Butler, TN (Knoxville, Johnson City, Bristol: rent, motorhome, high schools)

[Breucklyn]

What can anyone tell me about Butler, TN. The town website says very little. :>) Have been looking for a home in eastern TN now for about 6 months and nothing meets my picky needs. Have found a potential home that has perked my interest but before driving from Orlando, FL, I want to know more about the area from people who have been there or live there. mbmouse, I have sent you an email and wanted to "pick your brain" because of all your knowledge. :>) Thanks. Linda

[mbmouse]

Got it. But honestly, I can't give you much helpful info at this point as I have only been there once or twice and there wasn't much that I recall.
Anyone else? Insainsmooch I think lives closer to the Roan Mountain area? Can you or anyone else help out here?

[ylisa7]

I can tell you more about Mountain City which is about 16 miles from Butler.

I have driven through Butler on my way to Elizabethton which is about 17 miles from Butler but on very windy, slow roads. Butler itself doesn't really have a town of its' own. There really isn't anything there except for Watauga Lake(which is a really pretty lake). There are a couple of marinas where you can rent boats.

Butler is pretty far from anything. You would have to go into Elizabethton to do your shopping, entertainment, and eating out.

What exactly are you looking for? I lived in Zionville, NC, 15 miles from Mtn. City, TN & 15 miles from Boone, NC, for 6 years. Then I moved back to New Port Richey, Fl during the housing boom. Now my husband and I full-time in our motorhome. We winter in Fl and go to Mountain City, TN in the spring and summer where we have 11 acres.

I can probably help you out if I know what you are looking for.

Lisa

[Breucklyn]

Thanks, Lisa. Mbmouse emailed me earlier and I have been able to rule out Butler although the home did have character and potential. I'm trying to get out into the country but do not want to be a hermit or require a 4-Wheel Drive to access my home. :>) :>) My husband likes Rogersville area - I like flea markets and antiques. I just have to learn to be patient. :>) LP

[ylisa7]

I think Jonesborough Tn has a lot of antiques. It is just outside of Johnson City. Also Sweetwater, Tn(southeast of Knoxville) has a large Flea Market.

Interesting things for you to check out:

Antique Valley Yard Sale-an annual event every May. It is on US Hwy. 11 from Meridian, MS to Bristol, Va.

World's Longest Yard Sale- Corridor 127. Every August- This year it's Aug. 2-Aug. 5. It runs through 4 states from Gadsgen, Alabama to Cincinnati, Ohio
for 450 miles of shopping.

There is more info online about these sales.

Happy shopping.

Lisa

[Ridgerunner]

Hello, Breucklyn. Butler is very remote and very small. I know some people there who commute to work in Elizabethton and Johnson City. But I think it would be an ideal retirement spot. (Butler was once larger but was relocated several decades ago for the formation of Watauga Lake, and some residents left the area.) If antiques and flea markets are your thing, you really should check out the Cumberland Plateau region. Crossville has Tennessee's largest flea market. Also, the "World's Longest Yard Sale" takes place in August along the U.S. 127 corrider from northern Kentucky to northern Alabama. This event was organized in Jamestown, another Plateau town north of Crossville.

[PaintedLady]

For a long time my husband & I have been researching & working towards relocating from Fl. to NC. Now hubby throws me a curve ball when we are VERY close to our move (FINALLY) to the mountains.... he is thinking Tn. Specifically Butler, Tn. He found a property online he likes there. Now I have been to the areas around Maryville, Tn. ......my parents had a 2nd home there. I am NOT familiar with this area of Tn. at all (Butler). I did search here on CD as I find the BEST information here (thank you LOCALS & others!).... I am not pulling up alot on Google for it. So I figured... I'd just ask.... We don't want to be in the boonies and have to be fairly close to a City. By City I mean like Boone, Asheville, Knoxville.... or similar to them as in what they have to offer. I'm a tree hugger and love being on some land... but I don't want to be 1/2 hr- 45 mins. from the nearest store, We like being fairly close to what we need or things to do for fun. This is how we are used to living now. I am also a REALTOR & Artist and need to be close to the cities & out skirt towns for work reasons. We are also VERY concerned with the High Schools. My son is 16 & will be a junior in the fall. In addition to the academics, Athletics are also important to him as he is a Varsity Wrestler... input on High Schools is greatly appreciated. Thank you & I am now going back to my internet search... thanks for anything you can share about Butler or other towns/cities in that area. Donna (projected move 3-4 mos or sooner)

[PaintedLady]

...hmmm... remote, not much of a town or anything....not good. At least for my family. Thanks for pulling the earlier thread. I know that was mostly from 2007.... has anything changed since for Butler or is it the same???

Thanks! Donna

[Beretta]

We have a cabin on Watauga Lake and go through Butler to get there. Butler is really a wide spot in the road as far as a town goes and surrounded by rural homes. It is a pretty tight community of people whose families, for the most part, have been there since the beginning of time. The high school is not known for excellence on any front that I know of. I don't know if they have a wrestling team; it is a somewhat small enrollment compared to other schools in the area. Fairly high poverty level there if I am not mistaken.

If you are interested in a wrestling program and excellent high schools I would steer you toward Washington County or Sullivan County schools, which has been discussed at length elsewhere on the forum (Daniel Boone, Science Hill, Dobyns-Bennett, etc.)

[GingerSue]

What is it about Butler that draws your husband to it?

You mention being an artist and a tree hugger. The Asheville area might be a better fit for you. I read somewhere that Asheville has the largest communities of artists in the country, comparable to to San Fransisco. It's also a very natural and earthy crowd for the most part. The surrounding areas, such as Black Mountain, are a smaller but they are just a few minutes from town so you won't miss anything.

It's worth a trip to check it out It's also a great vacation spot.