**HELP**HELP**Am I in for a major culture shock?...From Phoenix, AZ to Wise, VA**HELP**thanks!..I need Tennessee input. (Johnson City: transferring to, school)

[1awesomemum]

Thankk you for everyone's input. These forums really are great. I wouldnt have known anything about anywhere is it wasnt for your help. I leaning towards Bristol. I know the drive would be an hour and a half but the population in Bristol is 6 times higher than it is in Wise. My husbands potential employer recommended Kingsport. Thanks again for all your help.

[rccrain]

I agree with the employer, Kingsport over Bristol. Kingsport is closer, larger, and has slightly better schools.

Why do you favor Bristol?

[LynchburgLover]

Awesomemum, since I pointed here and I'm glad to see you got more responses, I just want to throw in something to think about. You didn't say how old your children are or how long you'll be in the area, but consider the college situation when you choose between the states. Above average students from the more rural parts of Virginia have a very good chance at getting into UVA and William & Mary. There are quotas for Northern Virginia at those two schools and both UVA and W&M seek geographic diversity.

And, before I get yelled at by TN people, I have two nephews who went to UT-K and have done very well professionally!

[jabogitlu]

I agree. It's a VERY strong reason for living in either Virginia or North Carolina. Both have really great and selective school systems, and establishing residency in those states will help your kids out tremendously.

[mbmouse]

I'll throw my vote for Kingsport into the ring, even though I don't know much at all about Wise VA, but for a few reasons. Kingsport tends to get a lot less snow per year than the higher elevation in that part of VA. The schools in Kingsport are very good. It isn't as isolated, less culture shock. I know it isn't a big university, but two free years of community college at North East State helps save for those last few years at any other university while getting the basics required courses out of the way.

[ilovepits]

My family has been in Bristol since 1800's I was born there. Have lived there and in Kingsport. Kingsport is MUCH nicer. The schools in Bristol are not good.

[Trevor92]

I definitely think you'll be in for a bit a culture shock regardless of where you move to in the area. The combined population of the Tri-Cities isn't anywhere near that of Phoenix. I don't think Kingsport would be a bad choice at all and it would be little closer and have more to offer than Bristol.

But my first plan would be to try to find a rental house in Wise or Norton for the first year to see how you like the area. I'm not sure of any good rental websites, but I do know there's a Century 21 real estate office in Wise you could check with. There's also this site deleted and I'm sure they could direct you to resources for rentals. One big problem with the commute is the weather in the winter and the fact that the area does get its fair share of snow. One thing you'll notice is how many people drive 4wd trucks/suvs in the area. Even the highway can become very difficult to travel on often during the winter. I'd also make sure you had at least a backup heat source that didn't rely on power.

The Wise/Norton area does offer a little more than some people know about for a small-town in SW VA. It's sort of a central shopping area for southwestern VA/southeast KY areas that are too far away from the Tri-Cities. So it has a few more businesses/restaurants than you might expect because of that and the college students that spend time there. It does allow the area to have several shopping centers complete with Mexican and Asian restaurants as well as local coffee shops, several nice grocery options, reliable cell service, clothing stores, furniture stores, and a couple new car dealerships. It just doesn't have a ton of options as you might find in Kingsport or Bristol, much less Phoenix.

There are no malls or night clubs and a limited number of specialty shops. But I think there's certainly enough of a retail base to say that it's not an isolated area. I would recommend trying the area out and making a trip to the Tri-Cities once or twice a month rather than making the drive a daily commute.

[jjbradleynyc]

1awesomemum, you will be in for some major culture shock. Not only with respect to the isolated nature of the Wise, Va area, but also due to the fact that you are coming from a major metropolitan area that has access to a huge variety of shopping, restaurants, concerts, theater, art, religion, attractions, etc. that a metro area over 4 million has to offer.
In addition, the attitudes, acceptance, and lack of diversity of the area may play a huge role in what you might be use to in Phoenix. The area is a big "church going" and mainly baptist region, where religion plays a big role--and the church is substituted in many peoples' lives for social interaction, culture, and the way they live their daily lives. You will be in the heart of the "bible belt USA".
My advice is to be aware of these points, visit the area first before moving, and certainly think many times over if the area is right for you.
It's a gorgeous area geographically, and there are some wonderful people there. I've visited Wise a few times when I was a teenager, and it felt even more "backward" and isolated than my then hometown of Kingsport, TN! Anyway, do some research before anything.
Wise may become a wonderful area for you and your family, or it may be a total nightmare--do some hardcore research and visits first.

[Trevor92]

Just to give you another resource for rentals, I just thought of the local paper's classified ads. All the areas real estate companies seem to advertise there, but I'm not sure which ones handle rentals: http://www.thecoalfieldprogress.com/pages/thecoalfield_classifieds

Socially and culturally, I really don't think it's that different than Bristol or Kingsport. The college does help attract a larger number of theater/art shows than you might expect for a rural area and you'll have that hour + drive from what is offered in the Tri-Cities. Considering diversity, the population percentages in Wise/Norton are very similar to Kingsport with fewer overall people so I don't believe there would be a big difference between the areas. And I'd agree that the area is a bible belt area and the main religious denomination is baptist, but there are several churches available. Here's the local paper's church directory: http://wise.ors.kwnews.com/ and I also know many people that choose not to attend any churches and seem to fit in fine in the community.

I'm just trying to balance out the view on the area. But depending on your perspective, it is true you could hate it or you could love it because of the limited offerings. But I think it's worth considering and maybe spending a day or two there to see for yourself, rather than assuming it's a remote coal-town and you must live a little over an hour away in Kingsport or Bristol and only focusing on those areas.

[SCBaker]

The OP did not mention whether they liked Phoenix. I was not born or raised there, but I got trapped in the Phoenix area for 33 years. In the 70's it was a nice area. Blue skies, beautiful mountain views, miles of open desert, night skies with brilliant stars that seemed to hang so low you could reach up and touch them, Japenese flower gardens, orange groves, etc. All of that disappeared over the years as more & more people moved in. It has become one large polluted city without character & soul, IMO.

I recently moved to Kingsport and it is a perfect fit for me. However, I do not have to worry about schools, jobs or commutes. I do know one thing though, I would never consider returning to Phoenix.