keep biz going there are getting older and no one is staying to replace them, so it is fizzling out and may even close in the future, or become a different usage altogether.
 
Old 10-01-2019, 02:29 PM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,882 posts, read 30,982,886 times
Reputation: 47220
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Ridge View Post
Most are in the 24-40 age range. A couple are 55+. In fact, one of the 55+ is a chemist and perhaps the most adamant about not living in KPT.

I'm racking my brain, but I think the only KPT-centric employees in my circle are either employed by or for Eastman. Perhaps some distant acquaintances were shuffled to KPT during the Ballad transition, but I'm not certain. Oh, and I believe one still works for Holston Medical Group - and I think they commute from northern Unicoi Co. So that's at least 0-for-15 on KPT employees who live outside of Sullivan Co.

I commuted from Downtown JC to Exit 7 for a bit. It wasn't the best commute, but certainly not the worst. In fact, the worst part was on 26. The 81 portion was smooth sailing. I grew so sick of the delays along 26 that I abandoned it in favor of 11E. It turned out to be quite similar time-wise and much less stressful.

I would pick Bristol over Kingsport all day, every day.

As for Kingsport's issues, I honestly think Kingsport needs to accept its fate and rebrand itself - pronto. If leadership refuses to embrace change and insists on the conservative, corporate feel, go all-in on that. Tailor everything to the corporate-industrial complex and rebuild around it. There's nothing inherently wrong with that. The efforts to innovate have fallen flat and I simply do not believe the city is in a position to compete with JC and Bristol.
I work in a white collar office setting in Kingsport. Counting my manager, there are ten people in the cubes nearby. Of these, it breaks down like this.

One person lives in Abingdon. One lives in Jonesborough. Two live in JC. Three live in Gray. I live in Bristol. One lives in the Bluff City area. Just one lives in Kingsport, and she is not even in the KCL.

I go to the Planet Fitness in Kingsport. Other than that, the occasional after work dinner with family, or maybe a Tuesday night beer/pizza deal at Main St. Pizza, once the timer hits 5, I'm leaving town.

Just in our social circles - I wonder how much sales tax revenue, lost meals at restaurants, lost shopping, etc., is happening to Kingsport by people commuting in for work, then immediately leaving?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc View Post
Yeah that club is definitely not as prestigious or as desired as it used to be. When I was growing up in the 80s, it was the cream of the crop in Kingsport.

But as you mentioned, a lot of the folks who keep biz going there are getting older and no one is staying to replace them, so it is fizzling out and may even close in the future, or become a different usage altogether.
Part of the problem with anything outdoors in Kingsport is the smell. I don't know how bad it gets at Ridgefields, but I definitely notice the smell about when I hit The Pavilion. When I lived in Indy and came back on 11-E, the smell was much worse on the west side of town typically. There are days that downtown or around Eastman is practically unbearable. I work off of Stone Drive and it's been bad here this week, though I'm sure the excessive heat and dry weather aren't helping. No one wants to do anything outside if it smells awful.
 
Old 11-03-2019, 06:58 PM
 
Location: Brooklyn, NY
9,907 posts, read 14,252,329 times
Reputation: 10964
I went over to the Kingsport Pavilion today to Panda Express. Drove by the other end of the shopping center by Best Buy, and it closed for good yesterday--Sat, Nov 2nd.

Hope this building doesn't just sit vacant forever, like the Wendy's is sitting in that same shopping center.

But, the way Kingsport retail/restaurant scene is trending though, it could get worse before it gets better (IF it gets better anytime soon).
 
Old 11-04-2019, 07:07 AM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,882 posts, read 30,982,886 times
Reputation: 47220
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc View Post
I went over to the Kingsport Pavilion today to Panda Express. Drove by the other end of the shopping center by Best Buy, and it closed for good yesterday--Sat, Nov 2nd.

Hope this building doesn't just sit vacant forever, like the Wendy's is sitting in that same shopping center.

But, the way Kingsport retail/restaurant scene is trending though, it could get worse before it gets better (IF it gets better anytime soon).
I had the misfortune of going over there a couple weeks ago looking for some bluetooth earbuds, and the shelves were mostly bare. It wasn't a good look. I left and went to Target.

I can't believe the Wendy's didn't make it. It was built with the open concept look that most fast foods are going to now.

I think Sprint is the only thing open on that far side of the shopping complex now that WhichWich closed. What kills me is that if you're coming toward The Pavilion on 11-W from Bristol and it's dark, the signage at the bottom doesn't even light up properly. It's been that way at least a couple of months.
 
Old 11-04-2019, 01:21 PM
 
Location: Brooklyn, NY
9,907 posts, read 14,252,329 times
Reputation: 10964
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation View Post
I had the misfortune of going over there a couple weeks ago looking for some bluetooth earbuds, and the shelves were mostly bare. It wasn't a good look. I left and went to Target.

I can't believe the Wendy's didn't make it. It was built with the open concept look that most fast foods are going to now.

I think Sprint is the only thing open on that far side of the shopping complex now that WhichWich closed. What kills me is that if you're coming toward The Pavilion on 11-W from Bristol and it's dark, the signage at the bottom doesn't even light up properly. It's been that way at least a couple of months.
Yeah, the Pinnacle ownership seems to not necessarily care about that sign. Makes it look like it's a center past its prime, which it is, but it still has some strongly performing stores--Ulta, Books a Million, Kohl's and Target.

As for the Wendy's, I"m not sure why they closed that down. Wendy's has a strange history, I think as we all discussed a couple years back or so, in Kingsport. Wendy's has opened and closed more restaurant locations in Kingsport over the decades, oddly, more than any other fast food restaurant. The closed Pavilion location could be so many good things--Culver's, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, Chipotle, Moe's, Steak and Shake, Dunkin Donuts, and the list goes on.
 
Old 11-05-2019, 07:03 PM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,882 posts, read 30,982,886 times
Reputation: 47220
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc View Post
Yeah, the Pinnacle ownership seems to not necessarily care about that sign. Makes it look like it's a center past its prime, which it is, but it still has some strongly performing stores--Ulta, Books a Million, Kohl's and Target.

As for the Wendy's, I"m not sure why they closed that down. Wendy's has a strange history, I think as we all discussed a couple years back or so, in Kingsport. Wendy's has opened and closed more restaurant locations in Kingsport over the decades, oddly, more than any other fast food restaurant. The closed Pavilion location could be so many good things--Culver's, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, Chipotle, Moe's, Steak and Shake, Dunkin Donuts, and the list goes on.
I think Ruby Tuesday is struggling, but Steak and Shake should be an easy win for Kingsport. Moe's is good. Red Lobster would probably work. Culver's would work with the Kingsport burger thing.

Still, the city is more interested in chasing Dani Cook out than addressing real issues. It's just emblematic of the bone-headedness of Kingsport leadership.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Closed Thread


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Tennessee > Kingsport - Johnson City - Bristol

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top