New guy here -- need advice *important* (Johnson City, Kingsport: crime, safe area)

[Kwame Y]

Happy New Year,

My name is Kwame, I'm an African-American from the Philly area. I am seriously considering relocating to your beautiful area.I am leaving Philly, after "literally" dodging bullets for years. We have every type of gang imagineable such as: MS13,Bloods,Crips,Latin Kings,etc. It's crazy!

I want to take my family (wife and 2 kids) away from this nonsense;however, I was wondering if you have any similar problems in the Tri-Cities area? I was thinking about living in Elizabethton or in the Erwin area.I guess anything nice southeast of Johnson City would be fine as well.Ive been there a few times, and I love it. I-26 between Asheville and JC is breathtaking.I didn't see any threats while I was visting but I don't live there.

I read some article about a Mexican rally in Jonesborough a few years back, and I was shocked to hear that they had the audacity to waive a foreign (Mexican) flag in our country. I've heard that the Tri-Cities area is getting inundated with illegal aliens, is this true? Are they sizable? What section of town do they live in? Any gang activity related to them?

The last thing I want, is to be in the same situation -- with illegal alien gangs (MS13) turning a nice community into a graffitied, lawless cesspool.I don't want to hear about the "hard-working" nonsense either.Stop it! My brothers in Africa are hard working too, but they don't have the benefit of walking across a fenceless border into America. Let's be real! Laws are laws!

Give it to me straight! Illegal immigration, is it a problem in Johnson City? I need the truth before I move there. Very important decision!

I appreciate your time and help! Thank you so much, and hopefully we can be neighbors one day!

[donsabi]

I am originally from the Philadelphia area. When I retired I lived in Montco where I had been living for about twenty years. I visit my relatives twice a year and they are in Philadelphia, so I know, first hand, what you are talking about. The Tri-City area is in no way similar to Philadelphia. I have been here about ten months now and have yet to see anything on the news about gang related violence. There are drug problems here just like everywhere else in the US but I don't see the gang activity that usually goes along with it. I have yet to see anything related to illegal immigration here either, but I am sure there is some. Overall this is a very safe area and a good one to raise a family. However, as it grows I am sure crime will grow with it, but it will never approach the crime in Phila. I agree with the areas here that you mentioned and I strongly recommend JC.
Good luck,
Don

[mbmouse]

Welcome to the forum! Glad to have ya.
I agree with the above post, JC is nothing like Philly. I came here from S.East FL where there is a lot of the same you are concerned about in your post.
Do we have immigrants here? Yes, are they illegal or legal? I am not sure. We do have quite a lot of farms here and I know some are here on a work visa through crop time, but how many in that scenario, no clue. But we just do not have the gang issues and others you are asking about.
Having said that and to answer your other question about where to live, I would not suggest Erwin in your case. There are several reasons for this. You have young children and you said you are African American and you do not want to be around a large immigrant population, Erwin is about the largest population for that in the Tri-Cities region and Erwin tends to have a large issue with meth and prescription drug abuse (long before Immigration became an issue). I would suggest you look more closer to one of the Tri-Cities, JC, Kingsport or Bristol verses the more rural of areas near by to avoid what you are concerned about encountering.
I hope that helps.

[kamoshika]

Welcome to the forum, Kwame! Here's an informative read about gangs in JC:
News Of Our Douglass Friends And Neighbors: NAACP: Johnson City Police---"The Gang's All Here"

For the most part, however, gang activity in the Tri-Cities is very quiet compared to what I saw and experienced in Atlanta. Gang-related violence is rare in this area and while I'm sure gangs are heavily involved in the drug trade here (as they are almost everywhere), most residents are completely unaware that gangs exist. Depending on where the average citizen here lives/works/plays, the he/she may witness a drug transaction every once in a while but will likely never have to dodge bullets.

Also, FWIW, illegal immigrants are here but are not a significant problem at this time, IMO.

[jabogitlu]

Illegal immigrants are a small percentage of the population here, much, much smaller than in other places, like Morristown TN. Virtually no gang activity; coming from Philly you'll think there IS no gang activity here.

This may seem counter-intuitive but mouse was right in her post. Drug/crime-related activity tends to escalate the more rural you get. Meth labs are rarely found downtown or around campus, but mostly in rundown trailers somewhere thirty minutes from the city.

Also, I hate to cast a negative light on a city without a whole lot of proof, but Erwin is definitely a little behind the times when it comes to race relations etc. I'm not completely sure if people there are intentionally prejudiced (though I'm sure some are, of course) or just less... exposed... to non-Caucasians. Kingsport, Bristol, Johnson City, Jonesborough would prove a little less of a "culture shock" to you in that department. And there are many great neighborhoods within all of these cities; because we're still very small you can even find rural housing within the city limits, if that's what you want.

[caroljoy]

Hey Kwame,
I like in Elizabethton, a lovely town close to Johnson City. You should check it out! Great place to raise kids - good schools and a real community feel.

[Kwame Y]

Thank you everyone!